Starbucks is everyone's favorite "overpriced" coffee, and we can't help falling for it because it's so tasty and Instagrammable. We'll rarely drink hot beverages during the summer, but Starbucks menu has an alternative for that, too – a lot of them! From drinks not focusing on coffee to ice-cold brews, you'll find a lot of beverages on this list to try!
10. Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
If you'd prefer to save some money, here is the full recipe that is easy to follow!
Let's start with something smooth if cold brew can be smooth anyway. Vanilla is the ideal ingredient that makes everything sweet, and the good thing about it is that it gives a strong taste without adding too much of it. Starbucks doesn't have to try hard to make this beverage perfectly balanced, and it doesn't even have too many calories!
As described, vanilla cascades through the whole cup, and the sweet cream together with it makes the drink so Instagrammable. Not as much as the iconic frappucinos, but still enough to enjoy it. This is also one of the recommendations with the most caffeine, ideal for real iced coffee lovers!
9. Iced Chai Tea Latte
This is also very easy to prepare
It sounds like tea, but it's not that simple – Starbucks doesn't deal with plain combos. However, there is some black tea in this perfect blend, and also some milk and a lot of ice! Even its light color and the iced cup visually show how cold the drink is and how refreshing it works. It's a Starbucks summer drink everyone dreams of!
Moreover, you can count this latte as a beverage that doesn't necessarily focus on coffee. It's more an iced tea than a latte, and this version has less than 100 mg of caffeine. This one might not have vanilla, but it still contains loads of sugar and cinnamon, so prepare for a honey-sweet taste – in fact, it even has some honey!
8. Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino® Blended Beverage
It's close enough to the original
We'll come back to vanilla just for a while because that's what makes summer Starbucks drinks recipes amazing and sweet! It's a magic ingredient in this frappuccino as well, and you'll see more frappuccinos on the list later because we simply couldn't skip this mix of ice cream and a cold beverage topped with whipped cream.
If any of the frappuccinos taste like "happiness," this one is precisely described like that. It's brownish, and the amount of whipped cream on the top isn't even the sweetest part of the beverage. Of course, all frappuccinos have their unique texture, and it's a thing Starbucks owns entirely, so it's the leader among all the best Starbucks summer drinks!
7. Iced Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso
This beverage literally looks like summer!
Hands down, the best summer drinks at Starbucks definitely have chocolate as their base – chocolate is underrated on our list, but it finally gets its spotlight here. When you see how it looks at first, you'll think it tastes like cold brew, but it's nowhere close to that. This is way sweeter, and you'd never say it's espresso!
Since it is espresso, it has more than 250 mg of caffeine, so expect bitterness at the end. However, it's a perfect blend of a milkshake and coffee, and the best thing about it is that it doesn't lack chocolate. Nothing goes better with chocolate than almond milk, so it's safe to say they chose the best stuff here!
6. Starbucks Reserve® Iced Hazelnut Bianco Latte
It's a lighter version of this beverage, and there are some darker ones as well
We won't leave espresso for now since there is another recommendation here based on it, which might be even better. It belongs to the iconic Reserve edition, and this department offers a lot of summer Starbucks drinks to try. The best one is definitely the iced hazelnut bianco latte, and the title says it all – it highlights the best ingredients!
Out of all the recommendations, this one is arguably the lightest when it comes to color (obviously, it's named "bianco"), and it's freezingly cold as it looks. Some variants are also dark, like hazelnut, and the flavor is nutty and sweet, precisely thanks to this ingredient. After all, this is a latte, so it doesn't lack milk!
5. Chocolate Mint Crème Frappuccino® Blended Beverage
There are many creme frappuccinos at Starbucks, and they belong to the most beloved drinks
We're back to frappuccinos, and you'll never get rid of them on any list regarding Starbucks summer drinks. This time, it's packed with chocolate, and it's so white and rich with whipped cream on the top. It almost looks like Oreo, but Starbucks swears it has nothing to do with this cookie. It's just a cookie mint sprinkle!
Moreover, this frappuccino has enough chocolate right below the whipped cream, so feel free to mix it with the "Oreo" part to make the ideal blend. It has no caffeine or only a few mg, so it's a great choice if you'd prefer something like ice cream but bigger and even more refreshing!
4. Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino® Blended Beverage
The comments on this one are always amazing
If you liked the cookie mint sprinkle in the previous recommendation, this one is a perfect refreshment even more. It's ice-cold, but it obviously has even more chocolate than the previous one and has less caffeine than almost everything on the list. The amount of chocolate chips is double, so this is a way darker version!
Besides the chocolate chips that frappuccinos like this usually have, this one has mocha sauce and crème syrup. It's arguably the sweetest option on the list and far from a classic coffee. Hence, it has too many calories, so skip this one if you're on a strict diet. All of us deserve a cheat day to try this delight, though!
3. White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew
Which version do you prefer?
White chocolate might not be the healthiest option ever, but it deserves an honorable mention, to say the least. Starbucks also doesn't focus on white chocolate, but it's the main ingredient of their best cold brew. This cold brew is the finest blend, and the white color is a perfect top layer that slowly melts in the cup!
Besides the top made of white chocolate, this cold brew includes macadamia flavored syrup with macadamia nuts, which are relatively healthy, especially for your digestion! Moreover, if you didn't like our non-caffeine recommendations, you'll like that this cold brew has more than enough coffee!
2. Iced Caffè Mocha
This is a classic in all the best ways
You are probably surprised that we chose one of the most basic options for the runner-up of the list, but you know what they say – less is more. Simple is beautiful, and iced mocha is plain enough to prove it's true. The iced version isn't too strong like a classic hot mocha, but it's still good coffee and perfectly balanced!
After all, this isn't authentically the "summer drink Starbucks" beverage because it's literally in every café with a nice coffee list. Starbucks doesn't make it any better, but it's definitely one of the best offers on their list. They know all the fanciest ways to prepare mocha, so we're not surprised that their iced mocha slays!
1. Chocolate Java Mint Frappucino
It's way too good and deserves all the top spots!
When new summer Starbucks drinks were added in 2023, everything seemed to make sense. Summer drinks on their menu are the literal paradise. The iced beverage we had to highlight from the collection is this chocolate java mint frappuccino, which is one of the most beloved frappuccinos ever!
Of course, this one is also packed with chocolate chips, which every frappuccino has. Still, it also has white chocolate mint-flavored sauce. We finally got a frappuccino that has more than enough chocolate, yet it has a light color and makes an ideal blend for boiling hot days. Don't walk – run to try this and feel the magic!
Luckily, all those frappuccinos and cold brews are there to save the day whenever it's too hot and you need refreshment. Coffee doesn't have to be hot, and Starbucks knows how to attract customers during the hottest season even more than on winter days. With all those recommendations, we're sure you won't skip Starbucks during the hottest days of the year!
Do you prefer iced coffee or the hot version? What's your favorite summer drink? Let us know in the comments section!
Cover photo: TopTens.fun/Midjourney