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The Best Chocolate Drinks at Starbucks

There’s arguably no flavor more loved than chocolate. It goes with everything, from strawberries and pretzels to wine and cayenne peppers.

One pairing that has truly stood the test of time is chocolate and coffee. And as one of the largest and most popular coffee chains, it’s no surprise that Starbucks offers a variety of chocolate drinks.

If you’re a chocolate lover (and who isn’t?), you need to get acquainted with some of the best Starbucks drinks that feature everyone’s favorite sweet treat.

Where should you start? Begin with our list of the most popular chocolate drinks at Starbucks below, then get to sippin’!

18. Toasted White Hot Chocolate

Toasted white chocolate is one of Starbucks’ most popular recurring holiday flavors.

It’s caramelized, sophisticated, and oh-so-sweet.

Combine this flavor with steamed milk, and you’ve got the Toasted White Hot Chocolate drink.

This concoction is topped with whipped cream, sugar sprinkles, and crispy pearls.

If you have a major sweet tooth, this is the chocolate-inspired drink for you.

However, if you’re looking for a drink that packs a major chocolate punch, consider skipping this one.

While it’s creamy and delicious, the Toasted White Hot Chocolate doesn’t have the classic cocoa taste you’ve come to love in your Starbucks drinks.

You can order this drink in four sizes: short, tall, grande, or venti.

A grande Toasted White Hot Chocolate contains 430 calories, 57g sugar, and 16g fat.

17. Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

Refreshing, rich, and caramelized. If these descriptors sound tempting, then the Peppermint White Hot Chocolate is for you.

Made with white chocolate mocha sauce, peppermint-flavored syrup, and steamed milk, this drink is your classic hot chocolate elevated.

It is topped with whipped cream and bittersweet dark chocolate curls.

You can order this drink in four different Starbucks sizes: short, tall, grande, or venti.

A grande Peppermint White Hot Chocolate contains 520 calories, 74g sugar, and 19g fat.

16. Hot Chocolate

Sometimes, simpler is better. That’s certainly the case with Starbucks’ classic Hot Chocolate drink.

Made with steamed milk, vanilla syrup, and chocolate syrup, this drink doesn’t have all the frills that other Starbucks drinks do – and we’re okay with that!

The Hot Chocolate is nostalgic and comforting. It comes with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate.

It is an excellent option for kids, giving them their chocolate fix sans the caffeine that would come with a coffee-based drink.

You can order this drink in four sizes: short, tall, grande, or venti.

A grande Hot Chocolate contains 370 calories, 37g sugar, and 16g fat.

15. Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Thin Mints, Peppermint Patties, Andes Chocolate Mints – the combination of chocolate and mint is a tale as old as time.

Starbucks knows what the people want, which is why they offer the Peppermint Hot Chocolate drink.

This drink is made with mocha sauce, peppermint syrup, and steamed milk. It is topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls.

Each sip features bittersweet chocolate, refreshing peppermint, and creamy milk to mellow everything out.  

If you want to taste Christmas in a cup but are not a coffee fan, this should be your go-to drink at Starbucks.

Just like the other hot chocolates, this drink comes in four different sizes: short, tall, grande, or venti.

A grande Peppermint Hot Chocolate contains 440 calories, 56g sugar, and 16g fat.

14. Mocha Frappuccino

Whether you consider frappuccinos as coffee or milkshake, there’s no denying they are delicious drinks.

The Mocha Frap is made with coffee, milk, ice, and mocha sauce. All the ingredients are blended for a frosty, chocolatey treat.

If you love chocolate milkshakes but are craving a kick of caffeine, give the Mocha Frap a try on your next Starbucks run.

This drink can be ordered in three sizes: tall, grande, and venti.

A grande Mocha Frappuccino contains 370 calories, 51g sugar, and 15g fat.

13. White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino

The White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino is made with coffee, milk, ice, whipped cream, and white chocolate sauce.

If you’re a white chocolate lover, it goes without saying that this drink is for you.

The super-sweet white chocolate balances the bitter coffee to make a frappuccino that’ll satisfy your sugar cravings without giving you a sugar rush.

