8 Nespresso Pods For Those Who Prefer Sweeter Coffee Drinks, Ranked

It's a good bet that any coffee super fan who's always making at-home brews has a Nespresso machine ready to go at a moment's notice. Maybe your favorite latte is a sweet selection from Starbucks, but that's not a daily possibility — after all, buying a latte every day adds up! Instead, you turn to your trusty Nespresso for your daily sweet caffeine fix. There's only one problem: You have yet to find a pod that's suitable to your sweet coffee cravings, and no Nespresso pod you try is enough to satiate.

Fortunately, the company regularly showcases its commitment to have a brew that everyone, even sweet coffee lovers, will enjoy. I decided to try Nespresso's sweeter pods to see which ones were most likely to satisfy your sweet tooth, and I enjoyed nearly all of them — though some definitely had more saccharine qualities than others. However, none of the pods alone will quite match up to a sugary, creamy latte, so if you want to replicate your favorite caffeinated sweet treat at home, I recommend supplementing any of my favorite sweet coffee pods with your favorite coffee creamer or even one of Nespresso's honey products. 

Regardless of how you prefer to drink it, I'll walk you through which sweet-profiled Nespresso pods give you the best bang for your buck. Let's rank them worst to best.

As one of Nespresso's coffee pods that contains vitamins, I was excited to try the company's Vivida pods. This pod made my list of sweet pods to try because Nespresso claims it boasts sweet cereal notes; on top of that, one cup will also give you 20% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin B12. When I sipped this cup, I expected something lightly malty with the slight "honeyed sweetness" the company claims it offers; however, it didn't quite meet the mark. 

I should note that I was actually quite pleased with the cereal notes the coffee contained — they definitely came through well and made me wish I was drinking this cup alongside some Lucky Charms. However, I struggled to find the sweetness Nespresso claims this pod has. If any notes of honey were there, they were so intertwined with the cereal and ultimately too muted to stand out alone. 

If any sweet coffee drinkers opted for this pod, I'd say you should have some cream and sugar on hand to go with it. However, I do think it would provide a good base to add your own sweetener — maybe try infusing your favorite cereal into some milk and use that as a creamer for this coffee. 

I oscillated between Nespresso's Gran Lungo Master Origins Costa Rica pod and its Vivida pod for last place, but ultimately, this one won a higher ranking on my list. This pod claims to have similar tasting notes to the Vivida, boasting a "malty sweet cereal note," and though I got hardly any cereal notes from this cup, I did get enough sweetness to call this coffee more palatable for sweet coffee lovers. The sweet notes come at the very beginning of the sip, which helps give the impression that it's a pretty sweet cup, but then it rounds out at the end to make a nice, rich coffee flavor that will linger after a sip. 

However, if you try this Costa Rica pod, know that it's very full-bodied. I could see it being unpalatably bitter for anyone who only drinks sweet coffee, especially if you intend to enjoy your coffee black. However, because it's so bold, I think it's a great choice for those who want to flavor their coffee without overwhelming it. 

This cup would hold up well to some homemade syrup or sweet coffee creamer without losing its intensity. So, if you're looking for a slightly sweet cup that would dress up well, this may be the pod for you.

I expected to enjoy this Nespresso holiday pod by Michelin star chef Jean Imbert more than I did, which isn't to call it bad — it simply didn't quite pack the punch I expected it to. Maybe my expectations as someone who absolutely adores almond croissants were simply too high, but if I hadn't been told this coffee was inspired by an almond croissant, I probably wouldn't have been able to guess. Though it doesn't quite exude the cloying sweetness I appreciate from an almond croissant, I do think it would be a welcome accompaniment to the pastry. 

I found myself looking for hints of butter in the cup to signify its croissant-ness, but I didn't get much of anything. I did, however, get welcome almond notes in every sip, and I was pleased that it tasted very natural. I found the cup to be smooth and palatable, though I struggled to find any sweet notes in it. If you love sweet drinks, I think this pod would benefit from an almond flavored syrup, your favorite creamer, and a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top.

Nespresso's rich chocolate pod was hard to find a place for on this list. I can see it being very polarizing — in fact, it's even been called one of the worst Nespresso pods — and it may take a particular palate to be fully appreciated. I was skeptical of this pod from the moment I started brewing it. I definitely smelled notes of chocolate, but it wasn't the rich, indulgent chocolate scent you'd get from stepping inside a fudge factory — rather, it smelled like it was engineered to smell like chocolate, if that makes sense. 

If you've ever had a chocolate-flavored candy (that doesn't actually contain real chocolate), you'll have a good idea as to what I'm talking about. The chocolate definitely came through in this pod, but it tasted artificial. However, this pod ranked higher than other pods on this list because it is indeed sweet without being overly sweet. 

