Tasty Starbucks Drinks: Best Picks by Craving and Category
The right drink depends on your mood, so each pick here matches one taste: sweet, strong, creamy, fruity, spiced or caffeine-free. Check the quick table for a one-drink answer, then use the cards and sections below to see the flavor, one upgrade tip and whether the drink is year-round or seasonal.
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Picks sorted by your craving
Starbucks best drinks depend on what you are craving, so this page sorts the menu by taste instead of pretending there is one winner. You will find coffee picks, hot drinks, sweet drinks, iced drinks, Frappuccinos, Refreshers and caffeine-free options, each with a reason it works and one way to upgrade it. Every pick is marked as year-round or seasonal. To see everything in one place, open the complete Starbucks menu by category.
How We Pick the Best Starbucks Coffee Drinks and Other Favorites
The picks here come from four things: how often a drink shows up on ranked lists and in everyday orders, how well its flavors balance, whether it is on the menu all year, and how easily you can change it to your taste. Great Starbucks drinks balance sweetness, strength and texture, so none of the three overpowers the others. A drink that is only sweet gets old fast, and a drink that is only strong is hard for most people to finish.
Taste is personal. The best drinks at Starbucks coffee shops are the ones you finish and order again, and no official sales ranking is used here. Anything you read online about the number one drink is an opinion or a poll, and the same goes for this page.
Each pick carries a flag. "Year-round" means it is a standing menu item that most stores can make. "When it is on the menu" means the drink is seasonal or limited, so it may not be available when you read this. Prices on item cards are delivery-app starting prices, not in-store prices, and a drink without a card has no price listed here.
Hot, iced and blended versions of the same flavor taste different. Heat brings out aroma and makes sweetness feel rounder. Ice mutes sweetness a little and makes coffee taste cleaner. A blended drink is the sweetest of the three, because the sugar is spread through a thick, cold texture that hides it. If you tried a drink and found it too sweet or too bland, try it in another temperature before you write it off.
Two quick ground rules apply to every order below. Ask for the size you want, because the same drink tastes sweeter in a small cup and milder in a large one. And remember that you can change almost any drink: fewer pumps of syrup, a different milk or an extra shot all take seconds to request.
Most Recommended Starbucks Drink for Each Taste
If you want the single fastest answer, use this table. It matches a taste to one drink, and the status column tells you whether you can count on it being available. The table below lists the top Starbucks drinks by taste, and each one is covered in detail further down the page.
Most Recommended Starbucks Drink for Each Taste
| If you want | Pick | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet and dessert-like | Caramel Frappuccino | Year-round |
| Bold and strong | Iced Americano | Year-round |
| Creamy coffee | Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew | Year-round |
| Smooth and nutty | Pistachio Latte | When it is on the menu |
| Fruity and light | Pink Drink | Year-round |
| Caffeine-free | Mint Majesty Tea | Year-round |
| Spiced and cozy | Chai Latte | Year-round |
| Cozy and seasonal | Pumpkin Spice Latte | When it is on the menu |
The table gives you a starting point and not a verdict. If you like two or three of these, you can blend ideas, for example a vanilla sweet cream cold brew with an extra shot, or a chai latte with a shot of espresso added. The sections below explain each pick, what it tastes like and what to change if the first sip is not quite right.
A few more notes on reading the table. "Sweet and dessert-like" means the drink works as a treat, not as a daily habit, so it suits a break in the afternoon more than a commute. "Bold and strong" means the coffee flavor is front and center with little to soften it. "Creamy coffee" means milk or cream is part of the structure of the drink, so even strong coffee tastes round. "Smooth and nutty" covers the pistachio and pecan style flavors that show up each season. "Fruity and light" is the Refreshers family, which has the least coffee flavor of anything here.
The "Caffeine-free" pick is a herbal tea because it is the one type of drink that is caffeine-free without special requests. A Refresher can also be made with no caffeine, as the menu describes, but the default version includes light caffeine. If caffeine matters to you, say so when you order and check the item in the app.
Last, a word on the word "best". A drink can be best for a mood and still be wrong for the day. A Pumpkin Spice Latte is a great drink in October and a strange order in July. A Pink Drink is perfect on a hot afternoon and less so on a freezing morning. Use the table to match the drink to the moment, not to find a permanent winner.
