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The Best Starbucks Frappuccinos, Ranked by a Food Editor and Former Barista

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best starbucks frappuccinos: starbucks frappuccinos side by side
Taryn Pire

Starbucks recently launched its winter menu, which features drinks like the brown sugar oat milk cortado and a new-and-improved iced matcha latte. But that’s not why I recently visited the 3901 Walnut Street store in Philadelphia. Instead, I went to try every flavor of Frappuccino to determine once and for all which are worth buying—and which you should skip.

As a former Starbucks barista, I’ve had my fair share of the iconic blended ice drinks, but I admittedly hadn’t tasted most of them before. Read on for a food editor’s honest ranking of the best Starbucks Frappuccinos of all time.

(Note: Prices may vary by location. This list does not include seasonal Frappuccinos, but rather core Frappuccinos that are on the Starbucks menu year-round.)

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The Best Coffee-Based Frappuccinos, Ranked

9. Coffee Frappuccino

  • What It Is: coffee, milk and ice
  • Price (tall): $4.95

Frappuccino roast—which is the coffee blend that’s used in all coffee-based Frappuccino beverages—on its own tastes, um…kind of like dirt. Coffee does have a signature earthiness to it, but I really didn’t enjoy this one.

8. Java Chip Frappuccino

  • What It Is: coffee, mocha sauce, Frappuccino chips milk, ice, whipped cream and mocha drizzle
  • Price (tall): $5.25

Sorry guys, I don’t get the hype with this variety either. It’s very popular, much like the coffee-free riff (more on that later), but it’s just chocolatey to a fault IMO. You’d never know there was coffee in it, and the chips aren’t doing it for me in terms of flavor or texture.

7. Caramel Frappuccino

  • What It Is: coffee, caramel syrup, milk, ice, whipped cream and caramel sauce
  • Price (tall): $5.25

I’d argue that this is the most popular coffee-based Starbucks Frappuccino overall. That said, I don’t think it’s anything incredible. It’s definitely butterscotch-y with salty, candy-like, caramelly notes, but I found myself wishing I tasted the coffee more. The caramel drizzle on top though? Hits every time.

  • What It Is: coffee, mocha sauce, Frappuccino chips, whole milk, ice, whipped cream, chocolate cookie crumble and mocha drizzle
  • Price (tall): $5.75

The salty cookies go a long way in diversifying the flavor of each sip. It’s more balanced than the Java Chip, but still almost sickeningly chocolaty. Of course, if that’s what you’re into, you’ll probably enjoy this one more than I did.

5. Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino

  • What It Is: buttery caramel syrup, coffee, whole milk, ice, dark caramel sauce, whipped cream, caramel drizzle and crunchy caramel-sugar topping
  • Price (tall): $5.75

Hot take: This Starbucks Frappuccino is significantly tastier sans-joe. It also separated rather quickly; the top third is watery bits of ice and the bottom is very sweet coffee. Nevertheless, it made me realize I need a gargantuan shaker full of the topping to sprinkle directly into my mouth at home.

4. White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino

  • What It Is: coffee, white chocolate sauce, milk, ice and whipped cream
  • Price (tall): $5.25

I prefer the coffee-free version of this one as well. There’s a notably syrupy quality to its consistency. The combination of white chocolate syrup and coffee results in a sort of honey-like, brown sugar-y flavor that’s pleasant, but not enough to make it my top choice.

3. Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino

  • What It Is: coffee, vanilla bean powder, milk, ice and whipped cream
  • Price (tall): $5.25

I always assumed this one got vanilla syrup rather than vanilla bean powder, and I don’t ever recall having to make one. But if you ask me, folks are missing out. It has that same ice cream-like essence of the caffeine-free Vanilla Bean bev, but it’s a little more well-rounded because of the bitter coffee. That said, it’s giving coffee milkshake because of its significant sweetness, rather than sweetened coffee.

2. Mocha Frappuccino

  • What It Is: coffee, mocha sauce, milk, ice and whipped cream
  • Price (tall): $5.25

As HRH Ina Garten taught us, coffee emphasizes the flavor of chocolate in desserts—and Frappuccinos are no exception. This is easily my favorite use of mocha sauce on the menu. Yes, it basically tastes like chocolate milk. But there’s an undeniable complexity and a bold, strong chocolatey backbone to this one versus the coffee-free blended drinks that use mocha sauce.

