9 Best Coffee Syrups for the Tastiest Coffee in 2023

What to Consider when Buying the Best Flavored Syrup for Coffee?

Before we dive into the best-tasting coffee syrup brands and flavors, we want to share a few key things to consider before you choose your coffee’s next sidekick!

These factors will dictate which brand and which flavor(s) will suit you best…

So make sure you don’t skip this section.

Choose the Right Type of Flavored Syrup

First and foremost, you need to know that not all syrups are the same!

Coffee syrup flavors are formulated for coffee drinks. These syrups are made to dissolve in both hot and cold beverages.

But how different or similar are coffee syrups to cocktail syrups, cooking or baking syrups, and sauces?

Well…let’s go over the different kinds of syrup and learn the differences!

Cocktail Syrups

Cocktail syrups are quite similar to coffee syrups in texture and appearance.

However, cocktail syrups do not bode well with hot beverages such as coffee. They also tend to be quite sugary to balance out the flavor of spirits.

Cooking Syrups

Cooking syrups are meant for marinades as a sweetening or flavor enhancer. They are usually thicker and their flavor is more intense than coffee syrup. That’s because the syrup tends to reduce when heated, enhancing the flavor of your dish.

We don’t recommend adding cooking syrup to your coffee as most are not appropriate. If you have one handy at home, you could try it, but good results are not guaranteed!

Dessert Sauces

Sauces have a thicker consistency than syrups and they can be used in cooking, baking, coffee, and sometimes in cocktails.

Most of the time they are used as a topping, for instance, caramel drizzle on top of your whipped cream or caramel macchiato.

They usually don’t go well in cold coffee drinks as they won’t dissolve properly.

These are a hit-and-miss when it comes to mixing with coffee.

Choose the Right Sweetener

Yes, all coffee syrups are sweet but not all of them are sweetened the same way. So another important thing to check for is the type of sweetener being used.

Especially if you are a health-conscious person!

The most common types of sweeteners used in coffee syrups are:

• Granulated or White Sugar: Typically made from refined cane or beet juice, this type of sugar is considered neutral.
  
  
• Brown Sugar: Consists of granulated sugar with some remaining impurities such as molasses. Oftentimes, molasses are added to enhance the color and flavor. Use brown sugar if you are looking to add molasses flavors to your coffee.
  
  
• Corn Syrup: As the name suggests, this sweetener is derived from corn. It’s made from both fructose and sucrose and is similar to table sugar in terms of taste and health effects. I recommend avoiding high fructose corn syrup.
  
  
• Cane Sugar: this is amongst the healthiest and most delicious ways to sweeten coffee syrups. Unrefined cane sugar also contains minerals and antioxidants.
  
  
• Artificial sweeteners: the most common artificial sweeteners are aspartame and sucralose. These sweeteners have zero calories; they activate the sweet receptors in the tongue but cannot be broken down by the body. These sweeteners are several hundred times sweeter than sugar so bulking agents are used. These tend to have an insignificant amount of calories.

Check the Ingredients

Make sure you check the ingredients!

As you’ll see in our recipe below, syrups for coffee should only have a few ingredients. If you see a long list of unpronounceable ingredients, stay away from these products.

Also, make sure you check the type of sweetener used. This becomes important if you are following a specific diet such as Keto, or if you suffer from diabetes.

Finally, check for preservatives. Common examples include citric acid, potassium sorbate, or sodium benzoate. These are not necessarily bad - they keep your syrup fresh for longer.

Some brands do not have any preservatives which is great (fewer chemicals going into your body). On the flip side, coffee syrups without preservatives have a shorter shelf life.

Check the Bottle Design

The bottle itself might seem like a tiny detail but it’s a fairly important one!

Syrups are sticky. You definitely don’t want it dripping down the bottle and gluing it to your kitchen cupboard. That would be highly infuriating, especially if you just woke and need coffee, and just touched that bottle (sticky hands anyone?)

So it’s important to select a coffee syrup with an airtight design that is drip-proof. This will also keep your syrup fresher for longer and will avoid cross-contamination.

You will find bottles made of plastic or glass. I prefer using glass as it’s more environmentally friendly and can be reused.

