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One easy way I make a Starbucks order feel less routine is by changing the topping now and then.
It takes almost no effort, and there are more than 35 options that can change sweetness or texture without changing the base drink.
I’m going through all of them here and pairing each one with the drinks I think they work best with.
From whipped cream to cookie crumble, a small topping can shift a drink in a way that is more noticeable than it sounds.
What toppings does Starbucks have in 2023?
1. Java Chips
Java Chips are a chocolate chip topping that makes the most sense on chocolate drinks. The first thing I notice is the crunch, especially in a Frappuccino.
I think Java chips go best with the Coffee Frappuccino as the flavor profiles are similar, but boosted with the chips!
On a hot chocolate, a little whipped cream helps the chips sit on top instead of sinking straight in too quickly.
2. Caramel Waffle Sauce
This is one of the seasonal Starbucks toppings that usually shows up in winter, so I tend to enjoy it while it’s available.
It has a cloying caramel/brown sugar flavor that is super intense!
With more of a rich caramel flavor than its regular counterpart, this spicy winter waffle sauce is perfect with most of the Christmas coffee drinks, such as the Toffee Nut Latte, or Gingerbread Hot Chocolate.
However, my personal favorite is the Iced White Mocha with caramel waffle sauce drizzled over the top!
3. Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder is a simple alternative to mocha sauce or syrup.
It’s what I use if I’m really trying to cut down my calories, while still enjoying the tasty chocolate twist.
I like it sprinkled over cold brew, where the bitterness and the cocoa seem to meet halfway.
It’s low-calorie, and adds a lot of flavor – however, it really goes well with just about any coffee drink.
4. Caramel Drizzle
Caramel drizzle is truly addictive, and when I worked at Starbucks, I had people ordering literally 5-10x the caramel drizzle at times.
It’s easy to overdo the sweet stuff here, too.
On hot or cold drinks, the texture stays silky, and it adds sweetness without changing the drink as much as a thicker sauce does.
I personally love it on any type of White Mocha or Oat Milk Latte!
5. Molasses Drizzle
Molasses drizzle wasn’t an obvious choice to me at first, but it won me over on a Gingerbread Latte.
It has that old-fashioned, spiced sweetness that sits nicely with drinks that already lean earthy or warm.
I love it on Pumpkin Spice Lattes, as it really seems to expand that spicy flavor profile while adding a bit of richness.
6. Chestnut Praline Crumbs
Chestnut Praline Crumbs are one of my favorite personal Starbucks toppings.
The spiced, sugary crumble also adds a certain type of texture that I really love, contrasting soft whipped cream or cold foam nicely.
I don’t reach for them with bold espresso drinks, but they work nicely with white chocolate and lighter flavor profiles.
For example, it goes wonderfully with a Brown Sugar Oat Latte!
7. Dark Chocolate Curls
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any hot drink that chocolate curls wouldn’t add to.
On Frappuccinos or whipped cream, they add a solid crunch. In hot drinks, they soften and turn into a syrupy layer that deepens the coffee flavor.
I love them on the Salted Caramel Mocha for a savory-sweet treat in a cup.
8. Cookie Crumble
Every time I get frozen yogurt or ice cream, my topping of choice is cookie crumble.
When I found out Starbucks had a cookie crumble topping, I had to stop myself from ordering it every time.
I think it works best on cold beverages like Frappuccinos, though I’ve tried it on iced Americanos with cold foam and it’s amazing.
9. Crunchy Caramel Sugar
The sweet crunch changes both the flavor and the texture of a drink pretty quickly.
The rich caramel taste adds more of a dessert-like feel, and goes wonderfully on cold coffee drinks.
For serious autumn vibes, I will order a Latte with cold foam, apple macchiato drizzle, and crunchy caramel sugar on top!
To me, it lands somewhere between cookie crumbs and a caramel apple latte.
10. Vanilla Powder
Vanilla powder does the same job as chocolate powder, just in a lighter-flavored way.
Sprinkle on your cappuccino or any other drink to add a slightly sweeter burst of flavor to an otherwise basic coffee.
If you want even more sweetness, try pairing vanilla powder with cane sugar.
11. Mocha Drizzle
Mocha drizzle is a great way to top off any chocolate-flavored Starbucks drink (even the white mocha) and pairs beautifully with whipped cream for an extra chocolatey taste.
It’s richer and a little bitter, closer to dark chocolate than to milk chocolate.
I love it drizzled on the sides of a Salted Caramel Latte!
It tastes like a caramel-chocolate brownie, and I just cannot get enough.
12. Toffee Nut Sugar
Toffee Nut Sugar is one of the winter toppings I look for first on the menu.
