I love Starbucks. I know there are people who feel very strongly that you are either a Starbucks person or a craft coffee person, but here at What The Froth, we believe you can be both. You can love all the coffee – especially iced coffee.
And, since we’ve been drinking Starbucks coffee for over 20 years now (eek!), we’ve certainly had our fair share of their drinks and determined which ones are really worth shelling out the big money for and which ones you could probably just make at home.
Also, spoiler alert, you can even buy their pre-made iced coffee and cold brew in larger quantities and make them at home with your favorite creamer.
Since I really love my at-home coffee drinks, when I do buy something, I want to make it count. But, the other coffee expert here at WTF picks up at least 1 coffee a day – usually from Starbucks – so do what works for you, friends. Just stay caffeinated.
That’s why today we are breaking down the best iced coffee drinks at Starbucks. These are the ones that we will happily wait in long lines for whenever the craving strikes. We hope this will give you some ideas for what to order next time you’re in line with a hunkering for a delicious iced coffee. While we love all of these, we have ranked these from number 13 down to our very favorite in the number one spot.
Let’s get started.
14. Sweetened Iced Coffee with Milk:
This used to be my absolute go-to drink for years for a couple reasons. First, it’s high in caffeine and second, it’s more affordable than espresso based drinks (important when you’re going every day). It’s sweet, creamy, delicious, and lower in calories than other mixed drinks, too.
However, once I started buying their iced coffee for home, it makes more sense to mix it up for a fraction of the price than go out to get one. So, I definitely recommend this drink, but I don’t personally buy it anymore.
Customize this drink a million ways, including:
- Your choice of milk
- Your choice or mix of syrups (including sugar-free options)
- Your choice of whip or no whip
13. Iced Mocha with Whip:
I really love the Starbucks Mocha. Their chocolate combo is sweet, without being too sweet. Some people don’t love it, because it’s not as sweet as other mochas, so to each their own. The iced mocha is just a classic coffee drink and Starbucks makes a good one. Get it with their whip, which I would argue is still the best in the business.
Customizations abound here, friends. Get this with your choice of milk and your choice of add-ins, too.
12. Starbucks Iced Hazelnut Latte:
Hazelnut lovers, rejoice! This hazelnut bianco latte is muy delicioso. My husband is a true hazelnut afficionado and will literally eat Nutella by the spoonful. Because of his obsession, I have made all sorts of nutella infused recipes over the years and even made home-made hazelnut spread (which was divine, people, truly divine).
This hazelnut iced coffee is his personal choice. I do have to admit that it’s very good. Customize with your choice of milk, but don’t mess with the rest.
11. Iced White Chocolate Mocha:
Lighter than its sibling, the mocha, the white chocolate mocha uses white chocolate sauce for this delicious beverage. White chocolate plays very nicely with coffee – but it also plays well with chai – which is why the Dutch Bros Christmas Morning Chai is the most delicious chai we’ve ever had.
If you’re looking for a sweet iced coffee, without the heavier chocolate flavor, the iced white mocha might be your jam. Customize with choice of milk and how many pumps of syrup (more for sweeter, less for less sweet, sugar-free for healthier) and enjoy.
10. Iced Caramel Macchiato:
Ahhh, the iced version of the classic espresso drink that Starbucks made famous. The Starbucks version is different than traditional macchiato, so it’s possible to like the Starbucks one, but not order it elsewhere.
The caramel macchiato has actual caramel sauce drizzled on top, but it sinks to the bottom thanks to the cold milk and ice, which doesn’t allow it to dissolve. Some love this little added treat, not unlike caramel syrup on a sundae, but others prefer it to be mixed in. This is why the delicious caramel mac is #9 on our list and not closer to the top.
Customize with your choice of milk, whether or not you want the caramel drizzle and if you want sugar-free syrup.
9. Iced Honey Almondmilk Flat White:
We had a lovely reader tell us that we only shared sugary drinks. Well, sir, this one is for you.
The lighter honey syrup pairs well with the almondmilk for a creamy, coffee drink that is not too sweet and you can certainly taste your coffee. This lovely concoction is also very low cal – with a grande ringing in at just 100 calories.
