The Best Starbucks Holiday Drinks of 2025, Taste-Tested & Ranked by a Former Barista

• What It Is: sugar cookie syrup, blonde espresso, milk, red and green cookie sprinkles
• Recommended Temp: iced
• Price (tall): $6

This was the first-ever non-dairy holiday drink to make it on the roster, as it used to come with almond milk by default. This year, it comes with regular milk instead, although you can substitute any non-dairy option you'd like. (You can also order this latte hot, or opt for the Sugar Cookie Breve instead, which is made with silky half-and-half.)

This was my first time tasting it, and I was surprised how on-theme it smelled and tasted. It's very buttery, sweet and slightly salty, much like sugar cookie dough. There's nothing wrong with it exactly, but it didn't impress me like some of the others. It tastes like dipping a sugar cookie in milk, minus the gritty, soggy crumbs at the bottom of the glass.

• What It Is: peppermint syrup, mocha sauce, espresso, milk, whipped cream, dark chocolate curls
• Recommended Temp: hot
• Price (tall): $6

Consider this a cup of liquid peppermint bark. Admittedly, it's a bit of a sugar bomb because it’s made with two sweeteners instead of one. But the mocha is hot chocolate-level rich, and the minty-fresh finish is prominent without being overwhelming or medicinal—in the hot version, anyway.

The iced peppermint mocha is far less balanced and much more cloying. If I were the barista making the drink, I'd have poured the hot espresso directly on top of the pool of syrup at the bottom, stirred it to dissolve the thicker mocha sauce, then added ice and milk. If the sauces aren't thoroughly mixed, the straw will pick up large pools of it with each sip, and you'll be left to stomach the mocha sauce's chalky texture and the bev's improper ratio.

My hot (er, cold?) take: Try it as a Frappuccino, if you don't want it hot. The blended ice and milk will help dilute the sweetness of the double-syrup base. PureWow VP of Editorial Candace Davison tried it and attests to its deliciousness: "I fully acknowledge that it makes zero sense that I revert to my Frappuccino-toting high school days in the coldest season of the year, but I do, and I savor every sip," she says.

• What It Is: caramel brulée sauce, espresso, milk, whipped cream, caramel brulée bits
• Recommended Temp: hot
• Price (tall): $6

Even if you "bah humbug" at the hype surrounding Starbucks's holiday drinks, I'm pretty sure you'll still enjoy this one. It stars rich, buttery caramel brulée sauce, inspired by a crème brûlée’s layer of torched sugar, and the crunchy topping mimics the burnt sugar of its namesake even further. What's not to like about that?

While this Starbucks holiday drink has all the sweet, comforting traits of a standard caramel latte, it also features a honeyed, almost smoky nuance to it that makes me look forward to its return every year. It's simple yet still feels special, and it's the perfect upgrade for Caramel Macchiato regulars.

• What It Is: chai concentrate, milk, nondairy gingerbread-flavored cold foam, pumpkin spice topping
• Recommended Temp: iced
• Price (tall): $6

Back in 2000, the gingerbread latte became an annual cornerstone of Starbucks's holiday menu. (It was my favorite of the season back when I was slinging them myself.) After a years-long discontinuation, you can order it all over again, thanks to this sipper bringing gingerbread syrup back to the menu.

The Gingerbread Chai used to come with oat milk, but now it defaults to regular dairy. However, the gingerbread-flavored cold foam on top, which helps amplify the warm spices in the chai concentrate for maximum warm-and-fuzzy feels, is dairy-free.

As someone who already enjoys Starbucks's iced chai, this was a no-brainer for me. The bitter, earthy black tea base plays beautifully with the spiced, nutmeg-kissed notes of the cold foam. The pumpkin spice topping looks festive, no matter what temp drink you order, and it tastes downright Christmas-y. In terms of whimsy and taste alike, this one deserves the crown in my book.

• What It Is: espresso, eggnog, milk
• Recommended Temp: hot
• Price (tall): TBA

This one hits stores on December 2. The ingredients haven’t been announced yet, but from what I remember of my barista days, it's made with eggnog, espresso and your choice of milk. You can likely order it iced, but I'd argue it's tastiest when steamed to perfection. It's been discontinued since 2021, so I’m curious how it'll perform this time around.

• What It Is: chestnut praline syrup, espresso, milk, spiced praline crumbs
• Recommended Temp: hot
• Price (tall): TBA

You forgot about this one, huh? It's easy to neglect this flavor among so many heavyweights, but I'd argue that this under-appreciated sipper is easily one of the best Starbucks holiday drinks (if not the best).

Steamed milk and espresso meet silky notes of caramelized chestnuts and warm spices for a cozy, sweet bev that won’t knock you over the head with holly-jolly flair (or an excessive dose of sugar). While it doesn’t have bright red sugar sprinkles or in-your-face seasonal garnishes, it’s a nutty, balanced pick that deserves a chance. Mark your calendar for December 2 to try it the moment it's back.