You can order this frap in one of three sizes: tall, grande, or venti.

A grande White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino contains 420 calories, 61g sugar, and 17g fat.

12. Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha

Another one of the best chocolate drinks at Starbucks is the Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha.

While it may be a mouthful to order, this drink is perfect for someone who wants a super-sweet holiday treat.

Baristas start with Starbucks’ signature espresso and add white chocolate sauce, peppermint syrup, and milk to your cup.

All that is served over ice and topped with whipped cream and dark chocolate curls.

The only downside to this drink is that the espresso and peppermint can sometimes cover up the white chocolate, so consider steering clear if you’re craving a strong chocolate flavor.

You can order this drink in a tall, grande, or venti cup.

A grande Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha contains 490 calories, 68g sugar, and 19g fat.

11. Iced White Chocolate Mocha

The Iced White Chocolate Mocha is a cold version of the classic white chocolate mocha.

It’s made with Starbucks’ signature espresso, white chocolate sauce, milk, and ice. It’s then topped with sweetened whipped cream.

The white chocolate mocha sauce is caramelized and nutty.

This drink doesn’t contain any milk or dark chocolate, so don’t expect too much of that classic chocolate flavor.

The drink comes in three sizes: tall, grande, and venti.

A grande Iced White Chocolate Mocha contains 420 calories, 48g sugar, and 20g fat.

10. Iced Caffè Mocha

Just like its non-iced counterpart, the Iced Caffè Mocha features bittersweet mocha sauce, rich espresso, milk, and whipped cream.

Adding ice to this classic drink makes it more refreshing, and one of the best Starbucks summer drinks on a hot day. 

It can be ordered in a tall, grande, or venti cup.

A grande Iced Caffè Mocha contains 350 calories, 30g sugar, and 17g fat.

9. Caffè Mocha

The Caffè Mocha starts with Starbucks’ signature full-bodied espresso. Then, bittersweet mocha and steamed milk are added with a dollop of whipped cream to finish it off.

This drink is much simpler than some of Starbucks’ newer creations, but it’s exactly what a coffee-chocolate combo lover wants.

Rich espresso and mocha create a deep bittersweet flavor, and the steamed milk mellows and brings a silky mouthfeel to each sip.

8. Toasted White Chocolate Mocha

With caramelized, nutty undertones and a sweet white chocolate base, this drink is as cozy as it gets.

The Toasted White Chocolate Mocha is made with white chocolate, steamed milk, Starbucks’ signature espresso, and whipped cream.

Each drink is lovingly topped with red sugar sparkles and crispy white pearls.

While it’s not the classic chocolate flavor you’ve come to love in Starbucks drinks, this mocha is perfect for lovers of white chocolate.

This drink comes in four sizes: short, tall, venti, and grande.

A grande Toasted White Chocolate Mocha contains 420 calories, 55g of sugar, and 15g of fat.

7. Iced Peppermint Mocha

This is one of the most popular Starbucks holiday drinks in the iced form!

Peppermint syrup brings a bright, fresh element to an otherwise rich espresso-based drink.

Milk and sweet mocha mellow out the strong espresso, while whipped cream and chocolate curls add a sweet festive touch to the drink.

This drink is perfect for lovers of a chocolate-mint-coffee combo, as it heavily features all three flavors.

It’s available in three sizes: tall, grande, and venti.

A grande Iced Peppermint Mocha contains 420 calories, 49g of sugar, and 17g of fat.

6. Java Chip Frappuccino

One of Starbucks’ most iconic drinks is the Java Chip Frappuccino.

This is considered one of the best Starbucks chocolate drinks because of the sheer amount of chocolate it features.

With mocha sauce, mocha drizzle, and chocolate frap chips, you’re bound to get a punch of chocolate with each sip.

This frap can be ordered in three different sizes: tall, grande, or venti.

A grande Java Chip Frappuccino contains 440 calories, 59g sugar, and 19g fat.

5. Starbucks Reserve Iced Dark Chocolate Mocha

The next Starbucks chocolate drink on our list isn’t available at all locations, but I recommend getting your hands on it ASAP if you’re lucky enough to live near a Starbucks that carries it.

