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Starbucks US Cheese Danish: calories and sugar by portion, age and sex

Starbucks US Cheese Danish, round flaky pastry with a creamy cheese centre, nutrition and calories

Boone’s analysis puts Starbucks US Cheese Danish at 14% of an adult’s daily calories, 2.8 teaspoons of added sugar and 400mg of sodium.

How many calories are in a Starbucks US Cheese Danish? It contains 290 calories, 14g of fat (9g saturated), an estimated 11g of added sugar and 400mg of sodium.

Build a full order with our nutrition calculator

Use the Boone meal calculator to see this item alongside the rest of your order rather than on its own. Choose your age and sex, and switch between US and UK guidance, for a more accurate view of how a Cheese Danish fits into a day.

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Nutrition information

Nutrition information: Starbucks US Cheese Danish

Serving size80g
Calories290
Total fat14g
of which saturated9g
Trans fat0.5g
Carbohydrate33g
Total sugars11g
Includes added sugars (Boone estimate)11g
Fibre1g
Protein7g
Sodium400mg

Nutrition figures are Starbucks US published data for one standard serving as sold. Starbucks publishes total sugar only, so added sugar is a Boone estimate. Boone converts the figures to the portion and age comparisons on this page.

Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains 290 calories, which is 14% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value used on US food labels. It provides 14g of total fat, of which 9g is saturated, 11g of total sugars (an estimated 11g added), 400mg of sodium, 7g of protein and 1g of fibre.

The saturated fat content of 9g represents 45% of the 20g Daily Value.

The ingredient list for Starbucks US Cheese Danish names thickeners and gums, flavourings, preservatives, acidity regulators and protein isolates. None of these add nutritional value. They exist to make food survive industrial production, storage and transport.

Starbucks US Cheese Danish is over the US per-meal added sugar limit

Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains an estimated 11g of added sugar, 1.1 times the 10g per-meal limit in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The same guidelines recommend no added sugar at all for children aged 10 and under.

FDA Daily Values (2,000-calorie diet)

Calories2,000
Total fat78g
Saturated fat20g
Carbohydrate275g
Added sugars50g
Fibre28g
Sodium2,300mg
Protein50g

Added sugar vs total sugar

Where the sugar comes from: Starbucks US Cheese Danish

An estimated 11g of the 11g counts as added sugar, or about 2.8 teaspoons. None of it is naturally occurring.

Added sugars come from

  • sugar

Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030: no more than 10g of added sugar per meal from age 11 and none for children aged 10 and under. FDA Daily Value: 50g a day. Starbucks publishes total sugar only. Boone counts sugars, syrups, honey, malt and juice concentrates in the ingredient list as added, and the sugars in milk, cheese, whole fruit, 100% juice and vegetables as naturally occurring.

Ultra-processed food: what is really in it

Processing and additives: Starbucks US Cheese Danish

Reading the ingredient list closely, it contains thickeners and gums, flavourings, preservatives, acidity regulators and protein isolates. These are not there to add nutritional value. They make industrial production and distribution possible.

Thickeners and gums

Thicken and stabilise fillings, sauces and egg mixtures so they hold up through freezing, storage and reheating. Found in the neufchatel cheese and dough conditioner.

Flavourings

Add or restore taste lost during processing. Found in the butter.

Preservatives

Slow the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds, or stop fats going stale, in centrally prepared food. Found in the enriched wheat flour and dough conditioner.

Acidity regulators

Control sourness and keep fillings, sauces and cured meats stable on the shelf.

Protein isolates

Concentrated proteins extracted industrially to raise the protein count or build texture. Found in the dough conditioner.

Boone classifies Starbucks US Cheese Danish as NOVA group 4, ultra-processed, based on the additives named above. NOVA groups foods by how far they are from their whole-food form, not by how nutritious they are. A group 4 food is not automatically unhealthy, and a group 1 food is not automatically healthy. Read from the published ingredient list, October 2026.

Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains at least 24 distinct ingredients: 12 raw and 12 manufactured. Raw means something you could buy and cook with at home; manufactured means a substance that only exists as an output of industrial processing.

Ingredient count: Starbucks US Cheese Danish

What you orderRawManufacturedTotal% manufactured
Starbucks US Cheese Danish on its own12122450%

The 12 manufactured ingredients

ascorbic acid, folic acid, guar gum, lactic acid, locust bean gum, natural flavors, niacin, reduced iron, riboflavin, thiamine mononitrate, wheat gluten, xanthan gum.