Coffee Drinks for Everyday Orders
These are the drinks people order on a normal weekday: espresso with milk, cold brew and simple iced coffees. They are reliable, easy to customize and available at nearly every store. Each pick below has a flavor note, a reason it works and one upgrade. A good rule is to start with one of these, drink it once as written, and then tweak it, because you cannot fix a recipe you have not tried.
If you only want a short list of Starbucks drinks to try on your first visit, begin with the Caramel Macchiato, the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. Together they cover sweet, nutty and smooth. You can browse more in the full guides to iced coffee and cold brew drinks.
If ordering feels rushed, use a simple script: size, temperature, drink, then one change. For example, "Grande iced latte, with two pumps of vanilla and oat milk" tells the barista everything in one breath. In the app you build the same order by tapping the drink and then the customize screen. Saving a favorite in the app means you only build it once, which is part of why people reorder the same drink for years.
Caramel Macchiato
A Caramel Macchiato is built in layers: vanilla syrup at the bottom, steamed milk, a mark of foam on top, espresso poured over the foam and a caramel drizzle finishing it. That layering means the first sips are bold and the last sips are sweet and milky, until you stir. It is a Starbucks order to try first if you want something that tastes like coffee but is not bitter.
The name matters here. A macchiato in the Italian sense is espresso marked with a little foam, but the Starbucks version flips the order, with the milk first and the espresso on top. That is why it looks like a striped drink when it arrives. If you prefer a blended taste, ask the barista to stir it, or stir it yourself before the first sip.
It is sweet, but not as sweet as a mocha. The sweetness comes from the vanilla syrup and the drizzle, so cutting a pump of syrup brings it down quickly. Good Starbucks drinks with coffee in them often bury the espresso under milk, and this one keeps the espresso on top, so you still taste it.
The upgrade is an extra shot, which adds strength without much sweetness. It is a good match for someone who finds regular lattes too milky but does not like straight espresso. You can order it hot or iced, and it is a year-round drink. The iced version is covered in the iced caramel macchiato guide, and the hot one in the caramel macchiato guide.
Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso
This drink is blonde espresso shaken with ice, brown sugar and cinnamon, then topped with oatmilk. Shaking cools the espresso fast and gives it a light foam, so it drinks smoother than a plain iced latte. The cinnamon is subtle, and the brown sugar tastes closer to toffee than to white sugar.
It shows up on many ranked lists, which is one reason it earns a place here. It is a good choice if you want good coffee from Starbucks that is cold, a little sweet and not heavy. Because the milk goes on top without being blended in, you get a stronger coffee taste at the start, then a milkier finish.
The easiest upgrade is a swap in the milk. The oatmilk version is the standard, but you can ask for another milk if you prefer, or ask for fewer pumps of the brown sugar syrup to make it less sweet. It is a standing menu item, though availability of specific milks varies by store. If you have never tried a shaken espresso, think of it as an iced latte with a lighter texture, because shaking puts air into the drink. People who find iced lattes heavy often switch to this style. It also tends to taste less milky than a standard iced latte, since the milk is added after the espresso is shaken and not stirred in. The Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso page has more detail.
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew
Starbucks Cold Brew is steeped in cool water for 20 hours without heat, which gives it a smooth, low-bitterness taste. The Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew adds vanilla and a float of house-made vanilla sweet cream that slowly spreads through the cup. It is the pick that comes up most often when people want top rated Starbucks coffee that is also easy to enjoy.
Nitro Cold Brew is a different drink. It is cold brew infused with nitrogen, which gives it a thick, foamy texture and a naturally creamier feel without milk. It is poured without ice at stores that have the equipment, so it may not be at every location. Ask before you go.
The difference comes down to this: vanilla sweet cream is sweeter and richer, and nitro is drier and silkier. If you like your coffee close to black, start with nitro. If you want it sweet, start with the sweet cream version. Either can be ordered with less syrup. Both are year-round, with the nitro version depending on the store.
The cold brew family is wider than these two. The menu also lists flavored cold foam versions such as Salted Caramel Cream, Chocolate Cream and Toasted Coconut Cream Cold Brew, which work well if you want a bigger flavor change but still want the smooth cold brew base. Cold brew is a good first stop for anyone who finds hot coffee sharp, because the long, cool steep gives it a rounder, less acidic taste.
See the pages on vanilla sweet cream cold brew and nitro cold brew for the full breakdown.
Pistachio Latte and Flat White
The Pistachio Latte is espresso and steamed milk with pistachio flavor and a salted, brown-buttery topping. Pistachio items are on the current menu in other forms, including a Pistachio Cream Cold Brew, a Pistachio Frappuccino and a Pistachio Crème, so the flavor is easy to find. The latte itself is a drink to look for when it is on the menu, since availability varies.
