Spring flavors are in bloom at this Valley coffee shop

As we make the most of Phoenix patio weather, seasonal drink menus are popping up at coffee shops around town. At Light Heart Coffee, this spring’s lineup leans into playful, dessert-inspired flavors, from lemon poppyseed to carrot cake.

The cafe, which has locations in Scottsdale and Gilbert, recently rolled out its spring menu featuring five specialty drinks, each built around different syrups and toppings. The menu rotates every three months, but the ideas start long before the drinks appear on the counter.

Founded by husband-and-wife duos Caleb and Moriah Holland and Elliot and Maddi Morris, Light Heart Coffee serves matcha and espresso drinks in bright, natural light-filled spaces. The first location opened in 2022 near Scottsdale and Shea Roads, followed by two more in 2025 at Thompson Peak Parkway and in Gilbert near Elliot Road.

“We normally just think about what encompasses spring,” says co-founder Moriah Holland. She and barista, Lydia Penny, come up with the drinks together.

“Then we just go into the testing phase. She tries a bunch of different syrup recipes, taste-tests them, we find out what tastes the best, and we go from there,” Holland says.

One big change this year: every specialty syrup is now made entirely in-house.

“We’ve switched fully over to homemade (syrups) for all of our specialties because we really want it to be something that encompasses us and not just any store-bought syrup, so that it’s unique and special to Light Heart,” Holland says.

Each handcrafted drink can be enjoyed hot (12 ounces) or iced (16 ounces), with your choice of milk and sweetness level. Customers can also choose whether the base is espresso or matcha. Here’s what to expect on the spring menu.

Light Heart Coffee‘s spring menu

Spring Fling
The Spring Fling might be the drink that most literally captures the season. It starts with a homemade lemon poppyseed syrup, then gets finished with dried lemon and poppy seeds on top.

The flavor lands somewhere between a lemon loaf and a lightly citrusy latte; bright but balanced rather than sharply tart. It’s the kind of drink that feels especially at home iced on a warm Phoenix afternoon, and like you’re sipping a lemon poppy seed muffin.

Rabbit Trail
Built around a homemade carrot cake syrup and finished with a candied walnut garnish, the drink nods to classic carrot cake spices while keeping the sweetness in check. It feels indulgent, though refreshing, and impressively similar to the real thing.

Warm notes of cinnamon and brown sugar come through in the first sip, with the walnut adding a nutty finish. 

“We like to do dessert themes throughout our specialty menus just because I feel like it opens up the door to a lot more ideas,” she says.

Tea Party
The Tea Party drink returns from last year after becoming a staff favorite. It uses a syrup made with blueberries, rooibos tea and vanilla. The flavor came from experimenting with steeping teas directly into syrup, Holland says.

Rooibos tea is naturally caffeine-free and pairs well with either coffee or matcha. The blueberry flavor is soft and slightly jammy, giving the drink a mellow profile.

Kyoto
For something a little more visually striking, try the Kyoto. This drink incorporates ube, the purple yam widely used in Filipino desserts, with a homemade vanilla bean syrup. 

The result is slightly nutty, very lightly sweet and unmistakably colorful. It’s also one of the drinks that tends to lean particularly well toward matcha, depending on how adventurous you’re feeling.

Not every flavor combination works equally well with both espresso and matcha, Holland admits, but the flexibility is part of the fun.

“I feel like warm flavors don’t go super well with matcha, but some people really like it,” she says. “So it’s nice to just have the option.”

Island Time
“I would say I think the Island Time has become the most ordered just because people love the coconut,” Holland says.

The drink combines a cake–flavored syrup with toasted coconut and coconut flakes. Whether you skip the straw or are nearing the end of the beverage, little coconut flakes make their way into your mouth — pleasant for those who appreciate the texture and subtle sweetness. 

Sipping on spring

While customers are still working their way through the new menu, the café keeps the lineup intentionally tight.

“We like to have five, so it’s a good variety, but not too overwhelming to pick one,” Holland says.

Behind the scenes, the next round of drinks is already underway. Seasonal menus run for only a few months, so the team begins testing the next lineup almost immediately.

And there may be more than just new drinks on the horizon. After opening a third location in Gilbert last year, Light Heart’s owners say they are enjoying the moment, but quietly thinking about what comes next.

A fourth location may be a possibility, but for now, nothing is set in stone. If that next chapter does happen, Holland says the goal would be something even more ambitious: a shop built from the ground up.

Until then, customers can fill the three Valley cafes to order colorful seasonal creations and sip their way into spring.

Light Heart Coffee

6969 E. Shea Blvd. #190, Scottsdale
20875 N. Pima Road, #100, Scottsdale
51 W. Vaughn Ave., #106, Gilbert