Starbucks Secret Menu
The secret menu of Starbucks
Starbucks is an enormous coffee company which has shops all around the world. At first, in the 1970s, it offered just coffee, but as time went by, the company expanded their offerings and they are still expanding them today. But today, their menu contains a wide range of different drinks and foods. A couple of years ago, because of health concerns of their customers about the amount of sugars, fats and calories their food and drinks contain, they included in their menu light or diet versions of their meals, so people would have the option to choose between a standard version and healthier one.
But, on the other hand, especially when it comes to drinks, Starbucks has their own baristas that will be happy to make you a drink with the ingredients you choose, which means that instead of the standardized drinks they have on their menu, you can create your own drink with the ingredients of your choice. However, the Starbucks chain has standardized the ingredients they put in their drinks and food, so when you choose your own drinks you get the same list of ingredients to choose from in any of their shops in the world. Keep in mind that you should be cautious, because this way of drinking your favorite drink can be painful for your wallet, depending on the ingredients you choose. The more exclusive the ingredients are, the more expensive they are, and if you choose them your drink will be more expensive, too.
And since there is the possibility to make or create your own drink, people have used that fact to create a whole other menu out of it, or as they call it- Starbucks Secret Menu. What is Starbucks Secret Menu? It is a menu made by Starbucks baristas and regular customers or Starbucks fanatics. That menu contains lists of secret menu drinks with their recipes. Recipes are a list of the ingredients for each drink that you will tell your Starbucks barista, who will then make you your delicious drink. The good thing about Starbucks is that they have standardized ingredients, which means that in any of their shops anywhere in the world, you can ask for the same ingredients and barista will make your drink.
Ordering a secret menu item
These drinks are not listed on the Starbucks official website and the company itself doesn’t mention the secret menu anywhere, but the customers know the items. The drinks on the secret menu can differentiate from region to region, but the combinations are ones you can get in any Starbucks shop. Not many of the drinks on the secret menu are invented by regular people. Usually, the baristas are those who can express their creativity when doing their job every day. Because they have access to all ingredients, they can come up with an idea of a great delicious drink. And when they do, they are usually not so selfish to share it with the world. So, there are a lot of websites that have a list of these secret menu drinks, and maybe the most popular are starbuckssecretmenu.net and hackthemenu.com.
Some of the baristas know some of the most popular Starbucks secret menu recipes by heart, but they probably don’t know all of them. So, there are some rules when ordering a secret menu item, which needs to be followed because of the respect to your Starbucks baristas.
Make sure to be nice to your Starbucks baristas, because they are the ones that make you your delicious drinks that you are addicted to. They serve millions of cups of coffee in their careers; and that is not an easy job. So, make sure you follow a couple of rules. Firstly, you need to find a drink you like. There are a lot of websites on the internet that can help you explore the secret menu items, so explore them and find out which drink you like the most. Secondly, memorize the recipes and order by the recipes and not by names of the drinks. Baristas do not have to know recipes of secret menu drinks, so order the drink by naming the ingredients. Thirdly, be prepared to pay the extra money, since most of these drinks contain expensive ingredients. There are some drinks off the secret menu that are wildly popular. We will explore some categories and some of the most popular ones.
Starbucks Frappuccino Secret Menu
As expected, there are a lot of Frappuccinos on the Starbucks secret menu. You can have one of the many Frappuccinos. The most popular are: Ferrero Rocher Frappuccino (Grande: Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino or Java Chip Frappuccino if preferred, 3 Pumps Mocha Syrup, 1.5 Pumps Hazelnut Syrup, Hazelnut drizzle and top with whipped cream), Nutella Frappuccino (Grande: Regular coffee Frappuccino, 2 pumps of mocha syrup, 1 pump of hazelnut syrup, whipped cream blended in, top with whipped cream, Caramel drizzle is optional), Cotton Candy Frappuccino (Grande: Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, 1 1/2 pump Raspberry Syrup) and Cookie Dough Frappuccino (Grande: Cinnamon Dolce Creme Frappuccino, 2 pumps mocha syrup, Java chips blended in, Top with cookie crumble and chocolate whip).