The Flat White is simpler and a good pick for anyone who likes starbucks good coffee drinks that taste like coffee first. It is ristretto shots with steamed whole milk, which makes it strong, velvety and not very sweet. A latte has more milk and foam. A flat white has less milk and a thinner layer of foam, so the espresso is more present.
If you want a good hot coffee from Starbucks that feels smooth rather than sweet, the flat white is the pick. If you want something nutty and a bit sweet, choose the pistachio latte. The upgrade for the flat white is a switch to blonde espresso for a lighter, sweeter taste, and for the pistachio latte it is a lighter pump count.
The two drinks suit different moods. The flat white is what you order when you want to taste the coffee, and the pistachio latte is what you order when you want the drink to taste like a snack. If you are undecided, the flat white is the safer choice, since it is a standing item and the pistachio latte may not be on the menu on the day you visit. See the pistachio latte page and the flat white page.
Iced Latte and Iced Americano
These two are the simplest drinks on the menu, and that is why they are a safe place to start. An Iced Americano is espresso shots over water and ice. An Iced Latte is espresso with cold milk over ice. Neither has syrup unless you ask for it.
When you want a good coffee drink at Starbucks that is not sweet, these are the ones. They are also the easiest to adjust. The Iced Americano is light and bold, with no milk to soften it. The Iced Latte is milder and creamier. Both are year-round.
If you are looking for starbucks coffee drinks to try without a lot of sugar, begin here. A milk swap changes the Iced Latte more than any other tweak: oat is creamy, almond is lighter and soy is somewhere in between. For the Americano, the upgrade is an extra shot. The menu notes that an extra shot is a popular way to add strength.
The two drinks also work as a base for other ideas. Add a pump of vanilla to the Iced Latte for a lightly sweet version, or ask for a splash of milk in the Iced Americano to soften it without turning it into a latte. Because they are simple, they are also the cheapest espresso drinks on the iced menu, which makes them useful when you want caffeine without paying for extras. Add-ons such as syrups and cold foam change the price, so check the total before you confirm an order in the app. Both drinks are also a good test of a store: with so few ingredients, you taste the espresso quality directly, and a good one tastes sweet and round instead of sharp.
Read more on the iced latte page or the Americano page.
Best Espresso Drink at Starbucks for a Strong Cup
The right pick for a strong cup depends on how much milk you want, because the strength comes from the number of shots and the ratio of milk to coffee. Here is how the main options compare.
- Espresso: a single small shot, the strongest taste per sip.
- Doppio: two shots in one small cup, for a bigger hit.
- Cortado: equal parts espresso and steamed milk, which is strong but softer than straight espresso.
- Flat White: ristretto shots with steamed whole milk, smooth and espresso-forward.
- Americano: espresso shots topped with hot water, long and bold, with no milk.
For the strongest taste, choose espresso or a doppio. For a strong cup you can sip slowly, pick an Americano. For something in between, the cortado or flat white balances strength with milk.
Starbucks serves its signature Espresso Roast and a lighter Blonde Espresso Roast. Blonde is smoother and a little sweeter, and signature is darker and more roasty. Ask the barista which is used in your drink, since some drinks default to one or the other. A single shot has about 75 mg of caffeine according to Starbucks, so a drink with more shots is stronger in caffeine as well as in flavor. See the cortado guide for the small, strong option.
If you are unsure, here is a simple way to choose. Start with how you feel about milk. If you dislike it, choose an Americano or a doppio. If you like a little, choose a cortado or a flat white. If you like a lot, choose a latte and add a shot. Then choose the roast. Blonde is easier for people who find coffee bitter, and signature is better if you want a classic, roasty taste.
Food changes how a drink tastes, so it helps to think about pairings. A buttery pastry from the bakery menu goes well with a simple Americano or flat white, because the bitterness cuts through the fat. A savory breakfast sandwich suits brewed coffee or a latte. A sweet drink like a Frappuccino is better on its own, since a sweet pastry on top can feel like too much.
Best Starbucks Hot Drinks for Cold Days
The hot menu is where Starbucks feels most like a coffeehouse. Good warm drinks at Starbucks fall into three groups: espresso drinks with milk, tea lattes and herbal teas. The picks below cover each group so that you can choose by mood. All of them are served in hot cups with a lid, and most can be made with a different milk. If you are ordering for a group, mix the types so that everyone gets something they like, because hot drinks have a stronger personality than iced ones.
