Coffee is loved by millions and the go-to drink for those who need an extra kick start in the morning. There is a huge range of coffees on the market, but have you ever thought about trying flavored coffee?
Do you like your drinks sweet? If so, flavored coffees could be the perfect choice for you, as they already have a sweetness to them, taking the edge off that bitterness. Do you like light and medium roasted coffee? Coffee with added flavoring is usually made with only light and medium roasted beans, although dark roasts are available but less common.
With so many coffee brands and flavors to choose from, it can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing the right coffee. This top 10 list of flavored coffees will help you select the best one for you. Or feel free to go wild and indulge in them all.
View The Best Flavored Coffee Below
1. Mystic Monk Coffee: Hazelnut Whole Bean
Roasted by Monks? Yep, this hazelnut flavored coffee has been roasted by Carmelite Monks in the Wyoming mountains. This gourmet coffee uses 100% arabica beans, which are infused with notes of hazelnut. The dark roasted coffee is smooth and does not have a bitter taste, which is great news for those who dislike the bitterness of coffee. It is fresh and tasty and gives a creamy finish, which will satisfy all. The 12-ounce bag contains whole beans, so you will need to grind these yourself, which will create a beautiful aroma in your home.
Pros:
+ Roasted by Carmelite Monks
+ 100% arabica beans
+ Dark roasted
+ 12 ounce-bag
+ Whole bean
Why We Liked It – This is a uniquely made dark roasted coffee that makes this an appealing choice and also the best overall flavored coffee. Made using 100% arabica beans, this is a coffee lovers dream and will light up your day.
2. Starbucks Flavored Ground Coffee
This is a fantastic variety pack from Starbucks. With three of their best flavors to try, this package will send your taste buds into over-drive. Light roast coffee is blended with all-natural flavors to create the hazelnut and vanilla flavor, while a medium roast is used for the caramel flavor.
For those with a sweet tooth, the caramel flavor will provide a delightful cup of coffee that you’ll be pleased with. It also has a hint of butter. Vanilla provides a creamier taste, while the hazelnut is more mellow.
Pros:
+ 3 flavors – caramel/vanilla/hazelnut
+ 3 x 11-ounce bags
+ Light roasted
+ No artificial flavors – all natural flavours
+ Sweet/creamy/mellow
Why We Liked It – Starbucks is a trusted and well-loved brand, making this a premium choice. With three flavors to try that range in sweetness, it provides the perfect package for someone new to coffee flavor.
3. Folgers Simply Gourmet Coffee, Caramel
With 150 years of coffee production experience, this company knows how to provide a truly satisfying light roasted coffee flavor. As with other coffees, only a natural flavor is used in this product, which provides a better all-round taste than artificial flavors do.
The coffee is roasted in New Orleans using only 100% premium arabica beans, giving this coffee a lovely taste and charming aroma. Being pre-ground makes life a little easier, and this coffee works well with many brewing methods, from the automatic drip to the french press.
Pros:
+ 10-ounce bag
+ Ground Coffee
+ 100% arabica
+ No artificial flavors – naturally flavored
+ Light roasted
Why We Liked It – This is a great value coffee from a well-established brand. No artificial flavors mean this is a very palatable light coffee and works well for many brewing methods.
4. K-Cup Flavored Variety Sampler
An amazing coffee journey is guaranteed with this product. With 40 K-cups provided from 10 different brands and with different flavors for you to try, you are sure to find your best flavored coffee. They can be used in all Keurig K-cup coffee makers. Each pod contains freshly ground coffee.
There are three Gloria Jean coffees to try. Being that they only specialize in flavored coffees, the butter toffee, hazelnut, and chocolate lava flavors are a real treat. Fancy sampling something exclusive? The Cinnabon classic cinnamon roll K-cup tastes just like their treasured cinnamon rolls, with notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, and frosting.
Pros:
+ 40 K-Cups
+ 10 different brands
+ Mix of light and medium roasts
+ 10 different flavors
+ Sweet/creamy/smooth/rich
Why We Liked It – With 40 K-cups provided in 10 different coffee flavors, it’s great to mix things up and go for something different throughout the week. It’s great for all the family.
5. New England Blueberry Cobbler Coffee
New England is a coffee that’s perfect for any time of the day. This medium roast flavored coffee contains both natural and artificial flavors. It can be enjoyed hot or cold; simply pour over ice for a delicious treat. The 11-ounce bag contains pre-ground coffee beans, which are 100% arabica. If you enjoy eating blueberry cobbler dessert, you will truly enjoy drinking this coffee. It’s sweet with a hint of spice, although not overly powerful, allowing you to drink it with ease.
