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Starbucks has launched new menu items for January 2025, all inspired by one viral flavour. Mirror writer Niamh Kirk decided to give them a try to see if they are worth adding to your next coffee run order
Starbucks has now jumped on the ever-growing pistachio trend with new menu items today.
Supermarket shelves are brimming with pistachio-flavoured foods and drinks right now, in part thanks to the viral ‘Dubai chocolate bar’ which broke the internet.
The hashtag #dubaichocolate has been used in 143.2k posts on TikTok, and millions of videos have been uploaded of people trying it, as well as recrating their own. And it doesn’t seem like the craze is slowing down any time soon.
Most viral food trends, like adding pickles to your Diet Coke or butter to your coffee, eventually die down. But that’s not the case here as even the biggest coffee chains are getting in on the pistachio hype.
Amongst the new launches are a Pistachio Velvet Latte and a Pistachio & White Chocolate Loaf Cake and I knew straight away I had to try it all.
It’s the first time the new lattes have been available in the UK after huge success in the US. An Iced Pistachio Oat Shaken Espresso did launch last summer in the UK for a limited time as part of the seasonal menu, but now the chain has gone all out with a expanded offering. Read on for everything you need to know about the new drinks and sweet treat.
Pistachio Velvet Latte
I love a flavoured latte, whether it’s a vanilla toffee nut, or even a pumpkin spice, so I was excited to see if this would join my growing list of favourite syrups.
At first glance, the driink didn’t really look too appealing, but that changed as soon as I took a sip. It was absolutely delicious – creamy and rich with a perfect amount of pistachio flavouring.
It has a buttery aftertaste thanks to the brown butter sugar topping and certainly lived up to its velvety name. If you’re a fan of the Starbucks toffee nut latte you’ll definitely love this. It’s pricey at £4.65, but it’s the perfect pick-me-up when it’s freezing outside.
Iced Pistachio Latte
This definitely looked a lot prettier than its warmer cousin, with the coffee and pistachio creating a fun layered effect. The iced version is made with oat milk, the defualt option for this drink.
The drink features Starbucks signature blonde espresso roast, combined with a white chocolate and pistachio-flavoured sauce and topped with a pistachio cold foam.
It’s tasty, but it’s not as good as the hot version. I found it a little too watery, perhaps from the ice, whereas the hot version was a lot richer. It still had the lovely creamy aftertaste, but there was only a subtle hint of pistachio, which let it down as I expected it to be as strong as the hot cup. Prices for the iced drink start from £4.70.
Pistachio & White Chocolate Loaf Cake
I rarely ever opt for a cake when I grab a coffee, so this was a real treat for me. The batter was seriously moist and it was certainly a generous slice, with a soft layer of icing topped and crushed pistachios and dried raspberries scattered on top. I can’t say I could taste the pistachio much, it was more of an almond or marzipan taste.
The lack of pistachio was disappointing – if I was doing a blind taste test, I definitely wouldn’t have guessed the flavour. It was delicious nonetheless, but be warned – it’s very, very sweet. Prices for the cake start at £2.75.