It’s not one that’s always available, nor is it available in every location.
However, it goes fantastically on any caramel drink, as well as the Toffee Nut Latte!
13. Red and Green Sprinkles
The red and green sprinkles also do a lot for the seasonal feel, even before I taste the drink.
While I think they’re best on Frappuccinos, they also add a bit of holiday cheer to any drink with whip or cold foam.
They don’t really have a distinct flavor, just a bit of straight sugar sweetness.
However, it’s a nice visual surprise every time I take my lid off to see the green-and-red party happening in my cup!
14. Sea Salt
Sea salt is one of the best coffee toppings I’ve tried, especially on sweeter drinks.
It may seem weird at first, and I wouldn’t order it without sweetness to round the saltiness out.
The salt sharpens rich flavors instead of covering them, which works nicely with mochas and caramel drinks.
I love it on a Caramel Pumpkin Macchiato or regular Caramel Macchiato.
15. Pumpkin Spice Powder
This is one of Starbucks’ biggest hitters. The topping of the famous pumpkin spice latte.
This pumpkin spice powder adds a proper fall note to your pumpkin spice latte and keeps the drink feeling seasonal.
Perfect with any drink using the pumpkin spice sauce, this is for the Pumpkin Spice Latte or Frappuccino.
16. Salted Brown Butter Cookies
These aren’t really cookies so much as something between crumbs and sugar granules.
I love these on cold drinks, as the crunchy coziness adds some dimension to the smoothness.
On hot drinks, they melt into a sweeter layer that feels a little more natural than some syrups and sauces.
I actually love the Salted Brown Sugar Cookie topping on a regular Cappuccino!
17. Holiday Sugar Sparkles and Crispy White Pearls
Holiday Sugar Sparkles and Crispy White Pearls are more about looks than flavor, at least to me.
They still add a bit of sweetness, and they do make a drink stand out in photos.
I love these on any hot drink, like a regular Latte, or on a Shaken Oat Milk Espresso with cold foam!
18. Cinnamon
Cinnamon powder used to be my default topping on coffee.
It keeps things simple, with spice and character but no extra sweetness.
When I’m doing keto, I always get cinnamon powder on my Americanos and cold brews to keep things from being boring.
19. Cinnamon Dolce
I still like cinnamon powder, but when I want something sweeter, I go for Cinnamon Dolce syrup instead.
It has a much more intense, concentrated cinnamon-sugar taste, that combines well with other flavors.
I enjoy it both as a drizzle on a cold drink like an Iced Vanilla Latte, or mixed into a hot Americano with Oat Milk.
20. Red Velvet Sugar
The red velvet topping gives a drink a different flavor, not just a sweet finish.
As one of the seasonal Starbucks toppings, this might not be available year-round, but it’s still a great choice to pair with whipped cream on either on a Hot Chocolate or Vanilla Bean Frappuccino.
21. Whipped Cream
I’m never really in the mood for too much whipped cream, so I use it more as a finishing layer than a main flavor.
A small dollop changes the texture and makes the drink feel a little fuller without taking over.
It’s sweet, soft, creamy, and like a little cloud of happiness.
I will occasionally order it on a White Chocolate Mocha, but it goes best on Hot Chocolates!
22. Spiced Apple Drizzle
This drizzle puts me in full autumn mode, even before I taste it.
Spiced Apple Drizzle is very much a fall topping, with ground nutmeg, apple puree, and other spices giving it a warm finish.
I actually LOVE this drizzle on top of a Chai Tea Latte.
The spices in the drizzle complement the spices in the Chai wonderfully, while adding a bit of sweetness.
23. Honey Drizzle
I didn’t think about adding honey to drinks until recently, but it works best for me in coffee drinks.
It tastes sweet without coming across as overly saccharine, which keeps the coffee underneath visible.
I’ll get in on top of a Caramel Macchiato with whip, drizzled on top for a kind of funnel cake taste!
However, it also goes amazingly with any tea on the menu!
24. Funnel Cake Sugar Sprinkles
Funnel cake is one of those toppings that leans straight into dessert territory.
The standard topping of the Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino, this brilliant addition to the menu consists of pieces of toasted funnel cake dusted with powdered sugar.
It’s fantastic on most Frappuccinos, but especially any toasted white mocha drinks!
25. Nutmeg Dust
Like cinnamon powder, nutmeg is an easy topping that adds flavor without much sweetness.
I actually love adding both together, for a kind of French Toast twist to my coffee drinks.
I enjoy nutmeg on top of my Chai drinks, though it also goes well with pumpkin spice and oat milk.
