9 Starbucks Drink And Bakery Treat Pairings You Need To Try

Walk into any Starbucks and you'll see the same sequence of events playing out: Bleary-eyed people excitedly place their drink orders — either something strong, dark, and potent or a sugar bomb — and then ask for a treat from the pastry case almost as an afterthought. But no matter what your go-to drink order is, be it a fruity Frappuccino or a strong cup of black drip, the right pastry gives the drink a little lift.

Pairing matters more than we give it credit for. A bright, citrusy Starbucks Refresher can bring out the tang in a fruity muffin, while a dark roast coffee can balance the sweetness of a rich, decadent treat. So instead of defaulting to our favorite cake pop flavor or go-to croissant, we should always be considering the drink that we'll be sipping alongside each bite if we want to turn a quick Starbucks stop into a truly memorable breakfast.

To put together this list, I stopped by my local Starbucks to explore a few of the best drink-and-pastry pairings that the chain has to offer. I sipped and munched my way through some of the most popular Starbucks drinks and delectable sweet treats to discover which pastries brought out the best in each drink, and vice versa. So let's dive into these delightfully dynamic duos one bite and one sip at a time — you might even discover your new Starbucks usual.

Cinnamon and coffee are a match made in cozy drink heaven. Sweet, earthy cinnamon is the ideal flavor for your drink if you don't want to drown out the naturally toasty, nutty notes in coffee. The ubiquitous spice accentuates everything that makes a humble cup of coffee the world's favorite way to wake up. But the Cinnamon Dolce Latte at Starbucks isn't a mere cup of coffee. It comes with sweetened whipped cream, a crunchy topping, and just the right amount of cinnamon dolce syrup. Unfortunately, the latte I ordered for this round-up of Starbucks pairings came sans whip and topping (I get it, it was a busy morning). But fortunately, this drink and pastry combo is my go-to at The Bucks, so I already knew what I was getting into.

The unique flavor that emerges by mixing cinnamon and creamy coffee is begging for a side of pumpkin. Distinctly earthy, sweet pumpkin is already a fan favorite flavor with coffee (I'm talking about a little something called the PSL, of course), and with the addition of cinnamon, this drink and pastry combo is like a pumpkin spice latte any time of the year. The pumpkin pepita loaf is moist, loaded with fall flavors, and lightly sweet, but the sugar in the drink makes up for it. Obviously, this pairing hits the hardest come autumn, but for those who can't wait until the Starbucks fall menu rolls around (guilty), then this pairing will certainly scratch your PSL itch no matter the season.

Strawberry is the most underrated Frappuccino flavor on the Starbucks menu — there, I said it. Sure, the Caramel Crunch Frappuccino always hits the spot, but this strawberry drink is like summer in a cup, especially when paired with an iced lemon loaf. Unlike other chains' strawberry drinks (looking at you, Dunkin'), the strawberry puree at Starbucks tastes like genuine fruit, not sticky, red corn syrup. The Frappuccino is blended with ice, milk, and fruity puree to create a drink that's more refreshing than a milkshake but more luxurious than a Refresher.

Berry flavors and citrus don't always work as a pair, but when they do, they really work. A Strawberry Crème Frappuccino paired with an iced lemon loaf has all the flavors of a fresh-brewed strawberry lemonade in a sweet, refreshing treat to beat the heat. The loaf doesn't hold back on the tangy lemon essence, so even if it's been a bit since your last bite, the lemon will still be lingering on your taste buds when you go in for a sip of your Frappuccino. If you can manage it, I recommend getting the loaf ahead of time and sticking it in the fridge for a while to chill it before pairing it with a Strawberry Crème Frappuccino. This makes the pair especially refreshing on a hot day and enhances the flavor of fresh, zesty lemon in every bite.

When it comes to chain coffee, I tend to lean in favor of Dunkin' for most drinks, but there's no denying that Starbucks cold brew surpasses Dunkin's. Cold brew is less bitter than a typical iced coffee, so it's the iced drink of choice for those looking for a smooth, caffeinated wake-up. With a touch of Starbucks' sweet cream, it gets a gentle, creamy lift with just the right amount of added sugar and milk.

Truth be told that most pastries in the Starbucks pastry case work well with a Sweet Cream Cold Brew. It's versatile enough that it pairs with chocolate, cinnamon, and even fruit flavors. However, there's something to be said for the magic that happens when cold brew meets cheese danish. The slightly tangy, mouth-coating richness of the cream cheese filling in this pastry gives some body to smooth, bold cold brew. The pastry isn't as sugary as, say, a brownie or cake pop, so the sugar in the sweet cream fills the void, while almost matching the flavor of the pastry's cream cheese filling. To up the richness factor on this pairing, opt for a velvety Nitro Sweet Cream Cold Brew instead.

A Blonde Vanilla Latte is the kind of drink that your favorite shy, soft-spoken coworker would always order. It's far less garish than most other drinks on the Starbucks menu, but that's kind of the point. It's made with Starbucks' blonde espresso: a lighter-roasted coffee for those who prefer their morning wake-up to be more of a gentle nudge than a slap in the face. Blonde espresso is a favorite with vanilla drinks, where the light coffee flavor complements the tried-and-true creamy syrup. It creates a universally-loved drink that's gently sweet and full of coffee's naturally citrusy, nutty notes — even those who like their coffee black can get behind that.

Flavor-wise, there isn't a whole lot going on in the Blonde Vanilla Latte. It's, well, pretty vanilla. That's why a blueberry treat is such a solid pairing for this mainstay Starbucks drink. The fruit in the blueberry streusel muffin is tart enough that the drink's intense vanilla taste doesn't drown it out. Instead, it gives it a soft foundation of creaminess, letting the blueberry shine against the espresso's natural flavors, which often include notes of blueberry, along with lemon and nuts. Blueberry makes the drink a bit more complex and less drab, while the luscious vanilla makes a blueberry streusel muffin extra decadent.

I'm sure I don't have to be the one to tell you that coffee and chocolate are an iconic pairing for a reason. Chocolate can coat the palate and let all the delicate nuances in a sip of coffee dance around your taste buds without masking them. It makes a bold drink just a touch sweeter and more playful, doubling up on the naturally present chocolate flavors that already exist in most cups of coffee. Dark roasts, in particular, have a smoky, chocolatey taste, while light roasts lean more bright and citrusy.

The dark roasts from Starbucks — whether it's the Sumatra, Italian roast, or Caffè Verona — all have a hint of smokiness in their aftertaste that adds body and nuance to a chocolate treat. The double chocolate brownie at Starbucks, with huge chunks of dark chocolate on dense, moist batter, is the ultimate indulgent treat. Paired with something sweet and creamy, it would just be too much. That's why a dark roast, black, is the way to go for this pairing. You'll notice the coffee's natural sweetness is made even more prominent by the dessert, while the chocolate flavor tastes even darker and more robust when infused with coffee's bitterness. If you wind up taking your duo home and have some kosher or sea salt to sprinkle on top of the brownie, you can enhance the flavor tenfold.

For those looking for an on-the-go breakfast to put a little pep in their step without all the frills of a complex drink and sugary pastry, there's the flat White and croissant duo. If you're out of the loop: A flat white is similar to a regular latte but with some seemingly inconsequential differences that seriously alter its flavor. It's made with shorter, richer shots — three in all — that are less bitter than the espresso used in a traditional latte. Then, it's topped with whole milk, steamed, and a thin layer of microfoam. This foam is more velvety in texture than the light and fluffy milk foam that sits on top of lattes or gives cappuccinos their heft. Even though you're free to add flavor shots to a flat white, doing so feels like sacrilege.

This pairing is a simple one, but that's what makes it so delicious. The flat white gets all its sweetness from the naturally sweet milk and coffee, while the rich shots give it a smoky backbone and a wild palate of various flavor notes to explore. The croissant, on the other hand, is delicate and buttery, and that's all it needs to be. The butteriness works wonders with the smooth, thick microfoam, softening the intensity of the espresso while highlighting its deeper notes — caramel, toasted nuts, even a little cocoa. Don't forget to opt for your croissant toasted with some added butter to level up the experience.

I'll admit it — this combo is largely about the aesthetic, although it works flavor-wise, too. To an outsider watching you walk away with this Starbucks order, head held high, they'd probably think you were just in a whimsical mood. But both the Pink Drink and the birthday cake pop have a lot going for them, and together, they're a force to reckon with.

