Some Experiments Were Better Left Behind
Starbucks has earned plenty of loyal customers by introducing seasonal drinks and unusual combinations, but this chain can also be surprisingly ruthless when it decides which menu item has occupied the board for too long. When you’re this big a deal and this popular with so many people, you’re bound to have a few hits and misses with the general public, and we’re here to break down which items should be brought back…and which should’ve never seen the light of day.
1. Oleato Drinks
The Oleato collection mixed Starbucks coffee with Partanna extra-virgin olive oil, leaving us with the Oleato Caffè Latte and Golden Foam Iced Shaken Espresso. As you can imagine, customers hated the oily texture, while others legitimately reported stomach discomfort after finishing their orders. Starbucks pulled the line from American and Canadian menus in 2024, less than a year after its nationwide launch.
2. Protein Blended Cold Brew
Health-conscious customers received a rather unpleasant surprise when Starbucks blended cold brew with plant-based protein, bananas, dates, and almond butter. Those 2018 almond and cacao versions were frequently criticized for tasting sour while carrying a gritty texture that wasn’t exactly easy to swallow. Long story short, this limited-time protein experiment was easy to retire.
3. Tie-Dye Frappuccino
If this thing sounds weird, it’s because it was. Oh, sure, the bright yellow swirls and colorful powders helped it dominate social media during its brief appearance in 2019. Unfortunately, it stopped there, especially after customers reported a strong artificial banana flavor. Baristas weren’t sorry to see it go either; creating the layered appearance required several powders and tons of cleanup.
4. Witch’s Brew Frappuccino
Hey, this is Starbucks, and that means celebrating Halloween. We got it in 2018 with a purple orange-cream Frappuccino containing green chia seeds described as “bat warts”. Well, those seeds formed large, slippery clumps that interrupted the otherwise creamy drink and occasionally clogged the straw. Customers hated it, and it quickly became a ghost.
5. Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino
The Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino arrived in 2021 with coffee, strawberry puree, funnel cake syrup, and powdered-sugar-coated crumbs. However, instead of bringing a delicious dessert flavor, the coffee and fruit competed with a crazy sweet syrup. Grainy cake pieces only made matters worse, leaving some to describe the drink as oily, sour, or just plain artificial.
6. Nitro Cold Brew With Salted Honey Cold Foam
Salted honey sounds good on paper. Then you have it and realize that the salt is strong enough to overpower both the honey and the coffee. Starbucks prepared this 2020 drink by topping Nitro Cold Brew with foam made from honey syrup and packets of salt. The result was an aggressively salty drink that quickly disappeared.
7. Juniper Latte
Holiday menus are usually the biggest things Starbucks has going for it, but the 2018 Juniper Latte let everyone down. It was just espresso, steamed milk, juniper syrup, and pine-citrus sugar. Customers across the board complained that it either tasted like cleaning products or a gin-inspired cocktail. One season proved sufficient for this item.
8. Mazagran
Long before bottled Frappuccinos became staples, Starbucks and Pepsi thought it wise to brew a lightly carbonated coffee drink called Mazagran. Don’t worry, it only came out in 1994, and even back then, many weren’t interested in purchasing a second bottle. Starbucks abandoned the product after its test run, though its coffee extract later helped inspire the more successful bottled frap.
9. Dark Barrel Latte
Only customers in parts of Ohio and Florida suffered through the Dark Barrel Latte in 2014. Its nonalcoholic recipe combined espresso with stout-flavored chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and dark caramel drizzle, which ended up with a distinctly beer-like coffee. Mixed reactions and competition kept the latte from ever reaching the permanent national menu, which is probably for the best.
10. Fruitcake Frappuccino
Few Starbucks recipes contained as many competing ingredients as the 2016 Fruitcake Frappuccino. We’re talking a hazelnut crème base mixed with dried fruit and cinnamon before being topped with whipped cream, caramel, and matcha powder. A fruitcake it was not, and a brief ending was all it got.
Now, that’s not to say that Starbucks never delivered. These 10 discontinued items still have devoted fans who’d happily order them again.
1. Valencia Orange Refresher
Bright citrus flavors made the Valencia Orange Refresher an easy choice for anyone who didn’t want another coffee. It was prepared with real fruit juice, green coffee extract, orange zest, cardamom, jasmine, and apricot—all before serving it over ice with an orange slice. Its 2015 removal was so devastating that it actually inspired petitions.
2. Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher
Starbucks will have you know that not every refreshing drink needs lemonade or coconut milk! The Very Berry Hibiscus proved exactly that, combining white grape juice, green coffee extract, fruity hibiscus flavor, and freeze-dried blackberries in one simple order. Years after it disappeared, customers still try to make copycat versions.
Fumikas Sagisavas on Wikimedia
3. Irish Cream Cold Brew
Remember what we said about Starbucks’ holiday menus? Well, nothing hit quite like Irish cream syrup. It flavored a cold brew, while sweet cream cold foam and cocoa powder left it with a smooth finish. Best of all, the flavors never turned into a frozen dessert.
4. Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
Among Starbucks’ former holiday drinks, the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha delivered one of the more indulgent combinations—and we miss it every season. It paired espresso with caramelized white chocolate and steamed milk before adding whipped cream, sugar sparkles, and crispy white pearls. Its return would be a true Christmas miracle.
5. Almond Croissant
The Almond Croissant provided a flaky pastry filled with sweet almond cream and finished with sliced almonds. How could we want anything else? We didn’t, and when Starbucks removed it in 2017, customer backlash was strong enough to start a petition! A successful one, too, that helped bring it back the following year.
6. Cookie Dough Cake Pop
We’re sorry, but few treats were as convenient as the Cookie Dough Cake Pop. A chocolate chip cookie dough center and chocolate coating? That beautiful pair offered a distinct alternative to the birthday cake and cookies-and-cream varieties that have occupied the display case. The flavor was reportedly removed around 2021, and customers have begged for its return ever since.
7. Bantam Bagels
Instead of handing customers a plain bagel and cream cheese, Starbucks once sold bite-sized bagels with the filling already inside. It was as glorious as you’re picturing, too. Choices included classic cream cheese, everything seasoning with vegetable cream cheese, and a French toast version containing maple cream cheese. Nearly 1,500 people supported a petition requesting their return, and we’re still waiting!
8. Spicy Chorizo, Monterey Jack & Egg Sandwich
Breakfast menus could use more bold options, and Starbucks knew it when they offered the Spicy Chorizo, Monterey Jack & Egg Sandwich. It came with layered chorizo, aged Monterey Jack, egg, and caramelized onions on stone-baked potato bread, giving us something way more exciting than another mild bacon sandwich.
9. Chicken Sausage & Bacon Biscuit
If you were lucky enough to order a Chicken Sausage & Bacon Biscuit, you got more than a basic breakfast. The cornmeal biscuit held chicken sausage, double-smoked bacon, country-style gravy, and spiced honey butter, providing a substantial meal that stood apart from simpler sandwiches. What do we have now? Egg bites? Those don’t compare.
Connor Scott McManus on Pexels
10. Kale & Mushroom Egg Bites
Speaking of egg bites, however, the best ones Starbucks ever had were the kale & mushroom versions from 2025. Chopped kale and portabella mushrooms were folded into eggs with Monterey Jack, and it was exactly what we needed in the morning. Its replacement with sausage egg bites upset just about everyone, especially vegetarians.
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