What Are the Best Syrups for Coffee - Great Flavours
Many of the coffee shops that we go to now offer coffee with a difference. Normally that difference is made by the addition of a syrup. Those can add a unique flavour to your normal cup of coffee. For many people though, the choices available are quite staggering.
In this article we will take you though the full range that are available. More importantly though, we will make you some great recommendations, and why and when you should use them.
You will have noticed the many coffee chains in the UK and also the explosion of smaller coffee shops. As a result of this, you can now opt for a plethora of flavors and weird and wonderful names like Frappaccino or mocha latte from your local coffee house.
A large number coffee drinks available are simply down to the use of flavoured syrups, which are becoming popular worldwide.
If you are someone who likes to entertain, then coffee syrups can really help make your coffee choices stand out to your invited guests. They most certainly open up a huge amount of variety for coffee drinkers.
Different Types of Syrups and What They Mean
Before you buy a coffee syrup, just be aware that not all flavoured syrups are suitable for putting into your coffee. We have included a table below that explains what flavoured syrups are available and which are suitable for coffee drinkers.
Flavour Type | Practical Use |
|---|---|
Coffee Flavour Syrups | As the name would suggest, these are suitable for coffee |
Mixed Drink Syrups | Almost always these have a fruit flavour and are meant to be used in cocktails and cold drinks |
Concentrates | These will contain caffeine and are NOT suitable for mixing in coffee as they are too concentrated |
Dessert Sauces/Syrups | Some of these can be added to coffee but they are very hit and miss |
Cooking Syrups | Not suitable for coffee as these are used as a sweetening or flavour option by some chefs |
What Types of Coffee Syrup Are Available?
There are a lot of choices and these include caramel, hazelnut, french vanilla, gingerbread, chocolate cookie, pumpkin, Chilli, Chocolate Orange, Chocolate, Toffee & Creme Brulee.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it does give you a very good idea of what is available. The last time we checked there were over 150 different flavours of coffee syrups.
Caramel, cinnamon and gingerbread are the three most popular syrups for coffee.
One of the best ways to find out which syrup you like is to buy a taster or sample set. These are miniature bottles of syrup, but they do allow you to taste the many different varieties.
That way you can decide which you like. Once you figure that out you can of course then buy larger individual bottles.
One of the most popular brands is the Monin brand. That brand is the one that you will find most coffee shops using. That makes those ideal if you are trying to replicate your favourite coffee shop flavours.
You can also buy gourmet versions of these syrups, and they are certainly worth a try.
You can also buy sugar free syrups, for those of you who like the flavours, but prefer the healthier option.
Monin Syrup Coffee Gift Set 5x5cl
- As a sampler set this 5 small bottle option is the one that we would recommend
- The pack contains caramel, vanilla, noisette (hazelnut), pain d'epices (gingerbread) and chocolate cookie syrups.
- Please note these are not sugar free and we have recommended that type later in this article
- They have a 92% buyer satisfaction rating based on 4,000+ online buyer reviews
There are plenty of these sampler types of sets on the market from a whole range of brands. Like many things in life, your choice will always come down to your preferred brand, and how much you want to pay for the luxury.
What is Coffee Syrup Made of?
Most syrups generally speaking are just that - a very simple syrup. This is made by adding sugar or a sugar substitute to water and then heating that mixture until all the sugar has dissolved
Different flavours can then be added. The exact formula is what makes a particular syrup one that is suitable for use with coffee, rather than for general cooking.
You can also buy syrups that can be used to taste cold drinks. Please note that these are not suitable for hot coffee drinks. That is because this particular type of syrup is used as a sweetener and most likely will also contain caffeine. That type of syrup will make your coffee taste very sweet.
The better brands of syrup are made using high quality natural ingredients. The higher quality syrups take a core ingredient such as a spice, nut or fruit. This is then heated with water and sugar to make a highly concentrated syrup.
They do not contain any fat or cholesterol.
Manufacturers have also realised that many coffee drinkers also want a healthier option. That is primarily down to sugar free diets. As such they will use sugar free sweeteners. Many of the old favourite flavors are available in sugar free, with no huge reduction in the taste. These are also a great option for anyone with diabetes.
Our Top 5 Coffee Syrup Choices
Buyers of coffee syrups will always have their own favourite choices. However if you have not tried these before, then we would recommend buying a sampler set as we recommended above.
However we thought it would be worthwhile including our list of the 5 favourite coffee syrups according to online buyers in the UK.
No 1 Choice - Monin Salted Caramel 1000ml
- This is a 1 litre bottle
- Buyers give this syrup a 96% buyer satisfaction rating based on 1,000+ online buyer reviews
- Can also be used with deserts, shakes, porridge, smoothies etc
- Same brand as used in Starbucks
- Many UK buyers love this salted caramel taste
No 2 Choice - Tate & Lyle Fairtrade Caramel Cane Syrup
- This is a 750 ml bottle
- Buyers give this syrup a 90% buyer satisfaction rating based on 2,000+ online buyer reviews
- It is infused with a smooth, buttery flavour and perfect for adding a richness and depth to coffees and iced drinks.
- It is made from pure cane sugar
- It has an excellent price point
No 3 Choice - Monin Premium Black Forest Syrup 700 ml
- This is a 700 ml bottle
- Buyers give this syrup a 94% buyer satisfaction rating based on 1,000+ online buyer ratings
- This one has a strong chocolate flavour with long-lasting cherry aftertaste
- Can be used with coffee, teas, lemonades, wine based cocktails, fruity cocktails and mocktails
- Ideal for Black Forest latte or cappuccino
No 4 Choice - Monin Premium Cinnamon Syrup 1 Litre
- This is a 1 litre bottle
- Buyers give this syrup an 92% buyer satisfaction rating based on 1,000 online buyer ratings
- This one has the spicy taste of cinnamon powder with pepper notes
- Can be used with teas, coffees, cocktails, flavoured milks, smoothies
- It has a strong, pungent flavour
No 5 Choice - MONIN Premium Vanilla Syrup 1 Litre
- This is a 1 litre bottle
- Buyers give this syrup an 96% buyer satisfaction rating based on 4,000+ online buyer reviews
- Use 15-20 ml per serve for hot drinks
- Suitable for vegan, vegetarian diets; Alcohol-free, Halal, Kosher
Best Sugar Free Syrups - Skinny Syrups
Jordans Skinny Syrup
- This is a sampler set of three sugar free coffee syrups
- They are Vanilla, Mocha and a Salted Caramel
- The size of each bottle is 375ml/12.7 oz
- The good news is that there are zero calories,and zero Sugar.
- They are also Gluten Free and Kosher.
- 90% buyer satisfaction based on 10,000+ online buyer reviews
The sweetener used is sucralose, which is a lot sweeter in taste so very little sucralose is needed even for syrups. Sucralose is 650 times sweeter than sugar. It is highly recommended to only use a little in each coffee drink as they are quite strong.
Most buyers use these with decaf coffee and skinny milks.
Jordans Salted Caramel, Caramel Pecan and Vanilla Carame Creme
- This is a sampler set of three sugar free coffee syrups
- They are Salted Caramel, Caramel Pecan and Vanilla Carame Creme
- The size of each bottle is 375ml/12.7 oz
- The good news is that there are zero calories,and zero Sugar.
- They are also Gluten Free and Kosher.
- 90% buyer satisfaction based on 4,000+ online buyer reviews
The sweetener used is sucralose, which is a lot sweeter in taste so very little sucralose is needed even for syrups. Sucralose is 650 times sweeter than sugar. It is highly recommended to only use a little in each coffee drink as they are quite strong.
Most buyers use these with decaf coffee and skinny milks.
How Much Syrup Should You Put in Your Coffee?
The recommended amount of syrup in coffee is 2 teaspoons.
Now of course that is always subject to your own personal taste, and just how strong you want the actual syrup flavour to be.
The reality is that it will take a few tries to get the ideal balance for your own taste buds.
Another thing that highly impacts how much syrup to use, is the actual brand of syrup that you buy. Some brands make a more concentrated syrup than other brands.
I personally seldom use syrup as I like my coffee black and strong. Every now and then though I do like a bit of indulgence. When I do use a syrup, I just prefer the Monin brand, as consistently it is always high quality.
Finally the size of your cup or mug will also determine how much syrup is required. Personally I always drink a mug of coffee and I find that needs 3 teaspoons to get the syrup flavour to have any impact.
Syrup Pump Dispensers
You can add syrup straight from the bottle to your cup and that works perfectly fine. However simply due to the consistency of syrup, it can get quite sticky, especially around the top of the bottle.
Many users prefer to buy 2 or 3 dispensers which work simply by pushing down on a small pump. This makes adding the syrup a great deal easier and avoids sticky fingers.
There is no point in buying one of these though, if like me you only use a coffee syrup every now and then. There are two reasons for that in my opinion:
- The shelf life of syrup is not that long
- You still have to clean out a sticky dispenser on a regular basis
I would only ever recommend a dispenser if you are a regular user of coffee syrups. It does make life a great deal easier than pouring straight from the bottle.
Monin Syrup Pump 1 Litre
- It is worth mentioning that if you decide to buy a Monin branded syrup, then they have their own bottle pump, which does make it easier to use, and ensures that you get the right amount of syrup.
- Please be aware though that this only fits the 1 litre bottle.
- Each pump will dispense 10ml of Syrup so as you can be sure to have an accurate measure
- 94% buyer satisfaction based on 5,000+ online buyer reviews
Resources Used
Sucralose - NHS Explanation
Monin Website - Syrups and More
Thank you so much for sharing the best syrups coffee. Looks delicious, I’m excited to try this recipe. Keep on sharing.
Please can I ask what brands you used to conduct your survey?
I think Monin is an excellent syrup however the other brands mentioned don’t really rate for me. I like Monin and 1883. Both give a fantastic range of choice and the flavour and aromas are exceptional quality. The others are so sweet they seem to drown out what ever I put them in. My favourite at the moment is 1883 cardamom – seems to work in everything I put it in even iced teas!!