5 Creative Customizations For Your Starbucks Holiday Beverage This Season

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When the temps get cooler and you start seeing festive red coffee cups in people's hands, this can only mean one thing: It's Starbucks holiday drink season. This year's beverage lineup includes returning classic latte flavors: Gingerbread Chai, Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée, and Sugar Cookie, which can be ordered hot or iced. More Starbucks holiday menu items will pop up sooner than later (according to an official press release) and include a Chestnut Praline and Eggnog Latte. Since these flavors have already made past appearances, you might want to make some creative customizations for a DIY holiday drink.

Those in the know, especially those tapped into TikTok and Instagram Starbucks trends, are aware that there's more to the chain's beverages than what's listed on the menu. Think of seasonal drinks as a starting point, an inspiration if you will. With the limited-time syrups, sauces, and toppings, you can customize your holiday drink just the way you like it, whether you want it more pepperminty or spiced. Plus, many of the standard holiday drinks are quite sweet, so mods can make them more palatable for those who prefer the coffee flavor to shine through.

It's easy to get jealous of Starbucks holiday drinks you won't find in the U.S., like the strawberry and tea-flavored frappuccino from Japan  – but customizing your order is one way to keep the menu items we do have interesting. The holiday season is busy for you, but please remember it's also busy for your barista. Consider ordering ahead if requesting complex drinks during peak hours, and consider ordering something more standard if you arrive in person to a crazy rush (or have patience!).

To order a festive Santa Claus Frappuccino, it will be easiest to start with a crème frappuccino (no caffeine, a good option for kids) or a plain, coffee-based frappuccino and then modify with add-ons. You'll order equal parts white mocha sauce and vanilla syrup (1 or 2 pumps of each), depending on your desired level of sweetness and size of the beverage. Request strawberry puree to be poured into the cup (not blended in), before the frappuccino, to create a festive white and red drink. Finish with whipped cream and colored sprinkles.

If ordering a frappuccino without coffee, a vanilla bean crème frappuccino is a good base. This drink normally contains three scoops of vanilla bean powder, so order half the amount to prevent the 1 or 2 pumps of white mocha sauce from making it overwhelmingly sweet. If you order a classic frappuccino with coffee, know that the color won't have the desired red and white Santa Claus effect. BTW — this is one of the secret holiday Starbucks drinks you can order year-round.

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If you're a fan of a stronger coffee taste, the hot chocolate cold brew is a customized holiday drink you will probably enjoy. Order a sweet cream cold brew and ask for no vanilla syrup, or lower the number of pumps to 1 or 2. Depending on your desired level of sweetness and drink size, order 1 pump of white mocha sauce and 2 to 4 pumps of mocha sauce. For a grande size, 2 pumps should be enough, but for a venti, go for 4 pumps (or keep it at 2 pumps for less sweetness). The sweet cream acts as the "whipped cream" you would get on a hot chocolate, but is more cohesive with the cold coffee drink. 

There are a few other fun modifications for this drink. Make it a peppermint hot chocolate cold brew by subbing a pump of mocha sauce for peppermint syrup. It's kind of like an iced peppermint mocha latte, but without milk and more coffee (and caffeine). For more chocolate, choose one of the chocolate cold foams, such as the regular, non-dairy, or protein, instead of the sweet cream.