12 Discontinued Starbucks Drink Syrups We Sorely Miss

When famed coffee chain Starbucks opened its first humble abode in Seattle, Washington in 1971, we imagine the founders could never have predicted its inevitable domination of the global coffee landscape. With over 38,000 stores open worldwide as of 2024, it's safe to say that Starbucks has played no small role in shaping the modern coffee scene. As they say, great power comes with great responsibility, so it makes sense that Starbucks has led the pack in terms of innovating new coffee concoctions for customers to enjoy.

All of this creativity has resulted in countless syrups and flavorings being released by the company, even if for a short time. Some nostalgic favorites, such as Starbucks' almond syrup, are nearly forgotten after being discontinued over a decade ago. The more recent loss of other fan favorites, such as the ever-popular raspberry syrup, still feels as painful as an open wound. Unlike some of the worst limited-time Starbucks drinks, the revocation of these distinguished syrups has left us simply heartbroken. 

Whether you're excited to try every new release or you have some favorites that you wish would stick around forever, we're willing to bet there's at least one discontinued Starbucks flavor you sorely miss. Keep reading to see if your long-lost love made our roundup of Starbucks syrups flavors we wish we could taste again.

If you were around during the era of Starbucks' raspberry syrup, we've no doubt you had a favorite concoction to order with the surprisingly versatile sweetener. Maybe you'd make a late-afternoon Starbucks run to grab a strawberry açaí lemonade with raspberry syrup, or perhaps your morning pick-me-up was a white mocha spiked with a couple pumps of raspberry. Customers added Starbucks' raspberry syrup to everything from iced chai tea lattes to mocha Frappuccinos, making it such a popular selection that it's hard to imagine the chain ever giving it up — yet give it up it did.

When Starbucks discontinued its raspberry syrup in 2023, customers were in an uproar, with some TikTok creators even going so far as to buy a bottle of the beloved syrup before it went out of stock. In a statement to Today.com, a spokesperson explained in part that Starbucks was discontinuing the syrup to "make room for new innovations, like developing new syrup flavors." 

But instead of being excited for possible new fruity releases, several customers were mourning the loss of one of their drink staples. Honestly, we don't blame them — the raspberry syrup held a nice balance of sweet and tang that left us wanting to add a pump of it to almost any drink, and we're still holding out hope that the chain will bring back the beloved syrup at some point in the future.

Customers who frequented Starbucks in the mid-2010s may remember the now-discontinued sangria syrup. The syrup was popularly used in a collaborative drink between Starbucks and Teavana — the Teavana shaken berry sangria herbal tea. And though the pretty average shaken tea concoction is pretty much forgotten, sangria syrup lingers in our memories as a welcome addition to other drinks. Some fans of the syrup enjoyed ordering an orange mango smoothie with sangria and peach syrups, and others even found that adding sangria syrup to a vanilla bean Frappuccino gave it a flavor reminiscent of cotton candy.

While we must acknowledge that some customers weren't the biggest fans of the syrup, finding the "sangria" title to be a bit misleading, it seems that the syrup shone when put in the right drinks. This alone makes us wish Starbucks would add sangria syrup back on the menu, as we'd love the opportunity to try it combined with a plethora of other flavors. We've found no hints of the chain bringing back this discontinued syrup anytime soon, but if it does, you can bet we'll be the first in line to try it.

We aren't sure why Starbucks seems to be a fan of discontinuing fruit-flavored syrups, as they make a great addition to any Refresher and even some iced latte flavors. We're disappointed that a fair few selections on this list are fruit-flavored — and unfortunately, one of our long-lost syrup loves joins the rank of flavors we wish the brand would reinstate: mango syrup.

If you count the day Starbucks discontinued its mango syrup in 2017 as a national tragedy, you're not alone. There was a Change.org petition to bring it back by the following year. And you may even have found yourself scouring the web for bottles of the discontinued syrup years after it left the market. If you happen to find one, like one Reddit user, we'd advise against drinking it — by this point, it's almost certainly gone bad. However, we're happy to say that your dreams of recreating Starbucks' discontinued mango black tea aren't for naught, as you can make a pretty spot-on dupe at home.

