Flavoring your coffee is a great way to change your daily drink, but syrups are loaded with calories and sugar that many want to avoid. Did you know there’s a better way to add flavor to coffee?
Flavored coffee can be a real treat as more coffee brands began to treat it the same as single-origin beans. And it’s free of calories, sugar, and additives, making it a healthier alternative to those syrup-filled coffee beverages you love.
Discover the top 8 best-flavored coffee; from classics to unique flavors that can spoil your taste buds guilt-free!
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[su_box title=”At A Glance: TOP PICKS FOR FLAVORED COFFEE” box_color=”#FF7777″ title_color=”#fcf5f6″ radius=”2″]
- BEST OVERALL: Volcanica Coffee Caramel Chocolate
- BEST MAPLE FLAVORED: Lifeboost Vermont Maple Crème
- BEST FOR PODS: Lion Toasted Coconut
- MOST UNIQUE: Cooper’s Cask Tew Rum
- BEST TO DRINK BLACK: Volcanica Crème Brulee [/su_box]
Contents
What Is The Best Flavored Coffee?
Let’s have a look at the top choices of flavored coffee.
1. Volcanica Coffee Caramel Chocolate – Best Whole Bean
Key features:
- Medium roast
- Tasting notes: sweet caramel, smooth chocolate
- Whole bean (and ground coffee)
- Kosher certified
Volcanica is one of the most popular specialty coffee brands at the moment. They pride themselves on high-quality coffee beans from all over the world. Their gourmet flavored coffee is made with natural ingredients, free of sugar, calories, allergens, and any nasty ingredients.
Their flavored coffee selection is impressive since they also offer decaf flavored coffee as well! Chocolate Caramel is simply a delicious treat you can enjoy whenever you crave something sweet, fresh, and delicious. The coffee is smooth, creamy, and perfect for all who are not that into coffee. Overall it’s a great dessert coffee. Stellar reviews claim the same.
2. Cooper’s Thomas Tew Rum – Most Unique (Best for Espresso)
Key features:
- Medium roast
- Tasting notes: Caramelized sugar, red raisins, molasses, rich cocoa, baking spices, vanilla, and oak
- Single-origin beans from Rwanda
- Whole bean or ground
Perfect for espresso and more demanding coffee lovers – especially guys who’re not into strawberry lattes and cinnamon-spiced pumpkin beverages, Cooper’s Tew Rum is definitely the most unique option on the list.
The way they flavor their coffee is by aging the beans in vintage barrels; rum, bourbon, and whiskey! This way, they get subtle flavors that add a unique touch to every single batch.
The Thomas Tew is aged in an oak rum barrel and comes with hints of molasses, rich cocoa, red raising, vanilla, and a minimal spiciness from the rum.
3. Volcanica Chocolate Crème Brulee – Best To Drink Black
Key features:
- Medium roast
- Kosher certified
- Whole beans and ground coffee
Volcanica’s Crème Brulee produces a smooth and delicious cup; it’s creamy and warm with a hint of chocolate. The best part? It can be easily enjoyed black if you wish, but it can equally handle milk and creamer. Brew it for a special holiday vibe or as a tasty pick-me-up in the afternoon.
4. Lion Coffee Toasted Coconut – Best Coconut Flavor
Key features:
- Light roast
- Tasting notes:
- Whole beans and ground coffee
- Origins: Hawaii, single-origin
Lion’s Toasted Coconut is a perfect treat for anyone who needs a bit of tropical flair in their daily cup. This light roast coffee is mild with moderate acidity. While the coconut flavor is definitely there, the coffee is mellow with hints of nutty and toasted. It’s not too sweet though.
5. Volcanica Gingerbread Flavored Coffee – Best for Cold Brew
Key features:
- Medium roast
- Tasting notes: gingerbread pastry, all-natural ingredients
- Kosher certified
- Whole bean and ground coffee
For a healthy and fragrant holiday spirit in a cup, Volcanica Gingerbread coffee makes a delicious cold brew. The coffee smells excellent and it easily transforms your home and your coffee into a holiday-themed delight.
It’s also available as a decaf for those who want to stay off caffeine, without any sacrifice to the flavor. Gift it or drink it; gingerbread fans will love it.
6. OOTGC Penn Dot Rocky Road – Best Chocolate Flavored
Key features:
- Dark medium roast
- Tasting notes: gooey marshmallow, roasted almond, and rich chocolate
- Regular and Decaf available
- Whole bean and ground options
Out of the Grey Coffee has one of the widest selections of flavored coffee on the market. If you have a sweet tooth for flavored coffee, you can easily end up browsing their website for hours. I find the Penn Dot Rocky Road to be one of the best chocolate-flavored coffee beans, but you can easily choose any other to your liking.