Some bottles include a pump, which is very handy to consistently measure your syrup without any messes. However, a pump tends to shorten the shelf life of the syrup as it's not exactly airtight.

Choose Coffee Syrup Flavors You Will Use

To start, I recommend selecting classic coffee syrups flavors such as vanilla, hazelnut, or caramel. These will be most useful to you because they pair well with most drinks.

Also, plan for the season!

Seasonal syrups such as pumpkin spice or mint chocolate are more difficult to replicate at home and are not always available for purchase.

Check the Syrup Concentration

Some syrups brands are more concentrated than others.

Besides trying them, a good way to check the potency of coffee syrup is by checking how much sugar per unit of volume there is.

For example, Monin tends to have pretty potent syrups. A Monin vanilla syrup has 23 grams of sugar per 1 oz, whereas the Torani equivalent has 20 grams of sugar per 1 oz of liquid.

Obviously, this does not work if you are looking at sugar-free syrups!

What are the Best Coffee Syrups?

Okay, here we go! Now that you know a bit about how to choose coffee syrups, let's get into our top coffee syrups list.

Check out our overviews below and click on "Read More" to jump down to the in-depth reviews:

no. 1

Torani Variety Pack of 4 (Caramel, French Vanilla, Vanilla & Hazelnut)

Best Overall

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• Sweetened with pure cane sugar
• 4 Classic natural flavors 
• 2-year shelf life
• Good value
• Cost: approx. $0.31 per oz

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no. 2

Monin Salted Caramel Syrup

Premium Coffee Syrup Pick

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• Natural flavors and sweetened with pure cane sugar
• No artificial preservatives but a shorter shelf life
• USDA Organic, Vegan, gluten-free & Kosher
• Highly concentrated
• Environmentally and socially responsible company
• Cost: approx. $0.59 per oz

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no. 3

Ghirardelli Sauce 5-Flavor Variety Pack

Best for Presents

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• 5 premium sauces in a squeeze bottle
• Delicious with coffee and desserts
• Ideal gift: comes with a burlap gift bag for special occasions
• 3-month expiry date
• Cost: approx. $0.52 per oz

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no. 4

DaVinci Gourmet Classic Vanilla Syrup

Best Value

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• Naturally sweetened with cane sugar
• Can be used in hot and cold beverages
• Kosher-Pareve certified
• Excellent value
• Cost: approx. $0.21 per oz

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no. 5

Starbucks Authentic Flavoring Syrup (Vanilla)

Best for Starbucks Fans

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• Naturally flavored
• Make Starbucks-like coffee drinks with this pack
• Includes pump but also available without it
• Long shelf life
• Cost: approx. $0.95 per oz (with pump)

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no. 6

Amoretti Premium Syrup Cajeta

Best Unique Flavor

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• Unique Cajete (Mexican caramel)
• Natural flavors
• Goes well with breakfast pastry (but just a tad!)
• Includes pump
• Cost: approx. $0.80 per oz (with pump)

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no. 7

Torani Holiday Syrup Flavors (Gingerbread, Pumpkin Spice and Toasted Marshmallow)

Best for the Holidays

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• Enjoy the Holidays with this 3-pack from Torani 
• Sweetened with pure cane sugar
• Naturally flavored
• Good value
• Cost: approx: $0.28 per oz

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no. 8

Jordan’s Skinny Syrups Trio Pack (Vanilla, Hazelnut and Caramel)

Best Sugar-Free

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• 0 calories, 0 sugar, and 0 carbs
• Kosher, Gluten-free, and Keto-friendly
• Good value
• Cost: approx: $0.37 per oz

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no. 9

Upouria Alert Functional Syrup

Best for Alertness

Read More ⇒

• Contains ginseng which helps fight fatigue 
• This syrup makes your coffee a high source of Vitamin C and B12
• Vegan, Kosher, and Gluten-free
• No artificial flavors
• Cost: approx: $0.71 per oz

Check Price

Now stick around so you can learn more about each product we mentioned and what you should look for when you're shopping for one!

1. Torani Variety Pack of 4 (Caramel, French Vanilla, Vanilla & Hazelnut)

Best Overall

We have selected the Torani Variety Pack as our best overall coffee syrup because it contains four classic natural flavors that are sweetened using pure cane sugar - all for a very reasonable price!

