16 Grocery Store Holiday Coffees To Put Some Cheer In Your Cup
Bogdan Sonjachnyj/Shutterstock By S.G. Howe/Updated: Feb. 2, 2023 12:23 pm EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Why does this time of year possess such enchanting properties? Perhaps no one can explain the sorcery of the holiday season, but at the first-ever tones of “Silver Bells” coming on the radio there seems a dusting of magic in all of the mundane. With the first heavy snowfall we finally understand Norman Rockwell’s muse, cabin fever is suddenly cozy at home, and a cup of coffee is no longer a mere vessel to a caffeine high — a steamy mug of something warm, like so many other things, temporarily becomes a talisman of all that makes the holiday season good.
And while you may welcome the comfort of a coffee that you know and love, there’s a whole roster to try for expanding the yuletide palate. Plenty of household names roll out something festive this time of year — so get out your snuggliest blanket and settle in with a plate of gingerbread cookies, because we’ve got over a dozen grocery store holiday coffees to keep you merry and bright-eyed.
Starbucks Holiday and Christmas Blends
Starbucks
The siren coffee’s holiday collection is now on the shelves of most major grocers. Starbucks actually rolls out a trio of seasonal roasts each year: the Holiday Blend, the legendary Christmas Blend, and a Christmas Blend Decaf. The smooth, voluptuous body of top-tier Sumatra coffee is used in S-bucks’ Christmas roast, which the brand has been perfecting since before it even hired baristas (via Starbucks Stories and News). The smoky notes of cocoa in the Sumatra dark roast are quite a contrast to the brighter medium roast of the Holiday Blend, the brand says hints of maple and herby flavors. A balance full of intrigue, indeed — and while Christmas Blend comes home with us the moment it’s available, we look forward to giving the 2022 Holiday Blend a chance to shine, too.
If you are fortunate enough to live nearby one of Starbucks’ Reserve locations, you might consider trying to get your hands on the Reserve Christmas 2022 blend. This roast is described as a perfect duality of sweet citrus and warming spice, per Starbucks. Always crafted by Starbucks’ master roasters, the Reserve specialty uses beans harvested directly from Hacienda Alsacia — that’s Starbucks’ growing compound in Costa Rica — in this rare holiday blend.
World Market Holiday Eggnog Coffee
World Market
Eggnog lattes are a coffee lover’s reason for the season. The rich, custardy eggnog is the best contrast to intense espresso. Coffee shops often include a few steamed-’nog-based drinks on their winter menus, but you don’t have to go without if you get snowed in. Thanks to World Market, we have a holiday eggnog coffee to try. This roast is made with the bright and lively coffee crop of the South and Central American growing regions.
Coffee lovers that have tried this festive flavor say that the cinnamon and nutmeg spices bloom at the first sip, but that the eggnog flavor is on the milder side, with one particularly enamored reviewer deeming the brand’s holiday brew “Christmas in a cup,” per World Market. This jolly coffee is available exclusively on the World Market website at $9.99 per 12 ounces. We think it would be particularly decadent topped with a cloud of whipped cream and some cinnamon.
Caribou Coffee Reindeer Blend Dark Roast
Caribou Coffee
Caribou Coffee uses aged Sumatra coffee beans to achieve the complex flavors of its dark roast holiday blend. We easily loved the flavor of Caribou’s Reindeer Blend, but it is a fickle roast. Brewing with a drip coffee maker doesn’t unleash the full profile of the beans and roast, making it taste like any plain old coffee. We recommend using freshly-ground beans if possible, and using a Chemex, Moka Pot, or French press to prepare this coffee; a myriad of hidden tastes hide in this coffee — Caribou says to expect “a hint of caramel and a dash of spice,” but that is only coaxed out by the perfect brewing conditions.
