Starbucks' Discontinued Hot Chocolate Was Way Fancier Than Today's Version

For being a behemoth when it comes to cornering the coffee marketplace, Starbucks has had historically big flops over the years. In its defense, the company has tried to innovate and enter different competitive beverage markets, but perhaps it's better off sticking to familiar territory. Take the line of Vivanno smoothies, for example — a short-lived, high-protein meal replacement that attempted to rival the Jamba Juices out there. Or worse, the Mazagran coffee-cola hybrid created with Pepsi-Cola. Let's just say it wasn't long for this world. But sometimes Starbucks comes up with something stellar — and even that just simply flops. That's where the extremely decadent Chantico hot chocolate comes in.

Often referred to as a "drinkable dessert," the Starbucks Chantico — first released in 2005 — was an ultra-rich, textural take on a traditional hot chocolate. A far cry from the hot chocolate served at Starbucks today, it was likened to the drinking chocolate served in Europe. Made from cocoa butter, whole milk, and melted chocolate, it's a chocolate lover's dream. Unfortunately the concoction was only sold at stores for about a year before it was discontinued. Although the luxurious beverage had a bit of a cult following, Starbucks claimed that the drink's inability to be modified to customers' tastes sealed the Chantico's fate. Only available in a 6-ounce cup, with no way to add different flavored syrups or make a lighter version, it wasn't a workable option for regulars who love their drink customizations.

As of late 2024, Starbucks offers four different types of hot chocolate — but none resemble the Chantico. You can choose from the regular hot chocolate, a white hot chocolate, and seasonal offerings which can include peppermint hot chocolate (with a white chocolate option). All can be customized with whatever type of milk you prefer, and the right level of sweetness. (Yes, you can get oat milk at Starbucks for no extra charge.) Even the number of pumps of chocolate can be altered to your liking. These drinks have remained a menu staple for years — so, maybe Starbucks was right about the longevity in pleasing customers with options.

If you miss the Chantico, or just want to try it, unfortunately you won't be able to order the exact concoction at a Starbucks. But that hasn't stopped the inventors of genius Starbucks order hacks from attempting to mimic it. One route is to simply order a regular hot chocolate but go light on the milk and heavy on the pumps of chocolate — hold the whip. Another option that features a slightly different flavor and more spice, Mexican hot chocolate taps into the richness the Chantico offered. While it's not an official menu item, you can emulate a Mexican hot chocolate by requesting a tall hot chocolate with soy milk, one pump of mocha, a pump of white chocolate, and two pumps of cinnamon dolce syrup. To up the spice, you can request a dusting of cinnamon powder to be added to the milk steaming process. But, if you're not feeling up to all the modifications, there are, of course, tons of internet copycat Chantico recipes to try at home.