There is no arguing that coffee is the best beverage ever discovered by man. But what if there was a way to make things a little bit better?
Well, there is an answer to that. “Flavored coffee syrups.”
Coffee syrups add flavor to your ordinary coffee.
This article is specially prepared to give you all the information that the best coffee syrups entail. We are going to cover- the coffee syrups flavors, the coffee syrups brands, how to administer the syrups, the drinks that you can make from the syrups, a buyers’ guide, and answers to the common questions on matters coffee syrups.
Let’s get going already…
Top 3 Flavored Syrups for Coffee:
Here are the top 3 best coffee syrups we are reviewing with our expert eyes to help you to make the decision to pick the best one for you.
Best Vanilla Syrup for Coffee
If you like vanilla flavor then this one will be perfect for you. Here is the top one for vanilla-
1. Monin Organic Vanilla Coffee Syrup
Vanilla, first of all, is such a versatile flavor. On one end, it pairs well with robust dark blends and on the other, it rolls nicely with a chai latte.
The organic villa from Monin is a perfect option. It has a natural taste courtesy of all-natural ingredients.
Once opened, you have a month before it goes bad. For that reason, it makes it costly if you are an occasional user.
The other challenge with it is that you have to use a lot of it to get the flavor right. This poses the hustle of it running out quickly.
Pros
- Great flavor
- No artificial ingredients
- Organic
- Versatile
Cons
- Short shelf life
- Need to use it a lot
Best Caramel Syrup for Coffee
Are you a caramel lover? Then It is an ideal choice for you.
2. Jordan Caramel Pecan Coffee Syrup
This syrup is a tasty way to sweeten your coffee or latte. The luscious and sweet caramel combined with buttery pecans is used to create a unique flavor. It is fat-free, sugar-free, and zero calories.
Pros
- Rich flavor
- Long shelf life
- Sugar and fat-free
Cons
- Good news! No Cons
Best Hazelnut Syrup for Coffee
Oh! I love hazelnut flavor. If you are too then it’s for you.
3. Torani Classic Hazelnut Syrup
The syrup works well in lattes, mochas, and iced coffees. It is sweet and tasty. This bottle comes in a 750 ml capacity. It has a delicious, refreshing classic hazelnut taste.
This syrup is made from pure cane sugar. It is best used in coffee shops and cafes.
Torani Classic is compatible with a 250 oz syrup pump for ease in dispensing and also easy to measure. Torani is specially formulated to resist curdling in milk and also hold up well under heat to make it a perfect choice for lattes and mochas.
The Torani classic hazelnut is a perfect blend of rich, toasted hazelnuts all with hints of salt and a smooth creaminess all sweetened with pure cane sugar.
Pros
- Wide range of uses
- Resistant to milk curdling
Cons
- Good news! No Cons
Best Sugar-free Coffee Syrup (For Dietary Considerations)
Are you a health conscious person like me? Then you might look for a sugar-free syrup for coffee. Here is the best one for you.
Torani Sugar-Free Coffee Syrup
This syrup has a pure vanilla taste. It is creamy. This syrup is sweetened with Splenda, and natural and fat-free and is without extra calories. It goes well with the robust flavors of dark roast coffee. The all-natural ingredients used in processing gives it outstanding characters.
It comes in a pack of four in the company of other investments that you got to be aware of.
Pros
- Great value
- All-natural ingredients
Cons
- Big upfront investment
How to Choose the Best Coffee Syrups [Buying Guide]
Before you make the decision to buy the coffee syrup, your preferred taste and flavor is just the beginning of what to consider.
Your health concerns and price, the brand, and others are the things that you will have to sift your buying decision on.
Your Preferred Taste
One man’s meat is another’s poison, they say. Depending on your taste bud’s preference, we all have an idea of what is a slice of heaven on matter’s coffee flavors.
A good idea for beginners is to have as many of the options on offer to sample. You can buy the smallest packages of the different flavors and have a swing of them on rotation. You will surely get to know that tickles your fancy and what is yuck.
Another idea to keep it safe is to try out the three brands that are universally recognized to fit that category. These are vanilla, caramel, and hazelnut.
