11 Flavored Coffee Brands That Use The Highest Quality Ingredients

Coffee is more than a single-ingredient solution to the struggles of the early morning grind. For the same reason food is more than fuel, let's attempt to give the vaunted bean all the credit we can. Farmers, of course, strive to create the highest quality product, and the process of sourcing and roasting of beans has become an industry in and of itself. But when it comes to added ingredients, i.e. coffee flavorings, it's an added step in the process than must go right to work. 

Such speciality blends — a category that includes everything from cappuccinos to cold brews — have caught the attention of coffee manufacturers and inspired them to create ever more fanciful flavors. Research suggests younger customers value choice and convenience over brand loyalty; the ability to customize your morning brew to your unique palate is now very much part of the conversation. Still, adding unusual taste profiles to coffee brings with it a whole slew of questions, the most pressing of which is simple to digest. Where can we find great flavored coffee made from the best possible ingredients?

Bones Coffee is one of those feel-good family successes that would make a great back story to a 90s era rom-com. Certified by the Rainforest Alliance — so you know its coffee is socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable — upon the company's inception in 2015 the company introduced innovative flavors like Strawberry Cheesecake. Mixing seasonal favorites such as Carrot Cake and the white chocolate flavored White Rabbit with limited edition pop culture tie-ins such as Tim Burton's The Pumpkin King, its eclectic roster of unique offerings is certainly impressive. 

Ingredients-wise things are upbeat; its ground and whole bean coffee is gluten free and doesn't contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. The beans Bones uses are low in acidity, allergen free, 100% Arabica, and are created with a combination of natural and artificial flavorings. Bones coffee does contain propylene glycol, an common additive in the industry the FDA regards as safe, but one that has raised concerns among consumers nonetheless.

Still, reviews seem mostly positive with self-confessed coffee blogger Mrs. Brew praising the company stating: "No matter the time of year, you can bet that Bones Coffee Company has amazing, high-quality, flavored coffee. For two years in a row, I've enjoyed their pumpkin coffee."

One of the best places to get a cup of flavored coffee is in Tampa, Florida. Joffrey's Tea and Coffee Emporium opened its first store there in 1984 and its self-styled roast master — founder Chris de Mezzo — remains the company's "Innovative force behind the 100+ coffee varieties on offer." 

There's a dizzying array of flavored coffee available: Jamaican Me Crazy blends caramel, vanilla, and coffee liqueur: Angel's Kiss offers a pleasant mix of Chocolate and Coconut Cream: Meanwhile, fan-favorite Toasted S'mores requires no explanation. 

Die-hard Joffrey's fans can get in on the action too. The tea and Coffee Emporium welcomes customer suggestions every year via its annual Flavor Originator Contest; during such times you can nominate ingredients, name the next brew and gather enough votes to ensure favorites stay on the menu. 

The company is committed to sustainability and uses 100% high-quality Arabica beans from: "Ethically and responsibly farmed regions, where the environment is respected, and workers are fairly compensated." You can buy your coffee in either ground, whole bean or cold brew form and all of them come with an impressive list of credentials. Gluten, sugar, and allergen-free, the flavorings themselves contain no calories whatsoever. Its flavored coffees are also egg and dairy free making them suitable for vegans.

All of the coffee houses on this list chose Arabica over Robusta beans as the base of its flavored coffee for one simple reason: Arabica beans taste better. Coffee Beanery appreciates this fact more than most.

The first store was opened in 1976, before — as the company notes on its site "The American public knew of the term specialty coffee." Such a claim is no mere hyperbole; speciality coffee is an industry term that, according to Origin Coffee, means it "[h]as met the standards of excellence throughout every stage of the supply chain, from meticulous care of the crop grown, to harvesting and processing."

Today the Coffee Beanery runs over 100 stores up and down the U.S. with a further 20 locations operating internationally. In terms of flavored coffee, the Coffee Beanery has an awful lot going on. Its suite includes an eclectic mix that includes tasty blends such as Apricot Cake, Butter Pecan Ice Cream, Chocolate Hazelnut Bon Bon that sell in droves alongside a few special — subscription only — delights like Frosted Carrot Cake.