The taste of buttery toffee, faint winter spice, and caramelization of a dark roast culminate into an overall experience similar to a toasted marshmallow or the crystallized top of creme brulee. It tastes like sitting next to a roaring fireplace — but for a dash of extra coziness, try stirring your fresh cup of Reindeer Blend with a cinnamon stick for a few moments before drinking. Reindeer Blend is $16.99 per pound directly through Caribou or $8.69 for 10 ounces from Target.
Good & Gather Dark Chocolate Peppermint
Target
It seems that everyone has a love-hate relationship with grocery shopping at Target, but the red circle’s in-house brand, Good & Gather, does put out an impressive lineup of flavored coffees. Target’s effort to bring more variety in household coffee at a less offensive price — some competitors sharing shelf space with Good & Gather’s coffee run $12-$15 dollars per bag or more, while G&G is a mere $5.99 for 10 ounces, per Target online — doesn’t go unnoticed by us.
There’s no shortage of options in coffee flavors from this brand, but when the temps start to drop and the Christmas pajamas come out, the naturally-fitting flavor of choice is dark chocolate peppermint. The intense cocoa taste is balanced by a cool overtone of peppermint — and while the coffee isn’t inherently sweet, adding cream and sugar would elevate it to a cafe-worthy treat. When the first waves of this brew hit your nostrils, you’ll be perfectly content to fill your cup, sit back, and watch the snow fall.
Dunkin’ Holiday Blend Dark Roast
Target
We all know what coffee America runs on — and when you need to hustle out the door for a day full of holiday shopping, the Dunkin’ Limited Edition Holiday Blend delivers on the caffeine kick you need to shoulder through the Christmas crowds. This festive brew from one of the most beloved American coffee chains received approval from us, but the flavor is one we’d have to disclose as unique to other holiday blends. The dark-roasted Ethiopian beans seem to retain more terroir — that’s the natural flavors that develop as a result of the coffee bean’s species and growing conditions, not the roasting technique. As a result, the Dunkin’ Holiday Blend gave us hints of sugarplum, candied figs, and molasses. It was a delicious coffee, but different from the spices, caramel, and chocolate notes of other wintry blends.
The Dunkin’ Holiday Blend is available through most major grocers and may be available at local Dunkin’ locations. At Target, you can get 11 ounces of Dunkin’s holiday coffee for $9.39.
Starbucks Gingerbread Medium Roast
Target
Gingerbread is one of those holiday flavors that has a loyal following, but can be an acquired taste. If the robust flavors of ginger, molasses, and autumnal baking space are something you enjoy, you may be delighted to find the Starbucks Gingerbread Medium Roast Coffee in your stocking this year — but bear in mind that the flavor intensity is nothing like biting into a fresh gingerbread cookie or even drinking a café gingerbread latte. Or, at least, that was our impression.
This is actually a bit of an advantage for this festive Starbucks roast, though, because it makes it more palatable to coffee lovers that aren’t all that keen to gingerbread. There are discernable notes of ginger, but other holiday flavors are allowed to come forward for a lovely aromatic brew. At Target, this Starbucks roast is available for $9.99 per 11 ounces. Act fast, though — you never know how long these seasonal gems will last!
World Market Fireside Rum Ground Coffee
World Market
Thick socks, an oversized plaid flannel, and World Market’s Fireside Rum Ground Coffee — the holy trinity of winter. Sometimes you want the taste of something warm and boozy without the actual buzz. When this coffee first begins to brew, aromas of hot buttered rum will float throughout your kitchen. World Market reviews say that the rum flavor is perfectly harmonious with the coffee — the flavor of one balanced with the other. Coffee is not a traditional element of this flavor’s inspiration — hot buttered rum is a cocktail traditionally made with brown sugar, butter, baking spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and spiced rum, of course — but with the majority giving enthusiastic approval of the brew, it seems to be a well-suited match.
For this happy marriage of spiced rum and robust coffee, you’ll have to head to World Market directly. Fireside Rum is a World Market exclusive, available for $9.99 per 12 ounces.
