Coffee? Yes, please!
All through college I hated basic brewed coffee. My first brush with the glory that is coffee came in the form of a Frappuccino. The frozen coffee drinks fueled me through hours of studying, but it wasn’t until I got my first job out of college that I learned to appreciate and love a mug of freshly brewed hot coffee.
I worked at a museum and it was always freezing in my office, so I turned to hot coffee as a way to warm up when I forgot a sweater at home. I slowly grew to love coffee and convinced Ryan to register for a coffee maker when we got married.
Once we had a coffee maker of our own, I began buying different flavored coffees to try and have discovered some incredibly delicious and unique flavors over the years. Does drinking flavored coffee disqualify me from being a real coffee drinker? Probably. But I just love it so much!
Below you will find a list of some of my favorites!
A quick note: I do not love ridiculously strong coffee, so most of the flavors below are medium or light brews.
- Barnie’s Coffee Kitchen Santa’s White Christmas
During the holiday season, this is one of my favorite flavored coffees to brew in the morning. The decaf and regular versions are both incredibly fragrant and combine coconut, sweet caramel, roasted nuts and vanilla flavors to create a fabulous cup of coffee. One of my best friends used to work at Barnie’s and said this is always a best seller and I can understand why! It’s a favorite for sure!
- World Market Chocolate Pecan Pie Coffee
My sister gave me this coffee for Christmas. (My family knows flavored coffee is the way to my heart!) From the moment I opened the bag and smelled the ground beans, I knew I would love this coffee. It almost tastes indulgent and the smooth notes of pecan and chocolate keep me coming back for more.
- Godiva Coffee Pumpkin Spice
This is a seasonal flavor that I snatch up every time I see it for sale in the fall. The pumpkin pie flavor is very strong and since I usually find pumpkin spice coffee flavors a little dull, I was thrilled to taste cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin and creamy vanilla in every sip of this coffee. Plus, whenever I brew this coffee, the whole house smells like fall! (As I searched for this coffee flavor online, it looks like it may have been discontinued after this past autumn. I hope this is not true!)
- The Fresh Market Peppermint Crème
I think this flavor may claim the top spot in my favorite flavored coffees list. I pick up a bag or two every December from The Fresh Market and try my best to enjoy it sparingly so it lasts for a few months after Christmas. I can’t get enough! It tastes amazing combined with hot cocoa for a delicious peppermint mocha.
- Archer Farms S’mores
I owe Ashley a big thank you for putting this coffee on my radar. The graham cracker flavor shines through and when I’m feeling rather indulgent, I’ll top a cup of the coffee with whipped cream to make it feel extra special. It’s light, fragrant and flavorful.
- The Fresh Market Chocolate Raspberry Kiss
The Fresh Market sells this coffee around Valentine’s Day every year and at first I thought I would not like it at all. I am not a huge fan of chocolate and raspberry flavors together, but after I sampled a cup at the store, I had to throw a bag in my cart. I’ve been enjoying this coffee a few times a week ever since I bought it back in the beginning of February.
Favorite Coffee Extras
Here are two little extras I use to brew my perfect cup of coffee:
Since Ryan is not a coffee drinker, we bought a Keurig coffee maker so I could brew one cup of coffee at a time. I use my refillable K-cup all the time since it allows me to brew whatever flavored coffee I am loving at the moment. It’s fabulous, more cost-effective and better for the environment that typical K-cups, too!
I cannot get enough of frothy milk on top of my coffee. It makes a home-brewed mug feel extra special! I love my Aerolatte milk frother. I simply microwave milk or almond milk and then froth it with the frother before pouring it on top of my coffee. I’m convinced it is the little things that take a boring mug of coffee to the next level!
Questions of the Morning
- Do you love flavored coffee? If so, please share your favorites below. I am always on the lookout for new flavored coffees to try!
- What is your go-to drink order at a coffee shop?
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WOW Chocolate pecan pie coffee? Sign me up!!
I typically drink espresso, straight up. But if I want something more than that, I’ll get an iced coffee somewhere 🙂 I’m pretty plain, but I love good flavors of hot coffee!
My all-time favorite coffee EVER is Highlander Grogg. I’ve never had better, safe to say.
http://www.berresbrothers.com/product/Highlander-Grogg/FlavordCustomerFavorites
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check it out!
I asked for it and they actually got it…it’s a very very small friendly little town 🙂
So awesome!
