Few drinks have ever broken the internet the way the Unicorn Frappuccino did. For a few wild days in April 2017, this pink-and-blue, color-changing, sour-then-sweet blended drink was all anyone talked about, and stores sold out within hours. Although the original is long gone, unicorn Starbucks drinks live on through secret menu recipes that fans still order today. Here is the full story of unicorn Starbucks drinks, plus exactly how to get a unicorn drink in your cup right now.
What Are Unicorn Starbucks Drinks?
“Unicorn Starbucks drinks” is the catch-all name fans use for colorful, pastel, fantasy-themed beverages, starting with the official Unicorn Frappuccino and continuing with the many secret menu creations it inspired. They share a look: swirls of pink, blue, and purple, whipped cream, and colorful drizzles. Most are sweet, fruity, and caffeine-free, which is part of why they photograph so well and spread so fast on social media.
It is worth knowing upfront that none of these are on the official menu anymore. Every unicorn drink today is a secret menu order, meaning you order it by listing the customizations, not by name. Our guide to the Starbucks secret menu explains how this whole system works.
The Original Unicorn Frappuccino: A 2017 Phenomenon
Starbucks launched the Unicorn Frappuccino on April 19, 2017, for a limited run that was supposed to last five days. It did not make it that far in most stores. The drink blended creme Frappuccino base with mango syrup, then swirled in a sour blue drizzle made with white mocha, milk, and sour blue powder. The result started out sweet and fruity, then turned pleasantly tart as you stirred in the blue swirl, shifting from pink to purple as you drank it.
The hype was enormous: lines formed, baristas posted exhausted videos, and the drink generated billions of social media impressions in under a week. Nutritionally it was a treat, not a health drink, with a Grande packing a hefty amount of sugar. Starbucks never brought it back as an official item, which is exactly why the copycat recipes below exist.
How to Order Unicorn Drinks Today: 5 Secret Menu Recipes
Since baristas cannot make a drink from a secret menu name alone, order each of these by describing the build. Be polite, avoid rush hours, and tip for the extra work.
1. The Classic Unicorn Frappuccino Copycat
Ask for a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino with:
- Raspberry syrup (2 pumps for a Grande)
- Pink powder blended in, if your store carries it
- Blue drizzle or blue powder swirled around the cup
- Whipped cream on top with extra drizzle
This gets you closest to the 2017 original: sweet vanilla base, fruity pink body, and a colorful finish.
2. Unicorn Pink Drink Twist
Start with a Pink Drink and ask for:
- Vanilla sweet cream cold foam on top
- Strawberry puree drizzled through the foam
The result is a pastel pink layered drink that looks straight out of a fantasy movie, with the familiar strawberry coconut flavor underneath.
3. Unicorn Dragon Drink Twist
Order a Dragon Drink with vanilla sweet cream cold foam and ask the barista to blend dragonfruit inclusions into the foam. The magenta color is naturally vivid, no artificial color needed.
4. Mermaid Frappuccino
A close cousin of the unicorn family. Ask for a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino with blackberry inclusions blended in, green drizzle around the cup, and whipped cream. The purple-green contrast is striking.
5. Cotton Candy Frappuccino
Ask for a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino with raspberry syrup. Simple, pink, sweet, and one of the easiest secret menu orders for a barista to make.
If you like sweet blended drinks in general, our list of sweet coffee drinks at Starbucks has more official-menu options that need no special instructions.
How Much Do Unicorn Starbucks Drinks Cost?
Because these are customized builds, the price depends on how many additions you request. As a rough guide as of October 2026, a Grande secret menu Frappuccino with two or three customizations typically lands between about $5 and $7, though prices vary by location and stores charge per add-on. Ordering in the app shows the running total before you pay, which helps avoid surprises at the register.
Are Unicorn Starbucks Drinks Still on the Official Menu?
No. The Unicorn Frappuccino was a limited-time item in April 2017 and was never added to the permanent menu. Starbucks has released other colorful limited drinks since, but nothing under the unicorn name. Everything described in this guide is a secret menu customization you assemble from regular menu ingredients.
Do Unicorn Starbucks Drinks Contain Caffeine?
