Get Your Taste Buds in the Holiday Spirit With These Festive Treats

It’s been a bit of a sensory explosion over here as we explore the limited-edition items that are delighting all of your senses this holiday season — including holiday home fragrances and body care that smells so good you’ll want to eat it. So it only makes sense that we’d also point you in the direction of all the best holiday menu items that you actually can eat this December!

While we may not be able to get our hands on Domino’s cranberry sauce-drizzled “Festive One” pizza (only in the UK) or Popeye’s caramel-and-cinnamon-drenched biscuits (only in the Philippines), there are still lots of delicious — and sometimes equally odd — treats that we can enjoy stateside.

These merry menu items are mostly decadent drinks and sweet treats, but there’s also a few savory entries with some unexpectedly festive flavors. So read on to find out where you can treat your taste buds to a seasonal gift, now through the holidays.

Dunkin’

Around the holidays, the donuts and munchkins at Dunkin’ enjoy a festive dash of red-and-green sprinkles, but the season also sees the return of long-time favorites like the Peppermint Mocha Latte and the Toasted White Chocolate Latte. They join a roster of new Dunkin’ holiday menu items, including the Cookie Butter Cloud Latte — a combination of espresso, brown sugar and cookie flavor, topped with cookie butter cold foam and crunchy cookie butter crumbles.

Dunkin’ is also introducing its first-ever holiday refresher: the Berry Sangria Refresher. It delivers all the berry flavor you love about a holiday punch — minus the alcohol, of course. To celebrate the new flavor on National Sangria Day (Dec. 20), Dunkin’ Rewards members get 3X points for any refresher purchase, including this wintery newbie.

Beyond the delicious drinks, Dunkin’ is also debuting a Raspberry Striped Croissant with ribbons of raspberry baked into the dough, and a sweet raspberry filling inside. And on the savory side, Dunkin’s all-new bacon jam is featured in both the Bacon Jam Breakfast Sandwich and the Bacon Jam Grilled Cheese this holiday season.

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Denny’s

Denny’s is celebrating the season with the return of the beloved Rudolph Pancakes, which can be ordered à la carte or as part of the Rudolph Everyday Value Slam. The latter includes two fluffy pancakes dressed up with turkey bacon antlers, dollops of vanilla cream, chocolate eyes and a strawberry nose — alongside two eggs served however you like. 

If you want a bigger sugar rush to start your day, there’s also the Cinnamon Apple Crisp Pancake Slam, featuring two buttermilk pancakes drenched with warm apple crisp, salted caramel sauce, cinnamon crumb topping and — of course — a healthy dash of powdered sugar. Top things off with Peppermint Hot Chocolate or a new holiday-flavored cold brew: Salted Caramel, Peppermint Mocha or Sweet & Creamy.

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Insomnia Cookies

Whenever you need to satisfy your cookie craving — even when no creature is stirring, not even a mouse — Insomnia Cookies is ready to deliver. The 2025 holiday menu is especially festive with the just-dropped Candy Cane cookie and brookie, both loaded with peppermint crunch and white chocolate. There’s also Salted Maple cookies with white creme and caramel; Jinglebread cookies spiced with ginger and cinnamon; Holiday Munchie Mix cookies stuffed with chocolate-covered pretzels, marshmallows and festive M&Ms; and Snowball cookies filled with vanilla buttercream, then topped with powdered sugar and edible glitter that sparkles like a fresh snowfall.

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McDonald’s

On Dec. 2, McDonald’s launched a limited-availability Grinch Meal, and fans of “the mean one” have been clambering to get a taste of the high-demand treat ever since. The meal starts out pretty normal — with your choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets — but the surprise comes with your side of Dill Pickle “Grinch Salt” McShaker Fries. Made with vinegar powder and dill, the tangy and herby topping is served on the side — so no worries if the pickle-inspired seasoning makes you say “Stink, stank, stunk!” The meal also comes with a pair of festive socks in one of four colors, each with an unhinged note from the Grinch scribbled on the bottom.

While you’re picking up your Grinch Meal, you can also pick up another seasonal favorite: the creamy custard-filled Holiday Pie, with a sugar glaze and rainbow sprinkles.

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Dutch Bros

Feeling a little rebellious this holiday season? Dutch Bros launched a new-and-improved version of their Mistletoe Rebel energy drink, combining raspberry and pomegranate with a festive green glitter glaze. You can get it blended or iced for an extra kick of energy — or opt for the lemonade version for an equally zingy but non-caffeinated treat.

If you prefer your holiday beverages a little more traditional, Dutch Bros’s 2025 holiday menu also offers a new Holiday Cookie Freeze, as well as the return of Hazelnut Truffle Mocha and Candy Cane Mocha.

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Krispy Kreme

Alongside the classic Santa Belly donut and chocolate iced donut with holiday sprinkles, Krispy Kreme teamed up with Peanuts for an adorable holiday donut collection inspired by the iconic characters from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The trio of new treats includes a Snoopy-shaped cookies-and-cream-filled donut, a Charlie Brown Ornament donut with brownie batter filling and a Christmas wreath donut topped with a Snoopy and Woodstock bow.

Don’t forget to wash it all down with a Peppermint Patty Mocha Latte — available hot, iced or frozen!

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Starbucks

Starbucks’ 2025 holiday menu sees the return of fan favorites like the Eggnog Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Chestnut Praline Latte, Caramel Brûlée Latte, Gingerbread Latte and the Gingerbread Chai Latte — available hot or iced, topped with gingerbread cold foam and dusted with pumpkin spice.

You can also grab a little sweet treat with your coffee, as the classic Starbucks Snowman Cookie returns to stores alongside the Sugar Plum Cheese Danish and Cranberry Bliss Bar. There are also new additions in the Cinnamon Pull-Apart and Polar Bear Cake Pop, offering a treat that’s as adorable as it is delicious.

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Starbucks Reserve

If you’re lucky enough to be near a Starbucks Reserve Roastery, you can snag a Hot Cocoa Duo Flight with Peppermint Hot Cocoa and the very intriguing Caramel Miso Hot Cocoa for an umami-packed delight. The latter is made with steamed milk and a dark caramel miso sauce, then finished with dark caramel miso cold foam, brown sugar and edible gold flakes. Popular in Japanese cooking, miso is a savory paste made from fermented soybeans, so this sounds like an odd combo — but it’s said to have a similar flavor profile to salted caramel, but with an extra touch of savoriness. 

Starbucks Reserve Roasteries are also serving the Eggnog Espresso Martini, Peppermint Mocha Espresso Martini and signature Starbucks Reserve Espresso Martini — individually or as part of the Holiday Espresso Martini Flight.

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Related: Looking for some inspiration for your Christmas outfit? Check out our editor’s picks and be sure to order in time for this year’s Christmas shipping deadlines.

The post Get Your Taste Buds in the Holiday Spirit With These Festive Treats appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.