A cold day calls for something that holds its heat and feels like a treat. Milk-based drinks stay warm longer than black coffee, and sweet drinks feel richer in the cold. Browse the full range in the guide to hot coffee and espresso drinks.
Chai Latte and Dirty Chai
The Chai Latte is black tea infused with cinnamon, clove and other warming spices, combined with steamed milk and topped with foam. It is spicy and sweet at the same time, and it has no coffee. A Dirty Chai is a chai latte with a shot of espresso added, which gives it more caffeine and a coffee note under the spice.
Choose the plain chai latte if you want to stay away from coffee, and choose the dirty chai if you want both. The tea in chai has less caffeine than coffee, so a plain chai is a lighter choice for the afternoon. The chai is already sweet, so ask for fewer pumps if you find it too much. It is a year-round drink. The Starbucks chai latte guide covers iced versions, and the menu includes an iced chai latte too.
Cinnamon Dolce Latte and White Chocolate Mocha
These are the two sweet hot lattes that people order when they want a treat. The Cinnamon Dolce Latte is espresso and steamed milk with cinnamon dolce syrup, whipped cream and a cinnamon topping. The White Chocolate Mocha is espresso, white chocolate sauce and steamed milk, topped with whipped cream.
Both are sweet, so they come with a warning. If you do not have a big sweet tooth, order one size smaller or ask for fewer pumps of syrup. Both are year-round. The cinnamon dolce tastes like warm cinnamon toast. The white chocolate mocha tastes like melted white chocolate and is the sweeter of the two.
Skipping the whipped cream cuts a good amount of sugar and calories. Between the two, the cinnamon dolce is the better pick for a cold morning, because the spice reads as warm. The white chocolate mocha is the better pick for a dessert moment, because it tastes of milk chocolate and cream. Learn more on the cinnamon dolce latte page and the white chocolate mocha page.
Honey Citrus Mint Tea and London Fog
These two are the soothing, non-coffee hot drinks. The Honey Citrus Mint Tea is green tea with herbal notes of chamomile and hints of spearmint and fruit flavor, served with steamed lemonade and a touch of honey. Many people know it as the Medicine Ball, a nickname that came from customers. The menu says it was a customer creation that became popular enough to join the menu.
The London Fog Latte is the best hot beverage at Starbucks for a gentle, creamy sip with no coffee. It blends bergamot, hints of lavender, vanilla syrup and steamed milk. It tastes like a sweet, floral Earl Grey latte.
Both contain tea, and tea has caffeine, so they are not caffeine-free. If you need no caffeine at all, ask for a herbal tea instead. Both are year-round. The honey and steamed lemonade in the Honey Citrus Mint Tea make it a common pick when you want something soothing, especially in cold weather or when you are feeling run down. The London Fog is the better pick if you want something creamy, since it uses steamed milk. See the Medicine Ball page and the guide to tea from Starbucks.
Peppermint Mocha and Pumpkin Spice Latte When in Season
These are the two big seasonal hot drinks. The Peppermint Mocha is a holiday drink, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte is a fall drink, so each one is available when it is on the menu, not all year. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is espresso and steamed milk with pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin-pie spices.
If you love either, plan around the season, because they leave the menu. Stores announce their return in the app. The upgrade for both is the same: ask for fewer pumps of sauce if you find them too sweet. Seasonal drinks are also a good place to try a milk swap, since the spices stand out against oat and almond milk. The Peppermint Mocha combines mocha sauce and peppermint, so it tastes like a chocolate mint. The Pumpkin Spice Latte tastes of warm spices more than of pumpkin.
Read the guides to the Peppermint Mocha and the Pumpkin Spice Latte for details.
Sweet Starbucks Drinks for Dessert Lovers
The most delicious Starbucks drinks for people with a sweet tooth are the ones built like desserts, with syrup, sauce, whipped cream and a topping. They are not for every day, but they are the right answer when you want a treat. Sweet drinks are also where size matters most: a venti can hold a lot of sugar, so a tall or grande is often plenty. The picks below start with blended drinks and then cover the sweetest coffee options and how to turn the sweetness down.
If you are not sure where to begin, a Frappuccino is the easiest dessert drink to enjoy, because the ice and milk soften the sugar. A hot mocha or a flavored latte is the next step up. Anything with a topping of caramel drizzle, cookie crumble or cold foam is a sweeter drink.
