Hazelnut Coffee: Taste, Brewing and Food Pairings

Hazelnut coffee is regular coffee with a toasted-nut aroma added after roasting, so the cup smells like a bakery but drinks like black coffee: no sugar, no syrup, almost no calories. It tastes nutty, a little sweet on the nose and softly roasty, and it works in nearly every brewer you own.

Below: what hazelnut flavored coffee is, how it tastes, how to brew it in every common brewer and what to eat with it.

Key takeaways

• Hazelnut coffee beans are roasted first, then coated with flavoring while still warm. The flavor is not baked into the plant or the roast.
• Flavored beans add aroma without sugar. Syrups and creamers add sweetness and calories.
• A medium roast on a mellow base, such as Brazilian coffee, lets the nut note come through instead of burying it.
• Hazelnut pairs well with breakfast pastries, chocolate, banana, apple and mild cheeses.

In this article

1. What is hazelnut coffee?
2. What does hazelnut coffee taste like?
3. How to brew hazelnut coffee
4. Food pairings
5. Simple hazelnut coffee drinks
6. Hazelnut flavor variations
7. Feel Espresso hazelnut coffees
8. FAQ

What is hazelnut coffee?

The phrase covers two very different things, and knowing which one you are buying saves you a disappointing first cup.

Flavored beans vs syrup and creamer

Hazelnut flavored coffee is a bag of beans (or hazelnut ground coffee) that already carries the flavor. You brew it like any other coffee and get a black cup that smells and tastes of toasted nuts. Nothing is sweet until you add something sweet.

Hazelnut drinks made with syrup or creamer start with plain coffee and add a sweetened liquid. The taste is closer to dessert, the cup is sweeter, and every pump or splash brings sugar and calories with it. Coffee shop hazelnut lattes are usually built this way.

Flavored beans give you the nut aroma every morning, and you can still add milk or a little sweetener when you want it.

How the flavor is added to the beans

Roasters roast the coffee normally, let it cool until it is just warm, then tumble it with a measured amount of flavoring oil. Warm beans are porous and take up the flavor evenly. At Feel Espresso, flavored coffees are roasted in small batches to a smooth medium, and each order is flavored while the beans are still warm. For the full step-by-step process and what natural flavor means on a label, read how flavored coffee is made.

What does hazelnut coffee taste like?

Toasty, nutty and lightly sweet

Open a fresh bag and the first thing you notice is the smell: roasted hazelnuts, a little like the inside of a praline. In the cup, the flavor is gentler than the aroma. Expect a toasty, buttery nut note on the front of the sip, a hint of sweetness that comes from aroma rather than sugar, and a clean coffee finish.

Many people find hazelnut coffee tastes sweeter than it is: sweet-smelling aromas make a black cup feel softer and rounder.

How the base coffee changes the cup

The coffee under the flavor matters as much as the flavor itself:

• Brazilian or other low-acidity bases bring cocoa and nut notes of their own, so the hazelnut feels natural and blended.
• Bright, fruity coffees (some African origins, for example) can clash with nut flavors and taste sharp.
• Very dark roasts push smoky, bitter notes that cover the hazelnut. A medium roast is the usual sweet spot.

How to brew hazelnut coffee

The best way to brew hazelnut coffee is the way you already brew coffee, with the right grind and a slightly careful hand on strength. Flavor oils show best when the coffee is not over-extracted, because bitterness masks the delicate nut note.

Drip coffee maker

Use a standard (medium) grind and start with 1–2 tablespoons of ground coffee per 6 oz (180 ml) of water. If the cup tastes flat, add coffee rather than brewing longer.

French press and cold brew

A French press is very forgiving with flavored beans. Use a coarse grind, steep for 4 minutes, press gently and pour everything right away so the coffee does not keep extracting in the pot.

For cold brew, use a coarse grind and steep in the fridge for 12–18 hours, then strain. Cold brewing pulls out less bitterness, so the hazelnut and cocoa notes come through softly.

Espresso and moka pot

Hazelnut coffee works as espresso, especially under milk. Use an espresso grind and about 16–18 g for a double shot, aiming for roughly 25–30 seconds. In a moka pot, use the same fine grind, fill the basket level without tamping and take the pot off the heat as soon as it starts to sputter.

Brewing method comparison table

Hazelnut coffee food pairings

Two simple rules help: match the nut and toast notes, or contrast them with something fruity or salty. For more ideas around the morning table, see our guide to coffee and breakfast pairings.

Breakfast pairings

• Butter croissants, brioche and toast with butter: the toasty notes echo each other.
• Banana bread and oatmeal with sliced banana: banana and hazelnut are a classic match.
• Pancakes or waffles with maple syrup: the syrup brings the sweetness the coffee does not.
• Greek yogurt with apple and granola: a fresh, slightly tart contrast.