Pros:
+ 100% arabica
+ Ground
+ Medium roasted
+ 11-ounce bag
+ Kosher certified
Why We Liked It – This is something a little bit different than the usual flavors. New England is a long-established brand from Boston with over 100 years of experience.
6. Seattle’s Best Coffee Toasted Hazelnut
Made from 100% arabica coffee beans from Latin America, and combined with the meticulous quality control measures throughout the process, are what gives this coffee flavor a very smooth taste. The coffee beans are ground, saving you time and energy. A sweet aromatic smell fills the room when you brew this toasted hazelnut flavored coffee, which means it’s not just pleasing on the taste buds, but it also provides a lovely smell.
Pros:
+ 12-ounce bag
+ 100% arabica
+ Aromatic
+ Ground
+ Sweet/smooth
Why We Liked It – The three-step quality control measure that this brand practices makes a smooth warming tasting flavored coffee for all to enjoy.
7. Cameron’s Flavored Cinnamon Sugar Cookie
Hand-crafted using only small-batch roasting techniques is what makes this a top gourmet coffee. The light roast coffee is incredibly smooth and doesn’t have that bitter taste, due to the quality of the coffee beans that this brand selects from around the world. It has a comforting vanilla and spice flavor and is very easy to drink. The small-batch roasting method ensures the beans are evenly roasted, and this method also reduces energy consumption.
Pros:
+ Handcrafted
+ Sustainably sourced
+ Top 10% of arabica beans
+ Small-batch roasted
+ Smooth
Why We Liked It – This is a specialty coffee, made by using the finest of coffee beans. A coffee connoisseur would truly enjoy this vanilla and spice flavor.
8. Eight O’clock Coffee Flavors of Michigan, Cherry Pie
Eight O’clock is a great tasting medium roast coffee, which is also kosher certified. The coffee beans are roasted in Maryland with added artificial flavors to give this cherry pie flavored coffee a distinct taste. This 11-ounce bag is filled with only premium 100% arabica beans and comes pre-grounded. This company has been crafting coffee for 150 years and keeps on-trend and has made the packaging of this flavored coffee modern and appealing.
Pros:
+ 11-ounce bag
+ Ground
+ Medium roasted
+ 100% premium arabica
+ Kosher certified
Why We Liked It – The sweetness of the cherry flavor works well on the palate and caters to sweet cravings. The taste is light enough to suit all.
9. Paramount Roasters Coffee
This pumpkin pie flavored coffee is perfect for those cold fall days or any time you fancy a little pumpkin fix. It’s similar to pumpkin spice flavored coffees but tastes more of the actual pumpkin than just a pumpkin spice mix.
Made using high-quality arabica coffee beans and artificial flavors, this flavored coffee also contains no carbs or sugars. The 12-ounce bag is filled with ground coffee beans by this Michigan based company. Being employee-owned means, they strive to produce the best coffee for their customers.
Pros:
+ 12-ounce bag
+ Ground
+ High-quality arabica beans
+ Kosher certified
+ Pumpkin taste
Why We Liked It – This is a great flavor coffee from this Midwest company. It’s a joy to taste the pumpkin flavor instead of just a pumpkin spice flavor, although there is a slight taste of spice.
10. Crazy Cups Flavored Ground Coffee
As with some of the other coffees on this list, there are three tantalizing flavors to indulge in. The French vanilla crème has a rich taste, while the Caribbean coconut has satisfying sweetness. This medium roast coffee is made from 100% arabica coffee beans and is kosher certified.
Only natural flavorings are used in these three coffee flavors, which also make them calorie-free. If you find these flavored coffees suitable, Crazy cups have a huge range of coffee flavors for you to sample, also available in K-cups.
Pros:
+ Three flavors – french vanilla crème/caribbean coconut/hazelnut
+ All natural flavor – No added sugar
+ 100% arabica
+ Kosher certified
+ Medium roasted
Why We Liked It – This company knows how to make a flavored coffee, and you are sure to drink them cup after cup. From French vanilla to Caribbean coconut, the coffee flavors are very pleasing and will light up your day.
Flavored Coffee Buyer’s Guide
Types of flavored Coffee
There is a wide and ever-growing range of flavored coffee available for you to purchase. The majority of brands will produce flavored coffee along with their usual offerings. This is due to the increased popularity of flavored coffee. There are many people who don’t like the bitterness of coffee, so adding a light flavor to the coffee instead provides a much sweeter and palatable taste for them. It allows them to gain a caffeine fix but with added enjoyment.
Coffee flavors range from mild to intense. Some can be overbearing, and only someone with a very sweet tooth would be able to enjoy them, while others will find them too sickly.
