McDonald’s, Dunkin’ and Starbucks launched their 2026 holiday menus on three straight days. McDonald’s went first, Dunkin’ followed and Starbucks came last, according to Attractions Magazine’s launch roundup, on Nov. 3, 4 and 5.
Two flavors show up again and again across the three menus. Cookie butter lands at McDonald’s and Dunkin’, while Starbucks leads with tiramisu. All three are seasonal menus.
.jpg?width=1600)
McDonald’s Opens the Week on Nov. 3
McDonald’s has five holiday drinks this year, split between cranberry beverages and cookie butter coffees, Attractions Magazine reported. The cranberry pair uses Sprite and Red Bull as bases instead of coffee: the Frosted Cranberry Splash and the Red Bull Frosted Cranberry Energizer, both topped with cold foam and sprinkles. A Red Bull Zero version is also on the list.
The coffee side is all cookie butter. The Cookie Butter Frappé is blended and can come with whipped cream and cookie crumbles, while the Cookie Butter Latte and Cookie Butter Iced Coffee cover the hot and cold orders.
Frenz Hub has a post on creative coffee bar ideas.
Dunkin’ Brings Back Cookie Butter and Toasted White Chocolate
Dunkin’ announced its holiday lineup on Oct. 28 and put it in restaurants on Nov. 4. Two returning flavors anchor it: Cookie Butter and Toasted White Chocolate, according to the company’s newsroom.
The cookie butter list runs long: Cookie Butter Cloud Latte, Cookie Butter Cloud Dunkalatte, Cookie Butter Hot Chocolate, Cookie Butter Matcha, an Iced Cookie Butter Oat Chai Latte and a Spiced Cookie Iced Coffee. The Toasted White Chocolate side adds a Cloud Latte, a Signature Latte finished with whipped cream, caramel drizzle and cinnamon sugar, an Almond White Chocolate Shakin’ Espresso and a Raspberry White Chocolate Matcha.
Jill Nelson, chief marketing officer at Dunkin’, said in the company’s release that the Donutcracker puts a playful twist on a beloved holiday icon. The chain introduced the Donutcracker, a nutcracker-inspired design on cups plus doughnut and Munchkins boxes. Good Morning America covered both launches on Nov. 5, and Attractions Magazine noted that Dunkin’ Rewards members could earn triple points on beverages Nov. 4-5.
Dunkin’ also tied the launch to a donation drive. From Nov. 4 through Nov. 30, guests who donate $1 or more to the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation at participating restaurants receive a limited-edition sticker sheet, according to the company’s newsroom. The release also lists Rewards offers through Nov. 30, including 100 bonus points on beverages ordered ahead on Mondays, limited to 100 bonus points per member per Monday and activated in the mobile app.
One familiar name is missing. Peppermint Mocha was on Dunkin’s menu in 2024 and 2025, but it was not in the first 2026 announcement, and Attractions Magazine said more seasonal news is coming.
Starbucks Finishes With Tiramisu Velvet on Nov. 5
Starbucks introduced four new drinks: the Tiramisu Velvet Latte, served hot or iced, the Tiramisu Velvet Cold Brew, the Apple Pomegranate Refresher and the Snowy Apple, a coconut milk version of the Refresher. Both tiramisu drinks wear a mascarpone cold foam and a cocoa dusting, per Good Morning America.
The brand has a long holiday history. Starbucks sold an Eggnog Latte in 1986 and a Peppermint Mocha in 2002, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte did not arrive until 2003, according to Attractions Magazine, and Wikipedia’s account of the drink confirms the 2003 start. In other words, the holiday cups came first.
Returning favorites include the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Sugar Cookie Latte and Gingerbread Chai.
Starbucks is also bringing back the Cranberry Bliss Bar, Snowman Cookie and Sugar Plum Cheese Danish, and adding a Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese. The Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich returns with an updated recipe. The original Bearista Glass Cold Cup is due at select coffeehouses on Dec. 1.
Good Morning America also reported that Starbucks is introducing a Bearista Cake Pop with a vanilla cake base, and that it expanded its mascot line with gift-ready holiday tumblers, mugs, snow globes, charms, ornaments and water bottles.
A holiday pup cup in a 3.5-ounce size also arrives, with a design based on a beagle named Junie, Good Morning America reported.
.jpg?width=1600)
Why Tiramisu Works as a Drink
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert of coffee-soaked ladyfingers layered with a cream of egg yolks, sugar and mascarpone, dusted with cocoa, Wikipedia’s entry explains. Its name comes from the Italian phrase “tirami su,” a call to cheer someone up.
That makes the latte version a natural fit: coffee is already half the recipe, and the mascarpone foam and cocoa dust stand in for the cream and topping.
craftingyourhome.com has a post on 10 Christmas cookies families bake every December.
Other Chains and a Reality Check
The big three were not alone. Attractions Magazine listed Dutch Bros and 7 Brew on Nov. 1, Scooter’s Coffee on Nov. 1, Caribou Coffee and Wawa on Nov. 2, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on Nov. 4. Tiramisu showed up there too, with 7 Brew’s Tiramisu Cold Brew and the Coffee Bean’s tiramisu lattes.
Frenz Hub has posts on a Keurig versus Ninja comparison and 26 easy tips for saving money fast.
Nothing here is permanent. Each menu is seasonal, and Attractions Magazine cautions that theme park locations may not carry every drink on the national menu. The newest launch, Starbucks, is only about a week old as of Nov. 13.
If a household wants to pick just one, the common thread is simple. Cookie butter is the pick at McDonald’s and Dunkin’, and tiramisu is the pick at Starbucks. craftingyourhome.com also has a list of zodiac signs that live for holiday parties.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Navneet Sharma – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons
