Our Least Favorite Starbucks Drink Topping Isn't Bad, It's Just Basic

One of the benefits of picking up coffee drinks at Starbucks is that any order can be customized. From milks to syrups to toppings, the drinks listed on menus can look much different from the version you sip. But a starting point is a good thing to have, so a Tasting Table reviewer set out to taste and rank Starbucks drink toppings so that your next coffee order can be more carefully selected. The lowest-ranked option? Cinnamon — but that doesn't mean it's a bad choice.

A pinch of cinnamon can transform coffee but it just doesn't jump out as the most exciting topping you can imagine. This may be because it's so familiar. Even Starbucks employees admit that adding cinnamon powder to shaken espressos and mocha drinks is a good option. But while powdery cinnamon brings earthy spiced flavor to a coffee drink, it doesn't do anything in terms of texture — some of the other crunchier toppings also add a delightful bite to drinks. Let's face it, garnishing a drink with cinnamon powder is an easy move you can do at home, so why not explore more dynamic options when a professional is putting a beverage recipe together for you?

With ingredients like cinnamon dolce, caramel crunch, mocha cookie crumble, cherry crunch, and salted brown butter, even a regular Starbucks order can be easily upgraded in a more novel way than just a sprinkling of cinnamon. For example, Starbucks' limited-time cinnamon caramel cream nitro cold brew, offered cold brew topped with cinnamon sweet cream cold foam dusted with a topping of cinnamon dolce. In addition to the cinnamon dolce topping, lovers of all things cinnamon may find delight in other ways to enjoy the flavor, like swirling cinnamon dolce syrup into a white chocolate mocha Frappuccino or using oat milk to make a creamier cinnamon dolce latte. 

When you're making drinks at home, Starbucks' cinnamon dolce flavored creamer can turn an average cup of Joe into a beverage of beauty. At the least, borrow inspiration from your local Starbucks baristas and start crowning your morning coffees with homemade honey whipped cream, dustings of cinnamon, and pinches of flaky sea salt for an instant upgrade to a standard coffee pour.