As the Halloween season comes to an end this week, November is right around the corner! With the start of November comes the slow phasing out of Pumpkin Spice and Apple Crisps, and the long-awaited introduction of the fan-favorite Starbucks and Dunkin’ Holiday menus. The two coffee chains are historically known for competing with classic flavors, such as the highly popular Peppermint Mocha and White Chocolate. However, the brands try to incorporate new rotating flavors to keep customers interested (rest in peace Starbucks Gingerbread Latte). With the holiday menu previews for the 2023-2024 season surfacing online, I compared popular items to see which coffee shop is the chosen destination for the most flavorful holiday cheer this year.
Peppermint mocha vs. peppermint mocha
As I mentioned before, Peppermint Mocha has been a longtime staple for both Starbucks and Dunkin’ holiday menus. Coffee drinkers love (or hate) the drink for its candy cane sweetness, and non-coffee lovers are still in luck as peppermint mocha is also sold as a hot chocolate flavor at Starbucks. Dunkin’ lovers won’t have the hot chocolate option, unfortunately, but their version of Peppermint Mocha comes with the option of being either hot or iced! It seems that Dunkin’ is the more reliable option for iced drink fans, but Starbucks has more options for the no-caffeine friends.
TOASTED WHITE CHOCOLATE VS. TOASTED WHITE CHOCOLATE
On the other hand, Dunkin’ pulls ahead when it comes to white chocolate! Though I’m not entirely sure what difference the “toasted” makes for either brand (likely just a naming convention), the company pairs Peppermint Mocha with the Toasted White Chocolate Latte, coming in either hot or iced. Starbucks sells its own Toasted White Chocolate as a hot chocolate, alongside the non-caffeinated Peppermint Mocha hot chocolate. This flavor does not come as a latte, but they do offer a Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, which is a festive addition to their signature Mocha espresso flavor.
Cookie butter cold brew vs. sugar cookie almond milk latte
In 2022, Dunkin’ introduced the Cookie Butter Cold Brew accompanied by a Cookie Butter donut. As a fan favorite, the cold brew has returned for another year, but the donut has not (rest in peace, again). The Cookie Butter Cold Brew is made with brown sugar cookie syrup, cookie butter cold foam, and topped with cookie butter crumbles. I’ve never been a big cold brew fan, but the cookie butter cold foam tastes like what the holiday season feels like! However, once the cold foam is finished, the drink seems to get a bit bland depending on how much cold foam dissolves into the beverage. Dunkin’ has been known on social media to be hit-or-miss when it comes to the intricate measurements of ingredients affecting the taste of a drink, so the taste can vary each time. However, I find the cookie butter flavor to be one of Dunkin’s best ideas yet! On the other hand, Starbucks’ Sugar Cookie Almond Milk Latte has been a staple for the brand since 2021. The drink comes either hot or iced and is mixed with sugar cookie-flavored syrup (a mix of blonde espresso and almond milk). It’s hard to match the taste of a cookie without adding actual cookie pieces to the blend, but Starbucks does a pretty good job of recreating its sweetness and aftertaste. Sugar cookie fans beware, though, as you may be a bit disappointed.
sPICED COOKIE COFFEE & GINGERBREAD CHAI TEA LATTE
The supposed new flavors for the 2023 holiday menus are surprising, to say the least. Both companies have gotten creative with their drink flavors, with Starbucks releasing an Iced Gingerbread Oatmilk Chai Tea Latte and Dunkin creating a “Spiced” Cookie Coffee (hot or iced)! Despite Starbucks retiring the Gingerbread Latte in 2019 (rest in peace, again), the company has opted to take a new perspective on the flavor. Since the holiday menus are not quite ready to be officially been sold in stores, I can’t officially compare the two drinks to each other and share my personal preference. Casual chai tea or latte fans will obviously take preference in Starbucks, but a Spiced Cookie Coffee from Dunkin’ seems to take a twist on a classic sweet flavor. It is said to come with brown sugar cookie syrup, oat milk, and shots of vanilla flavoring, so only time will tell how “spiced” the drink actually is. I’ve never been a huge tea fan, so it looks like I’ll be taking Dunkin’s side when the drinks come out in stores.
the winner? both!
I always have and always will love a good variety of holiday beverages, especially since the season lasts through the last few months of the year and into the next. The beverage battle tends to be all about preference, and I have never seen anything wrong will dabbling in a bit of both Dunkin’ and Starbucks from time to time. Dunkin’ seems to consistently go above and beyond with their iced and cold drinks, especially with the Ice Spice Munchkins drink from early September. However, Starbucks tends to easily deliver when it comes to both variety and hot beverages to warm you up on the coldest winter days. Their drink diversity, including multiple hot chocolate flavors and creme versions of their popular coffees, accommodates both coffee lovers and haters.
Despite it all, Starbucks has always been my go-to for holiday favorites. However, I personally love the Cookie Butter Cold Brew from 2022, and you can’t go wrong with holiday-themed donuts. It seems that the “battle” for better coffee continues, but the competition allows for both companies to get creative with better flavors and new household favorites that will stay on the menus for seasons to come. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!