If you’d like to add a bit of variety to your coffee arsenal we’d suggest adding a flavored coffee or maybe two. You don’t have to decide on just one best-flavored coffee, it’s not an exclusive relationship set-up, you can stock up on a few different ones. Don’t worry we won’t blab…
Just remember to store your favourites in a good quality coffee canister or airtight container to preserve freshness, especially if you won’t be drinking it every day.
When it comes to flavored coffee, you don’t necessarily need the best of the best coffee beans as the added flavor can add a bit of lustre to a slightly dull bean. So in terms of sustainability, a flavored coffee does have its place as not all beans harvested will be top-notch!
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Our Top Picks for Best Flavored Coffee
How Is Coffee Flavored?
Coffee is usually flavored by adding spices and oils or in some cases they will add a concentrated syrup to the beans as they are roasted. Good quality roasters tend to add natural oils to flavor coffee, but some, unfortunately still reply on Propylene Glycol, which can be a problem at high levels. For this reason, we won’t recommend brewing flavored coffee several times a day but having a cup on occasions shouldn’t be a problem. If you’d like to know more about Propylene Glycol you can read more here.
Flavored Coffee Vs Coffee Syrups
Flavored coffee is not the same as coffee syrups. Even though they both add flavor to your brew, they are two very different things.
Adding a flavored syrup to coffee will generally add a lot of calories as well, simply because these syrups have a lot of added sugar. So if you’re hoping to steer clear of sugar then flavored syrups aren’t a good choice.
On the other hand, flavored coffee is generally sugar-free so you don’t have to worry about the added calories in this case. It provides extra flavor even on a non-cheat day without the guilt!
Our Picks for the Best Flavored Coffee
1. Volcanica Creme Brulee Flavored Coffee
- Bean: Arabica
Volcanica makes a full range of flavored coffee, from Hazelnut to Jamaican Rum. So if you’d like to try good quality flavored coffee, you can get stuck into this brand for the foreseeable future.
We have mentioned Volcanica a few times, but to recap, they are a family-owned business founded in 2004. Their coffees are roasted in Atlanta Georgia in the USA. The company specialises in sourcing coffee from volcanic regions around the world as the soil in these areas produces exceptional coffee. Just think Kona coffee from the Kona district in Hawaii.
You can’t go wrong with any of these flavors, but we particularly like the creme brulee that combines French vanilla with a hint of burnt sugar and caramel.
2. Eight O’Clock Coffee Company, Vermont Maple Bourbon
- Bean: Arabica
Eight O’Clock is another coffee company that makes a range of different flavours from Hawaii Coconut Cream to Florida Berry Shortcake. But this Vermont Maple Bourbon flavored coffee is a definite favourite. It has a nice and strong flavor and will even make your house smell like delicious maple syrup. The bourbon flavor isn’t that obvious so don’t worry if you don’t like bourbon as it provides a hint that complements the maple syrup perfectly.
The company has been around for over 150 years so they are not a newbie when it comes to sourcing and roasting coffee that’s for sure.
3. New England Coffee Hazelnut Creme
- Bean: Arabica
New England Coffees are available in the US and the UK and comes in a range of flavors so feel free to explore here. The Hazelnut Creme smells absolutely divine from when you open the packet right through to the last sip. The flavor is subtle and can even be tried cold brew style for a different flavored twist.
The company has been roasting since 1916 and began in Boston MA. They roast in small batches to produce consistently balanced flavor and they’re coffees are made from 100% Arabica beans.
4. Volcanica Mint Mocha Flavored Coffee
- Bean: Arabica
Unfortunately, we can’t add all the flavors that Volcanica offer, but their Mint Mocha is absolutely heavenly. You won’t find any sugar, extra calories or allergens in this little pack. The mint mocha has a rich chocolate chip flavor with a hint of mint, making it perfect for an after-dinner treat.
5. Cameron’s Coffee Roasted Ground Coffee Highlander Grog
- Bean: Arabica
Cameron’s Coffee Highlander Grog is a combination of Rum, Butterscotch and a hint of Vanilla delivering a rich and well-rounded flavor blend. Even with this flavored coffee, you are reassured that Cameron’s only use the top 10% of Arabica coffee beans so if you’re looking for a good quality coffee with some spice you’re on the money here.
