The Starbucks Frappuccino That Could Change Your Mind About Fruitcake

If there is one holiday tradition people love, it's Starbucks' seasonal holiday flavors. And, if there is one holiday tradition people feel, let's say, conflicted about, it's fruitcake. That dubious reputation is pretty unfair, as fruitcake's dessert pariah status is more the result of cheap imitations than what the real thing tastes like. Fruitcake is admittedly a bit of a hassle: It takes a lot of ingredients and needs to age to achieve its full potential. But when done right, it becomes a moist, boozy delight that makes you understand why Serious Eats says it has been a Christmas classic since the Middle Ages. The combined spices, nuts, fruit, and toffee flavor of this holiday favorite also makes total sense in the form of a newer favorite: the Starbucks Frappuccino.

Starbucks' winter holiday flavors, including Peppermint Mocha and Caramel Brulée, have become staples, with loyal customers eagerly grabbing them in their beloved holiday cups. Like McDonald's Shamrock Shake, Starbucks' holiday flavors are chain store creations that have transcended their origins to become symbols of the season. 

For some fans, the flavors are as integral to the holidays as Christmas cookies and candy canes. So, if you love Starbucks, and you love seasonal flavors, a Fruitcake Frappuccino will be right up your alley.

The Fruitcake Frappuccino you can order today is not an original item — it's a secret menu item (something you create yourself with a custom order). Once upon a time there was a true seasonal fruitcake drink at Starbucks, but it was one and done as a seasonal item, joining things like the Juniper Latte as holiday drink you will probably never see again. Eater reports that the drink was released in 2016 and was a hazelnut cream-flavored drink with dried fruit, cinnamon, caramel, and a dusting of matcha on top.

Thankfully for fruitcake lovers, Starbucks has a famously robust menu with tons of year-round options that make customizing drinks easy. If you want to create your own Fruitcake Frappuccino, Today says you start with a white mocha base, then add two pumps hazelnut and one pump raspberry. You'll also want to get it topped with strawberries and chestnut praline, with a bit more strawberry blended in. It may not be quite as "authentic," as the Starbucks version with actual dried fruit, but it will hit those fruity, nutty, caramelly flavors you want from fruitcake. And, given the mild reaction to the original, you might actually like the secret menu version better.