Coffee Beanery is proud of the way it creates its exotically-named brews. As the brand shares, after subjecting the beans to a light/medium roast, roasters: "Layer premium flavoring oils in with the beans and mix them until they are perfectly blended," resulting in what it claims is: "The most premium flavored coffee you can find."

There are a few brands on this list that need little in the way of introduction and nowhere is that truer than for Starbucks. As the market leader, Starbucks have eschewed some of the more outlandish naming culture that often comes with flavored coffee brands, but the selection on offer is impressive, nonetheless. 

Most of the usual suspects are available; cold brew, instant, pods, and ground coffee can be purchased directly from its site (though bags of whole bean flavored coffee are conspicuously absent). Starbucks only uses Arabica beans, but allergen information is item-specific. Information about the secret blend of ingredients is scant aside from Starbucks' assurances that its flavored coffees contain no artificial ingredients.

Still, the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Starbucks' Caramel Latte Premium Instant coffee for example is sitting on a 4.6 after some 651 reviews. The Toasted Coconut Mocha also gets 4.6 stars while its cold brew naturally flavored Dark Chocolate Hazelnut is currently enjoying a stunning 4.9.

There are so many different flavor options for Nespresso that no definitive best of list is ever going to inspire a universal consensus. Still, the company is much beloved; praised for its moves towards sustainability and ease of use, if you can get past the sometimes hefty price point, there's no question that you're going to experience a premium product.

All the blends are of course sourced from Arabica beans, but Nespresso also allows you to choose which country of origin the beans are sourced from via its world explorations selection. The company is open about what you will find within each pod. On its website Nespresso notes that: "The Nespresso capsules contain only fresh roasted and ground coffee with the exception of the flavored coffees (Vanilla Éclair, Caramel Créme Brûlée, Cocoa Truffle) which also contain natural flavors added to fresh roasted and ground coffee."

Nespresso is also surprisingly candid about the flavoring process itself. Added to the coffee after grinding as a fine powder its more fanciful creations contain natural substances that originate from: "A base component of the characterized flavor," adding, "They don't contain any food allergens."

Best sellers such as the Barista Creations Flavor Pack contain a number of delicious options to enjoy. The brand's Vaniglia carries sweet biscuit and cereal notes, the dark chocolate inspired Chioccolatino is made with all-natural flavors, and the classic hazelnut heavy Nocciola is reminiscent of a high quality praline.

At its inception, Crazy Cups set out on a mission to recreate the joy of tasting a brand-new flavor of ice cream without the need to bother with all the calories such an experience involves. True to the spirit of that goal, it offers a wide range of products to choose from including hot chocolates, cappuccino, vanilla shakes and of course, flavored coffees. You can get its coffee either ground or as pods via a one-time purchase of sign up to its subscription service for a discount.

There are, of course, far too many flavors to have any hope of mentioning, let alone tasting them all. Highlights include the best-selling Chocolate Raspberry Truffle, the five star rated Decaf Frosted Oatmeal Cookie and the seriously enticing Buttery Caramel Popcorn coffee pods.

As far as ingredients are concerned, it looks like its quality control takes on a more somber appearance than the brand itself. TheArabica beans are sourced from around the world and there are no sweetening agents of any kind added to itsflavored coffee. Nut free, and certified kosher, Crazy Cups also offers organic coffees via its Eko cups sub brand.

Barnie's opened its first store in Winter Park Florida way back in 1980 after some tinkering with Peruvian coffee plants resulted in what was to become its signature taste. In 1994, the company released Santa's White Christmas; it was an instant hit as customers warmed to what Barnie's later described as: "A toasty vanilla, coconut and caramel-flavored powerhouse."

Many other varieties have graced its distinctive packaging over the years including English Slated Toffee, a caramel, maple, pecan, and cinnamon blend known as Cool Café Blues, and the naturally flavored simplicity of Southern Pecan. All of its beans are 100% Arabica, are sugar, gluten, and nut free and contain less than five calories per eight-ounce cup. Flavorings however are both natural and artificial making Barnie's one of the few companies on this list to miss the all-natural brand moniker. Still, customer reviews are strong with Santa's White Christmas a predictable standout at 4.79 stars after some 609 reviews.

Grounds and Hounds joins others on this list in offering a subscription service and setting up an account with them brings with it added benefits. Not only are its specialty coffees organic and eco-friendly, but it's also committed a full fifth of its profits to helping animal rescue organizations take care of abandoned dogs and puppies.

