How To Naturally Sweeten Coffee With Almost Any Fruit

Finding a suitable sweetener for your morning cup of joe can be a journey if you don't take it black. For many reasons, many prefer to avoid adding refined sugar to their drinks; however, they may also find that substitutes, like sugar alcohols, have a disagreeable aftertaste. If this is the case for you, there is one simple, natural way to sweeten up your coffee that we recommend trying: add some fruit.

It is not news that fruit is naturally sweet. Some fresh fruits can contain as much as 29 grams of sugar per serving. The difference between these sugars and refined sugar is that fruit sugars are contained within fiber and water found in the fruit, so they get absorbed by your body much more slowly while still providing the sweet flavor you seek. In addition, many coffee types already contain tasting notes of fruit. These can be further enhanced with actual fruit as the complementary flavors bring those notes to the forefront.

There are many ways to incorporate fruit into your coffee. The most convenient approach is using fruit juice, such as in this cherry cold brew. Simply pour the juice in to taste as you would any milk or syrup. This approach does miss out on the flavor contained in the solids of fresh fruit, however, so if you are seeking a fuller flavor, you may want to try muddling whole fruits in the bottom of your glass as if you are making a cocktail, or adding fruit purée.

The potential for unique flavor combinations with this technique is nearly endless. Different fruits will go well with different varieties of coffee — for example, a Colombian coffee may call for a splash of orange juice to bring out its citrus notes, while an Ethiopian coffee might need muddled berries to elevate its sweetness. Seasonal takes are also fun to play with, such as making iced coffee with pineapple in the summer or adding apples and cinnamon in the fall. Pay attention to what flavors you crave in your coffee and add fruits that help bring those flavors alive. In the end, you'll have a coffee that isn't just a little sweeter, but a whole lot more interesting.