Everyone can agree that the most exciting time to go to Starbucks is during the holiday season. Once people have had their fill of fall drinks, the coffee company wastes no time in releasing their winter selections.
The range of Christmas-themed ingredients available means nearly endless holiday drink options to choose from. Plus, you know the season is special to Starbucks when they add fun designs to their cups!
Ways to Add Some Festivity to Your Drink
Before we get into the list of drinks that you can get from Starbucks during the holidays, let’s take a look at the wide variety of specialty ingredients that Starbucks releases at the end of the year.
Caramel Brulée Sauce
A nice transition from the fall flavors, this warm and decadent Caramel Brulee Sauce is a much more rich and sweet caramel addition than the regular caramel drizzle. This is added to make a variety of popular holiday special drinks, so while you can get caramel any day of the year, you can’t get caramel brulée.
Caramel Brulée Topping
Accompanying this sauce is the Caramel Brulée Topping, which is a crunchy garnish of caramel brulée pieces. This adds another level of sweetness to really tie in the reminiscence of the yummy dessert.
Chestnut Praline Syrup
The Chestnut Praline Syrup has been a popular holiday flavor at Starbucks for a while now. Considering it makes any drink full of sweet nutty flavor and scrumptious spices, we can see why. The syrup is made to showcase the delicious taste of caramelized spiced chestnuts and it certainly does a good job of it.
Chestnut Praline Topping
The specialty Chesnut Praline Topping may be advertised as spiced praline crumbs, but there are actually no nuts involved. Instead, it’s essentially a mix of spiced sugar and toffee sugar. Either way, this is the perfect accompaniment to the syrup.
Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Sauce
Starbucks has an already tasty white chocolate mocha sauce available year-round, but when winter hits, you can experience a special version of this popular flavor. The Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Sauce is basically a sweeter caramelized edition of the traditional sauce.
Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Topping
The topping that usually goes along with the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Sauce is actually just a combination of festive holiday sugar sprinkles and crispy white pearls. These not only make drinks more fun, but they also add a little bit of sweetness.
Irish Cream Syrup
The Irish Cream Syrup is another popular choice among coffee drinkers during the holidays. It’s a decadent blend of flavors that includes sweet vanilla, nutty almond, and creamy chocolate. It complements a range of drinks rather well.
Sugar Cookie Syrup
One of the newer holiday flavors at Starbucks is the Sugar Cookie Syrup, which quickly became a hit among many coffee lovers. It makes any beverage a perfectly sweet treat that’s reminiscent of freshly baked sugar cookies. The vanilla and almond notes work with a brown sugar sweetness to create a delicious syrup.
Red and Green Sprinkles
Accompanying the Sugar Cookie Syrup are some super fun and festive Red and Green Sprinkles. These can go right on top of your drink to make you really feel like you just ordered a sugar cookie in the form of a yummy beverage.
Dark Chocolate Curls
The last holiday ingredient that Starbucks adds to its menu is Dark Chocolate Curls. These are perfect to add to any drink but are brought in to add to the Peppermint Mochas. This makes the usually year-round drinks a little more warm and cozy for the winter.
Holiday Drinks at Starbucks
Now that you know all of the fun ingredients that Starbucks introduces to their menu for the holidays, let’s look at how they’re used in their drink options and how you can incorporate them in your own festive creation.
Peppermint Mocha
Starting off with maybe the most popular holiday drink at Starbucks, the Peppermint Mocha, as we mentioned earlier, is an option that can be ordered any time of the year. However, the cravings for it really start in the winter months. You really can’t go wrong with a chocolatey treat that’s got just a touch of cool peppermint.
It can be ordered iced or hot and made with regular mocha or white chocolate mocha. This warm, cozy, and comforting beverage is enhanced with the addition of the decadent Dark Chocolate Curls on top of the whipped cream around Christmastime, so we can see the appeal.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate
If you want the incomparable taste of the peppermint and mocha combination but you can’t do coffee, the Peppermint Hot Chocolate is a nice compromise. Again, this is a year-round drink that’s just more festive during the holidays.
