I know, I know — it’s not even Halloween yet; why are we already talking about the winter holiday season? The answer is because of holiday creep, but you know what? That’s fine. We can multitask. And believe you me, this little tidbit is definitely worth the early discussion: I have just discovered where to get Starbucks Holiday Cookie Straws right this very minute. The best part is that all of those locations are online — meaning you can grab yourself a red tin of holiday joy no matter where you actually are. Yum.
Starbucks first introduced their version of the cookie straw in 2015. Consisting of rolled wafer cookies lined with chocolate ganache, they were initially given away simply as freebies with Frappuccino orders; they were a major selling point for the Frappuccino Happy Hour event that ran from May 1 to May 10 that spring. However, they proved so popular that the company later began selling them in tins. For a brief time in 2017, you could even get them at Costco.
Then, in August of 2018, big news dropped: Not only was Starbucks bringing back tins of cookie straws, they were introducing tins of pumpkin spice cookie straws. Like the Frappuccino Cookie Straws, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws are primarily made out of rolled wafer cookies; however, instead of regular chocolate ganache, the interior of each straw is slathered in white chocolate and pumpkin spices. Dunk it in any ol’ cup of coffee, and voila — you’ll get the taste of a PSL with each sip, whether or not you’re actually drinking one.
And now, if some early holiday sleuthing is to be believed, Starbucks Cookie Straws will continue to be available throughout the remainder of 2018, albeit not necessarily in pumpkin spice form. What's more, you can get them right now. Here’s where:
Walmart
Sam’s Club
Amazon
It’s worth noting that the holiday cookie straws aren’t seasonally flavored; according to both the tin itself and the product copy, each “toasted rolled wafer cookie” has a “luscious layer of rich, dark chocolatey sweetness” on the inside — that is, it’s just a regular cookie straw lined with chocolate, not, say, a peppermint chocolate cookie straw or anything like that. They do, however, come in a festive red tin, just like all of Starbucks’ other holiday offerings. Given the deep sense of joy the red cups alone inspire in so many people, that’s not nothing.
Cookie straws are not, of course, a Starbucks invention; rolled wafer cookies, both chocolate-lined and plain, have been made in a wide variety of countries and cultures around the world for ages and ages and ages. In the Philippines, for example, barquillos have long been enjoyed; in Hong Kong, rolled wafer cookies are called egg rolls (they’re very different from what are sold as “egg rolls” sold in most American Chinese restaurants); and Pirouline cookies date back to 1860 in Belgium.
And hey, fun fact: Starbucks Cookie Straws are actually made by the DeBeukelaer Corporation, which also makes Piroulines. The DeBeukelaer Corporation, it turns out, is the company founded by the descendants of the Belgian bakers who first started making Piroulines way back in 1860. You can even see it on the tins of Starbucks Cookie Straws if you squint a bit (it's right above that little white swirly thing above the line of cookies):
Neat, huh?
Anyway, you can also still get Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Cookie Straws at a wide range of grocery stores and retailers right now, so if you’re not ready to move onto Starbucks Holiday Cookie Straws yet, that’s A-OK. Whichever cookie straw is currently your jam, I hope you’re enjoying it immensely. May your coffee breaks always be full of delight.
