I Tried 5-Hour Energy’s New Dessert Flavors to See Which Ones Could Win Over a Coffee Drinker
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I'll be honest: I'm much more likely to reach for a cup of coffee than a 5-Hour Energy shot . But 5-Hour Energy's new flavors caught my attention…and (spoiler alert!) changed my mind. Pumpkin Spice? Cotton Candy? These sound more like something you can order from a dessert menu than something you'd find in a 2-ounce 5-Hour Energy shot, so I wanted to find out whether they actually taste as delicious as they sound.
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5-Hour Energy has expanded its flavor lineup with unexpected options, inspired by nostalgic candy, summer treats, birthday cake, and bakery favorites. From Pumpkin Spice to Cotton Candy, the lineup makes consuming caffeine feel like a treat.
As someone who normally gets her caffeine from coffee, I decided to test six of the brand's flavors to see which ones taste like what they're supposed to, which ones surprised me, and which ones earned a spot in my caffeine rotation.
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I Tried 6 of 5-Hour Energy's New Flavors
Pumpkin Spice
$18 (6-Pack)
What it's supposed to taste like:Warm pumpkin and cinnamon with notes of nutmeg and clove that you would expect from a PSL.
My rating:★★★★★
Would I drink it again?Yes
Pumpkin spice season has officially made its way into the energy-shot aisle. 5-Hour Energy's returning Pumpkin Spice flavor puts a fall-inspired spin on its classic energy shot, blending pumpkin-pie flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. It's a limited-time Extra Strength flavor, making this one worth trying while it's on shelves.
What I liked:I appreciated that this one isn't overly sweet or overpowering, so it's ready to drink on the go. I could definitely give up my daily PSL for this energy shot all fall!
Caramel Apple
$18 (6-Pack)
What it's supposed to taste like:Crisp, tangy apple balanced by rich, buttery caramel, the classic fairground treat in energy-shot form.
My rating:★★★★
Would I drink it again?Yes
If you love the sweet-and-tart combination of a caramel apple, this shot might be the most intriguing flavor of the bunch. 5-Hour Energy's newest fall flavor combines crisp apple with rich caramel for a take on the classic Halloween treat, without the sticky fingers. It's also a brand-new limited-time flavor for fall 2026.
What I liked:I didn't expect the subtle flavors in this one. I expected the caramel to be strong. Instead, the flavors were balanced and tasty, like an afternoon snack.
Firework Freeze
$18 (6-Pack)
What it's supposed to taste like:Cherry, tangy lime, and blue raspberry, inspired by a classic red-white-and-blue freezer pop.
My rating:★★★★★
Would I drink it again?Yes
Firework Freeze feels like summer in a bottle. The limited-edition flavor combines juicy cherry, tangy lime, and candy-like blue raspberry in the same bottle — a combination designed to evoke the freezer pops you probably ate all summer as a kid.
What I liked:I tested this flavor on Labor Day at the beach with friends, and it was the perfect summer pick-me-up. I blended it into a freezie-type beverage, and it was so good on a hot day. So if there's one flavor you need to grab, it's this one!
Birthday Cake
$18 (6-Pack)
What it's supposed to taste like:Rich, buttery confetti cake with smooth vanilla frosting and a sweet finish.
My rating:★★★
Would I drink it again?Possibly
is for anyone with a serious sweet tooth. Birthday Cake combines sweet cake and vanilla frosting flavors for a birthday-inspired spin on the classic energy shot. It first debuted as a limited-edition flavor in 2025 before joining the brand's permanent lineup.
What I liked:It has the expected birthday cake sweetness, minus the richness of the real thing, which works in its favor for a fast energy shot. If you're someone who would happily choose birthday cake over fruit-flavored candy any day, this flavor is definitely worth trying.
Cotton Candy
$18 (6-Pack)
What it's supposed to taste like:Sweet cotton candy with fruity and vanilla notes.
My rating:★★★
Would I drink it again?No
The Cotton Candy energy shot is basically nostalgia in a tiny bottle. It leans into the sugary sweetness of the classic carnival treat, with fruity notes and a touch of vanilla. It's also one of the flavors that graduated from a limited-time offering to become a permanent part of the 5-Hour Energy collection.
What I liked:I don't love cotton candy in real life, so this one wasn't my favorite. It does have good flavor, but it's sweeter than the other flavors I tested.
Fruity Rainbow
$18 (6-Pack)
What it's supposed to taste like:Sweet, fruity candy.
My rating:★★★★
Would I drink it again?Yes
Fruity Rainbow falls into the candy-inspired category. The brand describes it as a sweet treat with a candy-like flavor, but without the sugar, and it's another extra-strength option with 230 mg of caffeine.
What I liked:Fruity Rainbow tastes like a chewy candy you reach for when you're craving something sweet, in the best way. It has fruity sweetness that hits immediately, with a slightly tropical flavor that feels more flavorful than your typical energy shot.
You Can Also Turn These Flavors Into Drinks and Frozen Treats
If taking an energy shot straight isn't your thing, you can easily turn 5-Hour Energy into fun drinks and treats. The brand offers recipes for incorporating its energy shots into drinks and frozen treats, giving you another way to enjoy flavors like Fruity Rainbow, Cotton Candy, and Firework Freeze.
For a refreshing option, mix a shot with your favorite beverage over ice or use it as the base for a tasty mocktail. For a colder option, turn some flavors into frozen treats for a fun spin on your usual caffeine routine.
Just remember that the caffeine doesn't disappear when you turn a shot into a drink or frozen treat. You're still consuming the full amount of caffeine in the shot, so keep the total caffeine content in mind as you experiment with recipes.
What to Know Before Trying 5-Hour Energy
Out of the six 5-Hour Energy flavors I tried, Pumpkin Spice, Caramel Apple, and Fruity Rainbow are the extra-strength shots, each containing 230 mg of caffeine. According to 5-Hour Energy, that's roughly equivalent to the caffeine in a 12-ounce premium coffee. These three flavors are also sugar-free and calorie-free.
The other flavors I tried have a different caffeine level: Cotton Candy, Birthday Cake, and Firework Freeze each contain 200 mg of caffeine per shot, compared with 230 mg in the Extra Strength varieties. So, check the label before drinking one. Since caffeine can add up throughout the day, keep track of what you're already getting from coffee, tea, energy drinks, and other caffeinated products. 5-Hour Energy recommends being mindful of your total caffeine intake to help avoid side effects such as nervousness, sleeplessness, and occasional rapid heartbeat.
My Final Verdict
As someone who usually reaches for coffee, I went into this 5-Hour Energy taste test wondering how each flavor compared in taste and refreshment. And while I'm not ready to give up my morning coffee just yet, I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed some of the flavors. Firework Freeze was my top favorite, thanks to its nostalgia and refreshing flavors, while Pumpkin Spice was a close runner-up.
What I also liked most was how different each flavor tasted. Some leaned heavily into their sentimental inspiration, while others were more subtle. If you're already a 5-Hour Energy fan, the expanded lineup gives you plenty of options beyond the traditional flavors. If you're like me and don't typically drink energy shots, try Firework Freeze first.
About the Author
Taylor Lane is a contributing commerce writer at SheKnows, covering beauty, style, and lifestyle. With over eight years of media experience, she previously served as a beauty writer at The Zoe Report and a fashion assistant at Glamour. Her work has appeared in StyleCaster, The FlowSpace, WWD, Forbes Vetted, Teen Vogue, InStyle, and more, where she's tested hundreds of products — from top-performing mascaras to the most functional strollers. She's also a mom of two girls, a ten-year-old and a 4-month-old. And when she's not online, she's usually at Pilates.
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