2026 holiday drinks: What’s new at Starbucks, Dunkin’ and McDonald’s?
Starbucks, Dunkin’ and McDonald’s are rolling out their 2026 holiday menus during the first week of November. This year’s selections include cookie butter coffees, cranberry drinks, tiramisu-inspired lattes and returning favorites such as the Peppermint Mocha. Each chain has a different launch date, with McDonald’s first on Nov. 3.
I look forward to the holiday drink menus every year, especially when my calendar starts filling up with Christmas events, holidays at Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando festive fun, and holiday shopping. I wanted to see what each chain has planned this year and which drinks might be worth an extra stop.
2026 holiday drink launch dates
The three menus arrive on consecutive days, beginning Nov. 3.
| Restaurant | Launch date | Holiday menu highlights |
|---|---|---|
| McDonald’s | Nov. 3, 2026 | Cookie Butter coffees and Frosted Cranberry drinks |
| Dunkin’ | Nov. 4, 2026 | Cookie Butter and Toasted White Chocolate drinks |
| Starbucks | Nov. 5, 2026 | Tiramisu Velvet drinks, Apple Pomegranate Refresher and returning holiday favorites |
McDonald’s holiday drinks for 2026
Available starting Nov. 3, 2026
McDonald’s has five holiday drinks this year, divided between cranberry-flavored beverages and Cookie Butter coffees.
The cranberry drinks are a departure from the usual holiday coffee selections, with Sprite and Red Bull serving as their bases.
- Frosted Cranberry Splash: Sprite with cranberry-orange flavor, cold foam and sprinkles.
- Red Bull Frosted Cranberry Energizer: Red Bull with cranberry-orange flavor, cold foam and sprinkles. A Red Bull Zero version is also available.
- Cookie Butter Frappé: Blended coffee with cookie butter flavor, with whipped cream and cookie crumbles available as toppings.
- Cookie Butter Latte: Espresso and milk with cookie butter flavor.
- Cookie Butter Iced Coffee: Iced coffee flavored with cookie butter.
Courtesy of McDonald’s
For anyone who prefers coffee, the Cookie Butter flavor comes in three versions. The cranberry drinks offer something different, particularly for customers who don’t want another latte.
Dunkin’ holiday drinks for 2026
Available starting Nov. 4, 2026
Cookie Butter and Toasted White Chocolate are the two main flavors on Dunkin’s holiday menu. Both appear in several drinks, including options for customers who prefer matcha, chai or hot chocolate over coffee.
One familiar holiday flavor missing from Dunkin’s initial 2026 announcement is Peppermint Mocha, which returned in both 2024 and 2025. This year’s menu instead focuses on Cookie Butter and Toasted White Chocolate. Dunkin’ has indicated more seasonal announcements are coming.
Cookie Butter drinks
- Cookie Butter Cloud Latte: Espresso, milk and Cookie Butter Syrup topped with Cookie Butter Cold Foam and cookie butter crumbles.
- Cookie Butter Cloud Dunkalatte: Coffee milk, espresso and Cookie Butter Syrup, topped with Cookie Butter Cold Foam.
- Cookie Butter Hot Chocolate: Hot chocolate with Cookie Butter Syrup, whipped cream and cookie butter crumbles.
- Cookie Butter Matcha: Sweetened matcha green tea with whole milk and Cookie Butter Syrup.
- Iced Cookie Butter Oat Chai Latte: Chai with oatmilk and Cookie Butter Syrup.
- Spiced Cookie Iced Coffee: Iced coffee with oatmilk and Cookie Butter Syrup.
Courtesy of Dunkin’
Toasted White Chocolate drinks
- Toasted White Chocolate Cloud Latte: Espresso and whole milk with Toasted White Chocolate, topped with Sweet Cold Foam.
- Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte: Espresso, milk and Toasted White Chocolate, finished with whipped cream, caramel drizzle and cinnamon sugar.
- Almond White Chocolate Shakin’ Espresso: A double shot of espresso shaken with oat milk, toasted almond flavor and Toasted White Chocolate.