Desserts and chocolate

Chocolate and hazelnut are a natural team. Try a cup with brownies, chocolate chip cookies, biscotti, tiramisu or a square of milk chocolate. Pear tart and apple crumble also work well, because the fruit lifts the nutty flavor.

Cheese and savory snacks

For a less obvious pairing, serve hazelnut coffee with mild, nutty cheeses such as Gruyère or young Comté, a few roasted almonds, or a salted pretzel. Salt makes the coffee taste rounder and the nut aroma more pronounced.

Simple hazelnut coffee drinks

Hazelnut iced coffee

Brew your hazelnut coffee about twice as strong as usual (for example, 2 tablespoons per 4 oz or 120 ml of water) straight over a glass full of ice. The ice melts and brings the drink back to normal strength without tasting watery. Top with cold milk or oat milk if you like.

Hazelnut café au lait

Brew a strong cup in a French press or moka pot, then mix it half and half with hot milk, about 4 fl oz (120 ml) of each. Warm milk makes the hazelnut taste creamier.

Hazelnut latte (link to full recipe)

For a café-style drink with espresso, steamed milk and optional homemade hazelnut syrup, follow our hazelnut latte recipe. Using hazelnut beans as the espresso base gives you more nut flavor with less syrup.

Hazelnut flavor variations

Vanilla hazelnut

Creamy vanilla on top of roasted nuts. It is softer and sweeter-smelling than plain hazelnut, and very friendly with milk.

Cinnamon hazelnut

Warm spice plus toasted nut, a good weekend coffee next to cinnamon rolls or French toast.

Chocolate hazelnut

Cocoa and hazelnut together taste like dessert in a mug. It is the one to pick if you love the chocolate-nut spread flavor but not the sugar.

Feel Espresso hazelnut coffees

Every Feel Espresso flavored coffee starts as specialty grade single origin coffee, roasted to a smooth medium and flavored with natural flavoring, with no sugar and no calories added. Beans are roasted 1–5 days before delivery and delivered in 2–5 days.

• Hazelnut: toasted hazelnut on smooth Brazilian coffee, with Brazilian cocoa notes and a balanced finish.
• Vanilla Hazelnut: roasted hazelnut and creamy vanilla on a single-origin medium roast with a mellow body.
• Cinnamon Hazelnut: warm cinnamon and toasted hazelnut for slow weekend mornings.
• Chocolate Hazelnut: rich cocoa and roasted hazelnut, a dessert-like cup.

All four come as Whole Bean or ground (Coarse, Espresso or Standard) in 12oz, 1 LB, 2 LB, 5 LB and 12 LB bags.

Hazelnut coffee FAQ

Does hazelnut coffee have sugar or calories?

Flavored beans brewed black are close to zero. USDA data lists plain brewed coffee at about 2 calories per cup, and Feel Espresso’s flavored coffees have no sugar or calories added. Sugar and calories come from syrups, creamers, milk and sweeteners you add.

Does hazelnut coffee have more caffeine than regular coffee?

No. The flavoring does not add caffeine, so a cup has about the same caffeine as an unflavored coffee of the same roast, dose and brew method.

Is hazelnut coffee safe for people with nut allergies?

Do not assume it is. Hazelnut is a tree nut, and tree nuts are one of the nine major food allergens under US law (sesame became the ninth in 2023, under the FASTER Act). Labels often list only natural flavoring, so ask the seller what the flavoring contains and talk to your allergist before trying any nut flavored coffee.

Should I buy hazelnut coffee whole bean or ground?

Whole bean stays fresh longer and lets you grind for any brewer. Buy hazelnut ground coffee if you do not own a grinder or prefer to keep flavored oils out of your grinder. Choose the grind for your brewer and a bag size you finish in 3–4 weeks.

Can I make cold brew with hazelnut coffee?

Yes. Use a coarse grind and steep in the fridge for 12–18 hours, then strain. Cold brew keeps the hazelnut smooth and gentle, and it is great over ice with a splash of milk.

Ready for a nuttier morning? Brew a bag of Hazelnut on Brazilian coffee, roasted 1–5 days before delivery. Shop the Flavored collection

Sources

1. Tree Nut Allergy, Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE).
2. Beverages, coffee, brewed, prepared with tap water (FDC ID 171890), USDA FoodData Central.
3. FASTER Act: Sesame Is the Ninth Major Food Allergen, US Food and Drug Administration.

Facts checked in October 2026.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, ask your doctor before changing your caffeine intake.

Keep reading: Hazelnut latte recipe · How flavored coffee is made · Flavored coffee