The Iced Dark Chocolate Mocha is for dark chocolate lovers – it’s bitter, rich, and complex.

The drink is made with Starbucks Reserve espresso and is combined with cocoa and ground chocolate.

It’s then topped with cold milk and served over nice.

If you truly love chocolate and want to taste it in your drink, this is the way to go.

This drink can be ordered as a tall, grande, or venti.

A grande Iced Dark Chocolate Mocha contains 260 calories, 28g sugar, and 10g fat.

4. Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso

If you love chocolate and malt candies like Whoppers, I recommend giving the Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso a try.

This drink contains espresso, cocoa, malt, and almond milk.

These ingredients are all shaken together to make a drink equally balanced in sweetness, richness, bitterness, and toastiness.

You can order it in tall, grande, or venti sizes.

A grande Chocolate Almond Milk Shaken Espresso contains 110 calories, 16g sugar, and 3g fat.

3. Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino

If you’re looking for a drink that has more chocolate than coffee, look no further!

The Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino is made with coffee, mocha sauce, Frappuccino chips, milk, ice, whipped cream, and plenty of chocolate cookies.

This frap is on the very-sweet side, but the coffee and mocha sauce have a slight bitterness to them that keeps the drink from getting too sweet.

The cookies and chocolate chips stay crunchy as you drink it, adding extra bursts of chocolate as you sip.

You can order this drink in tall, grande, or venti sizes.

A grande Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino contains 480 calories, 55g sugar, and 24g fat.

2. Peppermint Mocha

The Peppermint Mocha is the most beloved of all Starbucks holiday drinks and perhaps one of their most beloved drinks of all time.

Plenty of mint-flavored products can lean more towards a toothpaste flavor, but not the Peppermint Mocha.

Its combination of bittersweet chocolate and cool peppermint makes for a rich yet refreshing drink.

This drink combines Starbucks’ signature Espresso Roast, steamed milk, rich mocha sauce, and peppermint syrup.

It is then topped with whipped cream and curls of dark chocolate.

This drink is the holiday season in a cup, which is why we’re ranking it as the second-best Starbucks chocolate drink.

The drink can be ordered in four different sizes: short, tall, grande, or venti.

A grande Peppermint Mocha contains 440 calories, 54g of sugar, and 16g of fat.

1. Chocolate Cream Cold Brew

So what is the best chocolate drink at Starbucks? It is the Chocolate Cream Cold Brew!

It may be a newcomer, but this drink is already making waves with chocolate lovers everywhere.

Baristas start with Starbucks’ Cold Brew to make the drink, which already has mellow chocolate undertones.

Vanilla syrup balances out any sour notes that tend to come with cold brew.

It is then topped with a generous layer of chocolate cream cold foam.

The cold foam has a subtle cocoa flavor and doesn’t have the artificial, overly sugary taste that sometimes comes with chocolate milk or chocolate syrup.

Instead, it melts into your cold brew, making each sip silky and subtly sweet.

The chocolate undertones throughout give the drink a sophisticated, deeper flavor than you get with any other drink at Starbucks.

The drink comes in four sizes: tall, grande, venti, and trenta.

A grande Chocolate Cream Cold Brew contains 250 calories, 28g sugar, and 14g fat.

Conclusion

With a combination of coffee and chocolate, it’s pretty much impossible to go wrong. Starbucks knows this, and that’s why they offer a variety of chocolate drinks on the menu.

When you order a chocolate drink at Starbucks, you can customize it just like their other drinks.

Ask for extra mocha sauce, java chips, chocolate malt powder, or chocolate cookie topping to satisfy any and all of your cravings!

So the next time you’re in the mood for a Starbucks chocolate drink, use our list to find your new favorite – Happy sipping!

For more information about Starbucks, check out the articles below.

About the Author

Samantha Jenkins is a food writer and digital marketing manager with a passion for storytelling, perusing grocery store aisles, reading menus, and eating really good food.

In her free time, she enjoys baking, performing in musicals, and cohosting the East Coast Haunts podcast.

December 19, 2022