Most unicorn-inspired builds are caffeine-free because they start from the Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino base, which contains no coffee. The Pink Drink and Dragon Drink twists contain a small amount of caffeine from green coffee extract, roughly 45 mg in a Grande. If you want zero caffeine, stick with the creme-based Frappuccino builds.
Tips for Ordering Secret Menu Drinks Without the Awkwardness
- Never order by the secret name. Say “Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with raspberry syrup and…” and list each addition.
- Know the recipe before you go. Baristas are not trained on secret menu items, so bring the build on your phone.
- Avoid peak hours. Morning rush is the worst time for a complicated custom order.
- Keep it reasonable. Three or four customizations is fine; ten is asking a lot.
- Use the app. Most customizations can be tapped in directly, which is easier for everyone.
- Tip your barista. Extra work deserves extra appreciation.
More Colorful Secret Menu Drinks Worth Trying
The unicorn craze inspired a whole family of fantasy drinks that fans still order. If you enjoy the unicorn style, these are worth adding to your list.
Butterbeer Frappuccino. A Harry Potter-inspired favorite: order a Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino with caramel syrup and toffee nut syrup, topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. It tastes like buttery shortbread in a cup and the golden color is beautiful.
Skittles Frappuccino. Ask for a Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino with vanilla syrup added. The result tastes remarkably like the candy, with a bright pink color that fits right in with unicorn aesthetics.
Bubblegum Frappuccino. Another Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino variation, this time with raspberry syrup instead of vanilla. Sweet, pink, and nostalgic.
Captain Crunch Frappuccino. Order a Strawberries and Creme Frappuccino with caramel syrup and toffee nut syrup, plus java chips blended in. It mimics the cereal milk flavor many people love, with a speckled look from the chips.
All of these follow the same ordering rules as the unicorn builds: order by ingredients, keep customizations reasonable, and avoid the morning rush.
Unicorn Drinks and Dietary Needs
Most unicorn builds are flexible for different diets. The creme-based Frappuccinos can be made with oat, almond, soy, or coconut milk instead of dairy. Sugar-free vanilla syrup can replace some of the sweetness, though colorful drizzles and fruit syrups generally contain sugar. If you need a fully dairy-free and lower-sugar option, the Dragon Drink unicorn twist with coconut milk is the most adaptable base, since its color comes from real dragonfruit rather than syrups.
Why Did the Unicorn Frappuccino Go So Viral?
A few things collided at once. The drink was genuinely photogenic at a moment when colorful food was dominating social feeds. It changed color as you drank it, which made for great videos. Scarcity did the rest: a five-day window created urgency, and sellouts created even more demand. Starbucks learned the lesson, and limited-time colorful drinks have been a regular strategy ever since.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still order the Unicorn Frappuccino at Starbucks?
Not by name, since it left the menu in April 2017. But the copycat recipe in this guide (Vanilla Bean Creme Frappuccino with raspberry syrup, pink powder, and blue drizzle) recreates it closely at any store with the ingredients.
What did the Unicorn Frappuccino taste like?
It started sweet and fruity from the mango syrup, then turned slightly sour and tangy as the blue drizzle mixed in. Fans described it as tasting like a sweet-tart candy in drink form.
How do you order a unicorn drink without sounding silly?
Order by ingredients, not by the fantasy name. “Grande Vanilla Bean Frappuccino with two pumps of raspberry and blue drizzle around the cup, please” is clear, quick, and gets you exactly what you want.
Are unicorn drinks healthy?
Unicorn Starbucks drinks are treats. A customized Grande can contain a lot of sugar from the syrups, drizzles, and whipped cream. Ordering with fewer syrup pumps or skipping the whipped cream lightens it up.
Which unicorn drink is easiest for a barista to make?
The Cotton Candy Frappuccino (Vanilla Bean plus raspberry syrup) involves just one addition, making it the simplest and fastest unicorn-style order.
Will Starbucks ever bring back the Unicorn Frappuccino?
There has been no announcement of a return. Starbucks tends to create new limited-time colorful drinks rather than reviving old ones, so the secret menu copycats remain the way to get the experience.
The Bottom Line
The original Unicorn Frappuccino may be history, but unicorn Starbucks drinks are still very much alive on the secret menu. Learn one recipe, order it by ingredients, and you can taste the viral sensation any day of the year.