8 Delicious Fruit-Flavored Syrups to Enhance Your Coffee Experience

As a barista of several years, I’ve seen plenty of trends come and go; not to mention the every-year seasonal favorites, like classic Christmas peppermint hot chocolate or the infamous autumn pumpkin spice latte. Whether you go for the same drink day in and day out or you’re more on the adventurous side, adding unexpected flavors to your morning latte can shake things up a bit with a vibrant new flavor experience. If you haven’t considered fruity flavors as an option, now just might be the time to start.

Move over, caramel and vanilla (or at least make room), these fruit flavored syrups will take your morning cup of java to the next level. If you’re a bit nervous to try something new, don’t worry, I’ve got recommendations for my favorite ways to incorporate fruit syrups into tons of different kinds of coffee drinks. If you like iced drinks, you’re in luck! However, there are options for the hot coffee enjoyers out there, too. Perfect for summer and equally tasty in winter, let’s check out these eight fruity options.

Tart and tangy, this stone fruit’s notes are a great compliment to more beverages than just wine. Cherries are rich with deep flavor and complexity and have a bit of tang to complement their sweetness. When mixed with the earthy, complex bitterness of a good cup of joe, the sweetness and depth of the cherries really shine. Add a splash of cream to whatever drink you prefer to mellow out some of the flavors and add a rich smoothness to your drink.

Drizzle on top of a little whipped cream on your cold brew or mix right in for an aromatic and unique sip that just screams summertime. Adding a splash to your hot mocha is a decadent and creamy reminder of a chocolate covered cherry dessert. For a cool summer sip, try it in an espresso tonic over ice — and you can add a wedge of lime if you want to add some sour citrus notes.

The vibrant berry flavor in this fruit is a great compliment to cut a bit of the bitterness of any java without being overly sweet or sour. Blueberries just have a mild hint of tanginess, and have mostly sweet, jammy notes, which work wonders in a milk-based drink like a latte or macchiato.

Blueberries do have a touch of the tang, and a bit of this syrup in a latte will take you right to the kitchen table munching on a piece of blueberry pie. To take it to the next level, add a dash of caramel crumble on top and you’ll really get that blueberry pie feel. If you’re keen on sweetness, adding this syrup to a vanilla latte is another totally tasty option that also plays on the dessert vibe. The best part: this flavor works well year-round, so you don’t have to wait for hot latte season to break out this fruity favorite.

Starting out with bright sweetness on the tongue and ending with a vibrant tanginess that borders on savory, pomegranate is a great combination for anyone looking for a complex fruity flavor that develops along with each sip of your morning brew. This complexity makes it a bit less versatile than other fruity flavors, but in the right drinks, pomegranate really shines.

If you’ve got a bottle of grenadine in the fridge, you can give that a try for some extra sweetness, too. If you’re just finding out that grenadine isn’t cherry flavored, don’t worry, you’re not alone. I will say, though, that this flavor shines alongside mild and low acidity flavors, like a smooth cold brew. It also does less well with the creamy, milk-based drinks. The tanginess of the pomegranate melds right into a light roast pour over, amplifying the already floral and fruity flavors without overpowering them.

Bold, sweet, and a touch earthy, blackberry syrups are a bit more complex than some other fruity syrups. These flavors in the blackberry complement and layer with the flavors already present in light and medium roast coffees, especially those with notes of berries or wine. Blackberry and honey is a classic combo, and a dash of blackberry syrup in a traditional honey latte to play on the sweetness, or one made with oat milk to amp up the earthiness of the berries is a true delight and fun twist on a classic latte.

That fresh sweetness will liven up your latte or an iced coffee with a splash of cream. It is particularly good with coffee that has a touch of fruitiness, like natural process coffees, which have been dried and processed with the whole coffee cherry intact. This preservation of the cherry allows for sugars to absorb into the beans and provides a deeply fruity, full-bodied flavor and depth.

The bright citrus notes of an orange syrup can help cut through some of the bitterness of a regular coffee. A coffee with citrus notes will be amplified to a whole new level with a splash of orange syrup, or even some zest on top of your cold brew or espresso tonic. While zesting that orange, you can also save a bit to elevate the chocolate chip cookies with orange zest that you have on deck.

For a fall vibe, try adding some gingersnap crumbs to the top of your regular latte for a spicy textural element or some cinnamon or ginger for a spiced orange version. Terry’s Chocolate Orange, anyone? Lovers of the classic chocolate candy with a citrus twist will totally see this combo coming and probably love it. If you’re looking to get out of your regular box and try something fresh, try adding some orange syrup to your iced mocha for a refreshing and layered sip that you can enjoy all summer long (or all year long, if you’re on team iced-drinks-no-matter-what). This combo is a perfect blend of tart, bitter, nutty and sweet.

As summer gives way to fall, peaches really shine. Whether you’re a seasonal enjoyer or a year-round fanatic, peach syrups have a bright sunny flavor with a floral aroma to complement that classic stone-fruit richness. For a springtime treat, peach and lavender are also a well-loved combination to jazz up your iced latte with some truly floral and citrus vibes. It’s great in a classic cold brew with mellow flavor and a touch of chocolatey smoothness that goes well with a splash of your preferred milk or creamer and some peach syrup. 

Peach is delicious in a milk-based drink like a creamy macchiato or even a latte breve (made with half and half) if you’re really looking to replicate the rich yet crisp fruitiness of peaches and cream. It also pairs well with flavors like vanilla, honey, and cinnamon, complementing the juicy sweetness. It can be a play on the peach cobbler with a scoop of ice cream flavor. If you want to take the richness to the next level and have a bit of a thicker consistency, you can try making a tasty peach syrup to use in your coffee and more!

Perfect in piña coladas, candies, and arguably the best Girl Scout Cookie, coconut syrup can take your latte to a sunny, carefree place you might not want to come back from. The light, sweet nuttiness of the coconut plays on the toasty flavors in a medium roast coffee.

For a bolder, sweeter candy taste, you can add a splash of caramel syrup to really play up the nutty, toasty flavors in all three profiles between the coconut, coffee, and caramel. If this idea piques your interest, you can even try swapping the regular 2% or whole milk in a traditional latte for coconut milk and skip the syrup to save on sugar. My favorite way to incorporate coconut into my morning coffee is to whip up a quick batch of coconut cold foam — or even coconut whipped cream if you want to go for something richer — and popping it on top of a smooth and balanced cold brew with just a tiny bit of vanilla.

Lychee is perhaps an unexpected addition to this list, but its flavors — sweet, musky, and a bit acidic — pair well with a variety of coffee preparation styles. It’s also excellent when paired with other aromatic floral flavors like jasmine or nuts, like almond and pistachio, so almond milk would be a nice substitution in a lychee latte. Coconut is a classic ingredient to combine with this equally tropical fruit. When mixed with some full-bodied espresso to keep it grounded, a latte with these ingredients is both tropical and mellow and balanced.

While you may have a tough time finding this tropical syrup at your local coffee shop, it’s easy to come by online for all of your at-home barista concoctions. Lychee is another fruit syrup that’s totally tasty when made into a cold foam or whipped into some cream on top of a nice cold brew. I’ll admit I’m a cold brew fanatic, so I think most things go great on top of one, and lychee is no exception.