This pack contains four classic flavors: caramel, french vanilla, vanilla, and hazelnut. This is more than enough to level up your coffee game and suit all preferences.

By the way, Torani is one of the most reputable syrup manufacturers, offering over 100 naturally-flavored syrups across the globe.

One thing we should note though is that their classic hazelnut syrup contains some artificial flavors (we checked the ingredients).

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup set is $0.31 per ounce making it a good value coffee syrup.

Torani Variety Pack of 4 (Caramel, French Vanilla, Vanilla & Hazelnut)

View at Amazon

2. Monin - Caramel Syrup, Natural Flavors

Premium Coffee Syrup Pick

Monin are the crème de la crème when it comes to coffee syrups. This divine caramel flavor syrup will elevate your coffee to another dimension!

Made with quality ingredients, this Monin syrup is USDA organic, gluten-free, and kosher. It’s sweetened with pure cane sugar and contains no artificial flavors or preservatives.

Note that this is one of the more concentrated organic coffee syrups so I would start with a small serving first and then adjust.

Monin has developed environmentally friendly initiatives to minimize their impact. These include Syrup to Support Bee Colonies, Clean-In-Place (CIP) System /Wastewater Treatment Process, and Responsible Recycling.

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup is $0.59 per ounce, making it on the expensive side.

Monin - Caramel Syrup, Natural Flavors

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3. Ghirardelli Sauce 5 Flavor Variety Pack

Best for Presents

This versatile 5-flavor Ghirardelli sauce set features the classic vanilla flavor as well as more sumptuous flavors such as caramel sauce, black-label chocolate, sea salt caramel, and white chocolate.

They are packaged in elegant squeeze bottles which make it easy to add some splash of flavor to your coffee. To finish things off, this set comes with a sustainable burlap gift sack, making it the perfect present for your coffee-nerd friends (or yourself!).

This set is made up of “sauces” which makes them versatile. Feel free to add them to your coffee and pancakes!

In terms of cons, the bottles have a shelf life of only 3 weeks once opened as per the manufacturer. So open one chocolate sauce at a time!

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup is $0.52 per ounce, making it a bit expensive.

Ghirardelli Sauce 5 Flavor Variety Pack

View at Amazon

4. DaVinci Gourmet Classic Vanilla Syrup

Best Value

Who said coffee syrup needs to be expensive?

This DaVinci Gourmet classic vanilla delivers value without sacrificing quality. At a cost of only about $21 for 102 oz (3 liters) of syrup, this delicious coffee syrup is the most cost-effective one on this list.

And don’t worry, it’s naturally flavored and sweetened with pure cane sugar. It holds well in both hot and cold drinks, plus it’s Kosher-Pareve certified and Keto-friendly.

The only con is that the vanilla flavor is a bit overpowered by the sweetness. If you want to taste more Vanilla, you’d need to add more syrup which for some, it would make your coffee drink too sweet.

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup is $0.21 per ounce making

DaVinci Gourmet Classic Vanilla Syrup

View at Amazon

5. Starbucks Authentic Flavoring Syrup (Vanilla)

Best for Starbucks Fans

Are you a Starbucks fan but your wallet hurting from ordering so much?

Yes, adding a pump of syrup to your coffee at Starbucks costs an additional $0.80. Initially, this may not seem like much, but if you order this daily, the cost balloons to almost $300 worth of syrup per year.

Ouch!

Thankfully you can buy Starbucks coffee syrups and recreate your favorite Starbucks drinks at home, from iced coffees to fancy TikTok-inspired drinks!

They are naturally flavored and quite sweet. We recommend this Vanilla flavor because it goes well with most drinks, from a flat white to an iced Americano. But feel free to browse other classic flavors such as caramel, hazelnut, or toffee nut.

Even though this particular syrup includes a pump, it’s quite expensive.

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup is $0.95 per ounce making it the most expensive syrup on this list.

Starbucks Authentic Flavoring Syrup (Vanilla)

View at Amazon

6. Amoretti Premium Syrup, Cajeta

Best Unique Flavor

Do you want to try something different?

Then we recommend this luxurious cajeta syrup by Amoretti. Cajeta is Mexican caramel, which is made by mixing goat milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.