Price
This factor almost features in every buyer’s guide list. But it goes without saying that you will stop at nothing to go for your preferred coffee syrup.
An angle to look at the price factor is that of the shelf life of the product. If you are not a frequent coffee syrup user, then it may be expensive to buy those with short shelf life. An excellent way to beat that is to buy them in small amounts or get a similar one that has a longer shelf life.
Brand
There are four major coffee syrup brands on the market. They are Davinci, Ghirardelli, Monin, and Torani.
The various products have their edges that may be the game-changer in your idea of the best coffee syrup.
It is a good idea to sample the same products of the different brands to finally settle on your best preferred.
Flavoring Syrup Applications
As much as our main attention here is mainly the coffee syrup, it is good to know that there are other applications that they can be applied depending on the type.
Here are the different syrup types:
Coffee Flavoring Syrups:- This one brags as being the most traditional coffee syrup in the market.
You only need a tad of it in your espresso, and then you get hit with the highlight of your coffee flavor.
It is also versatile enough to be used on tea to still achieve your desired flavoring too.
Cooking Syrups:- This one brags of being the most versatile. Apart from adding the tasty punch to your coffee, it can also for much more to even chicken.
This syrup is also excellent for pastries and baking items. So if baking stuff like cookies, cakes, and many more is your other liking, then it is a great tool to add to your arsenal.
Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
Concentrates:- These have the quality of being thick and containing caffeine and other relevant natural ingredients.
The setback with concentrates is that the sugars and flavors may be a bit too much for the average person’s liking.
They are, however, easy to administer and guarantee’s coffee that is unique in taste.
Mixed Drink Syrups:- This syrup is a cocktail of water, fruits, and sugar. For that reason, it has that naturally fruity flavor.
It is also the reason why it has a range of easily used drinks ranging from alcoholic beverages to fruit juices.
Sugar-Free:- This is best for those who have a medical condition. The need to deliberately look for the label.
But then again, the name syrup can be misleading. Most of the leading coffee syrups have no sugar in them, but instead, they use just natural sweeteners.
The Ingredients therein
It is a good idea to query all that is used to prepare the syrup to ensure that they are in line with what you prefer.
Some syrups have natural sweeteners and no artificial sugar. Some are high fructose corn syrup, and so on and so forth. You should mind the variety in the blends and also be ready to pay extra, but all worth it for the guarantee of health.
Mixing Behavior
The ingredients of your favorite syrup may influence the interaction with the components of your drink. In fact, some syrups may curdle the milk in your cup.
Some dissolve with ease at different temperatures. It is good to look out for how the syrups behave based on how you prefer to have your coffee.
It is a wise move, therefore, to go to the syrup that is more versatile such that it can be used in a wide range of temperatures.
Your coffee experience goes beyond your preferred flavor, so it is a good idea to find the balance.
The Desired Drink Result
As you think about your preferred flavor, think about also the drink that is going to be poured in. Different flavors go differently with different beverages, so we need to be a bit lost in our preference not to miss out on the resultant awesome drinks.
An example is for those who prefer a dark roast. A hazelnut syrup is a perfect choice. On the other hand, caramel syrup goes well with a frothed latte.
So don’t limit yourself with how far you can stretch your experimentation.
Why Add Syrup to Coffee
First of all, it is imperative to clarify that flavored coffee sauces are a whole different thing compared to the coffee syrups. You can add coffee syrups to chilled or hot coffee drinks and still attain the intended flavor. You cannot say the same with flavored sauces.
Many people prefer to add coffee syrups to their coffee instead of adding sugar. In this way, they are privileged to enjoy a variety of flavors. Using sugar only would be a bit limiting. The break in the monotony because of the different flavors is what is welcome.
You need a small amount of small good quality coffee syrup on your coffee drink, and your cup will come to life with the natural aroma of coffee.
Oh, and here is another thing about adding coffee syrups to your drinks; it stays consistent for many hours. The syrup may appear more fluid than the sauce, but it has that fantastic quality of maintaining the drink’s consistency for long.