One of the oldest discontinued syrups on this list, Starbucks' long-forgotten almond syrup is still being mourned by customers who have been loyal to the chain for decades. One Reddit user even remembers the almond syrup as being their first latte flavor back in 1994. Some customers, like blogger David Ferguson, even reached out to the chain with a plea to bring back the syrup when it was discontinued in 2008. Unfortunately, the reply he received in return didn't indicate a return of the syrup anytime soon.

It used to be that Fontana's almond syrup was a near identical dupe of Starbucks' flavor; unfortunately, this Fontana's syrup has since been continued, as well. Nowadays, it may be that Torani's almond syrup is your best bet if you're looking to buy a bottle for yourself. However, you could always try your hand at making your own version of the syrup. Simply make a simple syrup and add in some almond extract. Try adding it to your homemade lattes, or even bring a vial to add to your latte the next time you hit up Starbucks. 

We don't blame you for bemoaning the discontinuation of Starbucks' butterscotch syrup in 2020, as we're still hoping the flavor may make a comeback at least in the form of a limited-time offering. Don't hold your breath, though; Starbucks baristas have confirmed on Reddit that they've heard no news of the beloved syrup's return. Though the chain had a special release of smoked butterscotch coffee in August 2024, we're sorry to report that it comes in the form of coffee grounds rather than syrup (but you shouldn't let that stop you from giving it a try).

Don't give up hope just yet, though; you can still order a butterscotch latte from Starbucks' secret menu with some creative syrup combinations. The next time you're in the shop, ask your barista to flavor your drink with equal parts caramel and toffee nut syrups. While it won't taste exactly like the butterscotch syrup, it will mimic the flavor convincingly enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. 

If there's anything Starbucks needs more of amidst its copious flavor offerings, it's more sugar-free options. The 2021 discontinuation of the sugar-free cinnamon dolce flavoring sent some customers into an online tizzy, making the very valid point that customers with insulin concerns now had only vanilla as a sugar-free option for their daily caffeine fix. And even if the chain introduces more sugar-free syrups in the future, those with blood sugar concerns would be wise to check out the ingredients first, as an additive used in Starbucks' sugar-free syrups can still cause blood sugar spikes. 

Given that the chain is catering to the caffeine conscious by adding more caffeine-free Starbucks drink options like the lavender oatmilk chill to its menus, we're surprised it hasn't responded to the requests for a wider array of sugar-free syrups. Want to make your own sugar-free syrups at home? Grab your favorite sugar-free sweetener, water, and the flavor of your choice. The ratios of each will depend on which sweetener you use, so we suggest turning to Google for some recipe options.

Juniper syrup may seem out of place on our list of Starbucks syrups we wish would come back, given that Starbucks baristas have confirmed via Reddit that the juniper latte wasn't all that popular in its heyday. However, while the juniper syrup even had some baristas calling its signature latte "gross," we fondly remember the syrup as a welcome addition to other Starbucks menu items — including its green tea lemonade and some seasonal holiday offerings. The sharp, herbal flavoring was a standout on Starbucks' menu, and though it didn't appeal to every palate, we miss the piney, peppery notes it could add to some of our favorite drinks. 

Fortunately for those who miss the syrup, if you can get your hands on some dried juniper berries, you can make it easily enough at home. You'll simply make simple syrup, infuse it with the dried juniper berries (the longer you infuse, the stronger it will taste), and then strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or some cheesecloth. You'll be left with an herbal syrup reminiscent of Christmastime that you can add to homemade coffees or cocktails. 

It seems that not many people can recall the short-lived duration of Starbucks' mulling spice syrup. Those who do remember the 2015 seasonal offering remember it fondly, though. The syrup, featured in that year's holiday spice flat white, was the result of a desire to create a cross between coffee and mulling cider. It even popped back up in 2016 to be featured in Starbucks' spiced sweet cream Nariño 70 cold brew, which some who were lucky enough to try it called their "dream drink."

