Coca-Cola Orange Cream Review: Close, But Not Exactly The Cream Of The Crop

Sadly, many of us never experienced the magic of a soda fountain at a drugstore and the like, where colas were doctored up with a wide array of flavorings sweet, fruity, and rich. Nostalgia rings large in life, and for companies that sell products, it is also a chance to tap into bygone flavors and create new fans by bringing them back to the forefront. Earlier this year, Pepsi tapped into this by releasing Wild Cherry & Cream, a crisp partnership that truly shined. Now, Coca-Cola has cream dreams of its own, and is introducing an Orange Cream flavor, both in full sugar, and zero sugar iterations.

This isn't the first rodeo for an orange and vanilla union inside the brown cola of Coca-Cola. Ever since the nifty Coca-Cola Freestyle machines first saw the light in 2009, consumers were free to create this drink. Coca-Cola bought into the potential dynamism of this flavor duo when it introduced Orange Vanilla Coke in 2019, saying in a press release that it was "reminiscent of the creamy orange popsicles we grew up loving, but in a classically Coke way." The bubble burst on this flavor three years later, and now it's back in 2025, and perhaps more orange-vanilla-y than ever.

So, is this latest interaction of Orange Cream by Coca-Cola a total dream, or perhaps more of a scream? The Takeout popped open some cans to see where the truth lies.

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Starting February 10, Coca-Cola Orange Cream and Coca-Cola Orange Cream Zero Sugar will be available in the U.S. and Canada. It can be found at retail stores, as well as grocery and convenience ones, both in-store and online. It will be available to buy for delivery through sites like DoorDash or Instacart, and directly straight from the source at coca-cola.com.

Coca-Cola Orange Cream and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Orange Cream will be available for sale in 12-ounce cans, which can be purchased as 12-packs, as well as 20-ounce plastic bottles. Coca-Cola Orange Cream will also be available to purchase as 7.5-ounce mini cans, which are sold as a 10-pack. Price may vary per retailer, although online Five Below was listing the 20-ounce bottle for $1.99, and Fred Meyer a 12-pack of cans for $10.99.

Coca-Cola Orange Cream is composed of carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, and less than 2% of caramel color, natural flavors, phosphoric acid, and caffeine.  Coca-Cola Orange Cream Zero Sugar has a similar make-up, but in place high fructose corn syrup, includes sodium benzoate acesulfame potassium sodium citrate, aspartame, and sucralose. These two products do not contain any common allergens.

A single 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola Orange Cream nets 140 calories, 35 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of total carbohydrates, 39 grams of total sugars, including 39 grams of added sugars, and 10 milligrams of potassium.  A single 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola Orange Cream Zero Sugarnets 55 milligrams of sodium and 20 milligrams of potassium, and true to its name, zero sugars, as well as calories. Both versions of the soda are Kosher, and contain 34 milligrams of caffeine per 12 fluid ounces.

Coca-Cola always has very stylish designed cans, and the new Orange Cream one is no exception. This one in particular is a visual pleasure, with its top third dedicated to a fruity orange that ombres downward into a Tequila sunrise, where it eventually meets the classic red of Coca-Cola.

I poured Orange Cream into a small glass, and leaned in for a whiff. The first smell that came forward was that of an artificial orange flavoring, which was followed up with a hint of vanilla. It was as if a creamsicle had been melted and placed into a can. The color of the bubbly liquid looked pretty standard, a dark caramel-brown coloring, which when held up to natural light, had a reddish-orange tint to it.

My first sip revealed a solid crispiness to it, where the vanilla cream is the introductory flavor. You can faintly sense the orange here, but it's very subtle, and perhaps too subtle. As I continued sipping on, the regular Coca-Cola flavoring assumed lead duties, pushing the vanilla and orange aspects to the back, leaving little room to let them shine. Oddly enough, the orange cream combo flowed a bit better when I sipped the soda directly from the can. Again, it was restrained, but regardless, it was a refreshing soda that I took no offense to.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Orange Cream has a similar look to its can, but here all the white filled-in text is replaced by a stark black filling. The two cans actually make for quite the couple standing next to each other. The body of this drink's liquid held a similar color to the regular sugar version, but differed drastically in its smell. A quick whiff unleashed a far more potent aroma of orange flavoring. Here, the orange essence smelled like the genuine fruit article, rather than some artificial one.

I poured it into a new glass, and I was immediately struck at how much the promised flavor was much more present and abundant in this no-cal brew. Sure, it came preloaded with the strong, unnatural taste that comes with the sugar substitutes, but in a way, created a drink with a little more bite. It also allowed for the orange flavoring to stand out, while the cream was doing its thing quietly in the background. Like with the regular sugar version, the flavor was more full-bodied when sipped directly from the can over drinking from the glass. Go figure.

Sadly, I never had the pleasure of trying Orange Vanilla Coke in its previous run, but I was open to whatever was in store, within a can of both Coca-Cola Orange Cream and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Orange Cream. I was a little taken aback at how moderate the orange and cream flavors were infused in the regular sugar Coca-Cola version. I was taken aback even further when I discovered that the Zero Sugar Orange Cream was better able to sell this flavor pairing.

Do not get me wrong, Coca-Cola Orange Cream is a lovable drink. It's crisp, and really refreshing. I had no problem knocking back the entire can. It was also really nice to have a hint of citrus in cola that wasn't lemon or lime for a change. I just think it won't hit the mark that people, including myself, would expect out of this drink. Perhaps the flavoring had to be toned down, for if it was present in excess, it would be a nauseating drink. If you truly seek that orange flavor in a Coke, the Zero Sugar one gets you there the closest.

Perhaps we just need to hold out for the third iteration of orange and vanilla cream. I'll be right here waiting, dreaming of the possibilities.

The fine folks over at Coca-Cola sent over a single can of both Coca-Cola Orange Cream and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Orange Cream. They arrived at room temperature, and so I chilled them overnight in my refrigerator.

Coca-Cola Orange Cream was taste tested first, followed by the Zero Sugar version. Tasting occurred directly from the can, as well as from a glass. Multiple rounds of taste tests were conducted. I munched on a cucumber as a palate cleanser between trying the two versions.

The ultimate criteria for this sip and say was based on complete flavor, orange a-peel, how creamy the vanilla was, uniqueness, overall lovability, and the likelihood I would crack open a can again. A quick answer for the latter is — maybe? Orange you glad you read this review?