The Best Starbucks Secret Menu Drinks, According To Fans & Baristas

There are over 35,000 posts on Instagram that include the hashtag #StarbucksSecretMenu. Each mention of this menu conjures up images of lockboxes located in the very back corner of Starbucks storerooms. Those baristas who have been entrusted with the classified code have access to the recipe cards for exclusive drinks that only a select few customers know to ask for. In reality, the Starbucks secret menu doesn’t exist in that fantastical form. Instead, it’s just a phrase used to characterize drinks that aren’t listed on the coffee chain’s official menu but can be made with available ingredients upon request.

Though there is no actual top-secret Starbucks menu, there are certainly off-menu drinks that are frequently ordered. These drinks are known by many baristas and come up over and over in the tens of thousands of #StarbucksSecretMenu posts. Refinery29 asked fans and baristas alike to share their favorites, and here are some of the best, in no particular order:

Christmas Sprinkles Frappuccino.  “Ask for a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with strawberry purée, whip, and red Christmas sprinkles on top.” — @vincoeats

Iced Coconut Chai Latte.  “I’ve legit heard people cancel their drink orders to get what I’m getting — it is as good as it sounds! To make it, ask for an iced chai latte with one pump chai so it’s not super sweet and substitute coconut milk for regular milk.” — Arielle

Raspberry Green Tea Frappuccino.  “Green Tea Frappuccino with five to 10 pumps of raspberry syrup. My personal preference is five pumps for greater consistency. It’s not too tart or too sweet just the right blend. Bonus for anyone that likes Bubble tea, it tastes like it minus the tapioca.” — Lola

Churro Frappuccino.  Our fave off-menu drink is a CHURRO Frappuccino! It’s a Vanilla Bean Frap, cinnamon dolce syrup, white mocha syrup, cinnamon on top on whipped cream and caramel drizzle.” — Ashley and Chickii

Caramel Apple Spice.  “I’m not at all a coffee drinker, yet my favorite hot beverage is from Starbucks — and it’s not even on the menu. Caramel Apple Cider is an OG non-caffeine drink removed from the order board over a decade ago. Its official name was Caramel Apple Cider, with main ingredients cinnamon dolce syrup, apple juice, topped with whipped cream and caramel — hence the name. Now baristas refer to it as Caramel Apple Spice.   Somehow, cider magically transformed into spice when this drink got lost off the menu.  In true Starbucks fandemonium, I leveled-up my Caramel Apple ‘Spice’ experience years ago by ordering it with two pumps of hazelnut, regardless of size — always two pumps. After all the years of requesting my secret off-menu creation, an intrigued barista recently asked, ‘How’d you come to add the hazelnut? That’s an insider trick,’ he said with a curious expression. The truth is, I learned it from a Starbucks barista friend ages ago!” — Shaunda

The Undertow. “To properly prepare the Undertow you take a short cup and add two pumps of your desired syrup (typically Vanilla). Pour 1-1.5 inches of ice-cold Brevé (Half & Half). Hold a large spoon dome side up over the cup and pour two shots hot Espresso over the round side of the large spoon directly into the cup so that the hot espresso layers itself on top of the cold cream. The drink is then consumed all at once like a shot, starting hot and strong with the espresso and finishing cool and sweet with the cream.” — Janelle and Ben

Cookies & Cream Frappuccino.  “There’s always the good ol’ cookies and cream frappuccino. It’s a double chocolatey chip frapp with white mocha instead of mocha. It’s one of the simplest ‘secret menu’ drinks and personally my favorite because of that.” — Eleventh_Barista

Banana Split Frappuccino.  “The Banana Split Frappuccino is my favorite. It’s a strawberry and cream frappuccino, add banana, two pumps mocha for a grande. Voila!” — sharksharksnark

Nutella Hot Chocolate.  “Venti hot chocolate, two pumps of hazelnut, and almond milk. I’m a therapist and the teens I work with often make fun of how often I drink Starbucks. I don’t care — it’s delicious!” — Kimberly

Snickerdoodle Latte.  “My Snickerdoodle Latte is a tall blonde latte with one pump white mocha and one pump cinnamon dolce. Steam cinnamon powder into the milk. Top with whip and cinnamon dolce topping if desired (I don’t). I add an extra shot, but you don’t have to.” — jquinnifer

Snickerdoodle Mocha.  “This is a white chocolate mocha with cinnamon dolce syrup. It’s also really good as a frappuccino.” — TheMagicPandas

Medicine Ball.  “My favorite secret menu item is called a Medicine Ball — I discovered this last year when I had a cold that I just could not shake. It’s basically a hot lemonade tea, with honey and optional peppermint syrup. Recipe online says: Venti cup with half hot water and half steamed lemonade, one bag of Teavana Jade Citrus Mint Tea, one bag of Teavana Peach Tranquility Tea, packet of honey, and a pump of peppermint (optional).” — Kelly

Shaken Strawberry Lemonade.  “Lemonade with strawberry puree makes a better strawberry lemonade than with strawberry açai, which is what most people do.” — jquinnifer

Toffee Nut Soy Latte.  “Former Starbucks barista here! My favorite recipe that should be on the current menu, tastes like summer and cake, all in one drink (amazing, I know). It’s a ‘double tall, toffee nut, soy latte.’ First of all, toffee nut is an underrated syrup, and when mixed with the vanilla soy, it’s a perfect blend of coffee and flavor — don’t forget the extra shot of espresso in there!” — Veronica

Short Soy-Steamer.  “My Starbucks off-menu go-to is a short soy-steamer. It’s their smallest cup ,which they don’t publicize, and it’s just steamed soy milk. But their soy milk is vanilla flavored, so no need to add shots, flavors, or sugar. It’s not cheap and there’s no coffee in it, but it’s totally worth it.” — Taline

Upgraded Pink Drink.  “I’m not a barista, just a fan! I don’t drink coffee so I came up with these so I could have more options. Order a Venti Passion Tango Iced Tea, unsweetened. Ask for Strawberry Infusion, light coconut milk, a scoop of strawberries, and two Stevia/Splenda.” — Selena

Sunrise Sunset.  “Order a Grande Green Iced Tea, no sweetener, no water, one pump of peppermint syrup, Cool Lime refresher in place of the water, and a splash of Passion Tango Tea.” — Selena

See one you want to try?  Next time you head into Starbucks, try ordering one with a little wink to the #StarbucksSecretMenu.

—
Photo Credit:  STEFANY LUNA DE LINZY / Shutterstock.com