What drinks are on the Starbucks Christmas menu?
I break down the full Starbucks Christmas drink lineup: returning classics like the Peppermint Mocha plus newer cold-format holiday drinks.
Quick Answer
The core Starbucks Christmas menu is built on five returning classics: the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte, and Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
Newer additions rotate in each year, including the Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai, Peppermint Chocolate Cream Cold Brew, and the 2025 Cranberry Merry Mint Refresher.
When the Christmas menu launches
Starbucks locks its holiday launch to the first Thursday of November every year. The 2025 launch landed on Thursday, November 6. The 2024 launch was November 7. The 2023 launch was November 2. The pattern is one of the most reliable retail dates in the fast-casual calendar.
On launch morning, red cups replace the plain white cups, digital menu boards flip to holiday-themed art, and the pumpkin and apple crisp fall drinks disappear (although a few stores keep serving them until fall syrup inventory runs out, usually within a week).
The five returning classics
1. Peppermint Mocha
The undisputed anchor of the Christmas menu, on the boards every year since 2002. It combines Signature Espresso, steamed 2 percent milk, mocha sauce, and peppermint syrup, topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. A Grande hot Peppermint Mocha runs around 440 calories with 53 grams of sugar in the default 4-pump build.
Available hot, iced, and blended as a Frappuccino. The Frappuccino version swaps in Frappuccino roast, ice, and Frappuccino syrup, dropping the coffee intensity but doubling the dessert feel.
2. Caramel Brulée Latte
The dessert-forward member of the classic five. It uses a thick, burnt-sugar Caramel Brulée sauce (not thin caramel syrup), steamed milk, and Signature Espresso, topped with whipped cream and crunchy caramel brulée bits that add real textural bite.
A Grande hot version lands around 410 calories and 55 grams of sugar. The crunchy topping is what sets it apart from the year-round Caramel Macchiato.
3. Chestnut Praline Latte
The most subtle drink in the classic set. Espresso, steamed milk, and chestnut praline syrup with flavors of caramelized chestnuts and warm spices, finished with whipped cream and a sprinkle of spiced praline crumbs.
Lower sugar than the Peppermint Mocha (around 39 grams for a Grande hot) and easier to modify with fewer pumps if you want a lighter holiday drink.
4. Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte
Introduced in 2021 as a dairy-free holiday drink and quickly promoted to permanent classic status. It combines Blonde Espresso, sugar cookie syrup (vanilla and buttery bakery notes), and almond milk, decorated with red and green sugar sprinkles.
The iced version is the more popular seller and runs around 170 calories for a Grande, making it the lightest calorie option in the holiday lineup. Naturally dairy-free without any substitution charge.
5. Peppermint Hot Chocolate
The coffee-free member of the lineup. Steamed milk, mocha sauce, and peppermint syrup, topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. There is also a Peppermint White Hot Chocolate variant using white mocha sauce, which most fans consider the sweeter of the two.
Newer cold-format holiday drinks
Starbucks has spent the last few years extending the Christmas menu into cold-format drinks, recognizing that iced coffee consumption has grown even during winter months.
Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai
Introduced in the 2024 holiday launch. A spiced black tea chai concentrate base with cold oat milk, topped with a dense gingerbread-flavored cold foam and a dusting of ground nutmeg. It has become a strong social media performer because of the tall foam layer and the crossover appeal to non-coffee drinkers.
Peppermint Chocolate Cream Cold Brew
Launched in 2025 alongside the Cranberry Merry Mint Refresher. Slow-steeped cold brew capped with a thick layer of peppermint chocolate cream cold foam. Delivers the peppermint mocha flavor profile in a cold, less sweet, higher-caffeine format.
Cranberry Merry Mint Refresher (2025 innovation)
The first cold-format Refresher on the modern holiday menu. A tart cranberry and white grape juice base topped with peppermint chocolate cream cold foam. Refreshers have been summer staples for years but a winter Refresher was new ground for the holiday menu.
Holiday drink quick comparison
| Drink | Base | Signature note | Grande calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peppermint Mocha (hot) | Espresso + milk | Dark chocolate + peppermint | ~440 |
| Caramel Brulée Latte (hot) | Espresso + milk | Burnt sugar + crunch bits | ~410 |
| Chestnut Praline Latte (hot) | Espresso + milk | Caramelized chestnut | ~330 |
| Sugar Cookie Almondmilk (iced) | Blonde + almond | Buttery cookie + sprinkles | ~170 |
| Peppermint Hot Chocolate | Milk (no espresso) | Chocolate + peppermint | ~430 |
| Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai | Chai + oat | Ginger + nutmeg foam | ~330 |
| Peppermint Chocolate Cold Brew | Cold brew | Peppermint chocolate foam | ~230 |
What comes off the fall menu
The moment the Christmas menu launches, the fall menu is retired: Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato, and the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso all come down together.
Bakery items that come with the holiday launch
- Cranberry Bliss Bar (returning classic)
- Sugar Plum Danish
- Reindeer Cake Pop
- Snowman Cookie
- Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop
How long the Christmas menu runs
The holiday menu runs from the first Thursday of November through the first full week of January. The winter menu (with pistachio drinks and dairy-free additions) takes over next. Individual stores keep serving holiday drinks until peppermint and chestnut syrup jugs are empty, so mid-January is realistic for the last Peppermint Mocha of the season.
Bottom line
The Starbucks Christmas menu is anchored by five returning classics (Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte, Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte, Peppermint Hot Chocolate) with newer cold-format additions like the Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai and Peppermint Chocolate Cream Cold Brew filling out the modern lineup. The menu launches the first Thursday of November and runs through early January.
Regional and international holiday variants
The five classics travel across every market, but a few regional additions only appear outside the United States. In the UK, Ireland, and Germany the Toffee Nut Latte is a permanent holiday classic that never crossed the Atlantic. Japan runs a Strawberry White Mocha every winter. Canadian stores regularly get an exclusive Maple Pecan Latte during the December window. If you travel during the holiday season, the menu board is worth checking even if you think you know the lineup.
What the returning holiday menu tells you about the year ahead
The specific mix of holiday drinks each year is a strong indicator of the corporate direction for the following spring and summer. When Starbucks introduced the Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte in 2021, it was the first signal of a broader push into permanent dairy-free lattes across the year-round menu. The Peppermint Chocolate Cream Cold Foam launched in 2025 is likely to survive into the January winter menu as a modifier on year-round cold brew, based on how the pumpkin cream cold foam did after its 2019 launch.