15 Torani Syrup Flavors For Coffee, Ranked Worst To Best
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Craft drinks represent how we celebrate our personalities in the world of coffee — how we share traditions, make friends, and tell stories through our interpretation and appreciation of flavors. Anyone who tells you that true coffee lovers only drink their brews black are not just fibbing, they're also missing out. Coffee can be celebrated alone or as a mere gateway to other tastes.
Admittedly, making coffee at home can be intimidating at first, especially if your goal is to recreate a Starbucks concoction. There are an infinite number of coffee, flavor, and technique combinations out there, and consequentially an infinite number of ways that making craft coffee at home can go wrong — or so it seems. If you've found yourself with some barista envy, don't worry. Elaborate espresso machines aren't necessary to start making great brews in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Very important, however, is having your favorite flavors handy. Plenty of coffee drinkers turn to Torani, which offers dozens of beverage syrups. The roster includes plenty of flavors that befit beloved latte classics — think: caramel, hazelnut, and vanilla. You can also try some of our suggested café concoctions like a millionaire shortbread latte, white rose latte, or a salted caramel cheesecake latte. Then, of course, there's a whole lineup of fruity flavors for cocktails and Italian sodas. But for this ranking, we're just focusing on java pairings. Keep reading to find out which Torani syrups will work best for your coffee creations.
15. Sugar-Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon
We were really, really excited to find Sugar-Free Brown Sugar Cinnamon Syrup by Torani at our local grocer, but perhaps the syrup's limited availability might be considered a warning. The Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso happens to be among the absolute best Starbucks iced coffee drinks, in our humble opinion. This syrup seemed like the perfect hassle-free alternative to make the drink at home — no fussing with actual brown sugar or cinnamon measurements, just a few pumps of syrup and you're good to go.
Unfortunately, trying to make a drink that included "sugar" in its name with a sugar-free syrup proved to be a recipe for disaster. Tasting this syrup was the first time we've ever uttered the phrase, "contains notes of aspartame." There's no warm cinnamon or brown sugar to remind you of autumn — just a vague sweetness. As sad as this made us, for this review, we are sticking to the perspective of necessity — when you absolutely need a sugar-free, mobile, or less hands-on alternative, this syrup will be there for you.
14. White Chocolate
White chocolate is a longtime coffeehouse staple. Whether in black and whites or just on its own, many coffee drinkers have a favorite form of a white mocha. We came into the Torani White Chocolate Syrup taste test hoping for an experience comparable to the white mocha sauce that cafés like Starbucks use, but the disappointment was real. The taste just doesn't compare — the syrup tastes more like sugar, while the sauces have that trademark milky white chocolate flavor. You also miss out on that thicker, creamier consistency that sauces provide.
But, as we all know, sometimes you just have to make lemonade, so that's what we did. Even when all you've got available to you is the white chocolate syrup, a delicious coffee drink is still possible. For something different, we suggest the iced grasshopper latte, where sweet white chocolate meets cool creme de menthe. Just know, with the color of espresso, you won't actually get a grasshopper green beverage like the actual cocktail.
13. Bourbon Caramel
With full respect to how niche this flavor is, we really enjoyed the Torani Bourbon Caramel Syrup. Since not everyone goes for the aged-in-a-booze-barrel taste, it won't be the option for all coffee drinkers. We appreciated that the bourbon flavor was prevalent enough to be tasted, without being so intense that any hint of caramel was lost. As huge mocktail fans ourselves, we think the bourbon caramel variety is perfect for a night where you want non-alcoholic, coffee-based drinks at a social function.
That said, the bourbon taste was a bit much to enjoy as the only flavor in a latte, so we changed up our approach and found it worked beautifully as the flavor in a cold-foam nitro cold brew. The silky cold brew and the bourbon caramel make such a sophisticated sipper, and there's quite a bit less flavor intensity when the bourbon caramel is just in the foam.
12. Sugar-Free Classic Caramel
While Torani's Sugar-Free Classic Caramel isn't our least favorite sugar-free syrup, it's not a leader either. It has a noticeable aftertaste, especially, when added to a standard latte, but the initial caramel impression is pleasant. While we don't enjoy it as much as the other caramel syrups on this ranking (and it's nowhere near as good as a caramel sauce), it's a solid sugar-free option.
Consider this syrup for the latte take on a millionaire's shortbread, a rich, indulgent dessert that is worth its weight in gold because it tastes so good. If you're not familiar, this treat is three decadent layers: buttery shortbread, smooth caramel, and rich chocolate. The liquid version combines a standard latte with the sweet trio of chocolate sauce, caramel syrup, and shortbread syrup. The chocolate sauce and shortbread syrup did a good of masking the off-flavors of the Sugar-Free classic caramel.