They divide their Flavored coffee into 5 different categories: chocolate, spice, nut, fruit, and sweet. What’s more, all of their flavored coffee beans are a blend of Colombian Supremo, Guatemala Antigua, and Costa Rican Tarrazu beans.
7. Lion Coffee Vanilla Macadamia – Best Coffee Pods
Key features:
- Single-serve
- Flavor profile: notes of vanilla with a subtle macadamia nut flavor
- Compatible with Keurig K-cup
- 12 pods per box
Lightly roasted coffee with distinctive hints of vanilla and nuttiness, these single-serve coffee pods produce a smooth taste that enables you to drink it free of creamers and sugar.
Hawaii coffee is a delicious treat for all who are ready for a macadamia surprise. This coffee won’t only make your day (without any bitterness); the aroma will fill your house and transform you straight to Hawaii with every cup you drink.
8. Lifeboost Vermont Maple Crème – Best Maple Flavored
Key features:
- Medium roast
- Tasting notes: sweet maple flavor and aroma with fresh notes of the mountains of Nicaragua
- Whole bean or ground coffee
- Single-origin, from Nicaragua
Lifeboost coffee is generally low in acidity, and their flavored collection is no exception. The beans are 100% Arabica, organic, and sustainably sourced. The coffee is mild in flavor, but smooth to drink. You can choose from whole bean or ground coffee; no matter what you choose, this is a perfect rink for fall and winter.
How to find a good flavored coffee?
Here’s the thing; not all flavored coffee is created equal. In fact, it’s important to get only high-quality beans from respectable brands for a few reasons:
Firstly, beans used for flavored coffee are likely to be of a lower quality, close to expiration, or other traits that are one way or another undesired in a coffee. By adding flavor to the beans, they dress them up and cover their faults. That means you’re getting an inferior product.
And secondly, flavored coffee often comes with a surprisingly low price tag. While it means it’s more affordable, this isn’t a good thing. Very low prices mean farmer exploitation, low-quality beans, and less sustainability.
Still, if you insist on giving a flavored coffee a try, there are a few things to consider:
- Higher price tag
I’m not saying you should spend a fortune on a bag of flavored coffee, but a $15 bag is better than $5. Paying a little extra usually means higher bean quality and sustainability.
- Arabica beans make a difference
Arabica beans produce better flavor than Robusta, but they are more delicate. Look for an Arabica blend to get the best beans for your brew.
- Pay attention to quality checks
Higher-quality coffee goes through more quality checks than lower-quality coffee. You should be able to find info about the process online.
Why Flavored Coffee?
It all started back in the 1960s when then coffee prices went through the roof and the companies couldn’t afford to buy high-quality coffee beans. Instead, they got those of lower quality and added flavor to them to mask the bitterness of coffee.
Nowadays, flavored coffee is quite popular and it adds a nice twist to a daily cup of coffee when you want to mix it up, especially if you’re trying to avoid syrups and creamers that are loaded with sugars.
But not all flavored coffee is good, so I compiled the list of solid brands you can get high-quality flavored coffee from. Keep an eye out especially for those with especially impressive flavors!
FAQ on flavored coffee
How is coffee flavored?
Normally, they use a blend of oils and spices (in some cases also a concentrated flavored syrup) to the coffee beans while they’re roasting.
Unlike syrups you add to your coffee, flavored coffee doesn’t have a higher calorie count and it’s sugar-free in most cases.
Is flavored coffee bad for you?
When used in small amounts and on occasion, flavored coffee is perfectly safe to drink (claim coffee and health experts).
Is flavored coffee caffeinated?
Yes, it is; as you can see from the options above, flavored coffee is caffeinated but comes as a decaf option as well.
Is flavored coffee keto-friendly?
Yes, flavored coffee is keto friendly because it doesn’t contain any added sugars.
Best Flavored Coffee: The Verdict
Flavored coffee is more than just a tasty treat during the holiday season. Quality flavored coffee is free of any additives, harmful ingredients, added sugars, allergens, and calories.
Since coffee is one of the most pesticide-treated crops in the world, getting high-quality beans of flavored coffee is even more important if you want the best for yourself.
The brands listed above are all safe to consume; they are strict with the production and process practices. Most of them provide organic (or certified) organic beans that are flavored naturally, without harmful ingredients. Additionally, they’re free of calories and added sugars.
Picking any one of those brands will bring a delightful treat into your kitchen, but if I had to choose one favorite, it would be Volcanica Chocolate Caramel Flavored Coffee.
Volcanica Coffee Compay strives to produce and process their coffee sustainably, with safe and effective practices; from farmers to the bag you receive. Volcanica flavored coffee is available as regular or decaf. You can choose from whole bean or ground coffee.
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