The most viral coffee flavors revealed in new study, and it’s not pumpkin spice…

• A new study has revealed which coffee flavors are the most popular on social media, with pumpkin spice missing out on the top spot.
•   Instead, vanilla has been crowned as the most popular flavor, with strawberry taking the second spot in the ranking.
•  The study analyzed Instagram hashtag data to determine which flavors have received the highest number of social media posts. 

As the weather starts to get cooler, many beloved coffee chains will begin to release their exclusive fall menus, making this an exciting time of year for coffee lovers. 

In light of fall’s arrival, a new study has revealed which coffee flavors are the most viral on social media. 

For each popular coffee flavor, the research team at The Ice Maker Hub analyzed the total number of hashtags on Instagram, including #FlavorLatte and #FlavorCoffee. The final ranking was then determined by the flavors with the highest total number of Instagram uploads. 

The study crowns vanilla as the most popular coffee flavor, receiving a total of over 9.9 million uploads on Instagram. This traditional favorite has amassed 268,000 posts under the hashtag #VanillaLatte alone. Other popular hashtags on the social media site include #VanillaFlavor, #VanillaSyrup, and #VanillaCoffee. 

In particular, iced vanilla lattes have become a popular sharing point on social media. On Instagram, the hashtag #IcedVanillaLatte has amassed an impressive number of 22,900 uploads. Unlike seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice or peppermint, vanilla is available year-round by every major coffee chain, explaining the flavor’s staggering prevalence on social media.

Strawberry is identified as the second-most viral coffee flavor on social media, featuring in a total of over 8.3 million Instagram uploads. This slightly more unusual flavor picked up traction on social media sites last summer, with thousands of users sharing their own recreations of the flavor. The strawberry iced latte was branded the drink of the summer, with Starbucks releasing their own recipe for the popular beverage.

On Instagram, #StrawberryLatte has amassed over 233,000 uploads alone. Other recurring hashtags include #StrawberryFrappe, #StrawberrySeason, and #StrawberryFlavor, depicting the drink’s widespread aesthetic appeal on social media. 

Caramel is revealed to be the third-most popular coffee flavor, amassing a total of over 8.2 million Instagram posts. Like vanilla, this traditional flavor has received 233,000 posts under the hashtag #CaramelLatte. #CaramelMacchiato is another prevalent hashtag on Instagram, featuring in a total of 476,000 posts. 

Iced caramel latte is another prevalent coffee choice on social media, amassing 18,300 posts under the hashtag #IcedCaramelLatte alone. The flavor also perfectly blends with other seasonal flavors, as seen via the reigning popularity of salted caramel coffees during fall. 

Lavender takes the fourth spot in the ranking, featuring in 8,096,200 Instagram posts. Like strawberry, this unconventional coffee flavor has gained popularity thanks to social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Its aesthetic appeal combined with unique floral flavoring makes lavender one of the most shareable coffee flavors in the ranking. Starbucks released their own version of the viral lavender latte last year, describing the flavor as “spring in a cup.” 

The hashtag #LavenderLatte has received 58,300 posts on Instagram, while #LavenderSeason is another popular social media tag, with 20,500 uploads. 

The top 10 most viral coffee flavors:  

Rank	Flavor	Number of Instagram Posts
1	Vanilla	9,971,100
2	Strawberry	8,373,900
3	Caramel	8,275,000
4	Lavender	8,096,200
5	Honey	8,072,300
6	Pumpkin Spice	5,614,800
7	Cinnamon	5,242,800
8	Tiramisu	5,136,600
9	Mocha	4,962,000
10	Maple	4,849,400

Honey is revealed to be the fifth-most popular coffee flavor on social media, with a total of 8,072,300 Instagram uploads. The past few years have seen the rise of coffee flavors like hot honey, caramelized honey, and honeycomb, with major coffee chains introducing these flavors to their seasonal menus. Popular social media hashtags for this flavor include #HoneySyrup and #HoneyCoffee. 

Pumpkin spice is crowned as the sixth-most viral coffee flavor, featuring in a total of 5.6 million Instagram uploads. This iconic seasonal flavor signifies the start of the fall season, with Starbucks releasing their signature pumpkin spice latte collection. 

As the flavor is only available for a limited amount of time, this creates a sense of urgency surrounding the beverage, driving up social media engagement. Pumpkin spice is also associated with the viral ‘fall aesthetic,’ heightening the flavor’s social media craze. #PumpkinSpiceLatte has received 895,000 posts on Instagram, while the tag #PumpkinSpiceEverything has been used over 432,000 times.

Cinnamon is up next, featuring in a total of over 5.2 million Instagram posts. As a seasonal feature of many coffee chains’ menus, cinnamon is often associated with cozy fall and winter flavors. The coffee flavor has also gained popularity on social media thanks to its various health benefits, such as being rich in antioxidants and having anti-inflammatory properties. #CinnamonCoffee has amassed over 19,400 Instagram posts, while the tag #CinnamonLatte has been used over 17,100 times.

Tiramisu takes the eighth spot in the ranking, receiving a total of 5.1 million Instagram uploads. This unconventional dessert coffee has risen in popularity on social media thanks to its sweet and indulgent flavors. Starbucks has recently announced that their tiramisu latte will become part of the chain’s permanent menu, creating an additional craze surrounding the beverage. On Instagram, #TiramisuLatte has amassed an impressive number of 28,900 posts alone. 

Mocha is crowned as the ninth-most popular flavor in the ranking, with a total of over 4.9 million Instagram posts. Combining flavors of espresso, steamed milk and chocolate, many major coffee chains offer their own variation of the caffè mocha. On Instagram, #MochaLatte has been featured in 132,000 posts, with #MochaCoffee being another prevalent hashtag on the social media site. 

Maple rounds off the top 10 ranking, featuring in a total of over 4.8 million Instagram posts. Another seasonal classic, maple is tied to fall and winter flavors. Chains like Starbucks, Tim Hortons, and Dunkin’ often offer maple flavors as part of seasonal menus, creating a limited-time buzz surrounding the beverage. The UK’s Costa chain has also recently announced its maple hazel collection as part of its fall menu, adding to the drink’s widespread appeal. #MapleSeason has been used in over 22,500 Instagram posts, highlighting the flavor’s association with the cozy fall aesthetic. 

Other high-ranking flavors include raspberry, with over 4.7 million Instagram posts, and almond, which features in a total of 4.1 million Instagram uploads. 

Scott Carswell, founder of The Ice Maker Hub, commented on the research: 

“Over the past few years, it has become a viral trend for social media users to share snapshots of their coffees online. What was once thought of as a ‘millennial’ trend has now been embraced by Gen Z, particularly in the form of less traditional flavors like strawberry. 

“While pumpkin spice still reigns as one of the most viral flavors in the ranking, this study depicts social media’s embrace of some of the more unconventional coffee flavors, like tiramisu and lavender. 

“Although seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice and cinnamon still have that limited-time appeal, this study shows that it’s actually some of the more long-lasting and traditional flavors that take the top spots in the ranking. 

“Social media has undeniably become one of the biggest trendsetters for coffee culture, so it’s interesting to see how certain coffee flavors differ in terms of Instagram popularity.” 

This information was provided by the research team at The Ice Maker Hub.