If this is still too sweet for you – might we suggest just an iced coffee with a splash of cream?
8. Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew:
If you’re a fan of the salty and sweet combo, this is the drink for you. The Salted cold foam has a hint of sweet caramel and then it slowly infuses with the cold brew below.
It’s very good, but you need to like to taste your salt. This was a tad bit salty for me, but I’m a little sensitive to salted things. However, other resident coffee tasters here heralded this drink as a must-try. To each their own.
7. Iced Toasted Vanilla Oatmilk Shaken Espresso:
6. Iced Vanilla Latte:
It’s a classic and one of the most popular drinks world-wide. The iced vanilla latte is difficult to mess up and Starbucks has the recipe down pat.
Their iced vanilla latte continues to be one of my personal favorites, to the point that I just don’t really order it anywhere else. They get the balance of the vanilla, coffee and cream just right, IMO.
I’m not alone, though, this is one of the (if not THE) best-selling coffee drinks of all time at Starbucks.
5. Love Bug Cold Brew:
I saw this advertised around Valentine’s Day and had to jump on it. I’ve never seen it since, but you could easily request it and let them know how to make it.
Here’s the recipe: order a venti cold brew with three pumps of raspberry syrup, four pumps of white chocolate syrup, and sweet cream foam mixed with a squirt of strawberry puree.
If you want it a bit lighter, just take out the white chocolate syrup and go with the raspberry syrup. The foam is seriously so delicious and look how pretty it is:
4. Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso:
This is a combo I was not sure about at first, but definitely had to try it. I am so glad I gave it a chance. The chocolate and almondmilk give the espresso a sweet edge, without being too much. For example, I found the seasonal sugar cookie latte way too sweet. This one is similar to the brown sugar, but the chocolate and almond give it an almost biscotti flavor. Very good. Don’t make substitutions, if possible.
3. Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso:
One of my all-time favorite drinks, ever. This one is so frothy, creamy and delicious. The brown sugar and cinnamon are perfect together and give it a slightly mapley taste. The espresso and oatmilk calm down any sweetness and highlights the espresso perfectly.
This is one to get exactly as designed, if possible.
2. Iced Cinnamon Dolce Latte:
I’ll admit it: I loooove cinnamon with my coffee. Have you tried it? I feel like every coffeehouse is picking up their own version of this now, with Peet’s unveiling a whole line-up of churro and horchata inspired drinks, too. Starbucks really did it first, with the Cinnamon Dolce Latte and it continues to be one of my all-time favorite drinks. Even. my husband likes it, and he doesn’t care for cinnamon. Absolutely delish with oatmilk, too.
1. Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew:
Easily one of the best coffee drinks being made right now. Starbucks absolutely nailed it with this one. The cold brew is topped with a vanilla sweet cream that you’ll wish you could sip straight, but don’t – you want that to merge with the coffee and give it a creamy, sweet taste throughout.
Don’t make any substitutions if possible, because it’s delish. To read more about this drink, including calories, customization options and more, check out the full review in this post.
Make Starbucks Style Drinks at Home:
If you are looking to replicate some of these favorites at home, I have great news for you. We have developed delicious copycat recipes for some of our favorites, including the now discontinued Cinnamon Dolce Latte.
Check out these recipes for our super easy, at-home drinks:
- Iced Vanilla Latte with Vanilla Cold Foam
- Sweet Cinnamon Iced Coffee at home– A Cinnamon Dolce Latte copycat!
- Easy Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso at home
More Starbucks Drink Recommendations:
Looking for more Starbucks drinks? Check out these posts:
- 13 best Starbucks cold brew drinks
- All your questions about Starbucks nitro cold brew answered!
- The definitive guide to the Starbucks Chai Tea Latte
- 3 strawberry drinks at Starbucks that are berry good!
- Why you need a Starbucks Iced London Fog stat.
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Remember, you can even order directly from the Starbucks app to make it super easy or to earn stars that you can use towards getting FREE Starbucks and merch! Yes!
Thanks for reading! I hope you found your new favorite coffee. Let us know what you chose and what you thought!
Get roasted,
A