This is a good coffee minus the bitter taste even if you bulk it up and make a slightly stronger cup.
6. Seattle’s Best Coffee Toasted Hazelnut
- Bean: Arabica
Seattle’s best is made by Starbucks so you always know what to expect from this coffee if you’ve ever ventured into a Starbucks. Their Toasted Hazelnut blend is sweetly aromatic with nutty hazelnut notes.
Add a little cream and a pinch of sugar if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, but you can equally leave the sugar and milk if you choose. The flavor of this coffee works well with vegan milk such as almond as the two nutty flavors work well together!
7. Houston Blend Medium Roast Ground Coffee (pecan praline and coconut)
- Bean: Arabica
This coffee is bound to disappear quite quickly as it’s a wonderful blend of coconut flakes and pecan praline. Have it with dessert or have it as dessert, that’s up to you!
8. Fall In Love, Chocolate Marshmallow Flavored Coffee
- Bean: Arabica
Fall in Love is made by Paramount coffee, an employee-owned company that has been roasting coffee since 1935. The Fall in Love range is a collection of autumn flavors, that you can have any time of year. Their Chocolate and Marshmallow coffee makes a delicious cup of coffee, perfect for a winter treat. It’s a smooth and aromatic coffee but is seasonal so if you’d like to enjoy a cup in summer you’ll have to stock up.
Fall in Love does not contain any sugar or artificial flavorings!
9. Door County Coffee, Holiday Flavored Coffee, Jingle Bell Java
- Bean: Arabica
If you’re reading this over the festive season then you’re in luck as this bag of coffee is perfect for spicing up the holiday season. It’s a well-rounded blend of pecans with caramel, vanilla and cinnamon. Made in small batches from the top 2% of Arabica beans you’re in for a treat that’s for sure.
Sadly this coffee is only available over the holiday period so be sure to add this to your Christmas shopping list.
10. Folgers Simply Gourmet Natural Chocolate Raspberry
- Bean: Arabica
Folgers Simply Gourmet is a good value range of coffee that is flavored with natural chocolate and raspberry. The company follows sustainable sourcing practices, which is an absolute must and often something that gets overlooked with lower-priced coffees. We love that the flavoring is 100% natural with no artificial flavors.
The beans are 100% arabica and are suitable for brewing methods that require a slightly coarser grind such as drip, pour-over and French press. We wouldn’t recommend using this ground coffee in an espresso machine for example as the grind won’t be a good match.
Our Bonus Picks for Best Flavored Coffee UK
Some of the coffees listed above won’t be available in the UK, but the coffees below are some of our favourite UK specific options in addition to the list above of course.
Exclusive, Limited Edition Guinness Coffee
Limited edition coffee by Tiki Tonga Coffee Roasters and Guinness. It’s a bit of a novelty, but a great tasting one to say the least, especially if you’re a Guinness fan!
Organic naturally flavoured coffee from Belgium brand Godiva. A perfectly smooth and aromatic blend made of 100% Arabica beans. It’s not listed as Fairtrade or part of the Rainforest Alliance.
Der-Franz – Whole bean Flavoured with Natural Vanilla
A well rounded vanilla flavored coffee made from 60% Arabica and 40% Robusta beans. Der-Franz os UTZ certified as part of the Rainforest Alliance.
The Downside of Flavored Coffee
Manufacturers will often flavor coffee to mask low-quality beans. Adding the flavorings can hide issues such as beans that are close to the expiration date, a bad variety or beans that have defects.
In terms of sustainability that isn’t always a bad thing as it means that more coffee beans are being used and sold rather than discarded. However, some of the low-quality beans could be from unethical sources. This is particularly hard to navigate as it’s not always clear where unethically sourced beans are used simply because manufacturers will hide this through fancy branding and low prices.
Unethical Sourcing
Many flavored coffees are surprisingly cheap. This should be a warning sign and nudge to proceed with caution as it could mean that the beans are sourced from farmers who are paid very little for their crops. It can also mean that these coffee plants are responsible for deforestation but it’s so hard to tell as even Fair Trade coffee isn’t perfect. Overall, coffee trade is open to fraud and exploitation and it’s hard to separate the good from the bad.
We suggest when buying flavored coffee look to avoid the super cheap brands and look for companies that publish information about their production and selection process.