Review: Starbucks' New Bakery Lineup Needed A Little Extra Time In The Oven

Move over Birthday Cake Pops — there's a new Starbucks bakery sheriff in town (or several of them, perhaps). While customers may be used to the chain's usual display of croissants, brownies, and scones behind the glass case, Starbucks has introduced a new collection of bold baked goods with an international twist. Described by the company as "globally inspired," the launch consists of six new menu items: the Berry Blondie, Chocolate Pistachio Loaf, Cookie Croissant Swirl, Dubai Chocolate Bite, Strawberry Matcha Loaf, and Yuzu Citrus Blossom.

From trend-driven chocolate desserts to brightly-colored, fruity treats and tea-infused loaves, the new lineup spans a wide range of flavors and textures. With half a dozen distinctly different pastries arriving at once, deciding which one to try first can feel like a tall order. Luckily, we're here to help. To make your decision, we tried every new item in Starbucks' latest baked goods launch and are giving you an honest review of each one. Here's everything you should know about Starbucks' latest bakery additions.

To conduct my review, I ordered one of each item at my local Starbucks location. I also made sure to sample them in one sitting to keep conditions consistent and reduce any confounding variables. As a regular Starbucks customer and frequent reviewer of the chain's food launches (from its Italian Sausage Egg Bites to the Cinnamon-Pull Apart Bread), I came into my taste test prepared to deliver an honest, comprehensive review of each new bakery offering.

The most important factors I considered were flavor, presentation, and innovation. A dessert was most successful when it had a bold yet balanced flavor that matched its description, had an appealing visual presentation, and added something new and different to Starbucks' existing bakery offerings.

The new bakery items hit Starbucks stores on February 9 and vary slightly in price. Though prices may vary by location, the Berry Blondie, Chocolate Pistachio Loaf, and Strawberry Matcha Loaf are $3.75. The Cookie Croissant Swirl and Yuzu Citrus Blossom are the most expensive items of the launch, as both are priced at $2.96. The Dubai Chocolate Bite is the most inexpensive of the bunch at $2.95.

For the most part, this bakery launch is here to stay. Although the Chocolate Pistachio Loaf will only be available for a limited time, the other new items are permanent menu additions and will remain available year-round.

Starbucks' new baked goods lineup ranges from 220 to 450 calories, 21 to 57 grams of carbohydrates, 3 to 6 grams of protein, 11 to 22 grams of fat, and 6 to 37 grams of sugar. The Dubai Chocolate Bite is the lightest bakery item, with 220 calories, 21 grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat, and 6 grams of sugar.

The Cookie Croissant Swirl falls in the middle of the pack, with 270 calories, 36 grams of carbs, 4 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, and 13 grams of sugar. Similarly, the Yuzu Citrus Blossom contains 290 calories, 41 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, 11 grams of fat, and 17 grams of sugar. Meanwhile, the Berry Blondie contains 300 calories, 44 grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat, and 26 grams of sugar.

The Strawberry Matcha Loaf is the most indulgent with 450 calories, 57 grams of carbs, 5 grams of protein, 22 grams of fat, and 37 grams of sugar. The Chocolate Pistachio Loaf isn't too far behind, with 400 calories, 49 grams of carbs, 6 grams of protein, 21 grams of fat, and 30 grams of sugar.

The Berry Blondie was one of the more successful items in Starbucks' new bakery lineup. It was sweet, visually appealing, and had a soft yet structured classic blondie texture. The flavor was somewhat reminiscent of a linzer tart without the powdered sugar (which made it feel especially on-theme for Valentine's season — intentional or not).

Still, the Berry Blondie had its fair share of drawbacks. While I do understand the logistical reasons why coffee shops like Starbucks don't make their own baked goods in-house (increased costs, limited kitchen space, etc.), that trade-off becomes rather evident with a baked good like this one. Though the berry jam on top adds color, sweetness, and subtle berry flavor, it lacked the freshness and bright tartness you'd expect from a berry-flavored dessert. As a result, the pastry felt a bit one-note, relying too heavily upon sweetness rather than a distinct flavor profile.

The Chocolate Pistachio Loaf is striking. With its green and blackish-brown hues, it looks like it hopped straight out of "Wicked" (insert Elphaba battle cry here). Unfortunately, the flavor isn't quite as bold as its visual appearance suggests — likely in part to the very nature of the pastry itself.