Flavors such as vanilla and hazelnut coffee are among the most consumed, and brands will often come up with various product descriptions such as French vanilla flavor, to make theirs stand out from the competition. Gourmet coffee producers also tap into the lucrative flavored coffee market and will craft unique flavors, such as Cameron’s flavored cinnamon sugar cookie flavor.
There are some truly unique flavored coffees available, and it’s hard to determine the best flavored coffee, as it depends on personal preference in terms of the sweetness to the creaminess.
Artificial vs. Natural Flavor
Flavored coffees contain either artificial or natural flavorings, but some contain both. Some of the more creative flavors, like the Eight O’clock cherry pie, or the Paramount Roasters pumpkin pie, are made with artificial flavors.
Artificial flavor is a synthetic made to imitate an actual real natural flavor. Some people aim to limit the amount that they consume, so if this is something you are conscious about you, may just consider having one less cup a day so that you get to enjoy the vast range that’s available. Some artificially flavored coffees contain no carbohydrates or sugars, although check the packet to ensure this. Natural flavor comes from nature, so flavor from plants or animals will fall into this category.
There are many naturally flavored coffees; Starbucks provides a bundle of three of their best coffee flavors. Also, Crazy Cups offer a mix of three to sample, including French vanilla.
Ground vs. Whole Bean
This is entirely dependant on your preference. Some people purchase whole beans as they enjoy grinding them to their liking, and also they enjoy the coffee aroma emitted while grinding. Others find it much more convenient to buy the beans already ground.
Whole beans tend to stay fresher for longer, although unless you only have the odd cup here and there then there’s no need to worry. Ground coffee is just as fresh if you store it correctly and limit the amount of oxygen it’s exposed to, so airtight containers are perfect.
Roasts
Different roasts are used in flavored coffees. Mainly light or medium roasts are favored, as they enable the added flavorings to be tasted alongside the coffee. Sweet flavors complement light or medium roasts.
If you’re looking for a dark roasted coffee, the Mystic Monk hazelnut whole bean would be your best choice.
What are the most popular coffee flavors?
Among the most popular are vanilla, pumpkin, caramel, chocolate, and hazelnut coffee.
How bad is flavored coffee for you?
When consumed in reasonable amounts, flavored coffee isn’t bad for you. Some may contain a binding agent called propylene glycol, which some people prefer not to ingest as it’s also used in the production of antifreeze. In small doses, this compound won’t affect you.
What is considered flavored coffee?
Flavored coffee is when either artificial or natural flavorings are added to the coffee beans during the crafting stages, which makes it a flavored coffee instead of just regular tasting coffee. Flavorings are generally added to either light or medium roasted coffee.
Why not use syrup instead?
You can add syrup to your coffee instead, but when there are so many flavors of flavored coffee to experiment with, then why bother? Also, it saves you from buying syrup and coffee, as it’s all in one. With syrups, you are limited to the number of flavors you can sample, whereas, with flavored coffee, there’s an abundance of coffees to indulge in, from vanilla to unique and wonderful creations like Eight O’clock’s Michigan Cherry Pie.
Some people find syrups too sweet and find coffee with flavor more light.
I don’t like coffee, would I like flavored coffee?
If you don’t like coffee due to the taste, you may like flavored coffee as they are sweeter, and you can buy ones that are incredibly sweet so you won’t taste much coffee. You may find a light roast coffee may be the best for you, so the added flavors don’t need to compete with a strong tasting roast.
Can I use flavored coffee to make a cold brew?
Yes. Many of the flavored coffees will work as a cold brew. If you choose a finely ground coffee, it will work a treat and provide you with a cooling cup of coffee, which is especially great on a hot, sunny day.
Conclusion
If you enjoy your coffee with syrup, you’ll love flavored coffee. If you don’t like coffee due to the bitterness, you may be pleasantly surprised by the various tastes from sweet to creamy of flavored coffees instead.
It’s hard to decide which is the best flavored coffee as there are so many to choose from. It’s a good idea to experiment and taste as many as possible. Not only will it be fun, but you can also enjoy a different flavored cup every day of the week.
If you enjoy a light roast coffee, many on this list are roasted in that way. There are many brands of coffee to choose from, ranging from gourmet coffee, where small-batch roasting methods are used to your general household name like Starbucks. As there are so many brands offering this type of coffee, you may find that quite a few are on the top of your list.
Do you normally add creamer to your coffee? You may like to sip on a cup of vanilla coffee, as this has a creamy flavor. Crazy Cups produce a fancy French vanilla crème, which is a medium roast. Or, if you prefer light, Starbucks offers a lovely vanilla coffee.
Looking for a bargain? Try the K-Cups package. With this one, you are sure to discover your best coffee flavor.
