Hazelnut coffee is coffee with a natural hazelnut flavour built into the bean, so the cup tastes nutty and comforting without a pump of syrup. Good hazelnut coffee should still taste of coffee first: toasted nuts and cocoa on top of a proper bean, not a sweet drink pretending to be coffee.
The short answer
- What it is: real coffee beans infused with natural hazelnut flavouring after roasting.
- What it tastes like: toasted hazelnut, cocoa and a clean finish, with sweetness built in rather than added.
- How to brew it: exactly like normal coffee, in a cafetiere, a moka pot, or strong over ice.
- Ours: Honduran Hazelnut, a medium roast on a washed Honduran base.
How is hazelnut coffee made?
The beans are roasted first, then a natural hazelnut flavouring is applied to them. Because the flavour sits on the bean rather than being stirred into the cup, it carries through the grinder, the brew and even cold extraction. Nothing is added to your mug, and there is no syrup involved.
The base coffee matters more than most people expect. A flat, over roasted bean gives you a flat, over roasted hazelnut coffee. We use a washed Honduran Arabica roasted to medium, which keeps enough brightness in the cup to carry the hazelnut without the whole thing going dull.
What does hazelnut coffee taste like?
Expect toasted nuts first, then cocoa underneath, with a clean, rounded finish. The sweetness is gentle and balanced, closer to a hazelnut biscuit than to a hazelnut spread. Acidity is low and the body sits in the middle, which makes it an easy everyday cup rather than a once a week treat.
If you usually add a hazelnut syrup to your coffee, try it black first. Most people are surprised how much hazelnut comes through without anything added.
How to brew hazelnut coffee
- Cafetiere: 30g of coffee to 500ml of water just off the boil, four minutes, then a slow plunge. The easiest place to start, and our four minute cafetiere method has the full steps.
- Moka pot: brew a short, strong cup, then top with steamed milk for a hazelnut latte with no syrup pump required.
- Iced: brew it strong, pour it over plenty of ice and top with cold milk. The hazelnut and cocoa hold their shape cold.
Choose whole beans if you grind at home, or omni grind, one all purpose grind that suits most home brewing methods.
Hazelnut, or one of our other flavours?
Hazelnut is the comforting, everyday one. If you want something sweeter and more indulgent, Colombian Salted Caramel is rounder and more like a dessert. If you want chocolate, Mocha Choc is the obvious next step. You can see all five in our flavoured coffee range, and there is more on how we approach flavour in flavoured coffee, done properly.
Try it with
Honduran Hazelnut: a washed Honduran base, medium roast, with a natural hazelnut infusion. Cup notes of hazelnut, cocoa and toasted nuts. Small batch roasted in Glasgow, in 227g and 1kg bags.
Frequently asked questions
What is hazelnut coffee?
Hazelnut coffee is real coffee with a natural hazelnut flavour applied to the beans after roasting, so the cup tastes nutty without adding syrup.
Do I need to add syrup to hazelnut coffee?
No. The hazelnut flavour is already in the bean, so the cup tastes of hazelnut on its own. Add milk if you like it, but there is nothing to pump or stir in.
How do you brew hazelnut coffee?
Brew it like any other coffee. A cafetiere is the easiest: 30g of coffee to 500ml of water just off the boil, four minutes, then plunge. It also works in a moka pot and over ice.
Is hazelnut coffee good with milk?
Yes. Brew a short, strong cup in a moka pot and top with steamed milk for a hazelnut latte without syrup.
Should I buy whole beans or ground hazelnut coffee?
Whole beans if you have a grinder. Otherwise choose omni grind, one all purpose grind that suits most home brewing methods.