I’ve recently become slightly obsessed with coffee and nothing beats a cafe-bought cup since I don’t have my own coffee maker @ home. Unfortunately, it isn’t cheap where I live and I realize a total waste of money…and can put extra pounds on re: milk and not eating proper meals! However, I love a strong black coffee with just a little bit of froth from warmed milk warmed spooned on top. Some cafes have coconut milk, otherwise I just get regular. 🙂
Do those flavored coffees contain sugar though?? What flavors it exactly….? I WANT THEM ALL!!!
I’ve seen cafés with soy or almond milk but never coconut milk! I’d loooove that!!
I want to love flavored coffees, because I loooove flavored coffee CREAMER, and it’s chock full of sugar usually. However, flavored coffees are always so, so weak, and I enjoy a strong cup of coffee. I do not understand why they can’t make a strong flavored coffee!
That’s probably why I love them!! Haha! I’m a baby when it comes to strong coffee.
I love coffee and make myself a cup to enjoy every morning. I usually just stick to the unflavored varieties, but am so glad to have this list. I will have to start trying some of these and venture out a little. Thanks for sharing Julie!
Trader Joe’s has a somewhat new-ish type of coffee called Coffee Cocoa, which I think is just coffee beans and unsweetened cocoa if I remember correctly. It basically tastes like a mix between coffee and hot chocolate. I know you don’t typically shop there but if you’re ever near one, definitely pick it up! It tastes like regular coffee, but with a slight chocolate twist :).
I wish we had a Trader Joe’s close by!
I am just not a coffee girl. I know so many people can’t live without it, but it just makes me feel so sluggish and gross! So if I go to Starbucks I’ll get a passion iced tea in the summer, and a peppermint hot chocolate in the winter, both delicious!
I always drink my coffee straight up black, and I’m a Starbucks imprinted duckling, so most coffee tastes too light for me. I always order darker roasts, and I’ll make drip coffee with espresso roasts at home.
Currently sipping a fresh cup of strongly brewed Caramel Brownie roasted at a local coffee shop in my town, added some sweetened vanilla almond milk and a dash of cinnamon. Making it in my own house is so much cheaper and the smell lingers all day in here 🙂 I am obsessed.
Sounds incredible!!
I don’t use flavoured coffees often. In the morning, I wanta straight up brew. If I have a coffee later in the day then I like to indulge in a flavoured coffee, but then I’m usually not at home. I do need to look into a milk frother though, it really does make all the difference with a coffee!
I am a strong coffee in the morning person (think Cuban coffee) but I can’t do any after lunch or I will not sleep. I do think I could maybe do a flavored coffee mid afternoon for a pick up though. Thanks for the suggestions
Oh my gosh the first time I had Cuban coffee I could not stop sweating!! That is some serious stuff! 🙂
I’m more of a tea person these days, but I do love flavored coffees on the weekend. There’s some really delicious-sounding coffees here. A Fresh Market just opened by us – looks like I’ll have to check out their coffee selection.
The Fresh Market has the best flavored coffees! I’ve loved 99% of the flavors I’ve tried!
I switched from coffee to tea when I moved to San Francisco. It was actually a forced switch, because the first few weeks I was here my coffee maker in my stuff hadn’t arrived and I got sick of going down to a coffee shop every morning, so I started drinking green or black tea. Honestly, I haven’t looked back.
My go-to drink at a coffee shop is green tea matcha! So hot right now. You MUST try matcha, if you haven’t yet. Happy Tuesday!
Because of all these delicious flavors, I WISH I drank coffee! But I just can’t make myself like it. I’ve never liked it…so I never, ever drink it. My co-workers always tell me I’m crazy! The closest I ever get to drinking coffee is a mocha, heavy on the chocolate 🙂
I’ve always loved mocha drinks but never regular coffee – now I’m tempted to try some!
Love this post, Julie. Thanks for the recommendations! This made my cup of coffee I’m currently drinking (Starbucks Pike Place Roast) suddenly taste less-than-exciting 🙂
If given the choice, I always choose flavored coffee over regular — especially now that I’m doing Paleo and have to drink it black. We have a chocolate flavor at work that I’m pretty sure is only brewed by me. I work at an ad agency, and my whole floor is men, so they scoff at my flavored lady coffee as they brew a too-strong pot of regular. Animals.
I LOVE my milk frother! It has made all of the difference in my morning coffee experience! I never like coffee either, but through years of drinking “coffee” in the form of lattes and frappucinos , I learned to love just a plain drip coffee. Trader Joe’s has a great pumpkin and gingerbread coffees at the right time of year. Another one of my favorites is Peet’s coffee in any of the flavors! You can find it at Target now where before it was hard to find!