The 12 raw ingredients

dry whole milk, eggs, enzymes, fermented wheat flour, milk, pasteurized cultured milk and cream, salt, sea salt, sugar, water, wheat flour, yeast.

What those ingredients are, by type

Vitamins and fortification5
Meat, fish, dairy and eggs4
Emulsifiers and thickeners3
Preservatives and acidity regulators2
Raising agents, yeast and cultures2
Grains and starches2
Salt and minerals2
Flavourings and extracts1
Sugars and syrups1
Water1
Protein isolates1

Boone counts every distinct named ingredient on Starbucks’ published ingredient list, including sub-ingredients, and removes duplicates, so salt appearing in three components counts once. Raw covers whole foods and basic kitchen staples such as flour, milk, sugar, salt and oil. Manufactured covers substances that only exist as an output of industrial processing. Every figure here is a minimum.

Ingredients

Starbucks US Cheese Danish has 24 distinct ingredients in its published list.

Ingredients by component: Starbucks US Cheese Danish

Ingredients

Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Ascorbic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Enzyme), Neufchatel Cheese (Pasteurized Cultured Milk And Cream, Salt, Stabilizers (Xanthan, Locust Bean And Guar Gums)), Water, Butter (Cream (Milk), Natural Flavor), Sugar, Dry Whole Milk, Eggs, Yeast, Sea Salt, Sourdough (Water, Fermented Wheat Flour), Dough Conditioner (Wheat Gluten, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Salt, Enzymes), Lactic Acid.

Ingredients taken from the Starbucks US menu at starbucks.com, retrieved October 2026, for the standard recipe. Recipes change, so always check in store before ordering if you have an allergy.

Allergens at a glance

Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains milk, eggs and wheat.

Allergen information: Starbucks US Cheese Danish

AllergenStatus
MilkContains
EggsContains
FishNot declared
Crustacean shellfishNot declared
Tree nutsNot declared
PeanutsNot declared
WheatContains
SoybeansNot declared
SesameNot declared

Contains = declared in the Starbucks US allergen statement for this item or named in its ingredient list. Starbucks stores handle and warm food on shared equipment, so no item can be guaranteed allergen free. UK rules also require barley, oats, mustard, celery and sulphites to be declared; these are shown where the ingredient list or allergen statement names them. Retrieved October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many calories are in a Starbucks US Cheese Danish?+

Boone calculates that Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains 290 calories, which is 14% of the 2,000-calorie Daily Value and 19% of the daily needs of a moderately active child aged 4 to 8.

How much added sugar is in a Starbucks US Cheese Danish?+

Boone estimates that Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains 11g of added sugar, about 2.8 teaspoons, which is 22% of the 50g FDA Daily Value. Starbucks publishes 11g of total sugar.

Is Starbucks US Cheese Danish within US sugar guidance for children?+

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 recommend no added sugar for children aged 10 and under and no more than 10g per meal from age 11. With an estimated 11g of added sugar, Starbucks US Cheese Danish is over both.

How much saturated fat is in a Starbucks US Cheese Danish?+

Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains 9g of saturated fat. Boone calculates this as 45% of the 20g Daily Value and 53% of the 17g limit for a child aged 4 to 8.

Is Starbucks US Cheese Danish ultra-processed?+

Boone classifies Starbucks US Cheese Danish as NOVA group 4. Reading the published ingredient list, it contains thickeners and gums, flavourings, preservatives, acidity regulators and protein isolates. NOVA group 4 describes how far a food is from its whole-food form, not how nutritious it is.

Is Starbucks US Cheese Danish suitable for children?+

Boone’s analysis flags that its 400mg of sodium is 27% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8; its estimated 11g of added sugar is above the Dietary Guidelines advice of no added sugar for children aged 10 and under. That does not make it off limits, but it does mean a Cheese Danish uses up a large share of a young child’s day in one item.

How much protein is in a Starbucks US Cheese Danish?+

Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains 7g of protein, which Boone calculates as 14% of the 50g Daily Value.

How much sodium is in a Starbucks US Cheese Danish?+

Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains 400mg of sodium. Boone calculates that as 27% of the daily limit for a child aged 4 to 8 and 17% of the 2,300mg adult limit.

What allergens are in a Starbucks US Cheese Danish?+

Starbucks US Cheese Danish contains milk, eggs and wheat, according to Starbucks US published information. Food is handled on shared equipment, so always check in store if you have an allergy.