Maple Coffee: Maple Flavoured Coffee vs Maple Syrup, and How to Make It
Maple coffee means one of two things: coffee beans flavoured with maple after roasting, or ordinary coffee sweetened with real maple syrup. They taste similar but are very different in the cup. Maple flavoured coffee has no sugar added and essentially no calories. A tablespoon of maple syrup adds about 52 calories and 12 g of sugar. Here is how each one works, and how to make a proper maple latte at home without an espresso machine.
Maple flavoured coffee vs coffee with maple syrup
| Maple flavoured coffee | Coffee with maple syrup | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Coffee beans with maple flavouring added after roasting | Any brewed coffee with maple syrup stirred in |
| Taste | Maple aroma, warm and toasty, not sweet | Sweet, with the caramel depth of syrup |
| Sugar | None added | About 12 g per tablespoon of syrup |
| Calories | Essentially none (before milk) | About 52 per tablespoon of syrup |
| Best for | Black coffee drinkers, every day | An occasional treat or a latte |
Nutrition figures for maple syrup are from the USDA data published by University Hospitals.
You can also combine the two: a maple flavoured coffee with a small spoon of syrup gives you a strong maple taste with less sugar than syrup alone.
How maple flavoured coffee is made
The beans are roasted first. While they are still warm, a small amount of flavouring is added and the beans are tumbled so it coats them evenly, then the coffee is ground and packed. The flavouring is measured in very small amounts, which is why flavoured coffee does not add sugar or meaningful calories. We go through the whole process, including natural vs artificial flavour, in how flavoured coffee is made.
Why maple tastes so Canadian
Because it mostly is. Canada produces more than 75% of the world's maple syrup, and about 90% of Canada's production comes from Quebec, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. In 2025 Canadian producers made more than 113 million kilograms of it. Ontario, where KNDZ roasts, contributed about 4.1 million kilograms.
Which maple syrup is best in coffee?
In Canada, maple syrup sold in stores is graded Canada Grade A and labelled by colour: Golden with a delicate taste, Amber with a rich taste, Dark with a robust taste, and Very Dark with a strong taste. The darker the syrup, the stronger the maple flavour. For coffee, Dark (robust) is usually the best pick, because a lighter syrup tends to disappear behind the coffee. Always use pure maple syrup rather than pancake syrup, which is usually corn or glucose syrup with added flavour.
3 ways to make maple coffee at home
1. Maple coffee, black
Brew a maple flavoured coffee and drink it as it is. With a KNDZ True Maple drip bag, hang the bag on a mug, pour 200 to 250 ml of water just off the boil through it in stages, and it is ready in about three minutes. No sugar, and the maple comes through in the aroma.
2. Coffee with maple syrup
Brew any coffee you like, then stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup while the coffee is still hot so it dissolves. Start small: a little syrup goes a long way, and you can always add more. A pinch of cinnamon on top works well.
3. Maple latte, no espresso machine
- Brew a strong cup. Use a drip bag with only about 150 ml of water instead of the usual 200 to 250 ml, or brew any coffee at double strength.
- Warm the milk. Heat 150 to 200 ml of milk or oat milk until steaming but not boiling.
- Froth it. Whisk hard, use a handheld frother, or pour the warm milk into a jar no more than half full, close the lid tightly, hold it with a towel and shake for 20 to 30 seconds. Open it carefully, pointing it away from you.
- Combine. Stir 2 teaspoons of maple syrup into the coffee, pour in the milk, and spoon the foam on top. Finish with a pinch of cinnamon or a tiny pinch of flaky salt.
For a lower sugar version, use a True Maple drip bag as the coffee and cut the syrup to 1 teaspoon, or leave it out completely.
Maple coffee as a Canadian gift
Maple coffee is one of the easiest Canadian gifts to send or pack in a suitcase: it is light, it travels well, and nearly everyone drinks coffee. A few ideas:
- A stocking stuffer: a single True Maple drip bag for a few dollars. See more coffee stocking stuffers.
- A box of seven: a full True Maple box, one cup a day for a week.
- Maple plus eleven more: the 12 Days of Flavour Coffee Gift Box includes True Maple along with 11 other flavours and roasts.
- For friends in the US: KNDZ ships to the US as well as across Canada.
Every KNDZ coffee is 100% Arabica, roasted in micro-batches in Toronto, and our flavoured coffees have no sugar added. Find more ideas in our guide to gifts for coffee lovers.
Frequently asked questions
Does maple coffee have sugar?
Maple flavoured coffee has no sugar added and essentially no calories. Coffee sweetened with maple syrup does: about 12 g of sugar and 52 calories per tablespoon of syrup.
Is maple flavoured coffee made with real maple syrup?
Usually not. Flavoured coffee is made by adding a small amount of flavouring to the beans after roasting. Syrup would add sugar and make the beans sticky. If you want real syrup, stir it into the brewed coffee.
How much maple syrup should I put in coffee?
Start with 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup and stir it in while the coffee is hot. Add more to taste.
What is the best maple syrup for coffee?
A Dark grade syrup with a robust taste. Its stronger maple flavour holds up against coffee better than lighter Golden or Amber syrups. Use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup.
Can I make a maple latte without an espresso machine?
Yes. Brew a strong cup with less water, froth warm milk by whisking or shaking it in a closed jar, and stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons of maple syrup.
Is maple syrup healthier than sugar in coffee?
It is still added sugar, with about 12 g per tablespoon, so use it in small amounts. If you want maple taste without the sugar, a maple flavoured coffee is the better choice.
Related guides
- How is flavoured coffee made?: Natural vs artificial flavour, sugar and calories.
- 12 days of coffee: A twelve day coffee countdown with a flavour for each day.
- Coffee stocking stuffers: Small coffee gifts under $10 and $25.
- How to make iced coffee at home: Three easy ways, no machine needed.