Great post… and so appropriate for my morning. I just invested 36 dollars in my groung Dunkin’ Donuts coffee this morning. It was on sale at CVS.
That Target smores on sounds soooo good, especially since you said the graham cracker tastes shines through.
I love my coffee! And the best combo of flavored creamers and flavored coffee. Like Vanilla cream and pumpkin spice makes me think I am drinking the expensive latte!!
Just out of curiosity, do you use milk/creamer? Or do the flavors in the coffee typically work well enough on their own?
I usually use vanilla almond milk!
These all look so good! How many bags of coffee do you usually have on hand at one time?
Right now I have four. 🙂
I’m not a HUGE flavored coffee lover, but when I choose one… It has to be The Donut Shop’s Coconut Mocha KCups (Target has them). It is SUCH a good combination and so, so good!
I love dunkin donuts french vanilla!
Hi! Where is your sister’s wedding recap?? I’ve been dying to read it!
I’ve been dying to write it!! I am waiting on pictures from her photographer. I only took five grainy pictures myself and didn’t want to share a recap without some more images.
If you’re interested, Walmart sells little coffee filters for the refillable k-cup that make cleanup a breeze.
I am an iced coffee drinker, even in the winter! I will make the switch to hot for a brief period during the pumpkin spice and egg nog seasons, but then I’m right back to iced caramel lattes come January. Recently, I’ve been trying to cold brew coffee at home to save some money. I’ve never bought flavored coffee grounds- I may have to try something here soon and see if I can be won over to hot coffee (or see if there is a flavor that lends itself to cold brewed coffee). 🙂
I am OBSESSED with flavored coffee!!! OBSESSED. I went on a 7 day detox/cleanse a few weeks ago and coffee was the thing I missed most. My favorite flavors are Millstone’s Hazelnut Cream (when I’m home) and Panera’s Hazelnut (when I’m out).
My FAVORITE coffee shop drink is a grande Starbucks non-fat 1-2 pump caramel latte (4 pumps is soooo much sugar!) I have also ordered a soy latte, yummy. Can’t do ‘skinny’ b/c I do not like the taste of the artificial flavor.
I also use the K-cup refillable container…. 1. to save money and 2. to cut down on the recently publicized cancer-ish hazards of heating up the plastic Kcups…
LOVE your blog!
I will look for that hazelnut flavor! I adore hazelnut coffee.
My husband and I are both coffee addicts (OK, not technically, but close.) He prefers dark brewed coffee and my favorite drink is a Hazelnut latte, so we usually compromise and get Hazelnut flavored coffee. I’ll totally second Shannon’s comment about Highlander Grog, it’s like caramel-butterscotch dessert in a cup!
If I’m looking for a good coffee at a cafe, I’m also a big fan of Cuban coffee or a super dark roast called Yemen Mocha ( I discovered that at a cafe I worked for in college, and no other dark roast can even compete!)
I was the same way. I didn’t appreciate a hot cup of coffee until post college. And now I crave it. They all look so great, esp the Smores flavor!
I’m typically not a coffee drinker. I have it maybe once or twice a year, at most; however, all these flavors sound so wonderful, I’d definitely be willing to try them out.
My standard coffee shop order is a cappuccino or an iced latte if it is summer.
Green Mountain Coffee (out of Vermont) makes a great pumpkin spice and egg nogg too.
Eggnog flavored coffee!? I want in!!
I loooove the Archer Farms coffee at Target…my favorite ever is the Red Velvet flavor! It is so amazing I hid it from my husband so he wouldn’t know we had any left hehe. Also, Dunkin Donuts Jelly Donut flavor is really good!
Flavored coffee is my favorite!!!! I love coconut mocha!
Yum I love pumpkin flavored coffee, really all holiday flavored coffee is delicious.
Ahh, you HAVE to try Brooklyn Beans’ Oh Fudge coffee for Keurig. It’s the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had and add a little bit of vanilla creamer.. so good!
You are my hero of the day! I have serious love of coffee! Lol! At Christmas time all my secret Santa’s bought me yummy coffee’s and mugs! Hahaha…
Question: I have started to workout in the morning before work. (Love your blog post on that!) Is it bad to have coffee (I do 1/2 caf) before a workout? I have about a 25-30 drive to the gym.
