I PAUSE as squishy cream frosting and crumbly raspberry cake hit my tastebuds – I can taste sherry in Costa’s new trifle cake.
I’m one of the lucky few people to taste Costa‘s new Christmas menu before it hits branches on November 3.
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Fans will be glad to hear that firm favourites like the Turkey and the trimmings toastie and Terry’s Chocolate Orange muffin are making a comeback.
But I’m more excited about sampling the brand-new items hitting stores this year.
There are lots of new treats, including eight sweet snacks, three savoury items and two festive drinks.
I’m planning to tuck into the items I think are going to be the biggest sellers this year, including a brie and cranberry toastie, the reindeer muffin, and the raspberry trifle loaf cake.
One was a clear winner – while others didn’t quite hit the spot.
If you want to try the treats for yourself, head to your nearest Costa store soon – there are 2,700 stores across the UK.
You can check where your nearest one is using Costa’s online store locator tool.
I rated all the goodies out of five taking into account cost, taste and appearance.
Here’s what I thought of Costa’s new Christmas menu.
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Raspberry trifle loaf cake – winner, 4.5/5
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There was a clear winner for me, which was the raspberry trifle loaf cake.
Admittedly, it doesn’t look – or taste – very Christmassy, which is why I knocked half a point off the score.
It has yellow frosting, which tastes a little like cheesecake, and has raspberries inside.
The cake itself is sherry-flavoured, and reminded me of summer days in the garden, so it didn’t exactly make me feel festive.
But it tasted delicious – the right combination of sweet and sour.
Prices start from £2.95 for this little gem.
I’ll definitely be trying it again.
Maple bacon mac & cheese – 4/5
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I couldn’t wait to get tucked into the maple bacon mac & cheese.
It’s a classic combo, and there was a generous helping of bacon bits on top, with lashings of cheesy creamy sauce.
Mac and cheese can be a bit claggy to eat, but the crunch of the bacon and basil, as well as the Parmesan crumble on top, gave the dish some bite.
Maple bacon is supposed to be sweet, but I couldn’t taste it, which is why I knocked half a point off.
It was a little rich, so it’s a meal for when you feel like treating yourself this Christmas.
You can pick it up in stores from £5, which I thought was a little pricey, so I knocked another half point off.
Chocolate Toblerone muffin – 4/5
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I love a muffin, but they can sometimes be too dry.
This Toblerone chocolate muffin was a hit for me.
It was packed full of chopped nuts and choc chunks, which gave it a nice crunchy texture.
You get a Toblerone segment on top as well, and the best bit was a hidden gooey chocolate sauce centre.
The sponge was a little dense though, so it’s one to have with a cuppa.
It will set you back £2.50 in stores.
Toblerone latte – 3.5/5
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I love flavoured coffee, and this Toblerone latte didn’t disappoint.
It was frothy and tasted nutty – but I didn’t taste any chocolate in it as you would expect.
My only regret is that I didn’t go for a large one, because it was that more-ish.
It tasted like a posh almond latte – perfect if you want to go all out on your morning coffee over the festive season.
Prices start from £3.90.
Santa gingerbread biscuit – 3.5/5
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I immediately got that fuzzy Christmassy feeling biting down into my Santa gingerbread biscuit.
Ginger is a very festive-tasting spice and got me in the holiday mood – I was immediately craving a mulled wine.
I thought Costa could have ramped up the ginger flavour even more to give it a real firey kick.
But because the flavour was more mild, I reckon this treat would be perfect for the kids.
Prices start from £2.
Reindeer muffin – 3.5/5
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This Reindeer muffin looked super cute with its red button nose and chocolate antlers.
It tasted a little plain compared to the super chocolatey Toblerone muffin though.
The sponge was vanilla flavoured and inside there was a raspberry sauce centre, which stopped it from being too dry.
I would have liked some chocolate chunks in there, for example, to give it a bit more texture.
Prices start from £2.35.
Crispy Festive Wreath – 3/5
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The crispy festive wreath looked amazing.
It was filled with chocolate crispy bits encased in white chocolate, scattered with green and red sprinkles – complete with an icing bow.
It was a little too sickly for me – so one for all the sweet-toothed fans out there.
For £2.35, I thought it was a little overpriced for what you get – which is why I gave it a three.
It looks like a real show-stopper though, and one I think little ones would enjoy.
Brie and cranberry toastie – 2/5
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I love a toastie – and brie and cranberry make for a great duo.
That’s why I was expecting great things from Costa’s toastie – but it didn’t hit the mark.
It was way too sweet for me, and a little dry.
I wouldn’t hurry back to try it again – I much preferred the other savoury items on the menu.
Prices start from around £3.45.
What’s the full list of items on Costa’s Christmas menu?
Here’s the full list of items on Costa’s Christmas menu, including prices:
- Latte inspired by Toblerone – from £3.90
- Hot Chocolate inspired by Toblerone – from £3.90
- Gingerbread & Cream Latte – from £2.70
- Terry’s Chocolate Orange® Hot Chocolate – £3.90
- Chocolate Muffin inspired by Toblerone – from £2.50
- Terry’s Chocolate Orange Muffin – from £2.50
- Costa Coffee’s limited-edition Gingerbread Latte coffee in a can – £1.79
- Brie & Cranberry Toastie – from £3.45
- Maple Bacon Mac & Cheese – from £5
- Vegan P’gs & Blankets Panini – from £4.75
- Turkey & The Trimmings Toastie – from £4.50
- Pigs & Blankets Panini – from £4.75
- Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Panini – from £4.75
- Turkey Feast Sandwich – from £3.75
- Loaded Chocolate & Hazelnut Cake – from £3.50
- White Chocolate Trillionaire’s Slice – from £2.50
- Crispy Festive Wreath – from £2.35
- Raspberry Trifle Loaf Cake – from £2.95
- Reindeer Muffin – from £2.35
- Christmas Tree Shortcake biscuit – from £2
- Santa Gingerbread Biscuit – from £2
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