The company was set up in 2013 shortly after the owner and founder adopted a Dalmatian from a rescue shelter. The company began with just six types of coffee but today has expanded to dozens of varieties. The company's flavored coffees can be purchased in either ground or pod form and include seasonal options such as the aromatic Blueberry Crumble, and year-round favorites Glazed Donut and Brownie A La Mode.

There's a high quality on display here also; the Arabica beans are sourced from regions known for producing quality ingredients and are roasted in small batches to intensify the taste. Flavored coffees are vegan, sugar and gluten free, it even and several decaf varieties available for purchase direct from its site.

With thousands of five-star reviews to its name, Grounds and Hounds has set itself up as one of the best producers of flavored coffee on the market. And the fact that customers are helping to take care of desperate pooches with every sip they take is an added bonus that animal lovers might find hard to resist.

One Great Coffee has hit upon a simple formula for fantastic coffee that leaves little room to argue with. According to them, great coffee must be fresh, sourced from the best locations around the world, maintain flavor through variety, and offer a large selection so as to accommodate an eclectic range of palates.

Owners Donna and Mike's obsession with finding the best small batch roasters of single origin beans inspired them to form One Great Cup, relatively late in life. Now in its 60s, the company's humble beginnings are still but a recent memory. In addition to its gourmet, organic and micro lot coffees its website currently sports over 140 different flavored coffees with more being added on a regular basis. 

Each flavor is available as regular, decaf, whole bean or ground and its 100% grade one Arabica beans are roasted to order and shipped the very same day. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive with five star treats such as Italian Chocolate and Golden Pecan joining forces with similarly well-received curiosities like Sinful Delight, Swiss Chocolate Bunny, and Cupid's Kiss. Each flavor has less than five calories per 8 ounce serving and is of guaranteed gourmet quality.

With a name like Death Wish, you might be forgiven for thinking that this is yet another coffee brand that is all gimmick and no flavor. You'd be wrong. Death Wish creates some of the finest USDA certified Fair-Trade coffee out there. The company sources its beans from premium growing locations such as Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ethiopia and conduct a rigorous farm to cup evaluation to ensure only the finest products get to line store shelves.

Amidst the usual merchandise typical of modern-day small batch roasting companies, you will find some hidden gems of the flavored coffee world. Perennial stalwarts such as Vanilla in both ground and pod form rub shoulders with Almond Afterlife, Chocolate Hazelnut, and the blueberry coffee cake scented Blue and Buried.

Although offering a much narrower selection than some of the other companies on this list Death Wish's commitment to quality ingredients speaks volumes. The company's coffee is organic and free from artificial flavorings of any kind. Throw in the fact that its coffee was deemed good enough to receive an invite to outer space via the International Space Station, and a sense of how high of a regard they are held in comes into sharp focus.

Omar Coffee has been roasting beans since 1937, making this by some margin the oldest coffee company on the list. Situated in Newington, Connecticut, Omar Coffee was founded by John Costas, a Constantinople native who left his homeland to pursue the American dream. Four generations of Costas later and Omar Coffee's mission to "Buy premium green coffee beans, slow roast them to perfection, and always deliver superior freshness and personalized service to all customers," has not changed one iota.

What has changed is the variety of options available to consumers. Product lines on offer include seminal luminaries like Chocolate Cherry, Pistachio, and Toasted Almond. Limited-run, seasonal flavors are thrown into the mix every year and for those who have trouble making choices, a flavor of the month option is there to help narrow things down a little.

Reviews are consistently high across the board and quality checks are robust. As with every other company on this list Omar Coffee uses 100% Arabica beans, which are sourced from over twenty countries across the globe. Its coffee is vegan — with the exception of the Cinnamon Sticky Bun flavor –  and every single variety can be purchased as a decaf blend along with the option to have it delivered whole bean or ground. Several of the flavors can also be ordered as a single serve K-cup.

We checked each brand's ingredient list for excessive use of additives, colorings or added sugars, confirmed that the companies use Arabica and not Robusta beans and then cross referenced with positive user reviews. Where possible we noted allergen warnings confirmed any dietary restrictions, and filtered for nutritional information relating to added sugars and artificial flavorings.