11. Cheesecake
As if a slice of cheesecake weren't already heaven enough, Torani makes a cheesecake syrup so your dessert and your caffé can collide. There are as many cheesecake latte possibilities as there are cheesecake topping possibilities, but for our taste testing, we decided on a salted caramel cheesecake latte after testing out the cheesecake flavor alone. We found that it's definitely best used as an ancillary syrup, but we were tickled to discover that the cheesecake syrup does, in fact, deliver some sort of custardy, creamy flavor. It's not so cheesecakey that you'd nail a blind taste test, but it's absolutely reminiscent of a rich dairy dessert.
Plus, if you combine this Torani syrup with steamed half-and-half, the drink is as velvety-smooth as the baked good. Cheesecake's a bit of a weak flavor, though, so you'll definitely need to add more of it to your coffee creations than whatever other syrups you're creating with today. You might also try a frappé version of a cheesecake latte by blending espresso, milk, ice, and your syrups of choice along with some Jell-O cheesecake pudding powder.
10. Pumpkin Spice
Calling on all our fall friends: It's pumpkin spice's time to shine. Torani's Pumpkin Spice Syrup recipe is more of a balance between the spices and pumpkin when compared to the sugar-free syrup. And with the classic version, there's no aftertaste like the sugar-free option. This syrup is significantly sweeter, however, it does seem to be a more authentically sugary, dessert-like sweetness.
There are some textural sacrifices when not using Torani's Puremade Pumpkin Pie Sauce, but the flavor of the syrup is surprisingly stronger. The syrup is also entirely dairy-free, while the sauce is made with sweetened condensed milk. We still stand by using sauces when possible — in this case, even a pumpkin pie puree would be great depending on how you're using the flavor — but the syrup works just fine for most purposes. It does, of course, make a delicious PSL, but we also enjoyed it in a dirty pumpkin chai.
9. Salted Caramel
We stand by the opinion that the absolute best topping for anything caramelly is a sprinkle of chunky sea salt. Torani's Salted Caramel Syrup brings that delicious duo to coffee. Unfortunately, the salted half of the salted caramel is easily lost in a latte. The caramel is much, much stronger, and we were disappointed to get only such a small hint of sea salt. However, we tried it as a cold foam topping and found it to be perfect. By using extra syrup in the cold foam, we get more balance between the caramel and the sea salt, and since the foam melts into the cold brew over time, the extra syrup isn't overbearing.
We recommend enjoying the salted caramel syrup by creating a cold foam with it which you can add to your favorite cold brew. For a little something extra, top with flaky sea salt and caramel drizzle.
8. Macadamia Nut
Macadamia nut is one of those flavors not often used on its own, but it's worth trying as a solo addition. Before combining it with anything else, we made a simple Torani Macadamia Nut Syrup latte. Expecting artificial unpleasantness at worst and plainness at best, the complexly nutty flavor was such a delightful surprise. If you want something a little out of the ordinary from hazelnut, macadamia is worth the try. It needs a heavy-handed pour to shine through, though, so be liberal with how much syrup you use.
Even though the macadamia nut latte was good, we wanted to test how it collaborated with other flavors. Enter a new favorite of ours: the white chocolate, macadamia nut iced latte with coconut milk. Something about the white chocolate-coconut-macadamia flavor fusion felt too summery to put into a hot latte form, but sipping it over ice transports us to somewhere with crystalline water and white sandy beaches.
7. Sugar-Free Vanilla
When you take a great classic flavor and make it sugar-free, is it still a great classic? Well, when it comes to the Torani Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup, the answer is ... mostly. The sugar-free version is almost identical to its counterpart, except for a slightly more sugary and less vanilla-like taste — like other sugar-free options we've tried, the flavor profile leans more saccharine. The good news is that the difference is so minimal that sugar-free vanilla could replace its standard counterpart in any scenario for a lighter beverage.
Speaking of lighter fares, have you ever wanted to skip the afternoon coffee and opt for a nice Earl Grey tea instead? That's what we decided the sugar-free vanilla would be best suited for in our taste test and recipe. We recommend using the sugar-free vanilla syrup for a London Fog Earl Grey latte. If you'd like to twist up the classic, add a little bit of Torani lavender syrup too.
6. Peppermint
If the first fallen leaf summons the pumpkin spice hordes, then so is the first snowflake to the peppermint mocha faithful. In fact, peppermint mocha is exactly how we chose to stage this mint flavor for our taste test. We paired the Torani Peppermint Syrup with Columbian espresso, Ghirardelli mocha sauce, and steamed whole milk. The marriage of peppermint and decadent dark chocolate was the celebration here, but not the discovery — what we found, actually, is that Torani Peppermint Syrup is wonderful. It has that fire-and-ice, warming-yet-cooling sensation you associate with peppermint.
