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

• What Is It: vanilla cake mixed with buttercream, dipped in white chocolatey icing and decorated with a snowman face design
• Price: $3.45

Full disclosure: I’m not a fan of Starbucks cake pops. But even staying as objective as I possibly can, this one’s at the bottom of my list. Like the others I’ve tried in the past, it was so sweet and pretty one-note in its cloying flavor. That said, the white chocolate-y icing did taste like actual white chocolate, and the pop itself was cute. (P.S.: It was the same price as the penguin cookie; the latter is hands-down a better deal.)

• What Is It: croissant dough wrapped around warm apple filling, topped with sugar
• Price: $3.95

Served warm, I imagined this Starbucks holiday pastry would be super comforting. While the dough was impeccably moist, pillowy and soft, there wasn’t much apple filling at all (and what was there was one-dimensionally sweet; it could’ve been a touch tarter, IMO). I also wished there was some flakiness or crunch to the pastry, or turbinado sugar on top.

• What Is It: toffee Bundt cake, topped with holly-and-berry-shaped sprinkles
• Price: $4.25

As a caramel lover, I was psyched for this frosting-free cake. Its brown sugar-y notes were on point, and I appreciated its no-frills nature. But this cake’s texture wasn’t my favorite. It was somehow dry and crumby in some spots and excessively moist (even syrupy) in others. Despite it not having the best feel, the cake was aesthetically appealing and dappled with cute sprinkles.

• What Is It: buttery shortbread penguin cookie with white chocolatey topping
• Price: $3.45

It was simple, festive and kid-friendly. I liked the cookie itself; it was tender, buttery, a touch salty and nostalgic (it reminds me of frosting cut-out sugar cookies with my mom and sister). But I didn’t think the icing added much besides generic sweetness and a cute design; it was a bit hard, too.

• What Is It: spiced pumpkin muffin, topped with cream cheese filling and spiced pepitas
• Price: $3.95

It was clear why this is an oldie but a goodie. The muffin was super moist and gently spiced, the perfect pairing for a warm pumpkin spice latte. I also loved the crunch and look of the pumpkin seeds. That said, the cream cheese filling wasn’t my favorite. It was borderline gelatinous, and it could’ve been a tad saltier or tangier.

• What Is It: flaky pastry filled with cream cheese filling and topped with spiced sugar plum spread
• Price: $4.25

I was probably most excited about this Starbucks holiday pastry. Texturally, the crunchy sugar made this treat. The cream cheese wasn’t as tangy as I’d hoped, but the contrast between the sweet fruit spread and rich filling was still apparent. Plus, the pastry offered more crispness than that of the apple croissant.

• What Is It: turkey sausage tossed in béchamel sauce, wrapped in crisp, flaky laminated pastry
• Price: $4.95

It wasn’t as filling as a breakfast sandwich, but I was grateful to have a savory, meaty number among all the sweet treats. The pastry had great herby flavor, and the filling was creamy and cozy. The turkey could’ve been more plentiful, but I loved that the flaky, buttery dough was soft on the inside and crisp on the outside.

• What Is It: blondie cake with dried cranberries, topped with cream cheese icing, orange zest and dried cranberries
• Price: $3.65

It was obvious why this is the most iconic Starbucks holiday pastry. It was undeniably balanced—tangy! salty! sweet! sour!—and there were many textures going on. Think an almost fudgy blondie base, silky frosting, dappled with winter citrus, and chewy, sweet-tart cranberries. Did I mention this one’s available by the tray?