26. Cranberry Sugar Crystals
Cranberry is a classic Christmas flavor, and Starbucks does a nice job with the seasonal cranberry sugar crystals.
I do not think it works very well with regular mocha or other chocolate drinks, but it’s amazing with white mocha and nutty flavors.
27. Pumpkin Spice Sauce
This is the topping that normally goes on Starbucks’ famous pumpkin spice latte, but it also works well over other coffee drinks when I want a stronger fall finish.
I love it with whip, for a pumpkin pie feel.
I do find it a bit sweet, so I usually ask for half pumps.
28. Strawberry Drizzle
Strawberry drizzle stands out most on lighter drinks, where the fruit flavor doesn’t get buried.
It’s sweet, fruity, and visually fun without needing much else.
I love adding it to Vanilla Bean Frappuccinos, as well as White Mochas!
It makes them taste like strawberries-and-cream, and that’s one of my favorite desserts.
29. Caramel Brulee Sauce
With a slightly sweeter and smokier taste than regular caramel sauce, this makes a strong holiday topping.
Drizzle some caramel brulee sauce over any festive drinks like the toffee nut or gingerbread latte to add an extra kick of flavor.
30. Cascara Sugar
I had no idea what cascara sugar was the first time I tried it.
Starbucks blends cane sugar with brewed cascara to make a topping that can work with a lot of Starbucks drinks.
Cascara sugar has a flavor profile of chocolate and berries, jiving wonderfully with rich mocha drinks like the regular Mocha or Hot Chocolate.
31. Chunky Fudge
I’m not usually a fudge fan on its own, but the Chunky Fudge topping works surprisingly well on coffee.
The little fudge pieces that go brilliantly with almost any Frappuccino and iced mochas.
These aren’t always available, but during the winter they come back around!
32. Toasted Honey
The toasted honey topping reminds me a little of Honey Nut Cheerios.
What I like most is the mild honey flavor and soft almond-like nuttiness, which stays noticeable without taking over.
As it’s one of the milder flavors, I recommend it with vanilla lattes, Cappuccinos, and the like.
33. Caramel Brulee Bits
The Caramel Brûlée bits change the mouthfeel right away and bring a stronger caramel note than I expected.
They’re slightly crunchy, a bit sticky, and super delicious.
The Caramel Brûlée bits are like crushed caramel candy which I love on a Honey Almond Milk Flat White!
34. Crunchy Spiced Caramel Waffle
Waffles and coffee are two things I’m already very interested in, so putting them together in a topping makes sense to me.
The Crunchy Spiced Caramel Waffle tastes a ton like Stroopwaffles, which I became obsessed with a few years ago.
It’s the perfect melding of crunchy and soft, with honey, maple, rich flavors that I love on a regular Latte with whipped cream.
35. Cold Foam
Cold foam has become an essential for me.
It feels denser and sturdier than whipped cream, with a texture that sits somewhere between foam and a light topping.
The sweet cream cold foam tastes a bit more luxurious, and more “sophisticated” than whip, if that makes sense.
I’d probably order cold foam on almost everything if I didn’t keep an eye on it.
My favorite is getting it on an Iced Shaken Espresso, though!
Are toppings free at Starbucks?
No, toppings aren’t normally free at Starbucks unless they’re standard with the drink. They are a very reasonable price though, about $0.60.
The price can add up once you start stacking toppings, especially if you keep adding extras to the same drink.
I usually get better results by choosing one or two toppings that actually fit the drink and each other.
FAQs
Can I get more than one topping at Starbucks?
There’s a lot of room to mix toppings at Starbucks.
Can you get Starbucks toppings on any drink?
Starbucks’ approach is built around customization, so mixing and matching is part of the point.
Are there seasonal toppings at Starbucks?
Many of the toppings are seasonal, so it helps to keep an eye on what’s on offer.
Are there vegan toppings at Starbucks?
Plenty of Starbucks toppings, such as the chocolate and vanilla powders, are vegan. Ask your barista for more information if you’re unsure.
Are there dairy-free toppings at Starbucks?
Some toppings can work for dairy-free orders, and some locations also offer a soy whipped cream alternative.
Are there caffeinated toppings at Starbucks?
Most of these toppings are about flavor and texture rather than caffeine, so they still work well with decaf coffees or cream-based Frappuccinos.
Which Starbucks topping will you try next?
So there you have it. The next time you’re deciding what to order at Starbucks, this guide should make the topping side of things much easier.
If I want a sweeter drink, I’d pair caramel drizzle with chunky fudge. For something lighter, nutmeg dust and cinnamon keep the finish more restrained.
