Review: Starbucks' New Halloween Frappuccino And Cookie Are The Perfect Treats For Spooky Season

Most of us drink coffee all year, but we don't really savor it until spooky season arrives. A flavored, caffeinated drink hits differently when the weather cools down and it's a little harder to get out of bed in the morning. Plus, the flavors of fall are a force to be reckoned with. Sure, there's the illustrious pumpkin spice latte in its many variations and all the maple-infused brews and cinnamon-dusted macchiatos you could dream of — but lately, it seems like our tastes have been getting a little more out-there come autumn, don't you think?

Look, we can't drink only PSLs forever, and I think it's safe to say Starbucks agrees. America's favorite coffee chain just unveiled two brand-new (non-pumpkin) October offerings — the Black Cat Frappuccino and the Venti Black Night Cookie — and I got a taste of both on launch day. This is among the most anticipated chain restaurant Halloween drops of the year, so I had my sights set high. Let's see if Starbucks can make us sip an ice-laden drink when we're already chilled to the bone (from cold weather and spooks, of course) or if this kitty doesn't have what it takes to unseat pumpkin this fall.

To taste and review the Black Cat Frappuccino and the Venti Black Night Cookie, I ordered both in-store and tried them fresh. I ordered the drink as-is, so no non-dairy milk substitute (although Starbucks doesn't charge extra for such a swap) or Frappuccino customizations. I got it in the one size available for this seasonal drink: grande. I also tried the new cookie while it was hot and fresh before finally taking a bite and a sip together to see how the two Halloween items, intended to be consumed jointly, worked in tandem.

Instead of judging the items based on my personal preferences, I aimed to be as objective as possible. I evaluated their flavor, complexities, and perceived quality to determine if they're worth a stop at Starbucks this October. Most importantly, I wanted to see if these new items were really giving the spooky, nostalgic feeling that we've all come to associate with Halloween — a tall order for two sweet treats with no pumpkin, maple, or cinnamon to speak of.

There's one thing I have to get off my chest before I can dive into the Venti Black Night Cookie's flavor: This thing is an absolute behemoth, and a beautiful one at that. To call it a cookie is to call the Sistine Chapel ceiling a doodle. I looked for it in the pastry case with all the other Starbucks bakery items, but I was surprised to see that it wasn't in there. Once I pulled the cookie out of the little paper bag, I realized why Starbucks kept it hidden away — it would have mogged all the other treats, easily.

The Venti Black Night Cookie comes toasty warm and just the teensiest bit melty. It has a slightly crispy exterior that gives way to a chewy, brownie-like middle. There's a little bit of every texture going on — cakey, dense, buttery, crunchy — but somehow they all meld together in perfect dessert harmony. Little chunks of caramel fudge and, get this, caramelized white chocolate (who knew that was a thing?) dot the cookie modestly. The candy pieces never make it feel overly rich or sugary. The little bright and salty pops of gooey caramel bounce off the robust dark chocolate cookie dough, and the white chocolate gives everything a bit of a buttery, creamy backbone.

Once the temperature dips below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, I'm a hot-drink devotee. So I was a little disappointed to see that Starbucks' October offering was the coldest type of drink it offers: a Frappuccino, which consists of blended ice, milk, and syrup. But after my sip, my reservations melted away.

This might be a non-coffee Starbucks drink, and an icy-cold one at that, but I think that adds to the spooky vibe, especially considering its wildly unique flavor. I expected a somewhat flat, one-dimensional chocolate taste — and it's anything but. It combines chocolate with Starbucks' acclaimed Creme Frappuccino, the cocoa taste coming in a close second to the dominant buttery cream. Then, it's finished off with an adorable piece of chocolate in the shape of cat ears. (I think it looks more like a bow tie, but who am I to judge?)

But there's so, so much more going on here than just cocoa, cream, and a cute piece of candy. I detected sweet and bitter hints of licorice, a tinge of salty zest, and bold, slightly smokey notes of genuine dark chocolate. Imagine a cold, blended version of a fresh-baked brownie. Or, better yet, imagine an Oreo, but one crafted at an artisanal bakery. This is a grown-up drink, without a doubt. Even the chocolate cat ears on top tasted like bona fide, bougie dark chocolate.

The Black Cat Frappuccino impressed me the most, but that's not to say the cookie felt like an afterthought. More often than not, ultra-sugary chain coffee shop drinks aren't dishing out multifaceted complexities, but this drink had layer upon layer of distinct flavors going on — most notably that nostalgic, grown-up-tasting licorice essence that I detected. I enjoyed the bold taste of a pure-Frap sip; once I mixed in the whip on top, the flavor became a little muted. Still, the fluffy texture boost from the whipped cream and the milder flavor was hard not to finish off in one long, drawn-out sip.

But the best part? Dipping a hunk of cookie into the whip-and-Frap blend. The flavors of each treat are practically twins, but they're different enough that they create a complex and delicious taste when combined. The caramel and white chocolate chunks in the cookie add a lot of the nuance, while the dark chocolate cookie base and Frappuccino flavors feel indistinguishable.

Was this treat pairing screaming Halloween? Surprisingly, yes. Maybe the chilly Pennsylvania day and the scent of crunchy leaves floating on the breeze convoluted my opinion a bit. But ultimately, this is as close to autumn-coded as a chocolate treat can get, especially one that's clearly modeled after real bakery treats and artisanal chocolate and not the cheap, corn syrupy milk chocolate we've come to associate the holiday with.

I picked up the Black Cat Frappuccino at my local Starbucks just outside Scranton, Pennsylvania, for $6.75 before tax. This price is for the grande size, which is the only option for the drink. The Venti Black Night Cookie cost me $5.25 before tax; this might seem a little steep, but for what easily amounts to a two-person treat, it's comparable to (if not cheaper than) Starbucks' other pastries. These prices represent those of a rural location, so you can expect to pay a bit more at a major-city Starbucks.

The Black Cat Frappuccino and Venti Black Night Cookie are available starting on October 22, 2026. Starbucks alleges that they'll be available through Halloween, but depending on their popularity, I wonder if they'll be gone sooner than that. A barista at the location I visited claimed opinions were divided for the Black Cat Frap among staff, so maybe that will reflect the opinions of Starbucks customers in general and it won't necessarily fly off the shelves.

I was able to track down nutrition info for just the Black Cat Frappuccino. One grande drink contains 18 grams of fat (11 grams of which are saturated fat), 630 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of carbs (of which 60 grams are sugar), and 7 grams of protein. One drink clocks in at 430 calories.