What Is The Sweetest Coffee?

For those with a sweet tooth, knowing what is the sweetest coffee can make the experience much more enjoyable but there are ways to make them even sweeter.

What is the sweetest coffee
Mocha coffee is the sweetest

If you’re like me, you enjoy drinking sweet coffee in the morning. While I’ve tried to acclimate myself to regular black coffee, having the extra sugar makes the drinking experience all the better. For that reason, I’ve sampled all types of coffee and discovered that mocha is the sweetest.

However, with a little creativity and some extra ingredients, all coffee can technically be sweet. Here’s how.

What Is The Sweetest Coffee Ranked

Although you can just add cream and sugar to any cup of coffee to make it taste sweeter, I wanted to sample all coffee drinks as they are. After many trips to Starbucks and my local coffee shop, here’s how I would rank each beverage in terms of sweetness.

Also, keep in mind that sweetness can be something of a subjective term, so don’t take these rankings as gospel. However, if you’re trying to get into coffee and want to start on the sweeter end of the scale, I recommend a mocha or frappe.

1. Mocha

If you’re feeling fancy, you can call this type of coffee a mochaccino, although most people just use the term “mocha” for short. The reason that this is the sweetest coffee is that it mixes chocolate syrup or powder with espresso and steamed milk.

Since espresso is so strong by itself, adding these ingredients helps dissipate the bitterness and leaves a smoother, sweeter taste on your tongue. Depending on where you go, your barista may add more or less chocolate. Also, some coffee shops may add cocoa powder and whipped cream on top.

If you’re really trying to be sweet, you can go for something with added sugar, like a white chocolate mocha. This Starbucks drink has around 23 grams of sugar for a grande size.

2. Frappe Or Frappuccino

Starbucks has essentially taken over the frappe market, but it originated in Greece. The first frappe was a simple iced coffee made with instant coffee, milk, sugar, and crushed ice. It’s since mutated into a combination of sugar, milk, and espresso.

You can’t get much sweeter than a Starbucks Frappuccino, particularly when they’re overloaded with flavored syrups and sugary ingredients. On average, a grande caramel Frappuccino contains about 64 grams of sugar, depending on the type you get.

For the ultimate sweet coffee, you can get a mocha frappuccino. At first, you may assume the sugar content is through the roof, but it’s pretty much on par with a regular mocha or frappe.

3. Bombon

If you’ve visited Spain, you may be familiar with café Bombon. This coffee drink is a mixture of a shot of espresso with sweetened condensed milk. The result is a naturally sweet coffee that doesn’t require any chocolate or flavored syrups.

However, condensed milk already has plenty of sugar, so one of these drinks can contain a whopping 43 grams of sugar. That said, because the milk blends well with the espresso, drinking a Bombon is quite enjoyable. There’s nothing like sitting outside a café, sipping a Bombon, and watching the world go by.

4. Cappuccino

Now that we’ve covered the sweetest coffee drinks, we’re moving into varieties that don’t contain as much sugar. A traditional cappuccino uses one shot of espresso and thick froth on top. There’s no added sugar, but the milk foam will contain about 12 grams overall.

A traditional cappuccino
A traditional cappuccino uses one shot of espresso and thick froth on top

If you opt for a dairy-free cappuccino, you can cut down on the sugar content even further. Also, plenty of coffee shops will add extra sweeteners to a cappuccino to make it more enjoyable for their customers. Check out our round-up of milk substitutes in coffee for more ideas.

5. Latte

As with a cappuccino, a latte is little more than milk added to espresso. However, unlike a cappuccino, lattes are ripe for experimentation. Anyone who’s had a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks can tell you that these drinks are loaded with extra sugar.

That said, if you stick with tradition, you shouldn’t get more than about 10 grams of sugar from the milk itself. Again, switching to a low-calorie alternative like almond milk can help you reduce your sugar intake.