The Fresh Market Christmas Blend Coffee
The Fresh Market
The Fresh Market’s shoppers have an array of holiday coffee flavors to choose from. According to the grocery store, there’s Chocolate Cranberry, Pecan Pie, Snowflake Sugar Cookie, or the classic Christmas Blend. The Fresh Market says that this blend is a festive concoction of cinnamon, clove, and sweet vanilla. The Snowflake Sugar Cookie limited edition roast is described as a “buttery medium-roast coffee with flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, and toasted nuts” — that sounds like a divine remedy to waking up on a frosty morning in December. Chocolate Cranberry, which is definitely a unique holiday flavor if we’ve ever seen one, is reportedly a rich and full-flavored coffee that combines dark chocolate and semi-tart cranberries. This grocery store also offers a holiday brew for the decaff coffee drinkers: Caramel Bread Pudding, said to be a sweet-and-spicy roast encapsulating a festive baked good, is free of caffeine.
Most seasonal flavors are $11.99 for 12 ounces through The Fresh Market’s online storefront; the Christmas Blend is $14.99 per 16-ounce bag. Prices and stock may vary at the store’s brick-and-mortar locations.
16 Grocery Store Holiday Coffees To Put Some Cheer In Your Cup
Bogdan Sonjachnyj/Shutterstock
By S.G. Howe/Updated: Feb. 2, 2023 12:23 pm EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. Why does this time of year possess such enchanting properties? Perhaps no one can explain the sorcery of the holiday season, but at the first-ever tones of “Silver Bells” coming on the radio there seems a dusting of magic in all of the mundane. With the first heavy snowfall we finally understand Norman Rockwell’s muse, cabin fever is suddenly cozy at home, and a cup of coffee is no longer a mere vessel to a caffeine high — a steamy mug of something warm, like so many other things, temporarily becomes a talisman of all that makes the holiday season good.
And while you may welcome the comfort of a coffee that you know and love, there’s a whole roster to try for expanding the yuletide palate. Plenty of household names roll out something festive this time of year — so get out your snuggliest blanket and settle in with a plate of gingerbread cookies, because we’ve got over a dozen grocery store holiday coffees to keep you merry and bright-eyed.
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
And while you may welcome the comfort of a coffee that you know and love, there’s a whole roster to try for expanding the yuletide palate. Plenty of household names roll out something festive this time of year — so get out your snuggliest blanket and settle in with a plate of gingerbread cookies, because we’ve got over a dozen grocery store holiday coffees to keep you merry and bright-eyed.
Peet’s Coffee Holiday Blend
Peet’s Coffee
Starbucks Holiday and Christmas Blends
Starbucks
The siren coffee’s holiday collection is now on the shelves of most major grocers. Starbucks actually rolls out a trio of seasonal roasts each year: the Holiday Blend, the legendary Christmas Blend, and a Christmas Blend Decaf. The smooth, voluptuous body of top-tier Sumatra coffee is used in S-bucks’ Christmas roast, which the brand has been perfecting since before it even hired baristas (via Starbucks Stories and News). The smoky notes of cocoa in the Sumatra dark roast are quite a contrast to the brighter medium roast of the Holiday Blend, the brand says hints of maple and herby flavors. A balance full of intrigue, indeed — and while Christmas Blend comes home with us the moment it’s available, we look forward to giving the 2022 Holiday Blend a chance to shine, too.
If you are fortunate enough to live nearby one of Starbucks’ Reserve locations, you might consider trying to get your hands on the Reserve Christmas 2022 blend. This roast is described as a perfect duality of sweet citrus and warming spice, per Starbucks. Always crafted by Starbucks’ master roasters, the Reserve specialty uses beans harvested directly from Hacienda Alsacia — that’s Starbucks’ growing compound in Costa Rica — in this rare holiday blend.
