Looking for the best Starbucks snacks to go along with your beverage of choice? This article goes over some of the best bites that Starbucks has to offer.
Considering all of the emphasis that Starbucks places on its ever-growing selection of drinks, the pastry case and cooler stocked with sandwiches, salads, and other treats may not even enter your mind until you walk through the door.
However, Starbucks takes its food selections just as seriously as its beverages, partnering with local bakeries and food producers to keep the freshest pastries, treats, and other goodies in stock.
But of course, with such a selection, not everything will be equally a winner for every customer. One of the key perks of working as a barista at Starbucks is the chance to sample and taste new products in order to be able to recommend them–so this article will delve into the best Starbucks snacks, from healthy bites to decadent little treats.
Snacking At Starbucks Is Serious Business
Like any good coffee shop, Starbucks began offering bits, bites, and treats alongside its coffee and tea fairly early on.
Classic cafe options like biscotti, simple pastries like banana bread and pound cake, and a few other selections blossomed into a full food menu in its own right–with hot and cold breakfast for both savory and sweet fans, lunch selections, and a dizzying array of packaged snacks and candies and cookies right at the register.
The introduction of a high-tech convection oven and other behind-the-line appliances made it possible for Starbucks to expand its food business significantly. However, with that comes an element of complexity: with so much to choose from, where to begin?
While Starbucks holds itself to high standards regarding the food it serves, some products just stack up better and work better with the coffee and their drinks than others. Then, too, there are some products that, while convenient, simply don’t add much to the experience. So while you can certainly get around to trying everything eventually, it’s good to start strong.
My Choices For Best Starbucks Snacks
For the sake of narrowing the field, I won’t be including any of the pre-packaged chips, cookies, or other snacks that Starbucks has available near the registers or scattered around the store. Instead, this article will focus on the breakfast and lunch offerings, as well as the pastries available at most locations. Here are my selections:
Hot Breakfast At Starbucks
Spinach, Feta, and Egg White Wrap: Billed as a healthy alternative to some of the heavier breakfast sandwiches, this whole-wheat wrap has been around a long time, for a good reason. It’s light but satisfying, and the flavors marry well together whether you pair them with a standard brew, a latte, or something more complicated to get your morning rolling.
Best Starbucks Lunch
Chicken and Bacon Panini: Perhaps not the most health-conscious option to choose from, this sandwich does deliver on flavor, mingling herb-roasted chicken, rich apple brioche, smoky bacon, and maple-infused mustard. The flavors work extremely well together, and a hot, crispy sandwich makes for a very satisfying meal–especially when paired up with a cup of coffee.
Best Of The Starbucks Pastry Case
Iced Lemon Loaf: While there are a lot of exciting seasonal offerings available, one of the old-school classics of the Starbucks pastry case is my go-to. The iced lemon loaf is lightly sweet, with enough lemon flavor to be interesting, a creamy icing adds a layer of texture and softness that marries well with a wide variety of drinks. It’s been in the lineup for decades, and for a very good reason.
