The holiday coffee decision has a new contender this year: tiramisu.
Starbucks launched its 2026 holiday menu on November 5, introducing Tiramisu Velvet drinks and apple-and-pomegranate beverages alongside returning seasonal favorites. The launch also brings sandwiches and a new Bearista Cake Pop into the mix.
For customers whose seasonal routine starts with a particular drink, the returning menu offers continuity. For those ready to change their order, the additions move beyond the familiar peppermint, caramel, and gingerbread flavors.
The seasonal lineup includes hot and cold coffee drinks, fruit-forward options, and holiday pastries. Customers should confirm availability with their chosen store before making a trip for a specific item.
The menu is here, but the reusable red-cup giveaway comes later. Here is what separates the newcomers from the returning favorites, and what to know before ordering.
Tiramisu Moves From the Dessert Plate to the Coffee Cup
The biggest coffee addition is the Tiramisu Velvet lineup, inspired by the Italian dessert.
The Tiramisu Velvet Latte comes hot or iced. According to Starbucks, it combines Signature Espresso with milk and vanilla syrup, then adds Velvet Mascarpone Cold Foam and cocoa dusting.
The Tiramisu Velvet Cold Brew uses cold brew coffee and vanilla syrup beneath the same foam-and-cocoa finish.
The coffee base is the clearest distinction between the two offerings. One starts with espresso and milk; the other starts with cold brew. Both carry the dessert reference through their topping.
That gives customers a straightforward starting point: choose between an espresso-and-milk drink and cold brew, rather than treating the two tiramisu options as interchangeable. The latte also offers a hot version for anyone who associates a seasonal coffee order with something warming.
Apple and Pomegranate Take a Different Direction
Not every addition revolves around coffee or dessert flavors.
The Apple Pomegranate Refresher combines apple flavors with popping pomegranate-flavored pearls. Starbucks also offers a lemonade variation.
The Snowy Apple Drink takes the combination in another direction by adding coconut milk. Despite its wintry name, it belongs with the fruit-forward beverages rather than the espresso drinks.
For customers comparing the newcomers, the distinction is simple. The Tiramisu Velvet drinks emphasize coffee, vanilla, and a mascarpone-inspired topping. The Apple Pomegranate beverages focus on fruit flavors and pearls.
Together, the additions give the holiday menu more than one direction. Ordering something seasonal does not have to mean choosing peppermint, chocolate, or even coffee.
Peppermint, Caramel and Gingerbread Return
Starbucks has not replaced its established holiday lineup with the newcomers.
Returning drinks include Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte, Sugar Cookie Latte and Gingerbread Chai.
The Peppermint Mocha combines espresso, milk, mocha sauce and peppermint-flavored syrup, finished with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls. Starbucks lists hot, iced, and Frappuccino versions.
Caramel Brulée Latte returns with espresso, milk, caramel brulée sauce, whipped cream and its namesake topping. Sugar Cookie Latte combines espresso, milk, and sugar cookie-flavored syrup, with red and green sprinkles.
New combinations also appear within familiar flavor families. Iced Caramel Brulée Cream Chai and Iced Sugar Cookie Cream Matcha join the seasonal selection.
That distinction matters when scanning the menu: some holiday flavors are returning, while certain drinks featuring those flavors are new. A familiar name does not necessarily mean the same coffee, tea, or matcha base.
Two Sandwiches Bring the Launch Into Lunchtime
The food changes extend beyond the bakery case.
The new Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese includes braised short rib, caramelized onion jam and Dijon, with Cheddar, Parmesan and mozzarella on buttery sourdough, according to Starbucks.
The Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich is a returning seasonal offering with a revised recipe, rather than an entirely new item.
This version includes sliced turkey, stuffing, and gravy on a baguette baked with cranberries, finished with cranberry sauce.
One sandwich introduces a short-rib variation on grilled cheese. The other revisits a Thanksgiving-inspired combination.
Both expand the seasonal choices for customers stopping in for lunch or something more substantial than a drink and pastry.
A Bearista Cake Pop Joins Familiar Bakery Treats
The Bearista Cake Pop is the new bakery addition, combining vanilla cake and buttercream frosting with a chocolaty icing coating.
Its design connects the treat with the Bearista character associated with Starbucks drinkware.
Returning bakery items include the Snowman Cookie, Cranberry Bliss Bar, and Sugar Plum Cheese Danish.
The Snowman Cookie is shortbread with white chocolate icing. The Cranberry Bliss Bar features a blondie base with dried cranberries and cream-cheese icing. The Danish pairs cream-cheese filling with a spiced sugar-plum spread.
The selection gives customers a choice between a new character-themed treat and pastries already associated with the chain’s holiday menu.
Red Cup Day Is November 17, Not Launch Day
The menu launch and reusable-cup giveaway fall on different dates.
Starbucks’ 2026 holiday calendar lists November 5 for the menu launch and November 17 for Red Cup Day.
Under the company’s announced terms, customers purchasing a qualifying handcrafted holiday beverage on November 17 can receive a collectible reusable red cup at participating stores, while supplies last. A qualifying purchase is required, and cup availability is not guaranteed.
Check your chosen store for current prices and item availability before you go, especially if you’re visiting for just one drink, sandwich, or pastry.
With new flavors alongside returning orders, what makes a holiday coffee tradition worth keeping: the comfort of the familiar, or the chance to discover a new favorite?