Thanks for today coffee suggestions!
My go-to coffee shop order is just plain ol’ black coffee!
I am a HUGE fan of flavored coffee since I don’t sweeten or add creamers. You’ve got two of my faves on your list already: Chocolate Raspberry Kiss and Peppermint Creme (my holidays are NOT complete untill I have this coffee!)
Here’s what I currently have in rotation:
– Dunkin Donut’s Chocolate Glazed Donut and Blueberry Muffin
– Archer Farm’s Chocolate Covered Strawberry
– Archer Farm’s White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie
– Aldi (dont remember the exact name) Toasted Coconut
Loved these coffee posts – let us know which flavors you try next Julie!
I am so excited you shared this list!! Thank you!!!
I used to be a fancy coffee drinker until 5 years ago I switched to drinking just regular coffee. It cracks me up when I go to Starbucks and everyone is ordering their fancy, complicated drinks. I’m always the plain one asking for a pike. Honestly, regular coffee with a dash of cinnamon is sweet enough for me. My favorite coffee is Starbucks vanilla flavor.
I LOVE flavored coffee!!!! Omg my favorite is this green mountain pecan. SO FREAKING GOOD !!! I need to get one of those keurig cups you have so I can put in my own coffee !!! My go to drink if i go to starbucks (in the winter) is a skinny peppermint mocha latte LOVE.
I love peppermint mochas, too! So good!
We’re coffee snobs over here. My husband roasts our own beans, and we have a fancy-schmancy espresso maker. I’m okay with flavored coffee, but I prefer the taste of really good, black coffee. Too bad I’m cutting out caffeine for a bit, I miss my morning cup(s)!
I am with you on Fresh Market’s Chocolate Raspberry Kiss- delicious. My other Keurig favorites are Golden French Toast, Rainforest Nut and Macadamia Cookie.
I feel like we have the same coffee palette! I can’t get enough of Fresh Market’s flavored coffees 🙂 Although peppermint creme is my favorite, their cinnamon hazelnut is a very close second. You should definitely give it a try!
-Libby
I think my all-time favourite Kcup is Folgers Vanilla Biscotti. But I also like any hazelnut, Van Houtte Creme Brulee coffee, Van Houtte White Chocolate Mint Kcups, and Chocolate Cherry coffee from Traverse City, Michigan. YUMM! oh i’ve also had a godiva one but I can’t remember exactly. probably chocolate truffle or something. Other than that, any dark/bold roast please!
My favorite coffee is Caribou Coffee… the Lacuna! I keep it in the freezer to keep it fresh, but when I take it out every morning to put in my refillable K-cup, I take a big whiff and smile. ha! Best way to start a morning if you ask me. I use vanilla creamer, and one day my goal is to be like my dad and drink it black!
I love the Godiva Pumpkin Spice too! It’s a good one. And that World Market Chocolate Pecan Pie one intrigues me – sounds yummy! I go back and forth with flavored coffees. Some I’ve tried are TOO flavored for me, and I don’t like them. I really love a quality hazelnut or cinnamon flavored coffee.
As for my go-to coffee shop order, it depends what time of year it is. In the winter, I love a simple vanilla or cinnamon latte. In the summer, I love an iced coffee with cream! Frappuccinos are always a fun treat too.
I’m so glad you posted about coffee! Every time you mention any of your Fresh Market flavored coffees I get jealous. I’m in Portland, and not only do we not have a Fresh Market, but I think it must have to do with all of the coffee snobs here, there isn’t much in the way of local flavored coffee. Don’t get me wrong, we have AMAZING coffee…but I want some flavors! But I am a bit of a snob too, and hate buying ground coffee–once you start grinding your own beans it’s hard to go back. Anyone know of any flavored coffees that come in bean form? Thanks!
I did have some amazing cardamom flavored coffee the other day–yum!!
Cardamom coffee!? I’m so intrigued!!
Whenever you mention your crazy coffees my mouth waters. I definitely need to hunt down the peppermint creme and the smores coffee!!
I like Trader Joe’s Wintery Blend…
Check out this review…
http://breweddaily.com/2008/11/trader-joes-wintry-blend-reviewed/
I agree that the pepper makes it perfect!
I am in love with all I the Archer Farm’s flavored coffees! (With the exception f their pumpkin flavor oddly enough!)
I live grabbing whatever is in sale, which is always changing since they rotate flavors weekly it seems.
Right now I am loci their strawberry white chocolate flavor… Yum!