A-to-Z List of Popular Coffee Syrups and How to Use Them
Sep 27, 2024
When it comes to enjoying a cup of coffee, everyone has their preferences. Some like it dark, hot, and bitter. Others prefer extra-sweet flavored coffee with a hint of their favorite treat-like essences. If you fall into the latter category, you’ve got to try adding a flavor syrup to your coffee.
Whether you drink a daily cappuccino or want to make a sweet frappe at home for special occasions, a few pumps of your chosen syrup will take your beverage from drab to delicious. Indulge your sweet tooth and find inspiration on how to use coffee flavor syrups in your at-home beverages with this A-to-Z list.
What Are Coffee Flavor Syrups?
Flavor syrups for coffee are essentially a liquified version of sugar that are elevated with different flavor essences sourced from around the world. These can be used in just about anything, from flavored coffee and tea to cocktails, baked goods, and more. Each one is highly concentrated, so that each flavor can shine through loud and clear no matter the vessel.
How Are Coffee Flavor Syrups Made?
Almost all coffee flavor syrups are made by dissolving sugar in hot water until it’s fully incorporated. Then, manufacturers will add natural or artificial flavorings to give each one its signature taste, whether it be vanilla beans, peppermint extract, or pumpkin spice.
What is the Difference Between a Coffee Flavor Syrup and a Sauce?
When you shop for the perfect methods for flavoring your coffee from small local shops, you’ll find that there are two options. Flavored syrups, which are a thin liquid used for sweetening and flavoring coffee, can be easily mixed in any drink to give an even distribution of flavor. The sauces, which are usually a bit thicker, are reserved for heavier drinks like mochas or for adding an aesthetic embellishment like a caramel drizzle to the top or inside of a cup.
Why People Love Using Syrups to Flavor Their Coffee
If you take a look behind the bar of your local coffee shop, you’re sure to see a few bottles of flavor coffee syrups stacked near the espresso machine. That’s because over 32% of the population enjoys a little sweetness in their hot cup of caffeine! Adding a few to your morning routine makes waking up all the more fun.
Coffee prices are increasing, so why wouldn’t you get your money’s worth with a coffee flavor syrup? Some people choose to add a pump of vanilla to make the traditional bitter taste of flavored coffee beans more palatable. Others choose a pumpkin spice or peppermint throughout the year to add a seasonal twist to their everyday beverage. Versatile, curatable, and oh-so-delicious, almost everyone has a flavor they love.
Pro tip: if you want a subtly flavored coffee drink without the sugar, consider buying a pound of flavored coffee! These beans are roasted with different essential oils to give them a slight essence of vanilla, chocolate, maple, and more and can be brew any which way.
A-to-Z List of Our Most Popular Flavored Coffee Syrups and Sauces
Discover a few of the most popular flavor coffee syrups on the market and find inspiration for your own specialty drinks:
Almond Orgeat Syrup
Almonds are one of the most powerfully flavored nuts—so why not add that essence to your coffee? The almond syrup is a great way to add a lightly sweetened, nutty aroma to any beverage, hot or cold. If you pay attention to the top notes, you may get the slight citrus orange flavor that orgeat, another type of almond syrup, is known for.
Amaretto Flavored Syrup
Amaretto syrup, which is not to be confused with plain almond syrup, offers a more complex almond-caramel cookie flavor. It’s known for its slight bitterness and bright cherry aroma, similar to the cocktail it’s named after. With nutty, sweet, and honey-like apricot top notes, this flavor coffee syrup is a great option for those with adventurous taste buds.
Blackberry Flavored Syrup
With a deeply purpled hue and a soft and sweet flavor profile, blackberry syrup is the star of the show in any drink you add it to. Surprisingly refreshing, that sweet-tart, fruity flavors pair well with toasty medium roasts and rich dark roasts to create a complex cup of coffee. Many people keep a bottle around to add vibrant color to their lemonades and cocktails as well as their lattes!
Caramel Flavored Syrup
Caramel syrup is considered a household classic for a reason. With a buttery smooth mouthfeel and a satisfyingly sweet kick, caramel syrup pairs beautifully with any coffee beverage, balancing any bitter or acidic notes with a milky molasses flavor. Consider mixing it with another flavor of coffee syrup to make an even more complex drink!
Caramel Flavored Sauce
Caramel sauce takes the unforgettable flavors of the syrup to the next level with an indulgent texture. Add a drizzle of this sauce to the rim of the glass for a beautiful drip-down effect in your caramel macchiato or melt it into your autodrip coffee for a smooth and sweet treat. Adding the sauce version will make your drink or dessert even creamier.
Coconut Flavored Syrup
If you find yourself dreaming of vacation destinations over your morning cup of coffee, it’s time to bring the beach to you with an authentically flavored coconut syrup. With subtle top notes of creamy vanilla and an overall strong, sweet, and nutty flavor, coconut flavor coffee syrup adds a level of tropical taste to any beverage.
Dark Chocolate Syrup
What do you get when you combine the slightly bitter taste of a high percentage chocolate with the sweet purity of cocoa beans? A deeply decadent dark chocolate syrup! This dairy-free alternative is the next best thing to melting an actual bar of chocolate in your beverage, whether that be a lightly sweetened mocha or a milkshake.
Dark Chocolate Sauce
With a velvety smooth feel and a luxuriously rich taste, the dark chocolate sauce is a more decadent version of the syrup. A single pump of this popular sauce adds a tantalizingly bitter and strong cocoa flavor to your drink. It also adds a creamy element to any beverage, taking any hot or iced mocha, frappe, or drizzled topping to the next level.
