Oftentimes when I’m hitting that afternoon wall—and I’ve already reached my coffee limit for the day—I like to treat myself to a nice cold crème Frappuccino from Starbucks. And because it contains no coffee, I don’t have to worry about consuming any extra caffeine.

Perhaps you are on the same page as me when it comes to caffeine: One or two cups of coffee in the morning is about all you can handle. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t join your friends or coworkers on their afternoon coffee run to Starbucks, and here’s why.

A Crème Frappuccino is not the Same as a Frappuccino

There are two distinct differences between a Frappuccino and a crème Frappuccino, the first being that a Frappuccino has a regular or light coffee base while a crème Frappuccino has a sugary crème base. Hence the name crème Frappuccino.

The other difference between the two drinks is that a Frappuccino contains frap roast—which is basically high quality instant coffee—while a crème Frappuccino does not.

Other than these two differences, the drinks are virtually the same and consist of the following additional ingredients: Milk, ice, a flavored syrup or sauce, and toppings such as whipped cream.

Is there any Benefit in ordering a Crème Frappuccino rather than a Frappuccino?

The answer to this question is dependent upon whether or not caffeine consumption is a factor for you when ordering from Starbucks.

If you have no issue with caffeine—it doesn’t make you jumpy or jittery—then why not order a Frappuccino, right?

On the other hand, if you are trying to limit your coffee and caffeine consumption—like myself—then the crème Frappuccino is probably a safer choice.

There are plenty of completely non-caffeinated options when ordering a crème Frappuccino at Starbucks such as the vanilla bean crème Frappuccino, the strawberry Frappuccino, the white chocolate crème Frappuccino, and the caramel ribbon crunch crème Frappuccino.

Now, you may be thinking to yourself that all of those crème Frappuccino options sound incredibly sweet: Maybe a little too sweet. If you’re trying to watch your caffeine intake, as well as your sugar intake, then this could present a problem.

However, there are also several customizations that you can make to your crème Frappuccino to reduce the amount of sugar in the drink.

You could always ask the barista if they can skip the whipped cream or even add sugar-free syrup to your drink rather than regular syrup. Another easy way to cut caffeine and sugar when ordering a crème Frappuccino is to simply ask for a smaller size. This way, you can keep your afternoon drink but not feel guilty about consuming any extra caffeine or sugar.