Great Starbucks Frappuccino Flavors to Try First
A good starting point is to split the blended drinks into coffee-based and creme-based drinks. Coffee-based ones include the Caramel, Mocha and Coffee Frappuccinos, and the Caramel Ribbon Crunch. The creme-based ones, with no coffee, include the Strawberry Creme and the Vanilla Bean Creme.
- Caramel: caramel syrup blended with coffee, milk and ice, topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce. The easiest place to start.
- Mocha: mocha sauce with coffee roast, milk and ice, for a chocolate-coffee taste.
- Caramel Ribbon Crunch: adds a layer of dark caramel sauce and a crunchy caramel-sugar topping. It is the most dessert-like.
- Strawberry Creme: ice, milk and strawberry puree with vanilla whipped cream, and no coffee in it.
- Vanilla Bean Creme: vanilla bean, milk and ice with whipped cream, also with no coffee.
You can see every flavor on the Frappuccino flavors page. For non-coffee drinkers, the creme versions are the pick. Ask for light whip or no whip to cut sugar.
Check the guides to Caramel, Mocha and Vanilla Bean for more. Among the best fraps at Starbucks, the one to order first is the one whose flavor you already like in other forms. If you like caramel on ice cream, order the caramel one. If you like mocha, order the mocha. A Frappuccino also works as a dessert, so ordering one with lunch is a fair swap for sweets.
Sweetest Coffee Picks and How to Dial Sweetness Down
The Starbucks sweetest coffee drinks are the ones with both a flavored syrup and a sauce, such as the White Chocolate Mocha, the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino and a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. If you like sweet coffee drinks at Starbucks, those three are near the top.
Sweetness comes from pumps of syrup. As a general guide, a tall gets three pumps, a grande four and a venti five or six, though this varies by drink. To dial it down, ask for half the pumps. You can also skip whipped cream, choose unsweetened milk, or swap to sugar-free syrup where it is offered.
To make a sweet drink less sweet without losing flavor, ask for fewer pumps, not none. If a drink is still too sweet after you cut the pumps, add a splash of extra milk or an extra shot, which dilutes the sugar without changing the flavor much. Another approach is to pick a different base. A drink with a sauce, such as a mocha, tastes sweeter than a drink with a syrup, because sauce is thicker. A tea latte with fewer pumps can taste balanced even at half the sweetness. A drink with one or two pumps still tastes flavored. A drink with none tastes like plain milk coffee. See the syrups and sweetness options page for the full list, and sugar-free options if you want to cut sugar.
Refreshers, Iced Tea and Lemonade Favorites
These are the lighter, fruitier drinks. Refreshers are shaken with ice and real fruit pieces. Iced teas and lemonades are simple and cheap. Together they make up the cold, non-coffee side of the menu. Browse them all on the Starbucks Refreshers page.
Pink Drink and Dragon Drink
Both of these are creamy, fruity Refreshers made with coconutmilk. The Pink Drink combines sweet strawberry and acai flavors with creamy coconutmilk. The Dragon Drink combines mango and dragonfruit flavors with coconutmilk and real pieces of dragonfruit. The Pink Drink is berry and the Dragon Drink is tropical.
Choose the Pink Drink if you want something familiar and sweet, and the Dragon Drink if you want something tropical. They are close in price on the delivery app, with both starting at the same price, and the bigger decision is flavor. If you want a breakdown of how they compare, the Dragon Drink page has a side-by-side table. Both can be ordered with no caffeine, light caffeine or as an Energy Refresher, according to the menu. Both are year-round as far as the menu shows, though availability can vary.
See the pages on the Pink Drink and the Dragon Drink.
Strawberry Acai Refresher and Lemonade
The Strawberry Acai Refresher is sweet strawberry flavor with acai notes, shaken with ice and real strawberry pieces, and it has no cream. The lemonade version, the Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refresher, adds a zing of lemonade, which makes it tart and bright. Plain Lemonade is the simplest drink in this group.
Pick the plain Refresher if you want sweet and juicy. Pick the lemonade version if you want a sharper, more refreshing taste. The upgrade for both is to ask for light ice, which gives you more drink in the cup. Another option is to add a different base: a Refresher with lemonade is tart, and one with coconutmilk is creamy. Because the fruit pieces are real, they also work as a snack at the bottom of the cup. Read the Strawberry Acai Refresher page and the page on lemonade.