I do feel like it would make a good base to make a Nespresso hot chocolate (if you want caffeine in your hot chocolate), and I could even see it being palatable black to a certain consumer. But I don't think this pod would be universally popular enough to rank any higher on my list. 

I was excited to get another chance to try one of Nespresso's fall flavors as part of this ranking, and yet again, the company's pumpkin spice cake pod didn't disappoint. The pod boasts notes of cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, along with a warm pumpkin flavor; so, though you certainly won't get one of Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes from this pod, you will find yourself with a spicy fall-themed brew that could even satisfy sweet coffee lovers. 

The pumpkin spice cake pod does give some slight sweetness, but I must admit that it's more spicy than sweet. The cloves and cardamom come through beautifully, and while you get some sweetness at the beginning of the sip, the spice lingers for longer. The biggest reason this is ranking so high on my list of Nespresso pods for sweet coffee lovers is because it would be incredibly easy to doll up to make it a little sweeter. I don't think you'd need more than a teaspoon of caramel sauce and a splash of creamer to make a sweet, indulgent, spicy cup from this pod, and that combo would be enough to satisfy any coffee lover's sweet tooth. 

It's really no wonder why Nespresso's sweet vanilla pods made it this high on my list — after all, the name itself gives away some of the flavor profile. The company claims that sipping this cup will give you "a classic vanilla flavor combined with sweet biscuit, candied, and cereal notes," and while I didn't get exactly that, it came fairly close. I could have done with more candied notes in this coffee, but it was delightful, nonetheless.

The pod smelled indulgent from the moment it started brewing, and I definitely got the scent of vanilla right off the bat. Upon tasting it, I was met with a slight sweetness, and though I wanted slightly more, I'd also worry that too much more would make the flavor too cloying and unpalatable. Aside from my wondering if it could have been made even a tiny bit sweeter, I really enjoyed the flavor of this pod. The vanilla notes were lovely and smooth, and I think the sweetness the coffee did have worked to round out what could otherwise have been a bitter cup. I could see sweet coffee drinkers even enjoying this one black, though I think it would pair well with a mildly sweetened creamer.

Another flavor that claims to have "sweet biscuit notes," Nespresso's golden caramel pods will likely delight sweet coffee lovers. The coffee was indeed creamy, as Nespresso says it is, and this was probably my favorite to smell as it was brewing. It gave off a deep, buttery scent that somehow managed to not be overwhelming and actually made me think this may be too sweet. Fortunately, I was proven wrong. 

The first sip of this drink was subtle, and a spike of sweetness hit at the very end of the sip and lingered slightly after swallowing. I really enjoyed this pod, as it had a rich buttery flavor, but I will say I got more butter notes than caramel. I think it would be very palatable black to the right consumer; otherwise, I think sweet coffee drinkers may find it benefits from being turned into a caramel latte-esque beverage. I'd add a small hint of vanilla and salted caramel as well as the slightest bit of steamed milk to accentuate the already creamy coffee.

Finally, my top pick of what is (in my opinion) Nespresso's best coffee pod for sweet coffee lovers. This pod honestly blew me away with its beautiful, intricate yet balanced flavor profile. Nespresso's maple pecan pods have frequently been out of stock when I've looked for them, though it seems stock can vary on a daily basis, so check often. As the pods are limited edition, it's hard to say how long they'll stick around, so I'd suggest you grab some while you can. 

I could instantly smell the nuttiness of this coffee as it was brewing, though I struggled to get any hints of maple scent, and I worried that it wouldn't be palatably sweet. I was proven wrong upon my first sip, though. The maple pecan pods are definitely sweet but they're not at all too sweet, and the maple flavor comes through beautifully. I was delighted by this coffee — it instantly transported me to a cozy couch in front of a fireplace in a lodge after a long day of skiing. The pecans came through more in scent than flavor, in my opinion, but the two flavors married so well together in this cup that it's clear Nespresso knew what it was doing with this one. 

It's easily drinkable black, but I don't think it would lose any of its character if you added a bit of cream. Drink with a piece of pecan pie.

It was more difficult than I expected to rank some of these Nespresso flavors, given that none of them exuded sweetness. Rather, I had to take into account how palatable they would be on their own for a sweet coffee drinker. The coffee pods that ranked higher had smoother flavor profiles and were neither bitter nor acidic, and they generally displayed subtle notes of their respective flavors. 

I also chose to think about which coffees would work the best if you wanted to turn them into a Starbucks-esque sweet drink. I considered how much you'd have to dress it up to make it palatable — coffees that would need a lot of work (like the Vivida) ranked lower than coffees that would need minimal additions to be made into a sweet drink (like the maple pecan). Whether a coffee's flavor seemed artificial or not also factored into my ranking, though this admittedly only presented a big issue for Nespresso's rich chocolate capsules.