If you are fortunate enough to live nearby one of Starbucks’ Reserve locations, you might consider trying to get your hands on the Reserve Christmas 2022 blend. This roast is described as a perfect duality of sweet citrus and warming spice, per Starbucks. Always crafted by Starbucks’ master roasters, the Reserve specialty uses beans harvested directly from Hacienda Alsacia — that’s Starbucks’ growing compound in Costa Rica — in this rare holiday blend.
Trader Joe’s Gingerbread Coffee
Trader Joe’s
TJ’s shoppers know how elusive this retailer’s products can be — it doesn’t offer an online storefront and explicitly states that it’s committed to drawing customers into its brick-and-mortar locations — so it would be wise to hustle over to your nearest location before all the Christmas coffees are whisked away.
World Market Holiday Eggnog Coffee
World Market
Eggnog lattes are a coffee lover’s reason for the season. The rich, custardy eggnog is the best contrast to intense espresso. Coffee shops often include a few steamed-’nog-based drinks on their winter menus, but you don’t have to go without if you get snowed in. Thanks to World Market, we have a holiday eggnog coffee to try. This roast is made with the bright and lively coffee crop of the South and Central American growing regions.
Coffee lovers that have tried this festive flavor say that the cinnamon and nutmeg spices bloom at the first sip, but that the eggnog flavor is on the milder side, with one particularly enamored reviewer deeming the brand’s holiday brew “Christmas in a cup,” per World Market. This jolly coffee is available exclusively on the World Market website at $9.99 per 12 ounces. We think it would be particularly decadent topped with a cloud of whipped cream and some cinnamon.
Coffee lovers that have tried this festive flavor say that the cinnamon and nutmeg spices bloom at the first sip, but that the eggnog flavor is on the milder side, with one particularly enamored reviewer deeming the brand’s holiday brew “Christmas in a cup,” per World Market. This jolly coffee is available exclusively on the World Market website at $9.99 per 12 ounces. We think it would be particularly decadent topped with a cloud of whipped cream and some cinnamon.
Keurig’s The Original Donut Shop Peppermint Bark Coffee
No coffee pot? No problem. There’s more than enough Christmasy coffee goodness to go around to Keurig users. We’d ordinarily opt for a smooth, chocolatey medium roast to accompany peppermint, but the bright, vibrant profile of this donut shop blend’s light roast is an unexpectedly perfect pair with the peppermint bark flavor, as satisfied reviewers can attest.
Reviews on Target of The Original Donut Shop Peppermint Bark light roast — this is the brand made by Keurig for its single-serve coffee machines — say that this is the perfect winter brew. One coffee lover says this one is “just right”: not too strong, not too weak. Another says it’s the perfect way to unwind in the evening (although the caffeine content might say otherwise). Make this peppermint bark donut shop coffee a bit more festive by adding a pour of your favorite peppermint mocha coffee cream, topping with whipped cream, and sprinkling a few crushed peppermint candies on top. No need to get to Starbucks on a snowy day, as the Keurig offering retails for around $16 for a 24-count.
Reviews on Target of The Original Donut Shop Peppermint Bark light roast — this is the brand made by Keurig for its single-serve coffee machines — say that this is the perfect winter brew. One coffee lover says this one is “just right”: not too strong, not too weak. Another says it’s the perfect way to unwind in the evening (although the caffeine content might say otherwise). Make this peppermint bark donut shop coffee a bit more festive by adding a pour of your favorite peppermint mocha coffee cream, topping with whipped cream, and sprinkling a few crushed peppermint candies on top. No need to get to Starbucks on a snowy day, as the Keurig offering retails for around $16 for a 24-count.
Caribou Coffee Reindeer Blend Dark Roast
Caribou Coffee
Caribou Coffee uses aged Sumatra coffee beans to achieve the complex flavors of its dark roast holiday blend. We easily loved the flavor of Caribou’s Reindeer Blend, but it is a fickle roast. Brewing with a drip coffee maker doesn’t unleash the full profile of the beans and roast, making it taste like any plain old coffee. We recommend using freshly-ground beans if possible, and using a Chemex, Moka Pot, or French press to prepare this coffee; a myriad of hidden tastes hide in this coffee — Caribou says to expect “a hint of caramel and a dash of spice,” but that is only coaxed out by the perfect brewing conditions.
