When looking at the history of coffee, coffee syrups are kind of a new development. They first emerged in the 1980s as a way to diversify coffee flavors. The real boom, though, happens a decade later, when in 1994 Starbucks started to offer its own coffee with syrups to choose from.
Our research team reviewed more than 20 options to see how they taste and blend with coffee and other beverages. We’ve created a list of 8 best coffee syrups that are available on the market as of now. When putting together our list, we’ve assessed not only the flavor, which is kind of obvious, but a number of other factors. For example, types of bottles were considered, as some products come in practical squeeze bottles, while others offer beautiful hard plastic or glass bottles. Our Editor’s Choice, the Torani Variety Pack, offers a deep taste to complement your chosen coffee and comes in a beautiful shatterproof bottle.
Other features: shatterproof plastic bottle, gold-standard flavors & vibrant colors
The Torani Variety Pack is an interesting way to dip your toes into the world of barista-level beverages. Torani is one of the most notable brands in the industry and they have almost 100 exciting flavors to choose from. We have chosen this product as our editor’s choice because of the high quality and variety of flavors. Torani have included four of their classic flavors; they are: vanilla, hazelnut, caramel and French vanilla. The French vanilla flavor may be the best vanilla syrup for coffee that we’ve tried and there are three other flavors to try! Simply pour a shot of the product over your brew and top off with frothy cream or warm milk. Torani syrup has a lot of flavor and it’s not too sweet but it can be quite messy and you may want to purchase a Torani Syrup Pump to prevent sticky countertop issues.
Other features: plastic bottle, come with three pumps, gluten free, kosher, non GMO, vegan
The Monin Syrup & By The Cup Pump Combo is our premium pick. Monin has been making high quality coffee syrups since 1912 and they have been exporting their syrups since the 1930’s. This is one of the top gourmet beverage brands in the world and they now have over 100 different coffee syrups flavors which they export to over 120 countries in the world. Monin produces some of the best organic coffee syrups on the market due to their rigorous attention to detail. The ingredients used in Monin coffee syrups are naturally sourced and hand picked to produce deep and consistent flavors.
Other features: hard plastic bottle, made in Southern California, 35 calories per pump, 94 pumps per bottle, free pump included
Amoretti produces some fantastic premium grade syrups that are perfect with many different types of beverages. They may produce the best chocolate syrup for coffee-based drinks and their fruit syrups work well in sodas and cocktails. Amoretti syrups are made in California with all natural flavors and a free syrup pump is included. Each Amoretti Premium Syrup is carefully designed to work well with many different types of liquids. When you use an Amoretti syrup with milk in your coffee you can be assured that the milk will not curdle. There are many natural flavors to choose from, including: French vanilla, caramel and hazelnut. Each bottle of syrup contains 94 pumps at only 35 calories per serving.
Other features: set of 3, squeeze bottle format
Ghirardelli was formed in the early 1800s by an Italian chocolatier and it has grown into one of the most recognizable brands in the industry. Ghirardelli have their own ice cream shops all over the country and they are the oldest operating chocolate maker in America. The Ghirardelli Squeeze Bottles Set is a convenient pack of three popular syrup flavors, they are: caramel, chocolate and white chocolate. The chocolate sauce is a 16oz bottle and the other two flavors are 17oz bottles. These flavored sauces have been designed for use in an espresso coffee and they are a great topping for ice cream and other desserts.
Other features: vegan, gluten-free, two pumps included, no artificial sweeteners, no artificial flavors
Upouria make health conscious flavored syrups and they may be the best latte syrups for people watching their waistlines. This two pack includes the French vanilla and caramel syrup flavors and they are made from all natural sweeteners. Each bottle is supplied with a pump to reduce the potential for sticky messes when pouring. Simply adding 1-2 pumps to your drink will elevate the taste to the next level. The bottles are quite generous and you will get plenty of flavor to add to your favorite beverages.
Other features: 12 servings per bottle
It would be impossible to talk about coffee without mentioning Starbucks. This company has revolutionized how we enjoy our favorite beverage but it’s hard to get that coffee taste at home. Now Starbucks have made their popular hazelnut syrup available. Adding two tablespoons of this syrup to your favorite freshly brewed coffee will make a world of difference. Each 12oz bottle of Starbuck coffee syrup has 12 servings which at one tablespoon per coffee delivers eight flavored coffees.
Other features: pack of 2, dairy-free, thick plastic bottle
Autocrat Coffee syrup harkens back to the days when people didn’t really care too much about the ingredients in their syrups. This product contains glucose–fructose syrup (HFCS) rather than natural cane sugars found in many other brands. This does lower the price to a more affordable level but there is no depth of taste and many coffee drinkers find it overly sweet. Of course, you could ease off on the syrup and put less in your favorite beverage but this kind of defeats the purpose of a coffee syrup in the first place. This may be fine if you like very sweet options or you need to cut through a very bitter coffee taste or you’re adding alcohol to your coffee.
Other features: no artificial sweeteners, glass bottle
DaVinci was founded in 1989 and their specialty syrups are found in gourmet coffee shops and food stores all around the world. DaVinci pride themselves on the natural ingredients used in their coffee syrups including genuine botanical extracts. This attention to detail and the lack of artificial preservatives delivers a true depth of flavor. DaVinci makes in our opinion the best caramel coffee syrup, the Hawaiian Salted Caramel syrup is made with natural cane sugar and sea salt and it tastes amazing. The quality of DaVinci syrups and the relatively low price make this syrup our best value pick.