Iced Matcha Latte and Iced Tea Lemonades
The Iced Matcha Latte is matcha, milk and classic syrup over ice. It is smooth and creamy, with a grassy sweetness and a gentle caffeine lift, and it is a good coffee-free option. The sweetness comes from the classic syrup, so fewer pumps give a more grassy, tea-forward taste, while the standard recipe is mellow and sweet. You can read more about matcha drinks in their own guide.
The iced tea lemonades are tea shaken with lemonade and ice. Options include Black Tea Lemonade, Green Tea Lemonade, Peach Green Tea Lemonade and Passion Tango Tea Lemonade. The black tea one is the Arnold Palmer-style drink. Passion Tango is a blend of hibiscus, lemongrass and apple, and it has no black or green tea in it, but check the app if you need to be sure about caffeine. They are inexpensive and refreshing, and they suit anyone who wants a drink with little or no coffee. Iced tea with lemonade is also easy to customize: ask for unsweetened tea to cut the sugar, or for extra lemonade if you want it tart.
For plain iced tea and its flavors, see the guide to iced tea.
Popular Starbucks Drinks and Why People Reorder Them
The most popular drink at Starbucks depends on who you ask, because Starbucks does not publish a ranked list of its best sellers that this page relies on. What exists instead are polls, reviews and social buzz. Those signals are useful, but they are not sales data.
The drinks that come up again and again fall into a few families. Among popular Starbucks coffee drinks, the repeat names are the Caramel Macchiato, the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, vanilla sweet cream cold brew and the Iced Latte. Among non-coffee drinks, the Pink Drink and the Iced Matcha Latte come up most often. In the seasonal group, the Pumpkin Spice Latte is the one that gets the most attention.
People reorder drinks for three reasons: the flavor is reliable from one store to the next, the drink is easy to customize, and it fits a routine. A fan's most favorite Starbucks drink is often a small change on a standard menu item, like a Grande Iced Latte with two pumps of vanilla.
On ranked lists, top rated drinks at Starbucks often change by year, because new drinks get attention when they launch. Social media also drives short spikes, so a drink can trend without becoming a long-term favorite. The favorite drink Starbucks fans reorder most is usually the one with a custom tweak they worked out themselves.
Here is how the perennial names compare, based on what they offer and not on any sales claim.
Popular Starbucks Drinks and Why People Reorder Them
| Drink | Why people reorder it | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Caramel Macchiato | Layered, sweet, but with real espresso taste | Year-round |
| Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso | Light texture, brown sugar and cinnamon | Year-round |
| Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew | Smooth coffee with a sweet, creamy float | Year-round |
| Pink Drink | Fruity and creamy with no coffee | Year-round |
| Iced Matcha Latte | Green tea flavor with milk, easy to sweeten | Year-round |
| Pumpkin Spice Latte | Warm fall spices with espresso | When it is on the menu |
Notice that most of the list is cold, sweet and easy to adjust. That fits how people order in practice: a drink that tastes the same every time and lets you change one detail is the one you will come back to.
Treat any list, including this one, as a starting point. If a drink is hard to find in your store, ask the barista what they would suggest. For a safe pick, any of the standing drinks above is the best beverage in Starbucks to try before you move on to a seasonal or customized order.
Best Starbucks Seasonal Drink Picks
Your favorite seasonal pick depends on the time of year, because each season brings a different flavor. These drinks are available when they are on the menu, and the dates change, so check the app instead of planning around a date.
- Fall: the Pumpkin Spice Latte is the classic. Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Pumpkin Spice Chai are on the current fall menu as well, and the Pecan Crunch Latte is listed under new items. See the fall menu favorites.
- Holiday: the Peppermint Mocha is the standard, along with other festive lattes. See the holiday drinks page.
- Spring and summer: lighter drinks like Refreshers, iced teas and fruit-based drinks take over, along with fruity cold foams on cold brew and chai. See the spring and summer pages.
For top Starbucks coffee drinks among the seasonal group, the coffee-based seasonal lattes lead, since they use the same espresso as a regular latte. Seasonal cold foams, such as pumpkin cream, can also be added to regular cold brew.
Seasonal drinks also tend to arrive with matching food. The current menu pairs the Pumpkin Spice Latte with a Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin and a Pumpkin Mini Pie, so a full seasonal order is possible. Each seasonal drink is a limited run, which is part of the appeal and part of the frustration when a favorite leaves.