Hazelnut Flavored Syrup
Hazelnut syrup is a must-have for any home coffee station. With caramelized nutty notes that balance any type of roast, this syrup is one of the most timelessly popular ways to get flavored coffee. Consider adding this as a secondary flavor coffee syrup to a mocha for a Nutella-inspired taste or to vanilla for a classic combo.
Irish Cream Flavored Syrup
With Irish cream syrup, you can enjoy all the mouthwatering flavors of Irish cream liquor—without the actual whisky! Add a pump or two to your favorite coffee beverage and discover a layered flavor profile of chocolate, vanilla, and alcohol-like sweetness with each sip. Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg to enhance the whisky-inspired spices even further.
Maple Spice Flavored Syrup
The only thing better than the scent of maple syrup in the morning is that same essence added to your coffee! Maple spice syrup combines the warmth of maple with subtle spicy hints of ginger to bring breakfast-in-bed vibes straight to your senses. Add it on its own to any latte, cold brew, or French press coffee, or mix it with vanilla for an extra-sweet flavor.
Mint Flavored Syrup
Mint syrup is great for anyone who enjoys a subtle spearmint flavor in their drinks. Not quite as forward as peppermint and a touch sweeter, our mint flavored coffee syrup offers a refreshing and delicate taste in any coffee-beverage. Add it to anything, from your everyday iced coffee to a mint julep cocktail.
Peppermint Flavored Syrup
Enjoy a strong, classic shot of mint with peppermint syrup. Even one small pump has a refreshing, almost cooling effect on the tongue. This flavor becomes especially popular around the holidays, when peppermint hot chocolate, mochas, and cocktails pop up everywhere.
Pumpkin Spice Flavored Syrup
There is nothing that screams autumn quite like a warm, sweet pumpkin spice syrup. With this new and improved recipe, you can transform any coffee or tea beverage into an autumnal delight. Enjoy notes of spicy cinnamon, sweet nutmeg, and bright ginger in each sip of your seasonal drink.
Pure Cane Flavored Syrup
If you have a bit of a sweet tooth but don’t love additional flavor in your beverages, pour in a shot of pure liquid cane sugar. With a clear hue and a lack of aroma, this is the most basic coffee flavor syrup around. Specifically formulated to instantly dissolve in both hot and iced drinks, this is a must for all households.
Raspberry Flavored Syrup
With a beautiful, deep red color, raspberry syrup is the mouthwatering balance between sweet and tart. With a gourmet flavor profile that’s not too fruity and not too sweet, adding a pump of this rich flavored coffee syrup will elevate any drink, from cocktails to coffee and more.
Salted Caramel Flavored Syrup
The only thing that makes caramel even better? Adding a touch of salt! Salted caramel syrup is a sophisticated choice that balances the sweet decadence of a caramel treat with a complementing sprinkle of salt for endless beverage options. Pour some into a hot chocolate, latte, or chai for an unforgettable seasonal drink.
Vanilla Flavored Syrup
Vanilla syrup is just about everyone’s go-to choice at a coffee shop—and with good reason! Made with pure Madagascar vanilla extract, a few pumps of this flavored coffee syrup adds a smooth, rich sweetness that’s practically to die for. Mix it with other fruity or chocolatey syrups for unique blends in any coffee, cocktail, or baked good you can dream of.
What is a Good Sugar-Free Alternative to Flavored Syrups?
If you’re looking for a zero-calorie, sugar-free way to sweeten up your coffee beverages, you’re in luck: most popular coffee flavor syrup brands carry at least a couple of sugar-free options. Many are sweetened with sucralose and erythritol, a plant-based substitute, to provide a balanced taste. Buy one or more of these popular flavors and enjoy a rich taste with no sugar whenever you want:
How Much Syrup Should You Add to Your Coffee?
The amount of syrup you add can depend on a variety of factors, from your own personal taste preferences to the size of the mug and more. When setting up your coffee flavor syrup station, choose whether you’re going to add a syrup pump to each bottle or use ounce-shot glasses for measurements.
While it may take some experimenting to find your perfect ratio, you can start with these common amounts:
- 8 oz: 1 pump or ½ oz
- 12 oz: 2 pumps or 1 oz
- 16 oz: 3 pumps or 1 ½ oz
- 20 oz: 4 pumps or 2 oz
- 24 oz: 5 pumps or 2 ½ oz
When Should You Put the Syrup into Your Coffee?
The short answer—whenever is most convenient to your routine. If you’re heating up milk for, say, a cappuccino or a latte, it’s recommended that you add the shot of flavor coffee syrup into your pitcher before steaming to fully incorporate the flavor into your beverage. Otherwise, you can pour it directly into your normal or CBD-infused coffee as is. Just remember to stir it in before taking your first sip!
3 Ways to Display Coffee Flavor Syrups
Collecting all of your favorite syrups to create flavored coffee for every season is just part of the fun. When it comes to showing them off on your coffee bar, it’s time to get creative. Try one of these three tried-and-true methods for yourself:
- Buy aesthetically pleasing glass bottles and label each one with a label maker before filling
- Invest in an angled bottle display rack so you can see your entire collection
- Store your everyday favorites on a lazy Susan for quick rotating and grabbing as you brew
From tart and sweet blackberry to warm and buttery caramel and everything in between, there’s a flavored coffee syrup for everybody. Whether you prefer regular or flavored coffee beans, you can always spruce up your daily caffeine with a delicious syrup or sauce! Stock up on all your favorites and change the way you enjoy coffee for good.