Whether you feel like being adventurous with your coffee drink or that you want to come up with your flavored mocha from scratch, the coffee syrup is there for you. And since the syrups are always available and in their variety, you can still access your favorite. You can choose to experiment with new ones every once in a while too.
Why Should I Buy Coffee Syrup
You should buy coffee syrups because they enable you to get excellent quality coffee at the comfort and convenience of your home that you would get at your coffee shop but at a lower price.
The other good reason to buy coffee syrup is to see and be in control of what is in your favorite cup of flavored coffee.
You stand a better chance of replicating the best-flavored coffee drinks like those from your favorite coffee places using coffee syrups. Coffee sauces would be an equal option, just that it is limited to the fact that you have to use it only on warm drinks.
That’s basically it that the syrup is more versatile in terms of use with all temperatures. That makes the reason why you should buy it over the sauce.
Types of Syrups
Coffee syrups come in many tasty flavors: vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut, caramel, mint, to name but a few.
Let’s have a brief overview of some of the leading coffee syrup flavors.
1. Vanilla Syrup
Vanilla syrup offers an excellent base for espresso-based coffee drinks. There are a variety of vanilla syrups including:
- Classic vanilla syrup- This gives the pure, sweet flavor from vanilla beans.
- French vanilla syrup- Richer & creamier than regular vanilla.
- Vanilla bean syrup- Stronger flavor with warm undertones.
Vanilla, as a flavor, seems to complement everything. Coffee couldn’t be left out.
2. Chocolate Syrup
Who doesn’t like chocolate?
Chocolate syrup on a latte is indulgent and luxurious. It feels like you have a mocha. It is a slice of heaven to your morning breaks or when out with friends have a chill time.
3. Hazelnut Syrup
This is made up of sugar and roasted hazelnuts. Hazelnut lattes are popularly mildly flavored with rich undertones of hazelnut.
The roasted flavor hazelnut syrup blends well with coffee. It is a popular flavor for coffee and espresso-based drinks.
You can choose from hazelnut syrup flavors like:
- Classic hazelnut syrup- It has a rich, nutty flavor and aroma. It is commonly used in lattes and mochas.
- Toasted Hazelnut syrup- This one offers the taste of freshly roasted hazelnuts.
- Peppermint Syrup- It is sophisticated, complex, and delicious. It is perfect for flavoring coffee and most of the other holiday beverages.
4. Caramel Syrup
The caramel has a smooth, buttery, flavor with sweet notes.
The varieties are:
- Classic caramel syrup- Dark flavor with hints of brown sugar
- Creme caramel syrup- Softer and creamier flavor than regular caramel
- Salted caramel syrup- Includes hints of salt to give it a bolder flavor
Trust me, it is such an indulgent flavor when added to coffee.
5. Mint Syrup
For a long time, coffee has always been served with mint on its side.
Of late mint, mint syrups have been discovered as a flavor that has always been slept on.
6. Gingerbread Syrup
The flavor is mostly festive. It is famous for the festive season, especially Christmas time.
Coffee Syrup Brands (Best of The Bunch!)
There are many coffee syrup brands out there. Among the many to choose from, there are some which have stood the test of time in their consistency in providing variety and quality. They have actually been at the front in innovation and maintaining the freshness of the original flavors. These brands are DaVinci, Ghirardelli, Monin, and Torani.
Here is a brief overview of the best coffee syrups brands.
DaVinci Syrup
They have been committed to a quick and superior taste since 1989. DaVinci also has sugar-free syrups. Their gourmets are all-natural syrups and naturally delicious. They provide consistent quality and flavor and without artificial additives or preservatives.
Ghirardelli
This brand was formed in the early 1800s by an Italian chocolatier by the name of Domingo Ghirardelli. It grew to be a reputable brand for chocolate flavors.
Monin
The Monin brand was established by George Monin in the year 1912 in France. Their syrups maintained the premium quality standard that has stood the test of time. The company has grown to deliver to over 120 countries worldwide.
They create their syrups from natural ingredients like fruits, spices, flowers, and nuts that are selected from around the world. This ensures a fresh, pure, and consistent taste of their products.
