Starbucks' New Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino Is Turning Heads

If you had to turn your favorite summer moment into a Frappuccino flavor, what would it be? 

The folks at Starbucks would tell you that a summer moment means taking an amusement park treat and blending that with seasonal fruit to create a limited-edition flavor, which is what they did to create the Strawberry Funnel Cake Frappuccino. When you think about the drink, Starbucks invites you to imagine an icy, creamy concoction made with strawberry puree and whipped cream, then swirled with a funnel cake-flavoring before it is topped with crunchy, powdered sugar funnel cake bits. "Funnel Cake is what good moods are made of, and customers are turning to nostalgic flavors inspired by past experiences like fairs, festivals, and amusement parks," Starbucks said in a press release sent to Mashed. 

The specialty frap headlines Starbucks' summer drink offerings, which also includes Caramel Ribbon Crunch and Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino blended beverages, as well as its line of Starbucks Refreshers beverages.

Starbucks was looking to tap into nostalgia with its latest limited-edition Frappuccino

To create their summer signature flavor, Starbucks blends funnel cake-flavored syrup with coffee, milk, and ice to produce a grande-sized beverage that carries 20 grams of fat and 53 grams of carbs, of which 51 grams is sugar. The drink also packs 60 mg of cholesterol and 220 mg of sodium, according to the menu

The idea of putting pieces of funnel cake into icy, creamy coffee might sound a bit farfetched, but not if you had access to a 2020 food trends report, which highlights what it says will be increased demand for items that bring back memories of pre-pandemic times. As Fast Company reports, the pandemic has resulted in a longing in consumers for flavors and products that they might consider comforting. This would include, but would not be limited to birthday cake flavored items, cereal milk, and s'mores, as well as dark chocolate, cheesecake, and caramel. With the funnel cake flavoring, Starbucks chose to highlight the feeling of summer for its new menu.