It can also be ordered with white chocolate mocha instead. Either way, you still get the yummy Dark Chocolate Curls on top of your whipped cream for a more velvety drink.
Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino
Continuing with this favorite flavor, the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino makes for an even cooler treat. The mocha sauce and peppermint syrup are blended with Frappuccino Roast, ice, and milk and topped off with some whipped cream and Dark Chocolate Curls.
You can get this drink any time of the year as well, sans the chocolate topping, and even have it made with white chocolate mocha instead. If you don’t want the caffeine, try the Peppermint Mocha Crème Frappuccino!
Caramel Brulée Latte
Moving on from the peppermint, the Caramel Brulée Latte was a quick hit at Starbucks during the holiday season. This twist on a caramel latte takes a rich and sweet Caramel Brulée Syrup and adds it to espresso and milk, which is then topped off with whipped cream and Caramel Brulée Topping.
You can order this yummy drink iced or hot, but either way, it’s sure to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.
Caramel Brulée Frappuccino
If you want to enjoy this scrumptious flavor in an even more decadent drink, you also have the option of ordering the Caramel Brulée Frappuccino. This combines the Caramel Brulée Syrup, ice, milk, and Frappuccino Roast and blends it all together.
At the top, you get whipped cream and the Caramel Brulée Topping. This can be ordered as a Caramel Brulée Crème Frappuccino if you’re looking for a coffee-free pick.
Chestnut Praline Latte
The Chestnut Praline Latte is perfect for those who are looking for a nutty and spiced Christmas-themed beverage. This drink is made with espresso, milk, and Chestnut Praline Syrup before being finished off with a layer of whipped cream and the Chestnut Praline Topping.
Full of flavors of caramelized chestnuts and spices, you can get this comforting sip either iced or hot. We recommend trying it both ways!
Chestnut Praline Frappuccino
Once again, there is a blended version of this drink: the Chestnut Praline Frappuccino. Much like the others, it’s made with Frappuccino Roast, ice, and milk with the addition of the Chestnut Praline Syrup.
On top of it all, you get your yummy whipped cream and some sugary Chestnut Praline Topping.
Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
Another mocha drink that Starbucks carries during their holiday season is the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha. As we talked about a bit earlier, this is a twist on their classic white mocha.
A sweeter caramelized sauce is added to espresso and milk for a beverage that can be ordered iced or hot. Plus, the addition of the holiday sugar sprinkles and white pearls on top of the whipped cream sets this drink apart even more.
Toasted White Hot Chocolate
Just like the Peppermint Mocha, you can also get this drink made without coffee. By ordering the Toasted White Hot Chocolate, you’ll get some delicious steamed milk that’s been sweetened with the Toasted White Mocha Sauce and topped with whipped cream and the specialty sprinkles with pearls.
Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
The Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino takes the already tasty drink and makes it even more decadent. This frozen drink is blended with Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Sauce, ice, Frappuccino Roast, and milk.
Whether you order it like this, or as the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha Crème Frappuccino, you get a layer of whipped cream and the holiday sugar sprinkles and white pearls on top.
Irish Cream Cold Brew
When it comes to iced coffee, the Irish Cream Cold Brew is a choice that’s ordered quite frequently once it hits the menu. This beverage takes the Starbucks Cold Brew and sweetens it with the Irish Cream Syrup.
At the top, you have a creamy layer of the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam and a dusting of cocoa. This complements the sweet, nutty, and chocolatey flavors of the Irish Cream very well.
Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte
As we talked about earlier, the Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte is the newest of Starbucks’ holiday drink options but is so popular that they even end up running out of the syrup for it at times. This might also be because it’s so tasty both iced and hot.
This latte is made with the Sugar Cookie Syurp and almond milk so that the flavors work together to create a fantastic resemblance to an actual sugar cookie. Plus, the topping of the Red and Green Sprinkles really ties it all together. Of course, you can always switch out your milk option and it will still taste heavenly.
Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Frappuccino
You can also get this scrumptious flavor in the Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Frappuccino, which really brings out the dessert aspect of this drink. This frozen beverage is blended with Sugar Cookie Syrup, almond milk, Frappuccino Roast, and ice.
