I Tried Starbucks' TikTok-Viral Pumpkin Cookie Crumble Frappuccino

‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice. In August, Starbucks brought back its beloved fall menu, which features the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte, as well as the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai, so there’s no shortage of drinks with the squash-y flavoring.

*BUT* there’s an additional Starbucks beverage you may love... if only you knew about it. The secret menu sip called the Pumpkin Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (~$9) is a combination of Starbucks’ Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino with the iconic PSL that TikTok has been obsessing over in recent weeks.

How To Order Starbucks’ Pumpkin Cookie Crumble Frappuccino

According to @kayleighleon, who went viral sharing the secret menu drink on TikTok, ask your barista for a venti Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino and request pumpkin sauce on the top and bottom. Then, sub out the mocha and mocha drizzle for two pumps of pumpkin sauce and two pumps of the white mocha sauce.

This order only works in person, since you need to request the additional pumpkin drizzle on top and that’s not an option on the app. However, you can mobile order a slightly different version of the Pumpkin Cookie Crumble Frappuccino, which is what I did.

How To *Mobile* Order The PCC Frappe

Pumpkin sauce may not be available as a drizzle customization, but you can ask for a pumpkin spice topping along with the apple sauce. A TikToker commented on @kayleighleon’s video recommending this seasonal drizzle that comes in the Iced Apple Crisp Oatmilk Shaken Espresso instead, and it’s a game changer, IMO.

Below is my honest review of the secret menu Pumpkin Cookie Crumble Frappuccino fall drink.

Trick-Or-Treat Yourself To This Secret Seasonal Sip

I’m not a huge PSL girlie, but as soon as I saw the Pumpkin Cookie Crumble Frappuccino on my FYP, I knew I had to try it. Chocolate and pumpkin is an underrated fall flavor combination that I’m glad is getting the spotlight, but there could have been a better balance in this drink.

This was overwhelmingly pumpkin with just a bit of cookie flavor, which may be for the pumpkin lovers, but, personally, I wanted more chocolate. To find a better balance, like in the Beetlejuice Frappuccino, you don’t need to remove all the mocha flavor. Since the venti Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino comes with four pumps of mocha sauce, I would get just two pumps and sub in two or three pumps of the pumpkin for the rest.

Replacing the regular mocha with white mocha sauce also just makes this less chocolatey and a tad sweeter, which a drink with additional syrups added in doesn’t need. Additionally, I would keep the mocha drizzle that comes on top.

I did enjoy the apple and pumpkin spice flavors that I ordered, so my perfect drink would have mocha and apple drizzle with pumpkin spice sprinkles. However, I can see how that might be too much for some people. To keep it simple and strictly pumpkin and chocolate, keep the mocha drizzle and add a sprinkling of pumpkin spice topping.

TL;DR

As it is right now, according to TikTok’s recipe, this Frappuccino is very sweet and pumpkin-forward. If you’re looking to treat yourself to a seasonal drink, this is definitely one to try, but it probably won’t be a regular for me since it’s like dessert in a cup and costs about $9. For the rest of my coffee runs, my go-to will remain the new Pecan Crunch Oatmilk Latte.