The most wonderful time for coffee is here. Bright red aprons catch the eyes of anticipating customers. Red, green, and white cups are detailed with various cheerful designs scattered on tabletops and in the hands of baristas. As Starbucks prepares for the holiday season, coffee fanatics and Starbucks fans are eager to try the limited edition lattes. 

Last month I strived to find the best Starbucks items for the upcoming holiday season.

#8: Cranberry Bliss Bar – The Cranberry Bliss Bar consists of blondie cake topped with cream cheese icing and dried cranberries. After my first bite, I noticed lemon flavoring from the icing which overpowered the whole treat. However, the soft chewy texture of the blondie was satisfactory and blended well with the icing. The amount of icing made the Bliss Bar so sweet I could barely finish it.

#7: Peppermint Mocha – For some reason the Peppermint Mocha is a fan favorite. The drink has classic espresso and steamed milk, flavored with mocha sauce and peppermint syrup, topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls. The peppermint flavor was nice and paired well with the mocha flavors. However, Starbucks’ mocha sauce has a chalk-like texture, which makes the experience unbearable. The chocolate curls are a nice touch though.

#6: Reindeer Cake Pop (New)  – The Reindeer Cake Pop was the hardest menu item to obtain since Starbucks cake pops tend to sell out fast. The treat had the shape of a reindeer’s face with a vanilla cake interior, covered with chocolate icing. The cake itself was moist and very sweet, and the ‘chocolate’ icing tasted more like sugar instead of chocolate. Despite 

the endearing physique of the Reindeer Cake Pop, the price (I spent $2.92 for one) is unnecessary.

#5: Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte (New) –  The Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte features limited edition sugar cookie-flavored syrup combined with blonde espresso and almond milk. The almond milk adds creaminess, which balances well with the blonde espresso. The sugar cookie syrup is subtle and tastes like fresh baked sugar cookies. I think the idea of sprinkles in an iced drink is odd since they don’t melt into the drink. However, the sprinkles can easily be ignored. 

#4: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin – The Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin is technically a fall featured item on the Starbucks menu; however, my love for anything pumpkin flavored influenced me to try it. If you love the Pumpkin Loaf, then you are bound to love the Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin. They both have the classic pumpkin bread taste, which pairs perfectly with the sweetened cream cheese in the center.

#3: Caramel Brulée Latte – The Caramel Brulée Latte usually has espresso and steamed milk, with caramel brulée sauce, topped with whipped cream and caramel brulée chips. The latte is just a caramel latte advertised as a holiday featured item. At first, I could taste the sweetness of the caramel, then a coffee aftertaste. The coffee flavor and caramel have the perfect sweetness to bitterness ratio.

#2: Snowman Cookie –  The Starbucks Snowman Cookie is a holiday staple. The cookie consists of a shortbread cookie cut into the shape of a snowman. The cookie is iced with a white base layer of frosting, with colored details to look like a jolly snowman. The bottom half has sugar crystals to mimic snow. The adorable cookie tasted like the perfect sugar cookie for the holidays. The shortbread and icing were hard but melted in my mouth as I bit into the cookie.

#1 Toasted White Mocha – As people raved about the Toasted White Mocha, my expectations for the drink heightened. The latte comes with Starbucks’ signature espresso with “flavors of caramelized white chocolate” topped with whipped cream and Christmas-themed sprinkles. My first sip consisted of whipped cream and a crunch from the sprinkles. The Toasted White Mocha flavoring reminded me of marshmallows. The sweetness was followed by a hint of coffee. Despite being sweeter compared to other holiday drinks, the Toasted White Mocha is the best of the holiday bunch.