The taste of buttery toffee, faint winter spice, and caramelization of a dark roast culminate into an overall experience similar to a toasted marshmallow or the crystallized top of creme brulee. It tastes like sitting next to a roaring fireplace — but for a dash of extra coziness, try stirring your fresh cup of Reindeer Blend with a cinnamon stick for a few moments before drinking. Reindeer Blend is $16.99 per pound directly through Caribou or $8.69 for 10 ounces from Target.
The taste of buttery toffee, faint winter spice, and caramelization of a dark roast culminate into an overall experience similar to a toasted marshmallow or the crystallized top of creme brulee. It tastes like sitting next to a roaring fireplace — but for a dash of extra coziness, try stirring your fresh cup of Reindeer Blend with a cinnamon stick for a few moments before drinking.
Reindeer Blend is $16.99 per pound directly through Caribou or $8.69 for 10 ounces from Target.
Good & Gather Dark Chocolate Peppermint
Target
It seems that everyone has a love-hate relationship with grocery shopping at Target, but the red circle’s in-house brand, Good & Gather, does put out an impressive lineup of flavored coffees. Target’s effort to bring more variety in household coffee at a less offensive price — some competitors sharing shelf space with Good & Gather’s coffee run $12-$15 dollars per bag or more, while G&G is a mere $5.99 for 10 ounces, per Target online — doesn’t go unnoticed by us.
There’s no shortage of options in coffee flavors from this brand, but when the temps start to drop and the Christmas pajamas come out, the naturally-fitting flavor of choice is dark chocolate peppermint. The intense cocoa taste is balanced by a cool overtone of peppermint — and while the coffee isn’t inherently sweet, adding cream and sugar would elevate it to a cafe-worthy treat. When the first waves of this brew hit your nostrils, you’ll be perfectly content to fill your cup, sit back, and watch the snow fall.
There’s no shortage of options in coffee flavors from this brand, but when the temps start to drop and the Christmas pajamas come out, the naturally-fitting flavor of choice is dark chocolate peppermint. The intense cocoa taste is balanced by a cool overtone of peppermint — and while the coffee isn’t inherently sweet, adding cream and sugar would elevate it to a cafe-worthy treat. When the first waves of this brew hit your nostrils, you’ll be perfectly content to fill your cup, sit back, and watch the snow fall.
Dunkin’ Holiday Blend Dark Roast
We all know what coffee America runs on — and when you need to hustle out the door for a day full of holiday shopping, the Dunkin’ Limited Edition Holiday Blend delivers on the caffeine kick you need to shoulder through the Christmas crowds. This festive brew from one of the most beloved American coffee chains received approval from us, but the flavor is one we’d have to disclose as unique to other holiday blends. The dark-roasted Ethiopian beans seem to retain more terroir — that’s the natural flavors that develop as a result of the coffee bean’s species and growing conditions, not the roasting technique. As a result, the Dunkin’ Holiday Blend gave us hints of sugarplum, candied figs, and molasses. It was a delicious coffee, but different from the spices, caramel, and chocolate notes of other wintry blends.
The Dunkin’ Holiday Blend is available through most major grocers and may be available at local Dunkin’ locations. At Target, you can get 11 ounces of Dunkin’s holiday coffee for $9.39.
The Dunkin’ Holiday Blend is available through most major grocers and may be available at local Dunkin’ locations. At Target, you can get 11 ounces of Dunkin’s holiday coffee for $9.39.
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Cinnamon Sugar Cookie
Starbucks Gingerbread Medium Roast
Gingerbread is one of those holiday flavors that has a loyal following, but can be an acquired taste. If the robust flavors of ginger, molasses, and autumnal baking space are something you enjoy, you may be delighted to find the Starbucks Gingerbread Medium Roast Coffee in your stocking this year — but bear in mind that the flavor intensity is nothing like biting into a fresh gingerbread cookie or even drinking a café gingerbread latte. Or, at least, that was our impression.