If you miss a seasonal drink, ask whether your store can make a version from standard ingredients. A barista may be able to approximate it with a similar syrup or sauce, though it will not be identical. The best approach is to name the ingredients you want, such as a latte with pumpkin sauce and cinnamon, rather than the product name.
Nice Drinks at Starbucks Without Coffee
If you do not drink coffee, the menu still has plenty to choose from. Non-coffee options include tea lattes, Refreshers, iced teas, hot chocolate, steamed milk and Crème drinks. Many of them are covered in the guide to drinks without coffee.
- Chai Latte: spiced black tea and milk. It has caffeine from the tea.
- Iced Matcha Latte: green tea powder, milk and syrup. It has caffeine from the matcha.
- Hot Chocolate: steamed milk with chocolate-flavored syrups, whipped cream and drizzle. It has a small amount of caffeine from the chocolate.
- Vanilla Crème: steamed milk with vanilla, made for people who want a hot, creamy drink without espresso.
- Strawberry Creme Frappuccino: a blended drink with strawberry puree and no coffee.
- Cold Milk and Steamed Milk: plain milk, hot or cold, in skim, 2%, soy, almond or coconutmilk.
- Pistachio Crème: steamed milk with sweet pistachio flavor and a brown-buttery topping, when it is on the menu.
- Mint Majesty Tea: a blend of mint and lemon verbena that the menu calls a caffeine-free herbal tea.
If you need no caffeine, choose a herbal tea, a Crème or steamed milk, or order a Refresher with the no caffeine option. Check the app for each drink, since recipes change. A good rule is to look at what is in the cup: tea, matcha and chocolate bring some caffeine, while milk, fruit and herbs do not. See tea from Starbucks for the herbal tea range.
How to Turn a Good Drink Into a Great One
A good drink becomes a great one with one or two small changes. The best part of Starbucks is that you can change almost anything. Here are the upgrades that matter most.
Milk. Switching milk changes taste and texture more than any other tweak. Oat is creamy, almond is lighter and soy is neutral. Coconutmilk is sweeter. A swap can also change the price, so check before you confirm. The menu lists skim, 2%, soy, almond and coconutmilk for plain milk drinks, and oatmilk appears in the shaken espresso.
Pumps. Syrup is the main source of sweetness. Ask for fewer pumps to make a drink less sweet, or more pumps if you want it sweeter. A half-sweet drink often tastes more balanced.
Shots. An extra shot adds strength and about 75 mg of caffeine. It works well in sweet drinks, since the coffee cuts through the sugar.
Foam and sauce. Cold foam adds a creamy topping to iced drinks. Sauces like caramel or mocha add richness. Whipped cream is optional on most drinks, so skip it to save sugar.
Temperature and ice. Light ice means more drink and less melt. Extra hot makes a latte stay warm longer.
Size. Bigger cups hold more ice and milk, and the shot count does not always rise with them, so a venti iced latte can taste weaker than a tall. If you want a strong iced drink in a large size, ask for an extra shot.
For ideas that go beyond the menu, see the guide to syrups and sweetness options and the page on secret menu orders. A barista can make most of them if you give the ingredients, not just a nickname.
Here are three simple upgrades that follow those rules. Take an Iced Latte and add one pump of brown sugar or vanilla and a splash of cold foam for a quick dessert drink. Take an Iced Black Tea and ask for lemonade and a pump of peach, if available, for a tea lemonade. Take a Chai Latte and add a shot of espresso for a dirty chai. In each case, you change one thing, and the drink stays recognizable.
Best of Starbucks Drinks by Diet: Low Sugar, Light and Plant-Based
You can make many drinks lighter without giving up flavor. The main levers are syrup, milk, size and toppings. Here is how to use them.
- Cut the syrup. Ask for fewer pumps, or choose a sugar-free syrup where it is offered.
- Skip the whip. Whipped cream adds sugar and fat and is optional.
- Pick a smaller size. A tall has less of everything than a venti.
- Choose a lighter base. An Americano, a plain cold brew or an unsweetened iced tea has far fewer calories than a blended drink, because there is little or no added sugar or milk.
- Pick a plant-based milk. Oat, almond, soy and coconutmilk are all available, and they change the calories and sugar. Check the app for the exact numbers, because they vary by drink and by milk.
Plain options like black coffee, cold brew, an Americano and unsweetened tea are the simplest low-sugar choices.
