Best Flavored K Cups for Cafe Style Coffee
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The best flavored K cups, from caramel vanilla to cinnamon roll, plus samplers and cafe style drink tips.
The best flavored K cups for most people are Green Mountain Caramel Vanilla Cream: a light roast coffee with a decadent blend of buttery caramel, toasty brown sugar and creamy vanilla flavors, in genuine K-Cup pods. If you want to sample many flavors, the Two Rivers flavored variety pack includes maple, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, hazelnut and more, and Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll is the best pick for a bakery style cinnamon coffee.
Flavored K cups add vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, cinnamon and dessert flavors to your coffee without syrups, and most add no sugar or calories on their own. Below we compare six flavored K cup pods, then explain how flavored coffee is made, whether it contains sugar, how to make a café style drink with flavored pods, storage tips and answers to common questions. Every pick sells new on Amazon.
Best Flavored K Cups: Our Top Picks
Our top pick is Green Mountain Caramel Vanilla Cream, followed by the Two Rivers variety pack and Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll. We compared flavors, roast level, bean type, box size, compatibility and how widely each pod is bought and kept.
Green Mountain Caramel Vanilla Cream: Best Overall Flavored K Cups
Green Mountain Caramel Vanilla Cream is the best flavored K cup for most people because its sweet, creamy flavor tastes like a café drink at home. Green Mountain describes it as a decadent blend of buttery caramel, toasty brown sugar and creamy vanilla flavors.
It is a light roast, caffeinated coffee in genuine K-Cup pods that work with Keurig K-Cup brewers. The light roast lets the caramel and vanilla flavors come through clearly, especially with a splash of milk.
- Caramel, brown sugar and vanilla flavors
- Light roast, caffeinated
- Genuine K-Cup pods
The limitation is that the sweet profile may be too dessert like for black coffee drinkers. Skip it if you prefer subtle flavor. Expect to pay around $19 for a box.
Two Rivers Flavored Coffee Variety Pack: Best Flavored K Cup Sampler
The Two Rivers variety pack is the best flavored K cup sampler for people who like to switch flavors. Two Rivers says the box includes flavors such as maple, chocolate, cinnamon, chocolate vanilla, vanilla and hazelnut, with individual flavors that may vary.
Two Rivers calls it its number one selling flavored coffee sampler, and one box gives you 40 pods without buying many separate boxes. The pods are compatible with Keurig K-Cup brewers.
- Assorted flavors including maple, hazelnut and vanilla
- Compatible with K-Cup brewers
- About 40 pods
The limitation is that you cannot choose the exact mix. Skip it if you already know your favorite flavor. Expect to pay around $22 for the sampler.
Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll K-Cups: Best Cinnamon Flavored K Cups
Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll is the best flavored K cup for cinnamon lovers. It is a light roast, caffeinated coffee flavored to taste like the famous cinnamon roll, certified Orthodox Union Kosher, in a 48 count box.
- Cinnamon roll flavor
- Light roast, caffeinated
- 48 pods
The limitation is a single flavor. Skip it if you want variety. Expect to pay around $32 for 48 pods.
Crave Beverages Flavored Coffee Sampler: Best No Calorie Flavored Variety
The Crave sampler is the best flavored K cup variety for people who want many flavors with no added sweeteners. Crave pairs 100 percent fresh roasted Arabica with flavors such as butter toffee, Vermont maple and blueberry vanilla, and says the coffees have no sweeteners and no calories.
The pods are compatible with 2.0 K-Cup brewers, and the variety lets you try a new flavor every morning.
- Many flavors, 100 percent Arabica
- No sweeteners or calories, per Crave
- Compatible with 2.0 K-Cup brewers
The limitation is that some fruit flavors are an acquired taste. Skip it if you only like classic vanilla or caramel. Expect to pay around $42 for the sampler.
Green Mountain French Vanilla K-Cups: Best Vanilla Flavored K Cups
Green Mountain French Vanilla is the best vanilla K cup. Green Mountain describes the lusciously rich flavor of sweet vanilla cream in a light roast, caffeinated coffee made with Arabica beans.
- Sweet vanilla cream flavor
- Light roast Arabica
- Genuine K-Cup pods
The limitation is a smaller box than some value packs. Skip it if you want the lowest price per pod. Expect to pay around $14 for a box.
Victor Allen's French Vanilla Cappuccino: Best Cappuccino Style Pods
Victor Allen's French Vanilla Cappuccino is the best choice for a sweet, creamy, cappuccino style drink from a Keurig. The 42 count box makes single serve French vanilla flavored cappuccino drinks in K-Cup brewers.
- French vanilla cappuccino style drink
- 42 single serve pods
- Made for Keurig K-Cup brewers
The limitation is that cappuccino pods are a sweetened drink mix rather than plain flavored coffee. Skip it if you want unsweetened coffee. Expect to pay around $24 for 42 pods.
How Is Flavored Coffee Made?
Flavored coffee is made by coating roasted beans with natural or artificial flavor oils right after roasting, while the beans are still warm and porous. The beans are then ground and sealed into pods. Most flavored K cups use light or medium roasts so the added flavors are not overpowered by roasty notes.