A syrup can take your morning brew from an average cup to a café experience. However, with so many syrups on the market, it can be tricky to find the best ones. So, here we’ve created a buying guide with features for consideration and answers to some common questions to help you.
There are many types of flavored syrups on the market but they are not all ideal for use with latte or cappuccino. Every syrup on our list, however, is specifically made for that and so easy to use for making your favorite drinks at home.
Flavoring syrups are specially formulated for use in coffee-based drinks. There are sugar-free syrups that use a sweetener and others have just enough sugar to impart a sweet taste without masking the deeper flavors. There’s a wide array of options on the market to experiment with on a daily basis: for instance, try a mint or lavender syrup if you’re looking for something special.
The concentrates in the syrup are those coffee flavorings that contain some caffeine and this makes them less suitable for your java. Adding caffeine on top of the caffeine in your drink is a great way to get too much coffee flavor and a case of the jitters.
Most dessert sauces are a poor choice for adding to your favorite coffee drinks but a notable exception on our list is the Ghirardelli squeeze bottle set in our review section. These are typically perfect for adding to your ice-cream, milkshakes, desserts, and so much more. So opt for them if you’re looking for a good option to not only make delicious coffee at home, but also to have a versatile dessert topping at hand.
A sweetener syrup adds some subtle sweetness and a slight hint of caramel flavor to your java. So it’s a simple syrup that usually doesn’t contain too many unnecessary ingredients. A sugar-free coffee syrup could use agave as an alternative but this should still sweeten the drink a little without overpowering the taste that you love.
With so many options on the market, it can be tricky to choose a quality product. So, here we’ll look at some of the important features to consider before you make your purchase decision.
It’s important to think carefully about the drinks that you want to add your flavored syrups with. A lighter or darker roast will determine the flavors that work best with those beverages.
Generally speaking, a darker roast would be complemented with a hazelnut flavored syrup. A lighter roast or a frothy latte would go well with caramel flavor such as the DaVinci Hawaiian Salted Caramel syrup.
However, there are no hard and fast rules and taste is subjective so feel free to experiment and who knows what taste combinations you might find.
Many people are watching their waistline and they don’t want to consume large quantities of sugar in their drinks. As we’ve already mentioned there are sugar free alternatives on the market but this isn’t the only concern. We’ve all heard about the consumption of high fructose corn syrup and how it can damage our health. Some budget syrups do use corn syrup and if you want to avoid it altogether this will cost more. The Torani Variety Pack is a great entry point into the world of better quality syrups that are made from natural ingredients (pure cane sugar) and are packed with flavor. If you like intense flavors and you’re concerned about your health it’s worth paying a little extra to get the superior syrup.
Let’s face it, most people are creatures of habit and if they find something that they like they tend to gravitate towards it whenever possible. This is equally applicable to the taste of your favorite beverage and the syrups that you like to use. But, if you’re feeling more adventurous there are hundreds of flavors to explore. Of course you will always have your favorites but you might want to try the The Monin Syrup & By The Cup Pump Combo range of syrups to broaden your horizons a little. If you have more than one favorite option you can try different flavors to suit your mood, the time of day and the season.
Depending on the exact syrup that you purchase you’re only likely to use 1-3 pumps in each cup of coffee. Syrup bottles are 12oz or more and this typically supplies you with around 8-12 cups. If you only drink a flavored coffee as an occasional treat you need to consider the expiration date. Some syrups such as the Starbucks Coffee Syrup can be stored outside the refrigerator and others cannot. If you’re going to use it daily though, this is less of a concern because you will cycle through the product at a faster rate.
Premium syrups such as the Amoretti Premium Syrup are more expensive than some cheaper alternative products. So, when you choose a syrup for your coffee collection it’s important to determine the relative value of each syrup before making your purchase. Many coffee syrups come in different sized bottles so it can be hard to work out their real cost. Always consider the net weight of a bottle of syrup and this will help you to make an informed purchasing decision.
For most of us the price of things really matters and most of us tend to shop to the best offers available when planning meals for the week. This makes good economic sense but let’s face it, we all have our little luxuries that are not really essential. This can be a favorite chocolate bar or some other treat that just seems to make the week go a little easier. This is especially true when it comes to coffee and most of us have our favorite brands and roasts that we want to drink. Adding a good quality coffee syrup with some hot frothy milk or cream can take your coffee to the next level. But, the old adage “you get what you pay for” will always ring true.
The best coffee syrups such as The Monin Syrup do cost more. But, they are superior products made with natural ingredients and they simply taste better than many of their less expensive rivals. However, when you spend good money on a coffee syrup it’s important that you get the best out of that purchase. A coffee syrup has a finite shelf life, they can go bad quickly and if you’re not using them regularly this can be a concern. If you know you’re going to use the syrup rarely, make sure to get a product with a long shelf life after opening or opt for a smaller bottle. There are plenty of coffee syrups on the market and you’re sure to find the right one to suit your needs.
As you can see, there are some fantastic coffee syrup brands on the market. From the premium grade Amoretti, which uses all-natural flavors to the high quality Monin syrup, which is vegan and offers superb depth of flavor. However, the stand out as the best coffee syrups is our editor’s choice, then Torani Variety Pack.
This fantastic pack combines four classic Torani flavors, so you can create a genuine coffee shop experience, making lattes, chilled coffees and other tasty beverages in the comfort of your own home. While it is best to buy a pump for your Torani syrup to avoid making a sticky mess, these syrups have an incredible depth of flavor that will enhance the characteristics of your favorite drink.