For plant-based eating, the question is mostly the milk and the toppings. Oat, almond, soy and coconutmilk are all offered, and the Pink Drink and Dragon Drink already use coconutmilk. Whipped cream, some sauces and some cold foams are made with dairy, so ask before you assume a topping is plant-based. The menu does list a Nondairy Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, which swaps the dairy cream for a nondairy version, so it is a straightforward starting point. Check the numbers in the Starbucks app before you rely on a claim, since recipes and sizes change. If a drink has several parts, such as a latte with syrup, whipped cream and a drizzle, you can lower the totals by removing one part at a time instead of switching drinks. For lists, see the guides to low-calorie drinks and sugar-free options.
Best Starbucks Drinks FAQs
What is the most popular Starbucks drink?
There is no single official answer. Starbucks does not publish a ranked list that this page relies on. Polls and ranked lists often name the Caramel Macchiato, Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew and Pink Drink. The most popular drink from Starbucks changes with the season and trends.
What is the best Starbucks drink for someone who does not like coffee?
The best beverage at Starbucks for a non-coffee drinker is usually a Pink Drink, a Chai Latte or an Iced Matcha Latte, depending on whether you want fruity, spiced or creamy. If you want no caffeine, choose a Crème, steamed milk or a herbal tea. The best coffee to drink at Starbucks, if you do want some, is a sweet cream cold brew.
Which Starbucks drink is best for a first-time order?
A Caramel Macchiato or an Iced Latte is a safe first order, because both taste like coffee without being harsh. If you want something sweet and cold, a Caramel Frappuccino is easy to like. Tell the barista you are new and ask them to recommend a size. A tall or grande is a sensible start, because you can order again if you like it, and you will not be stuck with a large drink you do not enjoy. You can also ask for the syrup to be cut in half on the first try.
What is the sweetest drink at Starbucks, and how do I make it less sweet?
The sweetest drinks are usually the White Chocolate Mocha and the Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino. To cut the sweetness, ask for fewer pumps of syrup, skip the whipped cream, order a smaller size or switch to sugar-free syrup if your store offers it. Keep at least one pump so the flavor remains. Another approach is to order a smaller size, because the cup holds fewer pumps of syrup and sauce overall.
What are the best low-sugar Starbucks drinks?
Plain drinks have the least added sugar: an Americano, a plain cold brew, brewed coffee, unsweetened iced tea and herbal tea. For milk drinks, ask for fewer pumps or a sugar-free syrup. Check nutrition in the Starbucks app, since recipes and sizes change and this page does not list exact numbers.
What is the best Starbucks drink for a cold day?
The best warm Starbucks drink on a cold day is one with milk and spice, because it holds heat and tastes comforting, such as a Chai Latte, a Cinnamon Dolce Latte or a Caramel Macchiato. For a coffee-free option, try a Honey Citrus Mint Tea or a London Fog Latte. Seasonal lattes like the Pumpkin Spice Latte are good when they are on the menu. Ask for extra hot if you want it to stay warm during a long walk.
Which Starbucks seasonal drink is worth trying?
The Pumpkin Spice Latte is the best-known seasonal drink and the easiest to recommend if you like warm spices. The Peppermint Mocha is the holiday pick. Because seasonal drinks leave the menu, try one while it is available and check the app for what is on now.
What is the best Frappuccino at Starbucks?
The best choice depends on your taste. Among recommended Frappuccinos from Starbucks, the Caramel Frappuccino is the easiest to like, the Mocha is for chocolate fans and the Caramel Ribbon Crunch is the most dessert-like. If you avoid coffee, the Strawberry Creme and Vanilla Bean Creme versions have none.
What is the best Starbucks drink with no caffeine?
Herbal teas such as Mint Majesty are listed as caffeine-free. Crème drinks, steamed milk and the Strawberry Creme Frappuccino have no coffee, though chocolate adds a trace of caffeine. Refreshers can be ordered with no caffeine. Always confirm in the app, because recipes change.
Which Starbucks drinks work best with oat milk or other plant milks?
Lattes, shaken espressos, chai lattes and matcha lattes all work well with plant milks. Oat is creamy and works in the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso, almond is lighter and soy is neutral. Coconutmilk is the base for the Pink Drink and Dragon Drink. Plant milk can change the price and the calories.
How do I know if a drink is on the menu right now?
Open the Starbucks app and look at the menu for your store. Seasonal and limited drinks show there while they are available. You can also ask a barista, or check the new menu page on this site. Availability can differ from one store to another, and a drink that is on the menu in the app may still run out at the counter.