What is the Starbucks secret menu and is it actually real?

Maddy Kinkead

If you’re on any social media, you’ll have heard of the Starbucks secret menu, but what actually is it? And how do you order from it?

Starbucks secret menu items are created all the time by people online, but that doesn’t mean your barista is aware of them.

Here, you’ll find out what the Starbucks secret menu is, how to order from it and what to expect from your barista.

You’ll also find some of the most popular Starbucks secret menu items in 2024.

What is the Starbucks secret menu?

Three blue swirled starbucks frappuccionos with cream on top
The crystal ball frappuccino secret menu item

If you’ve ever been to Starbucks, you’ll know that they focus on handcrafted beverages that are highly customizable. You can change your milk, add syrups, and even dictate how your coffee is brewed.

Because they have so many options, people online get creative and make up their own drink recipes and post them online as part of a ‘secret’ menu.

So essentially, the Starbucks secret menu is a list of customized drinks invented by people online and then made popular through social media.

Is the secret menu real?

The secret menu is not actually a real menu offered by Starbucks. This is because Starbucks baristas are not trained to expect customers to perform some secret signal that is code for an off-menu drink.

The drinks are real though, if you know how to go about getting them. Don’t approach your barista and ask for the ‘unicorn frappuccino’ or something else equally as vague, and expect them to know the recipe for that drink off by heart.

Instead, you’ll need to give them the instructions for how you’d like it made, based on the ‘secret menu’ item you desire.

How to order from the secret menu

If you want to try a new viral secret menu drink from Starbucks, make sure you have the recipe written down somewhere so you can show your barista in-store or enter it in the Starbucks app when you are customizing your drink.

You’ll usually be able to find the recipe in the video you are watching (a lot of them are posted by baristas themselves) or in the comments/thread underneath a post. If you don’t know the recipe, you could ask your barista if they know what is in the latest viral drink, but there is no guarantee of this.

A screenshot of a TikTok with a recipe for a Starbucks secret drink
Show a screenshot like this to your barista

If the Starbucks store that you are in has the ingredients for the drink that you’ve requested and your barista has some type of directions for making the drink, they will have no problem making it for you.

Just note that the drink will likely be on the pricier side as extra like syrups and shots are charged per item. If you regularly drink customized Starbucks drinks, you should download the Starbucks Rewards app and pay through that, as once you get 300 stars in a year, you’ll automatically become a gold member and get all extras in drinks for free. Every dollar spent earns you one star.

Now that you know how to order from the secret menu, why not give some of these popular drinks a try?

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About The Author

Maddy is a Fast Food Writer at Dexerto. She has an MA in English from QUB and has written for sites like The Tab and Relationship Surgery, among others. She's an expert in fast food chains, restaurants, recipes and all things food-related. Get in touch at madeline.kinkead@dexerto.com