How Roasters Add Vanilla, Hazelnut, And Other Flavors To Coffee Beans

We live in the best era possible to be picky about coffee. There are hundreds of options on the market to satisfy everyone's taste, whether you like a strong, bitter brew or a mild cup of instant coffee. Flavored coffee is particularly popular, both among seasoned coffee drinkers who are looking to try something new and among caffeine newbies who are just dipping their toes into the java universe. We spoke to Matt Woodburn-Simmonds, a former barista and the founder of Home Coffee Expert, to get the scoop on how flavored coffee beans are actually created.

"Flavored coffee is made by coating the beans in concentrated flavor oils or synthetic flavoring compounds," Woodburn-Simmonds told us. These extracts are different from coffee's natural flavor notes that come to the forefront through the roasting process. The added flavors are chemically created aromas of specific food items, such as vanilla or hazelnut. And because they're synthetic, they don't actually contain the food whose flavor they're mimicking. Science!

The beans are coated in these flavor oils, per Woodburn-Simmonds, "just after roasting while still warm." To ensure consistent cups of coffee in the future, the beans are "tumbled to evenly coat them in the flavoring," he explained. Even flavor distribution is incredibly important, so roasters stick to a specific ratio of flavoring oil per pound of beans.

As far as replicating the professional flavoring process at home goes, "it's not really possible to flavor your coffee this way at home," Woodburn-Simmonds says. It would likely be way too complicated and uneven. That said, you can still flavor your coffee in other ways. "It is much easier to add some ground spices to your grounds before brewing, such as cinnamon or cardamom, or using a flavor syrup," the coffee expert advises.

There are plenty of spices that can elevate your regular cup of coffee, and you don't even need a whole lot. "A ½ tsp of spice is usually enough into your filter coffee maker to add a subtle spice flavor through your finished brew," Woodburn-Simmonds notes. You can also purchase flavor extracts at the grocery store and incorporate them into your morning coffee, such as vanilla or peppermint extracts, but be mindful that they can contain alcohol.

When buying flavored coffee, specifically, it really pays off to buy premium for the best flavor and quality of beans. Woodburn-Simmonds also recommends that you don't get whole flavored beans. "These flavored coffees can damage your coffee grinder with the extra oils, so it's best to buy them pre-ground or flavor your coffee in another way," he warns.