Starbucks Secret Menu Refreshers
As refreshers are very popular and the most favorite drinks to some people, there is also a big number of secret menu drinks in this category. The most popular are: Red Mango Explosion (Grande: Orange Mango to the first cold cup line, Lemonade to the third cold cup line, Scoop of ice, 2 pumps raspberry syrup, Finish with a splash of unsweetened passion tea), Lava Flow Refresher (Iced Passion Tea Lemonade, Strawberry juice, 2 pumps classic syrup shake and add Orange Mango floating on top), Strawberry Sunset Refresher (Grande: Strawberry acai to the first line, Water to the third line, Splash of orange mango juice, Add 2 Pumps Peach Syrup, Fizzed then poured over ice) and Sour Gummy Worms Refresher (Grande: Valencia Orange Refresher, 1 Pump Peach Syrup, 1 Pump Raspberry Syrup).
Starbucks Secret Menu Teas
You might think there are not many tea items on the secret menu, but there are some tea lovers that like to mix things up a little, so there are over a dozen of secret menu teas like Peach Ring Tea Refresher (Grande: Half Passion Tea and Half Valencia Orange Refresher, Ask for no water, 3 pumps peach syrup), Pink Raspberry Passion Tea (Start with a Passion Iced Tea (or black iced tea if preferred), 3 Pumps Raspberry Syrup, Blend like a Frappuccino, Top with whipped cream), Peach Zen Refresher (Half Cool Lime, Half Green Tea concentrate (No Water), Add 2 pumps of Peach Syrup, Ice it and shake) and Zen Refresher (Half Cool Lime, Half Green Tea concentrate (No Water), Add 2 pumps of Peach Syrup (Optional, to add extra sweetness and flavor), Ice it and Shake).
Starbucks Iced Coffee Secret Menu
There are a couple of items on the secret menu that contain iced coffee: Turtle Macchiato (Grande: 3 pumps Mocha syrup, 3 pumps Caramel syrup, Add choice of milk, Add espresso shots, Criss-cross over the foam or whip with mocha and caramel syrup), Pumpkin Spice Choco-Chai (Grande: Start with a Chai Tea Latte (Iced or Hot), Add an extra pump of Chai, Add 2 Pumps Pumpkin Spice Syrup, Add 2 Pumps Mocha Syrup, Top with whipped cream and pumpkin spice powder), Iced Caramel Macchiato Frappuccino (Grande: Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, 2 pumps Frappuccino Roast, Top with caramel drizzle and whipped cream), Iced Raspberry Latte (Iced Flavored Latte, Made with raspberry syrup).
Besides the categories, which are the same categories as on the Starbucks standard menu, there are single drinks that are really popular among Starbucks customers and those are usually associated with the popular candies like Twix, Oreo and Cotton Candy, so let’s see what the ingredients are in these popular drinks.
Starbucks Secret Menu Twix
The Twix Frappuccino is made based on the popular chocolate bar Twix, and a recipe for a Grande size is:
- Caramel Frappuccino
- 1 1/2 pump hazelnut syrup
- Add java chips
- Whip cream blended in
- Coat the cup with caramel sauce
- Top with mocha drizzle
Starbucks Secret Menu Oreo
The Oreo Frappuccino, also known as the Cookies and Cream Frappuccino, is extremely popular and it is not a surprise considering how much people love Oreos. It is expected that they also love an Oreo Frappuccino. So, a recipe for an Oreo Frappuccino is:
- Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino
- Blended with white mocha sauce instead of regular mocha
- Top with your choice of chocolate or regular whipped cream
Starbucks Secret Menu Cotton Candy
The Cotton Candy Frappuccino is pink and does not contain caffeine, so it is better for those who consume and it is perfect for the kids. A recipe for the Grande size is simple:
- Vanilla Bean Frappuccino
- 1 1/2 pump Raspberry Syrup
Starbucks Secret Menu Captain Crunch
The Captain Crunch aka Cap’n Crunch Frappuccino is made for the fans of Captain Crunch out there, and the recipe for a Grande size is:
- Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino
- 1 pump caramel syrup
- 2 pump toffee syrup
- 1 hazelnut syrup
- Optional: Add java chips if you want some sweet crunch