- Raspberry White Chocolate Matcha: Sweetened matcha with whole milk, raspberry flavor and Toasted White Chocolate swirl.
Courtesy of Dunkin’
Dunkin’ is also introducing a holiday character called the Donutcracker, which will appear on seasonal cups, doughnut boxes and Munchkins packaging beginning Nov. 4.
For a snack to go with one of the drinks, I’d pair the Cookie Butter Hot Chocolate with a box of Munchkins. That’s an easy option to share during a holiday outing, especially with kids along.
Dunkin’ Rewards members can earn triple points on beverage purchases Nov. 4-5, subject to the promotion’s terms.
Starbucks holiday drinks for 2026
Available starting Nov. 5, 2026
Starbucks is introducing Tiramisu Velvet drinks and an Apple Pomegranate Refresher this year. The holiday menu also brings back the Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte and several other familiar drinks.
New Starbucks holiday drinks
- Tiramisu Velvet Latte: Available hot or iced, with mascarpone cold foam and cocoa-coffee dusting.
- Tiramisu Velvet Cold Brew: Cold brew topped with mascarpone cold foam and cocoa-coffee dusting.
- Apple Pomegranate Refresher: An apple-flavored Refresher with popping pomegranate-flavored pearls.
- Snowy Apple: A coconut milk version of the Apple Pomegranate Refresher.
Returning Starbucks holiday drinks
- Peppermint Mocha
- Caramel Brulée Latte
- Sugar Cookie Latte
- Gingerbread Chai
The Cranberry Bliss Bar, Snowman Cookie and Sugar Plum Cheese Danish are returning to the bakery case.
For something savory, Starbucks is introducing a Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese and bringing back its Turkey & Stuffing Sandwich with an updated recipe.
A returning fan-favorite, the original Bearista Glass Cold Cup will return to select coffeehouses on Dec. 1. Learn more about Starbucks holiday merchandise here.
Can you get Starbucks holiday drinks at theme parks?
Starbucks locations inside Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Universal’s parks have traditionally served many of the chain’s popular seasonal drinks, including the Peppermint Mocha and gingerbread-flavored beverages.
These locations can be convenient when you’re spending the day at the parks and don’t want to leave for a coffee run. Not every drink on the national holiday menu is guaranteed to be available inside the parks, and individual locations may have different selections.
View our throwback video from when the Main Street Bakery reopened as a Starbucks location inside the Magic Kingdom.
Starbucks holiday drinks came before the Pumpkin Spice Latte
Here’s something I didn’t realize until recently: Starbucks had been selling holiday drinks for years before the Pumpkin Spice Latte was created.
The Eggnog Latte debuted in 1986, followed by the Peppermint Mocha in 2002. The Pumpkin Spice Latte didn’t arrive until 2003.
According to Starbucks, the success of its holiday beverages helped inspire the development of a seasonal drink for fall. The Pumpkin Spice Latte eventually became one of the chain’s best-known seasonal products, but the holiday drinks came first.
More holiday drinks arriving at coffee chains in 2026
Several other coffee chains have announced seasonal drinks for November.
- Dutch Bros — Nov. 1: Candy Cane Mocha, Hazelnut Truffle, Sprinkle Cookie and Merry Magic.
- 7 Brew — Nov. 1: Pecan Pie Breve, French Silk Mocha and Tiramisu Cold Brew.
- Scooter’s Coffee — Nov. 1: Candy Cane Chaos Mocha, Santa’s Cookie Latte and tropical drinks.
- Caribou Coffee — Nov. 2: Ho Ho Mint Mocha, Spicy Mocha, Cranberry and Cookie Butter.
- The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf — Nov. 4: Tiramisu lattes, Peppermint Matcha and Winter Dream Tea Latte.
A little holiday cheer to go
I always find it hard to resist grabbing a festive drink this time of year. Between holiday shopping, Christmas events and extra outings to the theme parks, there seem to be plenty of excuses to stop for a little seasonal treat.
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