Once a humble Starbucks secret menu drink that only true fans were aware of, the spotlight was eventually turned on the Pink Drink when it made its way to the legitimate menu. The drink is just a Strawberry Açaí Refresher mixed with coconut milk, but the sweet, fatty-yet-thin plant milk makes all the difference in the world. The result is a fruity, refreshing drink that's far less rich than a Frappuccino, but just as creamy, with a slight tropical twist.

Sure, this pairing was inspired by the fact that these two Starbucks items are the same exact color, but the matching colors also come with matching flavors. When creamy coconut milk mixes with strawberry, açaí, and passionfruit in the Pink Drink, it creates a dessert-like fruity taste that's hard to place, not unlike the flavor of birthday cake. The chunks of real fruit in the drink make the cake pop taste a little more tart and berry-like than it would on its own, without obscuring its iconically nostalgic flavor. So not only is this pairing photo-worthy — it's surprisingly balanced.

Brown sugar and apple are a flavor duo that dates back centuries. It's as American as, well, apple pie. Starbucks' Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso has been getting a lot of love ever since it hit the menu in the spring of 2021, and I'll be the last to say that it's undeserving of the praise. In fact, this drink might be my favorite on the menu, all thanks to its perfectly balanced nature. The brown sugar doesn't convolute the drink — instead, it adds a hint of warm molasses flavor to coffee, which seriously upgrades the coffee's taste. Oat milk makes it decadent while adding a toasty, earthy flavor that gives the brown sugar something to bounce off of.

Apple-brown sugar is the coffee flavor that would represent autumn in a just world. The flavor pair is represented in the Starbucks Apple Crisp Macchiato, but it isn't on the menu all year. However, you can recreate this taste of an old-fashioned Americana autumn by pairing an iced brown sugar shaken espresso with an apple croissant. The apple component inside the flaky croissant is riddled with brown sugar, so the flavors match plenty, but the drink can use the taste of fruit to give it some nuance. Take a full, deep sip of the coffee drink and then immediately follow it with a compote-heavy bite of the pastry — nostalgic memories of a fresh-baked, warm apple crisp will start flooding your mind.

This may be a controversial opinion, but I'm of the belief that there is actually such a thing as too much chocolate. A regular mocha plus a double chocolate brownie, for example, is a classic case of too much of a good thing. A white chocolate mocha and a chocolate croissant, however, deliver just the right amount of robust smoky-sweetness.

Starbucks' White Chocolate Mocha leans heavily on its vanilla essence over the coffee's signature bitterness, which is exactly what you want if you're trying not to drown out the coffee. However, the rich, fatty flavor of white chocolate is unmistakable, and it makes this drink a decadent treat that packs a potent punch of caffeine. Ask for it to be made with blonde espresso to give it a slightly tangy upgrade, making the pairing more complex overall.

Like the White Chocolate Mocha, Starbucks' chocolate croissant is sweet enough, but it's not overbearing. The chocolate inside is bold, dark, and plenty bitter, contrasting with the smooth, mellow chocolate in the drink. When enjoyed together, the result is harmonious — partly bitter and partly sweet and creamy, with the taste of espresso swooping in to balance everything out. The flavor combo is like that of high-quality milk chocolate infused with coffee's trademark fragrant, caramel-like notes.

To put together this list of standout drink and pastry pairings at the nation's leading chain coffeehouse, I started by selecting drinks that are popular go-to options at Starbucks. For each one, I picked a pastry that I either knew — through plenty of coffee and baked-good runs — to pair beautifully with the drink, or one that I suspected would complement it in a delicious, balanced way. I chose each duo based on how well the flavors played off one another; either they were similar and harmonious together, or they differed just enough with complementary profiles to create a unique tasting treat with layers of rich, earthy-sweet flavor.

I spent years working as a café barista, cook, and manager, crafting classic drinks and pastries from scratch, many of which closely resemble what's served at Starbucks today. That hands-on experience gave me plenty of time to experiment with flavor combos that work well together and make a breakfast (or midday pick-me-up) feel all the more special. These pairings are based on that real-world know-how, plus a healthy dose of curiosity, caffeine, and a raging sweet tooth.