If you’re ho-ho-hoping for festive coffee flavors this holiday season, Keurig has them in spades. The world’s most popular single-serve coffee maker has inspired dozens of companies to unleash a wide variety of seasonal specials, from spiced Christmas blends and cooling peppermint mochas to tried-and-true pumpkin spice lattes and indulgent sugar cookie espressos.
But not all K-Cups are on Santa’s Nice List this year. I put my palate (and my stomach) through the wringer by sipping through a whopping 32 flavor offerings to identify the best of the best (the Nice List), the just OK (Middle of the Pack) and the ones to skip (the Naughty List).
I brewed all the holiday coffee pods to find these 10 bangers.
While taste is subjective, I kept brewing methods and preparation consistent. Each pod was prepared with a standard 8-ounce setting and combined with a tablespoon of vanilla creamer and half of a packet of sugar.
Though nothing was the caffeine beverage-equivalent of hot coal, some inevitably shone brighter than others. Here is a comprehensive ranking, keeping in mind that there are dozens of other companies and flavor offerings that we were unable to obtain in time.
And if you’re not into sweet or spiced coffee, here are the best K-Cups (non-holiday) out of 40 we tested.
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10 best holiday K-Cups: The Nice List
The notes were more caramel and toffee-like but this was a huge hit and practically demanded spiced rum and whipped cream.
The apple flavor was faint, though somewhat artificial. That said, it tasted lovely with a bit of added sweetness and cream, making it one of the most unique among the bunch.
This didn’t taste like pumpkin spice but I found its smoothness, especially when derived from a plastic cup, to be exceptional. And for true coffee aficionados who much prefer a press or espresso machine, we’ll appreciate anything that comes even a little bit close to the gold standard.
If you’re on the hunt for the best peppermint-based K-Cup, Starbucks has you covered with its peppermint mocha. While this didn’t smell great, the mint didn’t overwhelm and paired flawlessly with the chocolatey mocha. It’s certainly not as good as the store-bought variety, but it makes an excellent at-home alternative if you’re trying to save hard-earned cash for gifts.
This was a shocker for me, as I’m guilty of gravitating towards gimmicky dessert flavors rather than the signature holiday blends. But Starbucks really hit it out of the North Pole with this roast that probably fuels Rudolph’s red nose, because the caffeine hits like an oversized snowflake.
It’s wild how the coffee’s roast alluded to that fresh-baked cookie flavor that can only be captured from an oven. While this isn’t something I’d drink every day, I felt like it had just enough seasonal pizzazz to be part of a December rotation.
This was probably the most alluring to the nose and then it more than delivered with a spice-enhanced upgrade to a plain ol’ cup o’ joe. Pair this with a flavored creamer to really up the ante and take advantage of its versatility.
Admittedly, this K-Cup came in with the most fanfare from friends, family members and colleagues, so it was no surprise that it ranked so high. It’s sweet, spicy and — dare I say — buttery, making it a welcome addition to chilly winter mornings in flannel PJs and the dread of holiday shopping.
Since this comes presweetened and with milk, it definitely has an advantage. And while the Judge Judy-watching egalitarian in me wanted to eliminate it from the competition out of fairness, I felt as if I needed to share it with the world as a decadent departure from the norm.
Heads up: It’s uber-sweet, uber-creamy and worth grabbing an Uber to track down.
As the author of Basic Bitchen, I know a good pumpkin spice latte when I taste one. And this is one of the best to ever come from a single-serving pod. There was incredible balance among its notes of clove and cinnamon, as opposed to most mainstream brands that pile on headache-inducing amounts to mask cheap java.
I didn’t go into this taste-test assuming that a pumpkin spice offering would clinch gold, but here we are, and here I am preparing to serve this to Santa on Christmas Eve with his cookies.
Middle of the pack: Holiday K-Cups I liked but didn’t love
These holiday K-Cups were just OK.
Crazy Cups Peppermint Chocolate Mocha: This smelled and tasted so much like chocolate that it overpowered the peppermint. That is no easy feat and somewhat defeats the purpose of purchasing a product with the notoriously potent ingredient.
Maud’s Gingerbread Spice It Up: Spice It Up didn’t spice up my life. In fact, it was a bit too one-dimensional and could have benefited from more robust additions, such as actual ginger.
Maud’s It’s the Great Pumpkin, Mrs. Brown: Spoiler alert: It’s not so great, Mrs. Brown. The pumpkin was there but it was overshadowed by cinnamon that eliminated practically all natural sweetness.
Green Mountain Holiday Blend: Coffee without all the holiday bells and Santa’s reindeer whistle. It didn’t disgust me but it did melt into the background when compared to most alternatives.
Crazy Cups Vanilla Pumpkin Spice: This is where things started to take a turn for the better. While I wasn’t particularly fond of this vanilla pumpkin spice, it didn’t disappoint. A solid option for those whose primary diet is white bread, mashed potatoes and dry chicken.
McCafe Horchata Latte: This one stumped me. It was brewed presweetened but tasted almost like clove-infused sugar water. That said, I also couldn’t stop drinking it, so I guess “I’m lovin’ it.”
Starbucks Toasted Coconut Mocha: I’m not entirely sure this qualifies as a holiday flavor but it’s labeled as limited-edition in December. I loved the flavor of toasted coconut, but I almost wish they paired it with white chocolate to make true Christmas aficionados happy.
Maud’s Holiday Spice: I appreciated the fact that this didn’t assault the taste buds like some of Maud’s other flavors, which were a bit heavy-handed in the spice department. A solid choice for after a holiday dinner to complement cake, cookies and gastrointestinal distress.
Crazy Cups Caramel Eggnog: There was nothing “natural” about this flavor combo and yet I enjoyed its attempt to capture the essence of the most festive Christmas drink and top it with even more sugar.
Starbucks Maple Pecan: This had a wonderful maple-forward aftertaste that made me wish I was sipping it with a stack of pancakes or waffles.
The Naughty List: Holiday K-Cups you can skip
Here are a few holiday K-Cups you can skip.
Zenbean Pumpkin Spice: This tasted more like a spruce tree than anything remotely pumpkin or cinnamon-based.
DonutCafe Pumpkin Spice: Coffee should not taste sour like a pickle, and yet this pod proved me wrong.
Zenbean Holiday Spice: An aftertaste of Play-Doh landed this “holiday spice” variety near the bottom of the list.
Entenmann’s Pumpkin Spice: I love their baked goods, but I hated this take on pumpkin spice, which was, dare I say, burnt and almost smoky.
Zenbean Peppermint Mocha: If you’re looking for a coffee that tastes like drywall mixed with menthol, this is the one for you.
The Original Donut Shop Peppermint Bark: This has developed a cult following and I may be in the minority, but the peppermint was merely a whisper and not a leading role.
Maud’s Merry Cherry: I was, admittedly, most excited for this one because I adore Nespresso’s fruit-based pods, but this was straight-up Robitussin masked by an amazing smell.
Caribou Coffee Reindeer Blend: There was nothing wrong with this coffee but I found it to be basic, boring and unmemorable.
Maud’s Cinnamon Sugar Cookie: Too much cinnamon and not enough cookie, which is never a good problem to have.
Skinnygirl Pumpkin Spice: The only word I wrote down was “bleh,” which can best be translated as lacking depth and personality.
Crazy Cups Spiced Gingerbread: Not sure why this tasted like a Macy’s perfume department but what this lacked in gingerbread, it made up for in floral notes?
Maud’s Frosty Mint Chip: While the mint flavor was subtle, it left the lasting impression of mouthwash. I guess sipping it kills two birds with one stone, which can be appealing for those who prioritize oral hygiene.
