7 Vanilla-Flavored Sodas, Ranked Worst To Best

When you want a bright, refreshing, and zingy soda, you might turn to something like 7Up or Sprite (which actually comes in several flavors). On the other hand, there are times you may want your soda to taste like a dessert — and that's exactly when you'll want to reach for a vanilla-flavored soda. They're sweet and decadent, with a richness you won't find in other soda flavors. I decided to try out seven different vanilla-flavored sodas and rank them from worst to best. Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of which ones are worth trying and which varieties you can safely skip without missing out.

Some of these sodas offer just that one, singular vanilla note, while others combine vanilla with additional flavors, like strawberry and cherry, for a more dynamic sip. Each kind has its merits, but the best-ranked of these sodas tend to offer a richer vanilla flavor and fuller-bodied sweetness. Conversely, those that taste thin and flat or otherwise don't have a very strong vanilla flavor fell to the bottom of the ranking. So if you're feeling thirsty, let's take a closer look at the vanilla-flavored soda landscape.

A lot of people don't necessarily want to drink full-sugar sodas, since it can work against their dietary needs and goals. That's why we've seen such a proliferation of zero-sugar sodas on store shelves lately. Zevia is one of those brands, so I tasted its Vanilla Cola for this ranking. I'll admit that when I first poured this soda into a glass, I was taken aback by its appearance. The fact that this beverage is referred to as a "cola" made me assume I was getting a brown-tinged drink, but it's completely clear.

I guess it's good that the company doesn't add in any artificial dyes, but the soda just didn't look very appealing to me. Despite the color, I was still open to liking this stuff — until I took a sip. What I discovered was a very strong, but it was a rather flat-tasting vanilla flavor. There's no dimension there, just the cloying and overpowering taste of vanilla. Plus, I don't like the taste of stevia extract, and it's unfortunately very present in this drink.

I appreciate the fact that there's a sugar-free vanilla-flavored soda out there for those who need it. But as someone who prefers full-sugar soda, this drink definitely isn't my first choice, and it comes in last

Brands like Olipop are trying to offer something new to the soda space, so I was excited to try this Strawberry Vanilla soda from the brand. This lower-calorie soda comes with 9 grams of fiber and only five grams of sugar. It also contains 14 percent juice, setting it apart from the vast majority of sodas that contain no fruit at all. But unfortunately, it wasn't my favorite of the bunch.

It's not that this drink tastes bad — it's just that it barely tastes like vanilla at all. The strawberry note is strong and perceptible, giving the drink its fruity, refreshing touch. But any note of vanilla almost completely fades to the background. If I were specifically looking for a vanilla-flavored soda, I'd be disappointed by this one.

That being said, the drink is tasty overall, as long as you don't care about getting a strong vanilla note. Its subtle sweetness is a nice counterpart to the cloyingly sweet sodas you'll find from other brands, though it's also quite light, without the flavor intensity that you might expect from a classic soda. I personally like that, but folks expecting a bolder flavor may find that this one falls flat even beyond the missing vanilla element.

I think that Trader Joe's Strawberry Vanilla Prebiotic Soda has the strangest color of any of the drinks I tried on this list. When I poured it into a glass, I was struck at how murky it looked, with a pink tinge you might not expect from a traditional soda. Along with that strange appearance, I noticed a fuller-bodied mouthfeel than I got from the other sodas in the lineup (or most other sodas that I've tried before in general). This is ostensibly from the strawberry puree, which is an admittedly nice addition in a soda.

While I enjoyed the textural effect it delivered, I don't know that it's what most drinkers would expect when picking up a can of soda. Still, the soda is enjoyable overall, with a very noticeable note of strawberry. That strawberry tastes fresh and fruity and even features a nice degree of tartness.

To be sure, I tasted a lot more vanilla in this than in the Olipop variety, but strawberry is still the flavor that takes precedence here. If you're hoping for a relatively vanilla-forward flavor in your drink, this Trader Joe's pick might do the trick ... but it won't deliver that rich, creamy, and indulgent-tasting flavor a vanilla soda should promise. Perhaps the real question should be: is Trader Joe's prebiotic soda is better than Poppi?

