I Just Tried My First Starbucks Latte Ever. This Is the Iced Pecan Sticky Bun Drink That’s Totally Converted Me

Even though my standard Starbucks order is a Refresher, I’ve always associated Starbucks with all things fall — from pumpkin spice to the cozy seasonal drinks that pop up every year. I’ve only recently started drinking lattes (and I had literally never ordered one from Starbucks!), so when I discovered the new Iced Pecan Sticky Bun Latte on the Starbucks app, I figured a drink inspired by a sweet pastry was a promising place to start. I love a good sticky bun, and the pecan, cinnamon, and coffee combo sounded like a little fall treat in a cup. Naturally, I had to see if it lived up to the name.

Starbucks’ Iced Pecan Sticky Bun Latte is a secret menu-esque seasonal coffee drink that was “inspired from social” and is a twist on the chain’s seasonal Iced Pecan Crunch Latte, according to the drink’s menu listing. It’s not clear when the drink launched, but my editor got a Starbucks app push notification about it on October 13. According to the menu listing, it starts with an Iced Pecan Crunch Latte, and it adds a caramel drizzle to the empty cold cup, swaps in Brown Sugar Cream Cold Foam in place of Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam, and finally is topped with cinnamon dolce sprinkles (in addition to the pecan crunch topping on the original latte).

The idea is to capture the sweet, nutty, cinnamon-spiced flavor of a sticky bun in an iced latte, which caught my attention as someone who loves fall flavors. You can order the Iced Pecan Sticky Bun Latte in the Starbucks app or try asking for it at the counter, which is how I ordered mine. I paid $7.75 for a Grande Iced Pecan Sticky Bun Latte (the only size it comes in) at a Starbucks in New York City.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t totally sure what to expect from my first Starbucks latte, especially since I’m still getting used to coffee. I went in with a pretty blank slate, but I was immediately sold after one sip. The drink somehow actually tastes like a sticky bun, with sweet, buttery pecan flavor and plenty of warm cinnamon. The espresso flavor was still there, but it didn’t taste bitter or overwhelm the other flavors, which I really appreciated as someone who’s still learning to love coffee. I like that it’s on the sweeter side, and it felt more like sipping dessert than drinking a traditional coffee.

My favorite part was definitely the brown sugar cold foam. It added a creamy, velvety layer that made each sip feel extra special, and the cinnamon from the sprinkle topping brought everything together with an unmistakable bakery flavor. I loved how the sweetness, nuttiness, and spice worked together, making the drink taste cozy and comforting even though it was served over ice.

Overall, this drink was such a pleasant surprise. I went in curious, and I came out wondering if I’d been sleeping on Starbucks lattes this whole time. With its sticky bun-inspired flavor, cinnamon, and dreamy cold foam, I genuinely loved it. It might be a little too sweet for anyone who prefers a more traditional, espresso-forward latte, but if you love dessert drinks and all things fall, this one is absolutely worth trying.