Review: Spring At Starbucks Means Smooth Coffee, Savory Snacks, And A Sweet New Chai Latte

Did somebody say spring? Starbucks is stepping into the new season with some never-before-seen items and we are beyond ready. With milder weather soon to be upon us, Starbucks felt that the time to launch a few new products is now. Starting Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Starbucks officially releases Iced Cherry Chai in locations across the U.S. and Canada. That same day, Starbucks' Chicken Jalapeño Pocket will also enter the mix. A brand new coffee is also coming to Starbucks this spring. On the cusp of all this novelty, I headed over to a Starbucks Reserve in Manhattan for a sampling of what's in store for the 2025 spring season.

Each debut item populates a separate section of the menu, so Starbucks fans of varying tastes will have something fun and fresh to look forward to. Whether you're craving a sweet beverage with a caffeinated kick, hungry for something other than a pastry, or simply stopping in for a hot cup of coffee, Starbucks has the bases covered. We're spilling the details on what you're about to see at Starbucks for spring 2025, along with a first-hand account on how all of it tastes.

Spring is all about rebirth and for Starbucks, that means freshening up its classic Iced Chai Latte with a seasonal cherry flavor. Iced Cherry Chai will officially be released this March as part of the Spring 2025 lineup. The revamped latte showcases the premiere of Starbucks Cherry Cream Cold Foam. Alongside Iced Cherry Chai, Starbucks is introducing the Jalapeño Chicken Pocket, a warm, savory snack that can be eaten any time of day. Joining these all-new items for spring are an Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha and Iced Lavender Oatmilk Latte. Both lavender-inspired drinks debuted on Starbucks' spring menu in 2024 and are back by popular demand.

Starbucks is also releasing a new coffee called Sunsera Blend. Sunsera is Starbucks' lightest roast yet, and will join Starbucks blonde roast family beginning March 4, 2025. It's made from 100% Arabica beans, sourced from Brazil and Colombia. I gave Sunsera a try and was impressed with its smoothness and mellow acidity. Bags of Sunsera coffee will be sold in Starbucks cafes, retail stores, and by the cup as a daily light roast coffee.

If the thought of sipping on an Iced Cherry Chai piques your interest, don't hold off too long on trying one. Starbucks is rolling out Iced Cherry Chai as a strictly seasonal flavor. The new beverage hits cafes nationwide to usher in the spring season and will be available while supplies last. In other words, the cherry powder used to make the Chrery Cream Cold Foam that tops Starbucks' Iced Chai (and the crunchy candy bits that accompany it) were never meant to last forever.

Iced Cherry Chai's fleeting nature is in direct contrast to what Starbucks has planned for the Chicken Jalapeño Pocket. Although it'll be released alongside limited edition beverages, the Chicken Jalapeño Pocket will be a permanent menu item. This decision is part of Starbucks' recent efforts to streamline its menu. 

Over the course of several months, Starbucks will be phasing out select foods and beverages in order to reduce the existing menu by 30% (some Starbucks drinks getting discontinued will say goodbye as soon as March 2025). It's unclear exactly which food items are getting the chop, but the Chicken Jalapeño Pocket has been slated to replace what's on the way out.

Since Starbucks began installing TurboChef ovens in its cafes in the late 2000s, the chain has stuck to a pretty basic lineup of heat-and-eat breakfast sandwiches and a wrap or two. The Chicken Jalapeño Pocket does not stray from this format much at all. The pocket is more squarish than most wraps, making it appear pocket-like right off the bat. The wrap isn't the usual tortilla-style either, it's a toasted chile lavash flatbread.

Inside the pocket is a medley of diced chicken, charred poblano, three-chile-pepper cheese, jalapeños, and jalapeño cream cheese. In light of the fact that peppers make their way into all of the pocket's components except the chicken, the Chicken Jalapeño Pocket isn't that spicy. The spice level is on par with store-bought medium salsa. Speaking of salsa, I was left wondering if a sauce would have livened up the Chicken Jalapeño Pocket a little. Between the two types of peppered cheese and a lavash that is chile in name only, what this pocket doesn't hold is depth of flavor.

There's nothing offensive about the Chicken Jalapeño Pocket, it's just a bit uninteresting. Come March, it will begin its run as a permanent Starbucks menu item, but it fails to leave an impression the way Starbucks classics tend to do, like the original Iced Chai Latte for example. How will the Chicken Jalapeño Pocket sit with Starbucks customers? Only time will tell.

In case you didn't already know, Starbucks is wild about cold foam. If I were a betting gal, I would propose that every seasonal Starbucks beverage promotion will incorporate cold foam in some way shape or form. As far as Iced Cherry Chai is concerned, Starbucks' beverage developers didn't decide to plop some flavored cold foam on an iced latte and call it a day. For its latest beverage, Starbucks makes Cherry Cold Foam the main event.

It was a judgement call that works in Starbucks' favor. From start to finish, Iced Cherry Chai is a cheerful confection. This isn't a cafe minimalist's type of drink, nor does it try to be. Pink, cherry-flavored cold foam sprinkled with crunchy candy bits is whimsical by concept. It looks fluffy and dreamy and tastes that way too. Starbucks' latest cold foam creation plays up the sugary notes of the familiar Iced Chai Latte while the cold foam and sprinkles gives it the look and feel of a dessert latte. This isn't a flavor profile that will appeal to everybody because it's got a sweet, cherries jubilee vibe, but Iced Cherry Chai definitely tastes good.

If you're willing to embrace a more confectionary side of what a chai latte can be, an Iced Cherry Chai just might be your style. Starbucks Iced Cherry Chai brings fruit and cream together in a festive latte for spring. The pastel pink cold foam and crunchy sugared topping mean that the quintessential spiced notes of chai take the back seat. The frothy Cherry Cream Cold Foam doesn't dissipate into the drink the way Starbucks whipped cream tends to, instead it stays afloat atop the iced chai the whole way through. It's the first time Starbucks has crafted a seasonal chai latte for spring and as a first outing, it's a fun one.

When it comes to hot food, Starbucks still struggles to find its voice. The Chicken Jalapeño Pocket is further evidence of that. Even after all these years, Starbucks hasn't been able to produce a savory, oven-toasted treat singular enough or sought-after enough to warrant a signature product in this category. To that end, its heated sandwich options persevere for the sake of customer convenience. The Chicken Jalapeño Pocket's only crime is that it plays the flavors too safe and doesn't stray far enough from the wrap sandwiches Starbucks has already done. I wouldn't discourage someone from eating in the same way I wouldn't suggest running out to grab one either.