The premium syrup is naturally flavored and sweetened, and it’s highly concentrated. The recommended serving size is only 8 mL or about 1.6 tsp. This is equivalent to 1 pump, which is included with this bottle. For reference, the serving size of the Starbucks syrup above is 30 mL! So this Amoretti syrup will go a long way.

You can use it in both hot and cold drinks, plus it’s gluten-free and Kosher. Looking at the label, this syrup has no preservatives. This is good, but also keep in mind that its shelf life will be shorter. Amoretti states on their site state a shelf life of 8-12 months which is decent.

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup is $0.80 per ounce making it expensive.

Amoretti Premium Syrup, Cajeta Flavor

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7. Torani Holiday Syrup Flavors (Gingerbread, Pumpkin Spice, and Toasted Marshmallow)

Best for the Holidays

Another Torani coffee syrup makes it to this list! This is not surprising given that their products are usually cheaper than the competition without sacrificing pure cane sugar and natural flavoring.

Also, their syrups last for up to 2 years, making this Torani Holiday 3-Pack perfect for the Holidays!

Let’s face it, you’re not going to use all of that syrup in one season, right?! So it better last until the next season - after all, who wants gingerbread-flavored coffee in the summer?

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup is $0.28 per ounce making it a great value purchase.

Torani Holiday Syrup Flavors (Gingerbread, Pumpkin Spice, and Toasted Marshmallow)

View at Amazon

8. Jordan’s Skinny Syrups Trio Pack (Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Caramel)

Best Sugar-Free

Are you on a diet but like your coffee sweet?

If that’s you, I recommend Jordan’s Skinny Syrups. They specialize in making sugar-free syrups with 0 calories and 0 carbs! So their syrups are keto-friendly, but also gluten-free and Kosher.

I like classic flavors so I recommend this trio-pack featuring Vanilla, Hazelnut, and Caramel flavors. But if you prefer other flavors make sure to browse their syrups - they’ve got a huge collection of sugar-free coffee syrups!

In terms of cons, it’s difficult to replicate the delicious flavor of pure cane sugar on a sugar-free coffee syrup. This syrup won’t taste as good as others on this list but is zero sugar and guilt-free!

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup is $0.37 per ounce making it a good value purchase.

Jordan’s Skinny Syrups Trio Pack (Vanilla, Hazelnut and Caramel)

View at Amazon

9. Upouria Alert Functional Syrup

Best for Alterness

Here’s something different for you all: enter the Upouria Alert Functional Syrup!

If you like to start your day with a bang then I highly recommend this syrup. Infuse your coffee with this syrup which is a high source of Vitamins C and B12 and contains ginseng extract for an added boost of energy.

In some studies, ginseng has been shown to help fight fatigue (1) and enhance cognitive function (2).

For comparison purposes, the cost of this syrup is $0.71 per ounce making it an expensive syrup. However, it includes a pump.

Upouria Alert Functional Syrup

View at Amazon

Try These Delicious Coffee Recipes with Flavored Syrups

Hot or Iced Coffee With Vanilla Syrup Recipe

Here’s a very simple vanilla coffee recipe - a perfect way to start your morning since it requires low effort!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of coffee
  
  
• ½ cup of milk
  
  
• 1-2 tbsp of vanilla syrup
  
  
• 1 small pinch of salt
  
  
• Ice cubes (optional)

Preparation Instructions

1. Brew coffee, add the vanilla syrup and the salt. Stir until the salt is dissolved.
   
   
2. Heat the milk in the microwave or froth the milk.
   
   
3. Slowly add to your coffee and stir

Tips

• When microwaving the milk, make sure you stop every so often and stir to avoid hot spots.
  
  
• If you have a thermometer, measure the temperature of the milk. Milk is at its sweetest between 60 and 65 degrees Celsius (140 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit).
  
  
• Make an iced coffee with vanilla Syrup by first adding ice to a glass and then pouring the coffee.

Cappuccino With Almond Syrup Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 shots of espresso
  
  
• 1-2 tbsp of almond syrup
  
  
• ½ cup steamed milk

Preparation Instructions

1. Pull a double espresso shot into a serving cup.
   
   
2. Add the almond syrup to the espresso and stir.
   
   
3. Steam milk in a pitcher whilst introducing enough air for a frothy texture.
   
   
4. Add about half of the milk to the serving cup with the espresso mix, and then spoon the remaining milk foam.

Tips

• Check our perfect espresso shot guide to learn how to pull an espresso shot.
  