I was surprised to see Pepsi had gotten into the prebiotic soda game, but I guess it only makes sense that one of the most prominent beverage brands wants to corner this increasingly popular market. Honestly, I didn't think this Pepsi Prebiotic Cola Cherry Vanilla soda would taste very good, but it actually wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.

You get the classic Pepsi flavor, which creates a strong textural backdrop for the cherry and vanilla. In this case, I don't think the cherry overpowered the vanilla. Instead, when they come together, they create a really nice harmony. You get the refreshingly fruity flavor from cherry, along with the warm and cozy notes from the vanilla. And considering it contains fiber and a limited amount of sugar, it may appeal to those who want something that feels healthier than a traditional soda.

In short, this drink doesn't rank higher on the list because it doesn't quite capture the decadence I crave in a vanilla soda. It's nice, but that note of vanilla still has to share the spotlight with cherry. This is a solid beverage, but it simply can't rise to the top three of this ranking.

Sadly for all of the vanilla soda lovers out there, Mug Floats Vanilla Howler is only available for a limited time. This was actually one of my favorite vanilla sodas of the lineup, and one of only three I'd suggest to someone who was looking for a vanilla soda with a really bold, pronounced flavor.

The root beer note is definitely the first thing I noticed when I took a sip. That spicy and herbal touch is softened by the presence of vanilla, which is bold and quite pronounced. It seems to soften the sharp edges that root beer can sometimes have. I also find this root beer doesn't taste quite as toothpaste-like as some do, which means it combines with vanilla even easier. You get a sort of dirty soda take on a root beer float flavor — without having to do all the work of making that beverage yourself.

However, because this is a root beer — and root beer can be somewhat divisive — it doesn't rank quite as highly as the two best options. Although I think this flavor combo is a nice one, you're still not able to fully concentrate on the vanilla notes in this drink.

It should come as no surprise to see a classic soda ranked so high on this list. As someone who lived in Atlanta for most of their life, I feel like I have to stay true to the Coca-Cola brand. But it's not all nepotism — I think Coke really does create the best cola out there. And when you add vanilla or any other flavors to that original recipe, it only makes sense that it tastes great. Coke has a lot of sweetness to it, which works perfectly with those warm vanilla notes, creating a comforting drink that's decadent enough to enjoy for dessert.

Maybe it's because I've consumed so much Coke in my life, but I think the flavor is plain enough that it really allows the vanilla to shine. In this drink, you get an exceptionally pronounced vanilla that truly steals the spotlight. If you're like me, you think of Vanilla Coke when you think of vanilla-flavored sodas in general. In other words, it more than earns the number two spot in this ranking, even if it can't take the very top spot.

I wasn't too familiar with Virgil's soda before doing this ranking, but I'm glad I know about the brand's Vanilla Cream Handcrafted Soda now. This is by far the best vanilla-flavored soda on this entire list, and it's definitely the one you should try if you can manage to get your hands on some.

To be clear, this isn't really a vanilla cola. Rather, vanilla is the absolute highlight of the beverage. It's not competing with any other flavors, but is instead allowed to perfectly express its creamy richness. It's deeply sweet (like a good soda should be, in my opinion), but the complexity you get from the vanilla still made it taste balanced.

Once upon a time, I assumed that Vanilla Coke was the best vanilla-flavored soda out there. Even though I should know better by now, the ultra-recognizable brand name tricked me into assuming that I was getting the best of the best. Although I do appreciate the depth of flavor you get from Coke, the cleanness and strength of the vanilla flavor in this Virgil's soda easily makes it the winner.

I found all of the vanilla-flavored sodas I could source from local grocery stores to conduct this ranking. I ranked these products according to how good I thought they tasted overall and also how much they tasted like vanilla specifically. The sodas that ranked the highest on this list had a bold vanilla flavor that wasn't competing with other strong notes in the drink, while the lower-ranked varieties tasted thinner or were working with more flavors that distracted from the vanilla.