Flavored instant coffee products having variegated appearance comprising mixtures of different colored agglomerated particles

A processing for preparing a flavored instant coffee product having a variegated appearance, which comprises the steps of:

• a. providing a first colored mixture comprising from about 10 to about 40% of at least one darker colored flavorant selected from cocoa and instant coffee, and from about 60 to about 90% of a first edible carrier;
• b. adding from about 5 to about 10% of an agglomerating fluid to the first colored mixture;
• c. agglomerating the first colored mixture after step (b) to form first colored agglomerated particles;
• d. drying the first colored agglomerated particles to a moisture content of about 3.5% or less;
• e. sizing the dried first colored agglomerated particles to provide sized first colored agglomerated particles having a particle size distribution such that 100% of the particles pass through a 10 mesh screen, from about 10 to about 35% of the particles are on a 16 mesh screen, from about 30 to about 70% of the particles pass through a 16 mesh screen and are on a 45 mesh screen, and from 0 to about 40% of the particles pass through a 45 mesh screen;
• f. providing a second colored mixture differing in color or shade of color from the first colored mixture and comprising from about 35 to about 75% of a dairy or nondairy creamer, from about 1 to about 10% of a flavorant other than instant coffee, and from about 25 to about 65% of a second edible carrier, provided that when the darker colored flavorant is only cocoa, the second colored mixture further comprises from about 10 to about 30% instant coffee;
• g. adding from about 5 to about 10% of an agglomerating fluid to the second colored mixture;
• h. agglomerating the second colored mixture after step (g) to form a second colored agglomerated particles;
• i. drying the second colored agglomerated particles to a moisture content of about 3.5% or less;
• j. sizing the dried second colored agglomerated particles to provide sized second colored agglomerated particles having a particle size distribution such that 100% of the particles pass through a 12 mesh screen, from about 5 to about 25% of the particles are on a 16 mesh screen, from about 20 to about 70% of the particles pass through a 16 mesh screen and are on a 45 mesh screen, and from about 15 to about 60% of the particles are pass through a 45 mesh screen;
• and
• k. combining from about 10 to about 90% of the sized first colored agglomerated particles with from about 10 to about 90% of the sized second colored agglomerated particles to provide a mixture of first and second colored agglomerated particles.