This is actually a bit of an advantage for this festive Starbucks roast, though, because it makes it more palatable to coffee lovers that aren’t all that keen to gingerbread. There are discernable notes of ginger, but other holiday flavors are allowed to come forward for a lovely aromatic brew. At Target, this Starbucks roast is available for $9.99 per 11 ounces. Act fast, though — you never know how long these seasonal gems will last!
This is actually a bit of an advantage for this festive Starbucks roast, though, because it makes it more palatable to coffee lovers that aren’t all that keen to gingerbread. There are discernable notes of ginger, but other holiday flavors are allowed to come forward for a lovely aromatic brew. At Target, this Starbucks roast is available for $9.99 per 11 ounces. Act fast, though — you never know how long these seasonal gems will last!
Trader Joe’s Wintry Blend
Wintry Blend is said to be heartily spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns. These flavors could be a bit sharp-edged on their own, but are likely softened by the sugary caramelization of this brew’s medium-dark roast. If it’s too intense on its own, you could brew half Wintry Blend, half your preferred dark roast. Wintry Blend’s prices and availability vary by location, but Trader Joe’s currently states that 14 ounces of this holiday hallmark costs $8.99.
World Market Fireside Rum Ground Coffee
Thick socks, an oversized plaid flannel, and World Market’s Fireside Rum Ground Coffee — the holy trinity of winter. Sometimes you want the taste of something warm and boozy without the actual buzz. When this coffee first begins to brew, aromas of hot buttered rum will float throughout your kitchen. World Market reviews say that the rum flavor is perfectly harmonious with the coffee — the flavor of one balanced with the other. Coffee is not a traditional element of this flavor’s inspiration — hot buttered rum is a cocktail traditionally made with brown sugar, butter, baking spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and spiced rum, of course — but with the majority giving enthusiastic approval of the brew, it seems to be a well-suited match.
For this happy marriage of spiced rum and robust coffee, you’ll have to head to World Market directly. Fireside Rum is a World Market exclusive, available for $9.99 per 12 ounces.
For this happy marriage of spiced rum and robust coffee, you’ll have to head to World Market directly. Fireside Rum is a World Market exclusive, available for $9.99 per 12 ounces.
Cameron’s Specialty Coffee White Chocolate Peppermint
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Holiday Blend
The Fresh Market Christmas Blend Coffee
The Fresh Market
The Fresh Market’s shoppers have an array of holiday coffee flavors to choose from. According to the grocery store, there’s Chocolate Cranberry, Pecan Pie, Snowflake Sugar Cookie, or the classic Christmas Blend. The Fresh Market says that this blend is a festive concoction of cinnamon, clove, and sweet vanilla. The Snowflake Sugar Cookie limited edition roast is described as a “buttery medium-roast coffee with flavors of vanilla, cinnamon, and toasted nuts” — that sounds like a divine remedy to waking up on a frosty morning in December. Chocolate Cranberry, which is definitely a unique holiday flavor if we’ve ever seen one, is reportedly a rich and full-flavored coffee that combines dark chocolate and semi-tart cranberries. This grocery store also offers a holiday brew for the decaff coffee drinkers: Caramel Bread Pudding, said to be a sweet-and-spicy roast encapsulating a festive baked good, is free of caffeine.
Most seasonal flavors are $11.99 for 12 ounces through The Fresh Market’s online storefront; the Christmas Blend is $14.99 per 16-ounce bag. Prices and stock may vary at the store’s brick-and-mortar locations.
Most seasonal flavors are $11.99 for 12 ounces through The Fresh Market’s online storefront; the Christmas Blend is $14.99 per 16-ounce bag. Prices and stock may vary at the store’s brick-and-mortar locations.