1. Espresso Frappuccino

  • What It Is: coffee, espresso, milk and ice
  • Price (tall): $6.20

It melted noticeably faster than the coffee Frappuccino, since the espresso is hot when it’s added to the blender (Frappuccino roast is room temp), but it tastes much better. It’s like a blended latte; the espresso rounds out the sweetness of the Frappuccino base and the off-notes of the coffee base. Plus, it has more caffeine and fewer calories than the rest.

The Best Coffee-Free Frappuccinos, Ranked

8. Matcha Crème Frappuccino

  • What It Is: matcha green tea powder, Classic syrup, milk, ice and whipped cream
  • Price (tall): $5.25

I’m admittedly not a fan of matcha, but I like that it isn’t overly sweet. In fact, it’s quite earthy and bitter. However, I don’t like the near-chalky film that the powder leaves on my tongue after sipping, and it seems like the texture is inconsistent.

7. Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino

  • What It Is: mocha sauce, Frappuccino chips, milk, ice, whipped cream and mocha drizzle
  • Price (tall): $5.25

I must have made a zillion of these for the teenagers who frequented my Starbucks back in the day, but this is my first time actually tasting it. It’s giving thick, silky, diner chocolate milk. The chocolaty bits impart slight bitterness, but I don’t love them texturally (at least once the ice starts to melt). I’m also not a big fan of the mocha drizzle. Sorry, Gen Z!

  • What It Is: mocha sauce, Frappuccino chips, milk, ice, whipped cream, chocolate cookie crumble and mocha drizzle
  • Price (tall): $5.75

I prefer this one to the Double Chocolaty Chip, because it has a touch of Oreo-like saltiness to it…but this Starbucks Frappuccino still tastes like very sweet chocolate milk. The cookie crumble is the best part, if you ask me.

5. White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino

  • What It Is: white chocolate sauce, milk, ice and whipped cream
  • Price (tall): $5.25

It’s certainly tasty, but one-note. It reminds me of Frosted Flakes-infused cereal milk more than white chocolate, but if you’re in the mood for a sweet treat without the frills, this pick definitely fits the bill with its lush, rich qualities.

4. Strawberry Crème Frappuccino

  • What It Is: strawberry purée, Classic syrup, milk, ice and whipped cream
  • Price (tall): $5.25

I miss the strawberry smoothies of Starbucks’ days past. Without the banana, I feel like the strawberry purée falls a little flat (and that’s coming from someone who loves fruit). It does taste authentic though, and I like that you get pockets of extra-tart berries because of the extra splash of purée in the cup.

3. Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino

  • What It Is: vanilla bean powder, milk, ice and whipped cream
  • Price (tall): $4.95

This one was my absolute favorite as a kid, and it holds up. The vanilla bean specks offer fancy-ish flair to this sipper, and it’s sweet without being cloying. Think of this Frappuccino like a very, very light milkshake.

2. Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino

  • What It Is: buttery caramel syrup, whole milk, ice, dark caramel sauce, whipped cream, caramel drizzle and crunchy caramel-sugar topping
  • Price (tall): $5.75

It’s very buttery and sweet, like store-bought soft caramels. But the caramel sauce also offers a dose of salt that gives this drink a caramel corn-like edge. I also adore the slightly gritty (in a good way!) topping, which holds its crunch against the whipped cream for an impressively long time.

1. Chai Crème Frappuccino

  • What It Is: chai concentrate, milk, ice, whipped cream and cinnamon
  • Price (tall): $5.25

Why have I slept on this sipper for so long?! It’s just sweet enough, a lovely contrast to the warm spices that chai tea is known for. Of course, it’s still decidedly sweet, since all Frappuccinos are made with the binding, thick Frappuccino base, in addition to the chai pumps that are already sweetened. TLDR? No notes.



taryn pire

Food Editor

  • Spearheads PureWow's food vertical
  • Manages PureWow's recipe vertical and newsletter
  • Studied English and writing at Ithaca College