The problem, though, was that we needed so much of it. To a 6-ounce latte, we originally added 1 ½ ounces of the peppermint syrup, but quickly found the peppermint didn't have a leg to stand on against the mocha and espresso. We pumped up to 2 ounces, 2 ½, then finally 3 ounces before we finally tasted the peppermint at the desired intensity. In summary, it's a fantastic flavor, but you'll need several bottles of it for the holiday season.
5. Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice
The worst thing about Starbucks' pumpkin spice sauce is how nutritionally unaccommodating it is. It's rich and delicious, no doubts there, but it comes with no dairy-free or sugar-free alternatives. So, if you're sensitive to either of those ingredients, making a pumpkin spice latte at home is the safest option, and you'll need the Torani Sugar-Free Pumpkin Spice syrup.
For this taste test, we made a simple pour-over coffee with cream and this syrup. It was none too sweet — heavier on the cinnamon and warming spices than other varieties — and had a strange aftertaste that we chalk up to it being an artificially sweetened syrup. All dressed up in a latte, though, that aftertaste might be concealed a little. It's not the best pumpkin flavoring out there, and not as smooth as sauces, but it's not entirely unenjoyable either. And as our nod to all the brokenhearted dairy-intolerant or sugar-free PSL fans, here's an alternative for you.
4. Sugar-Free French Vanilla
The phrase "French vanilla" once meant using egg yolks to create rich, custardy ice cream, explains MasterClass. Don't worry, though — your favorite coffee flavor is not packed with raw egg. The term has evolved to describe a type of flavor best described as the combination of vanilla and hazelnut. Apex Flavors, Inc. adds that you might taste caramel, butterscotch, anise, or cassia — in essence, French vanilla is a richer, more complex vanilla flavor.
When it comes to the Torani Sugar-Free French Vanilla Syrup, the flavor is deep and layered. We mostly get those main notes of vanilla and hazelnut; anything else seems mostly blurred away either by the quality of the ingredients or the artificial sweetener. However, French vanilla remains a timeless flavor, so we decided to honor it with a timeless drink: a café au lait, made with a dark roast, steamed whole milk, and a few pumps of French vanilla.
3. Raspberry
Torani has a great lineup of fruit-flavored syrups — peach, mango, strawberry, and blueberry are a few favorites — but most of them don't have much of a place in coffee. Raspberry is an exception. We didn't try a latte with just raspberry flavor, though; this fruit seems to pair best with any mocha-based coffee drinks. The slight tartness of the raspberry is just right to balance the sweetness of the mocha sauce.
Maybe it's another rendition of the red-berry-and-chocolate dynamics we seem to love so much, such as chocolate-dipped strawberries or Black Forest cake. When it comes to coffee, we love to combine Torani's Raspberry Syrup with white mocha sauce in a drink we call the white rose. White mocha, known for being a very sugary sauce, is the perfect companion to raspberry's sharper edge.
Not a coffee fan? Try the raspberry syrup in a hot matcha tea latte or iced black tea instead.
2. Sugar-Free Classic Hazelnut
In the sugar-free syrups ring, we have an easy champion. The Torani Sugar-Free Hazelnut Syrup tastes nothing like, well, a sugar-free syrup — no bizarre aftertaste, no overt sweetness, no distorted flavors. The sugar-free hazelnut falls in the happiest of mediums in flavor intensity when other hazelnut flavors are usually way too strong.
We didn't have it in this review lineup, but the classic hazelnut has an exact doppelgänger in the sugar-free category. It's a robust enough flavor to enjoy either as a latte on its own or combined with something else. We wanted a way to showcase the perfect taste of hazelnut, but with an added twist, so we decided to brew our dessert and eat it too: A caffé affogato (espresso brewed over ice cream) with vanilla bean ice cream, this flavoring, and crushed hazelnut topping. For a more Ferrero-Rocher-esque dessert, try chocolate ice cream instead.
1. Vanilla
Vanilla is sort of the white paint of coffee. On its own, it's fine, but there is so much potential for beautiful pairings. In the fall, when pumpkin holds the throne, we so often crave a bit of variety in coffee drinks that bring us comfort. We've had Torani Vanilla Syrup so many times that we can easily tell you what it's like — basic, simple, sweetened vanilla flavor. It's a classic.
Many years ago, we set out to develop an autumnal latte that feels like how bonfires smell and how falling leaves sound — just as much as a PSL does. This is where our vanilla taste test latte comes in, and why we would rank such a basic flavor so high on our list. For this taste test, we made a vanilla maple spice latte. It's the harmony of maple, vanilla, and warming spices. Vermont maple syrup and a mix of fall spice are a sugar-spice-everything-nice duet, but they're stitched together by the comforting familiarity of vanilla — a flavor that doesn't get its due when it's there but is missed when it's gone. We normally prefer this recipe with vanilla extract, but it can be easily adapted to vanilla syrup. Simply make a vanilla latte, add maple syrup, and steam pumpkin pie spice with the milk.