At the top you get some whipped cream garnished with Red and Green Sprinkles. As always, there is a non-caffeinated version of this: the Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Crème Frappuccino. And you can substitute any other milk if you don’t want almond milk.
Sugar Cookie Chai Latte
Moving onto drinks that aren’t already on the Starbucks menu, the Sugar Cookie Chai Latte is another great way to incorporate the delicious sugar cookie flavors. To get this drink, order an Iced Chai Latte and ask to add some Sugar Cookie Syrup to it.
On top, get some cold foam that’s been blended with Toasted White Mocha Sauce and add a dash of Caramel Brulée topping at the finish. This is a decadent blend of several different holiday flavors that work together to create something truly delicious.
Chestnut Praline Chai Latte
If you don’t want the sugar cookie flavor, you can always opt for the Chestnut Praline Chai Latte. This order starts with a chai latte that’s sweetened with the Chestnut Praline Syrup.
Ask for whipped cream and Chestnut Praline Topping to get an extra nutty and spiced beverage that’s warm and cozy.
White Chocolate Cinnamon Chai Latte
Another chai customer creation is the White Chocolate Cinnamon Chai Latte. You can get this one by ordering a chai latte and asking for it to be made without water.
Next, add both Cinnamon Dolce Syrup and White Mocha Sauce with a touch of whipped cream and Cinnamon Dolce Sprinkles on top. Technically, you can get this option any time of the year, but we have to say it’s definitely more special during the colder months.
Santa Claus Frappuccino
Getting into the more fun and festive drink customizations, the Santa Claus Frappuccino is another option that can sort of be ordered year-round.
This is made with a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino that has Strawberry Puree both on the bottom and around the cup. On top of the whipped cream, the addition of Red and Green Sprinkles is the only thing that makes this beverage seasonal.
Candy Cane Cold Brew
Next on our list is the Candy Cane Cold Brew, which tastes as good as it sounds! Start by ordering a cold brew that’s sweetened with white mocha and peppermint syrup.
Top it off with cold foam that’s been blended with more peppermint syrup and a dash of the holiday sugar sprinkles and white pearls. Apart from the sprinkles, you can also get this drink any time of the year if you’re craving those minty flavors.
Candy Cane Frappuccino
This drink can also be turned into a frozen option with the Candy Cane Frappuccino. To get this yummy blended beverage, order a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino and add some peppermint syrup to the mix.
On top of the whipped cream ask for the holiday sugar sprinkles and white pearls, which is again the only thing that makes this option seasonal.
Peppermint Bark Frappuccino
For another peppermint-flavored treat, you can also get the Peppermint Bark Frappuccino. This takes the Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino and adds some White Chocolate Mocha Sauce.
On top of the whipped cream ask for mocha drizzle and the holiday sugar sprinkles with white pearls. Without the topping, this is another year-round pick but most popular during the holiday season.
Snowball Frappuccino
Our final blended option is the Snowball Frappuccino, which is a yummy way to order the White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino. Add Toffee Nut Syrup and Hazelnut Syrup to the mix, then finish it off with whipped cream and Caramel Brulée Topping.
Despite the name, the syrups involved in this drink make it available any time of the year, just order it without the specialty topping.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte
The last drink on our list is another holiday-only exclusive creation. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch Latte is a beverage that holds flavors reminiscent of the popular cereal.
To get this one, order a Chestnut Praline Latte and add some Cinnamon Dolce Syrup to it. The sweet nuttiness and the extra spices make this one a warm and comforting choice for the winter months.
Ending the Year Right
Hopefully, our list of holiday drinks and the accompanying specialty ingredients that are available at Starbucks towards the end of the year have you excited for festivities. This season has the widest range of options available compared to other seasons, and that means even more customizations.
Whether you want to add some flavor to your cold foam or spice up your go-to drink, it’s more than easy to do during the holidays at Starbucks. Honestly, they’re all so good, it’s hard to pick a favorite!
Happy Caffeinating!