A rich flavor like chocolate is almost always going to be a bit muted in the bread-like consistency typical of Starbucks' loaves. So while I do wish it was a bit richer, I can't say the subtle nature of the chocolate flavor was surprising. The emphasis seems to lean more toward pistachio anyway, especially with the chopped nuts layered on top where the icing typically sits. Because of that, it feels more like a muffin than a dessert (which might've been the intention anyway). A light frosting — similar to the ones that top Starbucks' Lemon Loaf and Strawberry Matcha Loaf — would have helped provide a bit more sweetness and thus a bit more indulgent.

Still, compared with some of the other new bakery items in this launch, this one feels more fully realized. The flavor profile is clear while tasting natural, delivers on the flavors that were promised, and is visually appealing to boot.

Despite the name "Cookie Croissant Swirl," this pastry delivered far more croissant than cookie (and even less swirl). Where it does succeed is texture; the croissant itself is soft and flaky. Still, with a name that promises cookie flavor, meeting the croissant element isn't nearly enough.

While I expected the flaky base to be packed with cookie pieces and chocolate, I found myself actively searching for both. A small amount of chocolate was concentrated near the center, but the whole ordeal ended up feeling a bit like a hunt for hidden treasure. Plus, the cookie pieces on top didn't read clearly as cookie and, instead, just looked a little overbaked. If the whole "cookie" branding is what drew you to this pastry, you may want to reconsider and take a shot at whipping up some crispy cookies yourself.

If you're sensing a theme here, you're not wrong — this dessert also falls in the "good not great" territory. Some parts of it worked well, while others left a bit more to be desired. The clear standout of the dessert was the filling. It was creamy yet crunchy (thanks to those kataifi pieces typical of a Dubai-chocolate-style treat) and full of pistachio flavor.

The part that really held it back was the exterior. While the dessert looks like a brownie at first glance, it's called a Dubai Chocolate Bite (and not a brownie) for a reason. Starbucks describes the treat as a tart with a chocolate shortbread crust. And, on a technical level, the exterior is exactly what they describe it to be: it's crumbly (if not a bit dry) and definitely shortbread-like.

The issue is less with execution and more with the pairing itself. Next to such a rich, decadent filling, the dry, crumbly shelling feels like a mismatch. A softer, richer, moister base (like, hmm I, don't know — a brownie!) would've complemented the filling far better. As is, the contrast just feels a bit off.

It's pretty common knowledge that strawberry is the fruity ingredient that takes matcha from dull to delicious. Starbucks is familiar with acing the popular flavor combo, as evidenced by the launch of its Double Berry Matcha on February 3. Unfortunately, that same success didn't exactly carry over in loaf form.

My main issue with this pastry comes down to the strawberry component. Upon taking my first bite, the flavor immediately reminded me of taking chewable Flintstone vitamins as a child, meaning it had an artificial (and almost medicinal) aftertaste. The matcha portions of the loaf, on the other hand, were quite delicious, with a subtle sweetness and classic earthy matcha flavor. And the strawberry icing on top helped as well, adding a sweeter note that improved the overall bite. Still, on its own, the loaf didn't win me over. Despite looking like a standout with its vibrant pink and green hues (I mean, it might've been one of the prettiest things I've ever eaten), it's a pastry I'm likely to keep admiring from the bakery case, not my plate.

If you tend to be a fan of lemon desserts, this one will likely appeal to you. It's sweet yet tart with a flaky crust and subtly crunchy exterior. Much like the Strawberry Matcha Loaf, though, I'm tempted to say the citrus flavor tasted a little artificial to me (though not nearly to the same degree). Truthfully though, I'm not familiar enough with yuzu to definitively say whether that note comes from the ingredient itself or the way it was incorporated here.

What I will say though is that the pastry leaned a bit too floral. While that was welcome at first, with the first few bites feeling bright and pleasantly tart, it began to feel a bit perfume-like after a while and eventually became a bit overpowering. So my apologies to the Yuzu Citrus Blossom: I really wanted to love you (and at one point truly thought I would), but it seems I can only handle you in small doses.

While I was initially quite excited for a baked goods-focused Starbucks launch, the reality of the lineup didn't quite meet my expectations. The baked goods selection leans heavily into fresh flavors like strawberry, yuzu, and mixed berry. Though those flavors work especially well in beverages, they can be a bit harder to translate into baked goods without losing some of that brightness and freshness (especially when they aren't actually made fresh on-site). Oftentimes, the fruity flavors felt slightly artificial or muted compared to what you might get from one of the chain's drinks.

Overall, Starbucks' bakery launch feels like a mixed bag — not because some are good while others are horrible, but because nearly every pastry has one small element that feels slightly off. Some pastries are enjoyable but still haven't fully reached the full potential of their concept. Still, the creativity behind the lineup shows promise. For now, I'll likely stick with my usual Starbucks treats, but I wouldn't be surprised if future iterations of these items win me over with a few tweaks.