Torani
Torani is a family-owned business that has been in existence since 1925. A couple, Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre moved to North Beach, San Francisco, from Italy and started the brand. The first mixed the syrup with sparkling water, and the rest is history. They began with 5 flavors, but now they have grown to sell over 100 different flavors distributed in over 40 countries.
This brand has been exceptionally good with classic and traditional flavors like caramel.
On the other hand, they have been experimental with new and unique flavorings. Torani was involved in the mixing of Torani syrup, espresso, and steamed milk to come up with the famous flavored caffe latte.
What Coffee Drinks Can You Make With Syrup
One cannot exhaust the list of the coffee drinks that you can whip out of syrup. You are only limited by your creativity on how far you can go to prepare one.
Below are two recipes for two drinks that you can easily prepare and enjoy.
1. Iced Vanilla Hazelnut Latte (Sugar-Free)
The fact that it is sugar-free should make you enjoy it with the peace of mind that your weight isn’t at stake. It is perfect for hot afternoons and chilling sessions.
Ingredients:
- ¼ oz sugar-free vanilla syrup
- 4 oz half/half milk and water
- ¾ oz sugar-free hazelnut syrup
- 2 oz espresso
- Sugar-free whipped cream to garnish (optional)
- 14 oz serving cup
- Ice
- Cocktail Shaker
Directions:
- Fill your cup with ice (to cool down your glass)
- Pour all the ingredients into the cocktail shaker
- Add a few cubes of ice (to help mix everything together once you shake)
- Shake the mixture well, ensuring that the lid is firmly placed. You should hear the ice hitting the top and bottom of the shaker
- Empty and replace the old ice with fresh ice (your glass should be nice and cold now)
- Pour the mixture into the serving cup
- Serve and Enjoy
2. Mudslide Latte
Beyond the funny name that it’s got, this recipe is straightforward to make. It can also be the base of any homemade latte that will be flavor infused.
To do that is by swapping the flavored syrup for your preferred one. Then use whipped cream in place of the foamed milk.
Ingredients:
- ¼ oz espresso flavored syrup
- Half ounce Irish cream syrup
- ¾ oz dark chocolate sauce
- 2 shots espresso
- 10 fl oz milk
- Whipped cream to garnish (optional)
- 15 oz serving cup
Directions:
- Apart from the milk, mix all your ingredients together in the 15 oz serving cup
- Pour your milk onto a pitcher jug and steam it using a microwave or the hot air nozzle on your espresso machine
- When satisfied with the texture of your milk, pour into the cup and add the other ingredients and stir
- Serve and Enjoy
How to Use Syrup in Coffee
You don’t need much to turn your regular coffee to the level of those from the best coffee houses in the world. All it needs is a few ingredients and the procedure and voila.
Here is the process of getting it right-
2 Tablespoons of syrup are recommended for every 8 ounces of drink.
This translates to 2 tablespoons for an 8 oz cup. 3 tablespoons for a 12 oz cup or 4 tablespoons for 16 oz cup.
How Many Tablespoons Are in a Pump of Syrup
One half of a tablespoon usually equals one pump. This then equals to a quarter (¼ Ounce)
1 pump= ½ tablespoon = ¼ ounce
So, for example, to make a vanilla latte, you will need 1 cup of coffee, 2 tablespoons of vanilla syrup, and ½ cup of milk and sugar.
Conclusion
The taste of your favorite cup of coffee may always feel like a slice of heaven. But the article has made us see that the experience can be better by adding some coffee syrup.
Further we have known the various existing brands, the best of the various popular coffee syrup brands, and all that you need to know pertaining to the coffee syrup.
If you know of any other coffee aficionado, feel free to send them the link to this article. Sharing is caring, you know.
A. I. Moon
A.I. Moon, an experienced SEO Pythonista, spends his days coding and developing web applications to help business owners. A passionate coffee enthusiast, he believes that drinking coffee fuels his creativity and productivity. His day isn't complete without the rich aroma and invigorating warmth of a perfectly brewed cup. This love for coffee inspired him to found EspressoRivo, a platform dedicated to sharing his coffee knowledge and fostering a community of passionate aficionados.