Thankfully, for those of us who either miss it or missed the chance to try it, Starbucks was kind enough to let us in on the ingredients of its mulling spice syrup. The chain has said the syrup consists of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, sugar, and tangerine. As far as ratios go, it may take some creative guesswork to come up with the right balance to make a convincing dupe — but if you do, it will make for a great holiday addition to any homemade coffee drink. 

Yet another fruity syrup that we wish the chain had kept around is Starbucks' pineapple ginger syrup. Though the syrup hasn't left much of an online footprint, some Reddit users remember it existing briefly around 2020 and 2021, when they posit it was discontinued (along with the guava syrup) due to supply chain issues during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Regardless of the reason, you won't be able to find pineapple ginger syrup in Starbucks stores anymore, and some customers lament the loss of what had once been a perfect addition to their matcha lemonade and the also discontinued guava passionfruit drink. 

We'd be remiss not to mention that some customers complain of the pineapple ginger syrup tasting overwhelmingly of ginger. If you fall in that camp, the good news is it's possible to make your own pineapple ginger syrup at home and adjust the quantity of ginger to your liking. Simply boil together pineapple juice, minced ginger, water, and your sweetener of choice, and let it simmer for a minute or two. Once done, let it cool and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to sift out any ginger pieces. 

Another long-forgotten syrup that lives only in the memories of customers who have frequented the chain for decades is Starbucks' now-discontinued melon syrup. According to Reddit users who fondly remember the syrup, it disappeared sometime before 2008 and hasn't been seen since. One longtime Starbucks employee has particularly pleasant memories of the syrup, writing on The B***hing Barista blog that "it took green tea and green tea lemonades to another level."

Perhaps the biggest barrier to creating your own version of Starbucks' late, great melon syrup is identifying which variety of melon was featured in the flavor. The general consensus, however, seems to be that honeydew was the main (if not only) melon present in the syrup. Making this one at home will require a few extra steps, and you'll want to have a food processor on hand. Process the honeydew (and add in some cantaloupe, if you'd like) into a puree, and then strain it through some cheesecloth to separate the pulp from the juice. Combine the juice with simple syrup to your liking. 

Toasted vanilla is among the most divisive of Starbucks' discontinued syrups, as it seems that customers either loved it or hated it. Starbucks baristas on Reddit confirmed that the syrup was discontinued in late 2023 or early 2024 to make room for the hazelnut shaken espresso. Unfortunately, if you're in the camp of people who loved Starbucks' toasted vanilla flavor, there doesn't seem to be an easy way to dupe the drink in-store; however, some Starbucks baristas recommend ordering a hazelnut shaken espresso and substituting hazelnut for vanilla for a close-enough copycat.

If you want to try to recreate the syrup at home (and possibly make it taste even better than Starbucks' discontinued version), a key step is, unsurprisingly, to toast the vanilla. You could do this a few different ways depending on what ingredients you have on hand. If you happen to have a stock of vanilla beans, toast the beans lightly before simmering them in simple syrup. If all you have is vanilla extract, combine that in a saucepan with the appropriate quantity of sugar and toast until fragrant before adding enough water to make a simple syrup.

If you have fond memories of the Starbucks s'mores Frappuccino, chances are you've found yourself missing the chain's marshmallow syrup more than once since it left the store's shelves. Some Starbucks baristas have said that toasted vanilla was the best dupe for the discontinued flavoring — but since that's been discontinued as well, many have been left wondering how to make a dupe of that s'mores Frap when they go to their local Starbucks. 

Fortunately, a Starbucks barista took to Reddit to tell dismayed customers how to best recreate their favorite cold drink in-store. The only catch is that you'll have to see if the chain's macadamia nut syrup is in season. If it is, order a blonde grande iced latte with two pumps each of white mocha, macadamia, and hazelnut syrups to get a convincing copycat taste. Of course, you can always try making your own at home. Use a flame to toast some marshmallows (make sure they're charred in some areas); then, stir the toasted marshmallows into simmering simple syrup, and add some vanilla to taste.