6. Macchiato

One step down from a latte is a macchiato, which uses less milk but has the same basic premise. Because this drink isn’t very sweet, many coffee shops like to add flavored syrups. For example, a caramel macchiato is a popular Starbucks order, although it’s not nearly as sweet as a frappuccino or mocha.

7. Americano

Toward the opposite end of the sweetness spectrum is the Americano. This coffee drink is a blend of one shot of espresso with hot water. The water helps dilute the bitterness of the espresso, but it certainly doesn’t add any sugar.

As a rule, Americanos are for people who enjoy the taste of black coffee. If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, you should steer clear.

8. Espresso

Espresso shot
An espresso shot is used as a base and has a bitter coffee

What do all the coffee drinks above have in common? They all use a shot of espresso as their base. If you want to skip all the frills and go with the basics, you could just drink espresso straight, but this option is definitely an acquired taste, so tread carefully if you’re not used to bitter coffee.

How To Make Coffee Taste Sweeter

While you could go to a coffee shop and order a frappe or mocha, there’s something so satisfying about making your own brew at home. Here are some ways to add sweetness to your beverage for a smoother, tastier experience.

Also, please note that you want to be careful about how much of each ingredient you add. As with anything else, you should enjoy sugar in moderation. 

Naturally Sweet Coffee Beans

All coffee starts with beans, so if you’re looking for a sweet cup of Joe, you should start with the sweetest beans. Arabica beans are the smoothest option (especially compared to Robusta), but different factors affect how they taste.

For example, the soil, climate, and fertilizers used can make coffee beans sweeter or more bitter. Also, the roasting process can awaken more of the sugar inside the bean. As a rule, medium and dark roast coffee is the sweetest, while light roast blends tend to be more bitter and acidic.

Sugar

If you want sweet coffee, the easiest option is to just add sugar. However, if you’re going to add other sweeteners like flavored syrups or condensed milk, you should limit adding extra sugar. You can also try adding a bit of brown sugar to get more of a molasses taste to your beverage.

Sugar-Free Sweeteners

Just because you want sweet coffee doesn’t mean you have to increase your blood sugar levels. There are plenty of sugar-free alternatives like Splenda, Sweet N’ Low, and NutraSweet. These products can give you that taste boost without adding unnecessary carbs and calories to the mix.

Whipped Cream

Cream is a common additive to coffee, but it’s often mixed into the drink. Whipped cream can be added to the top for a fun and delicious twist on your beverage.

A dollop of whipped cream can be reminiscent of drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Plus, as it melts, it will naturally add a sweet taste to your coffee.

Flavored Syrup

Flavored coffee syrups
Flavored syrups make your coffee much more enjoyable and palatable

There are tons of flavored syrups available for your tasting pleasure. Caramel, chocolate, peppermint, and even fruity flavors can make your coffee much more enjoyable and palatable. However, pay attention to the sugar content so you can plan accordingly. You might find our round-up of the best coffee syrups for making professional beverages at home helpful.

Coffee Creamer

Many coffee creamers are loaded with sugar and come in all sorts of fun flavors. So, you get a sweet drink with a heavenly texture. 

Milk

When in doubt, just add milk! Milk has natural sugars already, so it can both dilute the bitterness of your coffee and make it slightly sweeter.

Milk is an excellent option for coffee lovers who want some sweetness without going overboard. However, you can also use flavored milk (i.e., vanilla or chocolate) to enhance the coffee flavor.

Ice Cream

Technically, adding ice cream to coffee makes it a dessert, not a daily beverage. This option is called Affogato, and it’s a common Italian treat.

You start with a scoop of ice cream and then add a shot of hot espresso. The term literally means “drowned,” hence the name.

Author

  • Jonathan

    Jonathan is an avid coffee drinker, although he's known to knock back a few energy drinks too. He's been a writer for over seven years, which is why caffeine runs through his veins. Find Jonathan on WriterAccess.