I Tried Starbucks’ New “Banana Bread” Drink, and I Want This Cold Foam on Everything (Plus 3 More Drink Reviews!)

Your go-to morning coffee order is sacred. It’s what gets you out of bed and to your 8 a.m. class, which means you don’t switch up for just anything. Well, when I saw Starbucks’ four new drink offerings (two for Valentine’s Day and two new matchas), I had a feeling one of these sips might be a contender for becoming a guest star in my morning routine.

When Starbucks offered me a tasting of the new drinks, I had to give them all a try — and honestly, I was pleasantly surprised.

This seasonal drop hit stores on February 3, and it includes two Valentine’s Day-exclusive beverages: the White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cold Brew and the Strawberry Shortcake Frappuccino.

The Strawberry Shortcake Frappuccino is made with strawberry puree sauce, cinnamon dolce syrup, and vanilla syrup. It’s topped with whipped cream and caramel sugar topping. For more of a coffee-forward sip, the White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cold Brew has Starbucks Cold Brew and vanilla syrup, and is finished with White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cold Foam and a sprinkle of chocolate curls. 

There are two new matcha drinks that joined the permanent menu as of February 3: The new drinks include the Iced Banana Bread Matcha and the Iced Double Berry Matcha. 

The Iced Banana Bread Matcha is made with milk, matcha, and brown sugar syrup; it’s finished with a layer of “velvety banana cream cold foam” and caramel crunch on top. According to Starbucks, the Iced Double Berry Matcha is “layers of strawberry puree, matcha, and silky raspberry cream cold foam [that] come together over ice for a beverage with bold fruit flavor.” 

This drink gets 100 points for nostalgia. It’s sweet and nostalgic, and immediately reminded me of the strawberry Frappuccinos I used to order in middle school. The strawberry flavor really comes through — and if you know of those strawberry shortcake-flavored ice cream bars; it tasted just like one of those.  

This one is just right for a Valentine’s Day drop, and it’s a treat-yourself drink if there ever was one.

Would I order it again? Absolutely, especially when I’m craving something extra sweet. 

This was exactly what I hoped it would be and then some. The White Chocolate Strawberry Cream Cold Foam foam truly tastes like a chocolate-covered strawberry, especially with the added chocolate curls, and it balances perfectly with Starbucks’ slightly bitter cold brew base. I didn’t really get the note of white chocolate, but it wasn’t missed. 

As someone who swears by seasonal cold brews (RIP Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew season), this is officially my winter replacement while it’s here. 

Would I order it again? Without hesitation. A clear 10/10.

Between the two new matcha drinks, I preferred the banana bread version — but this one still impressed me. The berry puree adds a bright, fruity contrast to the matcha, and the drink overall is less sweet than I expected. My only note is that I wanted more raspberry flavor in the cold foam, because it was genuinely delicious.

Would I order it again? Maybe. This is a good option if you like matcha but don’t want something overly sweet!

The banana bread cold foam completely nails the flavor — warm, comforting, and scarily accurate to an actual slice of banana bread. The drink smells like classic matcha at first, with that earthy note, but the flavor is sweet and cozy. I’m not even a huge matcha fan, and this ended up being one of my favorite drinks on the entire menu. I never thought a banana bread-flavored drink would be worth trying, but this was incredible. 

Would I order it again? Yes. Easily one of the strongest items in the lineup!