Brown Sugar: The Flavour of 2025 and Your New Favourite Coffee Companion

In the world of specialty coffee, flavour trends come and go—but some arrive and instantly feel like they belong. This year, brown sugar has been crowned Flavour of the Year 2025, and we can see why. It’s comforting, nostalgic, and effortlessly elevates your favourite brews.

Whether you’re a latte lover, a flat white fan, or partial to a perfectly brewed filter, here’s why brown sugar might just become your go-to coffee companion this year.

Why Brown Sugar?

Brown sugar brings more to the table than sweetness alone. Made from white sugar with added molasses (or left unrefined in the case of muscovado), it offers depth, richness, and a gently caramelised flavour that pairs beautifully with coffee—especially medium or darker roasts.

It’s the kind of sweetness that reminds you of toffee puddings, spiced biscuits, and warm kitchen tables—cosy, but with a hint of sophistication.

Why It Works in Coffee

Unlike refined sugars that simply sweeten, brown sugar enhances. It draws out nutty, chocolatey, and caramel notes in coffee, especially in naturally processed or medium-roast beans. Add it to a rich espresso, and it softens the edges without hiding the complexity. Stir it into an oat milk latte, and you get silky sweetness with a velvety finish.

This year, big brands like Starbucks and Dunkin’ have already jumped on the trend—rolling out brown sugar cold brews and oat lattes. But here at Flat Cap, we think it shines brightest when paired with fresh, small-batch-roasted beans.

Try It at Home: Three Ways to Add Brown Sugar to Your Brew

Here are three simple ways to bring the trend into your own kitchen:

1. Brown Sugar Oat Latte

A warming, dairy-free delight.

• Double shot of espresso (or strong moka pot brew)
• Steamed oat milk
• 1–2 tsp brown sugar syrup
• Optional: pinch of cinnamon

Stir the syrup into your espresso before adding the milk for a café-style cup that feels indulgent but easy.

2. Iced Brown Sugar Cold Brew

Smooth, refreshing, and dangerously sippable.

• Cold brew concentrate (or cooled filter coffee)
• Ice
• Brown sugar syrup
• Optional: cold foam or dash of milk

Perfect for warmer mornings or an afternoon pick-me-up.

3. Brown Sugar Coffee Mocktail

Yes, really. It works.

• Cold brew
• Tonic water
• 1 tsp brown sugar syrup
• Orange peel or twist

Pour the cold brew over ice, add the syrup and top with tonic. Stir gently and garnish with citrus. It’s fizzy, sweet and surprisingly elegant.

Want to Keep It Simple?

You don’t need to make a syrup from scratch—just stir a spoonful of demerara or muscovado sugar into your brew. You’ll still get that rich sweetness with none of the fuss.

Final Thoughts: Sweetness With Soul

Brown sugar is more than just a flavour trend—it’s a reminder that small changes in your daily coffee can make a big difference. It enhances rather than overwhelms, and when paired with a carefully chosen roast, it brings out layers you might have missed before.

If you’re curious to try it, our Brazilian Mantiqueira or Colombian Cundinamarca Viani are beautiful partners—full-bodied, smooth, and perfect for a little brown sugar indulgence.

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Let us know if you give it a try—and as always, tag us in your at-home creations @flatcapcoffeeroasting. We love seeing how you brew.