The 4 Best Coffee Syrups You Can Buy, According to Baristas

To save money, I have been making most of my coffee drinks at home this year. I’ve been on a quest to find really good syrups that taste as close as possible to the ones the baristas at my favorite coffee shops make. 

Curious to learn what bottles these professionals reach for, I talked to four baristas and coffee experts from cafés across the country. There are the four brands they recommend — including one that’s also an editor favorite! 

Anumoy Das, a barista at Chicago’s Swadesi likes 1883 Maison Routin’s syrups for their “well-balanced sweetness.” If, like me, you find too many coffee syrups taste more like simple syrup, this French-made line is an excellent choice. The admittedly “more premium” syrups come in more than a dozen flavors, including French madeleine, tiramisu, and even popcorn. Former barista and director of operations at New York City’s Slate Cafe, Lillie Sokolski is also a big fan. Her favorite is Speculoos: “I think it’s underrated,” she says, adding “it’s so yummy.” 

With ingredients like organic agave syrup and cane sugar, Proper’s syrups are loved by baristas (as well as people on our edit team) because of how spot-on the flavors taste. “The reason I think Proper stands out — especially the vanilla and pumpkin spice — is it really tastes like it has actual vanilla beans and pumpkin in them,” says Maciej Kasperowicz, a former barista at Gregorys Coffee and current director of coffee at Trade. Even the strawberry syrup, a notoriously hard flavor to replicate, perfectly captures the flavor of a peak-season berry.

Want a more experimental flavor to play with at home? Sokolski recommends Proper’s lavender syrup. But be warned: “Once you have that lavender, you cannot go to any other syrup. It is phenomenal,” she says.

For some serious options, baristas turn to Torani. “They have a billion flavors,” Kasperowicz says. Not only can you stock up on classics like vanilla, hazelnut, and caramel, but you can also grab more flavors like salted honey butter, cupcake, and prickly pear. Plus, Torani’s syrups are the most affordable on this list, with a four-pack of vanilla syrup going for $26 (or about $6.50 per bottle).

While Monin also offers a variety of flavors, Rachel Hagara, barista at Randeez Coffee in Lacey, Washington, suggests Monin’s hazelnut syrup if you prefer a classic, nutty note in your coffee drinks. “It is the perfect addition for any coffee,” she says. “Monin syrups have higher-quality flavor than some other popular brands, in my experience.” 

Not to mention, Monin’s syrups also don’t contain artificial ingredients or colors. And if you want something to play around with, you can grab some cool seasonal flavors, like hot honey, rose, and blueberry, too. 

Do you have a favorite bottle of coffee syrup? Tell us about it in the comments below.