Do Flavored K Cups Have Sugar or Calories?
Most flavored coffee K cups have no sugar and almost no calories, because the flavor comes from oils rather than syrup. Crave says its coffees have no sweeteners and no calories. Cappuccino and latte style pods, like Victor Allen's French Vanilla Cappuccino, are different: they contain a drink mix with sugar and milk solids. Check the label if you track sugar.
How to Make a Café Style Drink With Flavored K Cups
To make a café style drink, brew a flavored K cup on the 6 ounce or strong setting, then add 4 ounces of frothed milk. Caramel vanilla, French vanilla and hazelnut pods make easy lattes. For an iced version, brew over a glass full of ice and add cold milk. A pinch of cinnamon on top suits the Cinnabon pods. A handheld frother whips milk in seconds.
Flavored K Cups vs Syrups
Flavored K cups add aroma and taste without sugar, while syrups add both flavor and sweetness. Pods are simpler and calorie free, but you cannot adjust the flavor strength. Syrups let you control sweetness and work with any coffee. Many people use a plain medium roast pod with a little syrup on some days and flavored pods on others. Our guide to the best K cup coffee pods covers plain options.
Seasonal and Dessert Drinks With Flavored K Cups
Flavored K cups make quick dessert style drinks. For a caramel macchiato style drink, brew Caramel Vanilla Cream on the 6 ounce setting, pour it over steamed milk and drizzle a little caramel on top. For a cinnamon dolce style latte, brew a Cinnabon pod and top it with frothed milk and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. A French vanilla pod over ice with cold foam makes an easy summer drink.
In the fall and winter, many brands release pumpkin spice, peppermint mocha and gingerbread K cups for a limited time. If you cannot find them, add a pinch of pumpkin pie spice or a drop of peppermint extract to a vanilla or chocolate flavored pod. Keep extras sealed, since seasonal flavors fade after a few months.
How to Choose Flavored K Cups
Choose flavored K cups by flavor family, roast and box size. Vanilla and caramel are the most popular and mix well with milk. Hazelnut and cinnamon suit people who like nutty or spiced flavors. Samplers like Two Rivers and Crave help you find favorites before buying a full box. Genuine K-Cup pods fit every Keurig, while compatible pods may not be read by older Keurig 2.0 machines. If you want to use your own flavored grounds, a reusable filter works well; see our guide to the best reusable K cup.
Keep Your Keurig Fresh After Flavored Pods
Flavored coffee oils can linger in a Keurig and carry over to the next cup. Run a water only brew after a flavored pod if you switch to plain coffee, and clean the needle and pod holder regularly. Descale every three months for full flavor; see our guide on how to clean a Keurig. For a new brewer, see our guide to the best pod coffee maker, and browse more pods in our coffee pods and capsules section.
How to Store Flavored K Cups
Store flavored K cups at room temperature in a dry place away from heat and sunlight, and use them by the best by date. Flavor oils fade over time, so flavored pods taste best within a few months of purchase. Keep them away from strong smelling foods and off the warm top of the brewer.
Common Flavored K Cup Mistakes
The most common mistake is brewing flavored pods on the largest cup size, which dilutes the flavor. Another is mixing flavored and plain pods without a rinse brew, which leaves flavors behind. Some people also expect cappuccino pods to taste like plain coffee, when they are sweetened drinks. Finally, buying a big box of a flavor you have never tried can be a waste; start with a sampler.
How We Chose
We chose these flavored K cups by comparing flavors, roast level, bean type, box size, compatibility and how widely each pod is bought and kept. This guide is based on research of product listings and owner feedback rather than in-person trials, and every product sells new on Amazon.
FAQs About Flavored K Cups
What is the most popular flavored K cup?
Vanilla and caramel flavors are the most popular. Green Mountain Caramel Vanilla Cream and French Vanilla are long time favorites.
Do flavored K cups have sugar?
Most flavored coffee pods have no sugar. Cappuccino and latte style pods contain a sweetened drink mix, so check the label.
Are flavored K cups caffeinated?
Most are. Green Mountain Caramel Vanilla Cream, French Vanilla and Cinnabon are all caffeinated. Some brands sell decaf flavored pods.
Can I make iced coffee with flavored K cups?
Yes. Brew a strong 6 ounce cup over ice and add milk for a flavored iced latte.
Do flavored pods leave a taste in my Keurig?
They can. Run a water only brew after a flavored pod before brewing plain coffee.
What is the best flavored K cup sampler?
The Two Rivers variety pack is a popular, low cost sampler. Crave offers a wide range of unique flavors with no added sweeteners.
Final Verdict
The best flavored K cups for most people are Green Mountain Caramel Vanilla Cream, a light roast with buttery caramel, brown sugar and vanilla flavors. Choose the Two Rivers sampler to try many flavors, Cinnabon for cinnamon roll coffee, Crave for no calorie variety, Green Mountain French Vanilla for classic vanilla and Victor Allen's French Vanilla Cappuccino for a sweet, creamy drink.
