December 15th is National Gingerbread Latte day, but if you’re one of those people (my hand is up) who feel that nothing smells or tastes or makes you feel like the holidays are here quite like a cup of this sweet spicy espresso beverage, you are out of luck finding it at Starbucks.
Red cup season came back to Starbucks on November 3, and there are so many holiday drinks to get your hands on. But even with the non-dairy Iced Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte along with five other returning seasonal drinks, you might be out of luck if you’ve been waiting for the return of a specific sip. So why is Starbucks being a Scrooge McDuck? Here’s the deal with the long-missing holiday drink at Starbucks.
Starbucks stores in the United States initially dealt with the holiday menu switch-up in 2019, the first year the chain’s Gingerbread Latte was left off the holiday menu. The 2020 holiday lineup was no different, and again in 2021, and now here we are in 2022 and there’s no Gingerbread Latte on the Starbucks holiday menu for customers… at least in the United States.
If you’ve forgotten what the Gingerbread Latte is all about, it’s an espresso-based drink made with steamed milk, gingerbread syrup, and topped with gingerbread-flavored whipped cream and wafer topping. It was available in Canada, Europe, and Asia in 2020, but customers in Canada lost their luck in 2021, as the Gingerbread Latte was axed there as well.
If you want a gingerbread fix in-store, there are plenty of ways to hack the Starbucks menu to score a sip similar to the Gingerbread Latte, like switching up your syrups or adding in some flavored sweet cream, as shown by Elite Daily. And while you won’t be able to ask for it by name, don’t be afraid to get creative when ordering your dupe.
If you need your gingerbread-flavored coffee to actually have gingerbread in it, you can also re-create the taste of the fan-favorite sip with Starbucks’ Gingerbread-Flavored Ground Coffee and K-Cups, which feature notes of freshly baked gingerbread, cinnamon, and clove packed in a delicious medium roast. There’s no gingerbread-flavored whipped cream or syrup like in the OG Gingerbread Latte, but it’s better than no gingerbread at all.
Or, why not try making your own home-made Gingerbread Latte at home? Here’s a recipe from Buratta and Bubbles to make your season bright! Are you Vegan? No problem! Here’s a Vegan Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte recipe from Healthy Home Cooking! Ho, Ho, Ho!
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