The Difference Between Starbucks' Syrups And Sauces Can Completely Change Your Drink

Starbucks orders can sound like an NFL quarterback calling a play — they're a mouthful to order at the drive-thru or the counter. If you order a Starbucks drink like a pumpkin spice latte from scratch, it'd be something like "Grande latte, two espresso shots, two percent milk, steamed hot, foam, four pumps of pumpkin spice, whipped cream, and pumpkin spice topping." Now that we have the world of customizations at our fingertips with the Starbucks app, it helps to know the difference and how it all works, especially when it comes to syrups and sauces.

They might sound interchangeable, but sauces and syrups do different work in your drink. Syrups are thinner and come in a wide variety of flavors, like the seasonal Apple Brown Sugar or classic vanilla, and blend in easily, even in cold drinks. Sauces are thicker, come in fewer flavors, and are great for topping a cold drink or drizzling down the sides like they do with the iced caramel macchiato. You'll notice the syrups in the tall pump bottles and sauces in the squeeze bottles. Think of the sauces more like the chocolate fudge you'd squirt on a sundae or a banana split.

Syrups should be your go-to when you want an even sweetness and flavor from the first sip to the last. They're great mixed into iced espresso drinks, cold brews, or anything where you don't want to stir or taste the gooey texture. That's why something like the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso relies on syrup.

Sauces show up in different ways. In hot drinks, they melt right in and add richness like the white chocolate in a White Mocha or the mocha sauce in a Caffe Mocha. If it's your thing, the sauces add texture and turn cold drinks into sips of soft candy. Pair that with toppings like a cookie crumble or pecan crunch, and you'll end up with your own signature sweet treat with a variety of mouthfeels in your drink.

The fun part is figuring out what mix works for you. Syrup, sauce, toppings, foams, and all, once you know how everything works, you can create your own caffeinated treat or order the most expensive Starbucks drink.