  
• If you don’t have a milk frother, heat the milk in a mason jar (leaving some space). Once hot, put the lid on and shake. Be careful not to burn yourself!

How to Make Your Own Coffee Syrup at Home

Coffee syrups can be expensive, especially if you need just a bit for a special occasion.

So instead of buying a whole bottle, why not make your own?

No worries, it does not take long. Making coffee syrup is one of the simplest recipes you can make at home.

Here is a simple vanilla syrup recipe to try!

Homemade Vanilla Syrup

Learn how to make a delicious vanilla coffee syrup with this recipe. We think this is a great recipe to learn as a base because the vanilla flavor goes well with most coffee drinks.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of sugar
  
  
• 1 cup of filtered water
  
  
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  
  
• 1 small pinch of salt

Preparation Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vanilla extract and salt.
   
   
2. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to boil.
   
   
3. Cook for 1-2 minutes and set aside to completely cool.
   
   
4. Store the mixture in a jar.
   
   
5. Add 1-2 tsps to your coffee and enjoy!

Tips

• We recommend you use filtered water for a cleaner tasting syrup!
  
  
• Use high quality vanilla extract. Don’t cheap out on this or else your syrup might have a chemically unpleasant taste. Plus, a bottle of vanilla extract goes a long way!
  
  
• Once you’re comfortable with this recipe you should try different variations! Try using a different type of extract such as almond extract, or try using brown sugar.
  
  
• You can also make fruit-flavored syrups. Simply follow the recipe above, but swap the vanilla extract with 1-2 cups of blended berries. Make sure you strain the blended berries before adding to the saucepan. Nobody wants berry seeds in their cup of joe!

History of Coffee Syrups & Worldwide Popularity

Coffee Syrups History

The first coffee syrup takes us back to the 1930s in Rhode Island. Back then, corner drugstores wanted to create a new drink specifically for children. They came up with a mixture of coffee and sugar reduced into a thick syrup. This syrup would be added to a glass of cold milk to make a sweetened coffee drink.

How things have changed since then! Pharmacies no longer encourage children to drink highly caffeinated drinks with tons of sugar. Phew!

But the history of coffee syrups doesn’t end here! As you may have gathered, this Rhode Island coffee syrup is not exactly the type of coffee syrup you are accustomed to.

After all, baristas prepare coffee drinks from fresh coffee beans and then add coffee syrups to customize their drinks. So what we’re talking about here should more aptly be called syrups for coffee.

Syrup for coffee appeared sometime in the 1980s. One of the likely reasons for its emergence at that time was the ongoing second wave of coffee mostly driven by coffee chains such as Starbucks and the café experience. People wanted to try new flavors with coffee.

Syrup manufacturers noticed and developed the first coffee syrup formulas. Until then, syrups were mostly manufactured for cooking or for cocktails, which tend to be served chilled.

Starbucks capitalized on this trend, and in 1994, it started offering coffee drinks with flavored syrups.

This trend stuck and was further hastened by the arrival of the third wave of coffee. Nowadays you can find tons of syrup flavors encompassing all the flavors you can think of.

Coffee Syrups Around the World

Syrups for coffee are mostly a North American thing, especially the sugary kind.

In Europe, coffee syrups have mostly penetrated the markets in Germany, France, the UK, and Scandinavia, although their citizens prefer less sugary syrups. Unsurprisingly, countries such as Italy and Spain have been less receptive to coffee syrup.

To promote coffee syrup, manufacturers are now looking to cater to local preferences. For example, in South America coffee syrups flavored using local and often exotic fruits are becoming popular. Monin recently released their Jabuticaba syrup and they also offer cherimoya flavored syrup, which is made from an artichoke-like plant from the Andes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed this extensive guide on the best coffee syrups you can buy online.

 

Especially the coffee syrup facts and recipes!

The best way to find your favorite flavored coffee syrup is to try variety packs or switch it up from time to time.

You will never know what you like until you try it!