It’s National Gingerbread Latte Day – but don’t expect to find one at Starbucks

December 15th is National Gingerbread Latte day, but if you’re one of those people (my hand is up) who feel that nothing smells or tastes or makes you feel like the holidays are here quite like a cup of this sweet spicy espresso beverage, you are out of luck finding it at Starbucks.

Red cup season came back to Starbucks on November 4, and there are so many holiday drinks to get your hands on. But even with a brand new vegan and non-dairy Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte along with five other returning seasonal drinks, you might be out of luck if you’ve been waiting for the return of a specific sip. So why is Starbucks being a Scrooge McDuck? Here’s the deal with the long-missing holiday drink at Starbucks.

Starbucks stans in the United States initially dealt with the holiday menu switch-up in 2019, the first year the chain’s Gingerbread Latte was left off the holiday menu. The 2020 holiday lineup was no different, and in 2021 — for the third year in a row — there’s no Gingerbread Latte on the Starbucks holiday menu for customers… at least in the United States.

If you’ve forgotten what the Gingerbread Latte is all about, it’s an espresso-based drink made with steamed milk, gingerbread syrup, and topped with gingerbread-flavored whipped cream and wafer topping. It was available in Canada, Europe, and Asia in 2020, but customers in Canada are out of luck this year, as the Gingerbread Latte won’t be sold in that region in 2021 either, per a Starbucks spokesperson.

But not all hope is lost! There are brand new Gingerbread-Flavored Coffee K-Cup pods in Starbucks’ holiday at-home collection. Flavors of cinnamon and clove combine to really bring the gingerbread vibe in the chain’s lightest roast coffee. You can buy the Gingerbread-Flavored K-Cup pods on your next groceries run or online via your local grocery store. They cost $10.49 for a 10-count and $20.99 for a 22-count.

Or, why not try making your own home-made Gingerbread Latte at home?  Here’s a recipe from Buratta and Bubbles to make your season bright! Are you Vegan? No problem!  Here’s a Vegan Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte recipe from Healthy Home Cooking!  Ho, Ho, Ho!

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