What is French Vanilla Coffee? (Recipe & How to Order It)

Last Updated on January 25, 2023 by brewthatcoffee

You see it all the time, but what is French Vanilla Coffee? Read on to find out.

What is French Vanilla Coffee? (Recipe & How to Order It)

French vanilla is one of the most popular flavored coffees and can be found in many coffeehouses and grocery stores. It can also be made at home with a few simple ingredients.

What is French Vanilla Coffee?

Quick Answer:
French vanilla coffee is a cup of coffee that has been flavored with French vanilla syrup, vanilla creamer, vanilla extract or uses French vanilla-infused coffee beans.

Origin – Why is it called French Vanilla Coffee?

The name French vanilla coffee comes from the fact that this type of coffee is made with a rich vanilla flavoring, which contains nutty undertones like hazelnut.

These flavors are not natural to the coffee bean and must be added as syrups, oils, or flavorings.

Taste – Is it Sweet?

French vanilla coffee is not necessarily sweet, but the added flavoring of vanilla will often give it a sweeter taste than regular coffee.

The sweetness level can be easily adjusted by adding more or less flavoring, to suit your personal preference.

How Many Calories are in French Vanilla Coffee?

A standard cup of black coffee has only 2 calories, and some French Vanilla flavored coffee beans will have roughly the same amount.

For example, Dunkin’ French Vanilla Flavored Ground Coffee has only 2-4 calories per 6 oz serving.

Once you start adding things like milk, sugar, and flavorings, the calorie count will go up. Sugary additions like French Vanilla syrup will have many more calories than sugar-free vanilla syrup (which you can get at Starbucks!)

Check the nutrition label for any French Vanilla coffee product you buy to find out how many calories you are consuming.

French Vanilla Coffee Beans

French vanilla coffee beans are simply coffee beans that have been flavored with vanilla. The flavoring can be added in the form of syrup, oil, or powder.

You can find French vanilla-flavored coffee beans online or at some specialty stores.

If you can’t find French Vanilla coffee beans, you can also flavor your own coffee beans at home by adding a few drops of vanilla extract to the beans before brewing.

French Vanilla Coffee Beans, Recommendations

Our Pick: Lion Coffee Vanilla Macadamia Flavor, 24 oz

Dunkin’ Donuts French Vanilla Flavored Ground Coffee, 12 oz

Eight O’Clock French Vanilla Coffee, 11 oz

Amazon Fresh French Vanilla Coffee, 12 oz

How to Make French Vanilla Coffee

You can easily make French Vanilla coffee at home with a few simple ingredients. All you need is coffee, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract (or vanilla flavoring).

Here’s a quick and easy recipe for French Vanilla Coffee:

French Vanilla Coffee (Iced/Hot)

French Vanilla Coffee (Iced/Hot)

This creamy and delicious French Vanilla coffee is the perfect way to start your day. Combining brewed coffee, vanilla extract, milk, and sugar, it's sure to satisfy all your cravings!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Coffee
  • .5 cup Milk
  • 2 tbsp Sugar
  • 2 tspn Vanilla Extract

Instructions

    1. Brew your coffee using your preferred method.
    2. Add the milk, sugar, and vanilla extract to the coffee and stir until combined.
    3. Optional: Add ice and stir.

You can easily double or triple the recipe if you want to make a large batch of French Vanilla coffee. Just make sure to adjust the amount of flavoring you add, to suit your personal taste.

You can also experiment with different types of milk, like almond milk or soy milk, to see what you like best. And if you want a little more sweetness, you can add a bit more sugar, or even some chocolate syrup.

French vanilla coffee is a delicious and easy way to enjoy flavored coffee at home. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make your own cup of French Vanilla coffee that is sure to please. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try today!

Infusing French Vanilla Flavor Into Coffee

You can achieve a French Vanilla flavored coffee by using either French vanilla creamer, vanilla extract, vanilla syrup, vanilla flavored coffee beans, or a combination of these.

French Vanilla Creamer

The easiest way to get French Vanilla flavor into your coffee is to use French Vanilla creamer. Simply add the desired amount of creamer to your coffee and enjoy.

If you want a stronger vanilla flavor, you can use a higher ratio of creamer to coffee. For example, if you are using 1 cup of coffee, you could use 1/4 cup of creamer.

Vanilla Extract

You can also use vanilla extract to flavor your coffee. Simply add a few drops of vanilla extract to your coffee and stir.

If you want a stronger vanilla flavor, you can add more extract. Start with a few drops and then add more, to taste.

Vanilla Syrup

Another option is to use vanilla syrup. You can find this at most grocery stores, or even online. To use, simply add the desired amount of syrup to your coffee and stir.

As with the other options, if you want a stronger vanilla flavor, you can add more syrup. Start with a small amount and then add more, to taste.

Vanilla Flavored Coffee Beans

You can buy coffee beans with vanilla flavor already infused. Or, you can infuse your own beans by adding vanilla extract or vanilla syrup to them.

To do this, simply add a few drops of extract or a small amount of syrup to your beans before brewing. The longer you let the beans sit in the flavoring, the stronger the flavor will be.

French Vanilla Coffee at Big Chains

McDonald’s – Iced French Vanilla Coffee

McDonald’s carries a refreshing Iced French Vanilla Coffee with only 170 calories in its medium size. To re-create this drink at home, add Torani vanilla syrup to your morning coffee.

Dunkin’ Donuts – Coffee With French Vanilla Swirl

To achieve a coffee similar to French Vanilla coffee served by Dunkin’ Donuts, you’ll want to use beans flavored with French Vanilla. Using syrup works great, but isn’t necessary.

Tim Hortons – French Vanilla Cold Brew (Biebs Brew)

If you live in the Northeastern part of the United States, you’re in luck because a Tim Hortons may be located nearby. The Biebs Brew is a new drink on the menu with a French Vanilla flavor.

Starbucks – Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew

Starbucks’ Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew contains sweet cream and vanilla flavoring. You can make a similar drink at home by adding heavy cream and vanilla extract to your cold brew coffee.

Sonic Drive-In – French Vanilla Cold Brew Iced Coffee

Sonic makes their French Vanilla Cold Brew by adding ice, French vanilla flavor, and sweet cream over iced coffee.

French Vanilla Coffee vs. French Vanilla Cappuccino

What’s the difference between French Vanilla Coffee and a French Vanilla cappuccino? The main difference is that a cappuccino contains steamed milk and foam, while coffee does not.

A French Vanilla cappuccino, for example, is made with milk, vanilla syrup, and espresso. French Vanilla coffee is simply made with coffee and vanilla flavoring.

So, a cappuccino is the way to go if you want a drink with more milk and less coffee. Order a French Vanilla coffee if you want a drink with more coffee and less milk.

Common Questions

French Vanilla coffee has a richer, nuttier flavor than regular vanilla coffee.

Much of the time, no. You will need to check product labels and/or ask your barista whether there is dairy in their French Vanilla flavoring/creamer.

This is a matter of personal preference. You may want to try different brands and flavors to see what you like best.

1 thought on “What is French Vanilla Coffee? (Recipe & How to Order It)”

  1. Great post! As a coffee lover, I had no idea French Vanilla coffee was so easy to make at home. Can’t wait to try it out! 😋

    Reply

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