REVIEW: Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Thins

Dunkin' Coffee Thins

Caffeine helps with mental focus, and you can tell when someone needs some. For example, I can tell the folks who designed the packaging for Dunkin’ Donuts’ Coffee Thins didn’t get enough.

How do I know?

On the back of the packaging, it says, “Each individually wrapped coffee thin has 60 calories.” But, according to the nutrition facts on the packaging, under that disclosure, a serving of THREE pieces has 170 calories. I dusted off the math portion of my brain and determined that 60 times 3 does not equal 170.

Just kidding. I used the calculator app on my phone. Who does math in their head nowadays?

I imagine caffeinated minds would’ve caught this discrepancy. Or maybe the folks who came up with the packaging got their caffeine from a serving of Dunkin’ Donuts’ Coffee Thins, which doesn’t have a lot. The amount in each one is a more surprising number than the inconsistent calorie total presented in the nutrition facts.

There are 7 milligrams of caffeine per piece. It’s not missing a digit. It’s not a typo.

7.

Okay, that might not be a surprising number to you, but it is to me because I’ve tried other coffee thins that claim a serving of three has the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee (85-95 milligrams). The only way a person could get that much with these would be by eating the entire bag of twelve, which would give them (checks calculator app on phone) 84 milligrams and, maybe, a stomachache. But, the weird thing is, one company, Tierra Nueva, makes all coffee thins, so it’s strange the caffeine content differs.

Dunkin' Coffee Thins 2

However, the lack of caffeine might explain why these are less bitter than the others I’ve tried. If you’re not familiar with coffee thins, they have the consistency of chocolate, but are made from coffee beans. With these, they taste as if there’s less coffee in them. It’s more like sweetened coffee with a little bit of cream, making them easier to eat and tasty.

I know I spent a lot of time writing about the Dunkin’ Coffee Thins’ caffeine content, but that’s the most disappointing aspect of this treat. It creamy, sweet, and has a flavor that I enjoy, but the lack of caffeine makes it hard to me to recommend. The whole point of it is to get an energy boost, which I didn’t get after eating a serving. Seven milligrams might do it for some people, but not for me.

Purchased Price: $6.99 (on sale)
Size: 4.2 oz. bag/12 pack
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 pieces) 170 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

7 thoughts to “REVIEW: Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Thins”

  1. Calorie counts are often rounded up or down, so it’s likely each thin has something like 57 calories apiece, which would equate to 171 calories for a three-piece serving.

  2. We’re so glad you liked our Dunkin’ Coffee Thins! We get your concern on the caffeine content, this product is a treat and was not developed to be a caffeine booster. From a scientific perspective, there’s evidence showing the absorption of caffeine from a food or when the coffee is ingested with a food, is different than a coffee beverage alone. In the case of a Thin, there is no spike on caffeine concentration but a steady amount in the blood over time. Fascinating, right?

    Regarding the calorie content, as per FDA regulations “A statement of the caloric content per serving, expressed to the nearest 5-calories increment up to and including 50 calories, and 10-calorie increment above 50 calories (…)”. So yes, your calculator is correct, but it is not in compliance with FDA ruling. Not much we can do about it. Other Coffee Thin available in the market do not claim to have the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. In fact, 3 Coffee Thins equals the same amount of solids in a cup of coffee, not caffeine content. We are currently modifying our packaging for accuracy. Their caffeine content is virtually the same as a Dunkin’ Coffee Thin.

    1. I was wondering who I would write to to complain about a package I purchased… it certainly cannot be the store’s fault if a package labeled expiration date 091019 is opened and found to be whitened, hard, stale tasting and falls apart in pieces…. I purchased these at Publix on a bogo deal and one package was perfect and delicious, while the other was an embarrassment (as I gave them out to co-workers and my boss!). They’ve been all tossed by now so I cannot get a refund but would certainly like some follow up.

  3. I bought a bag of these thins at Giant. Can’t find them anymore. I loved them, Don’t worry about fat or calories.
    There are great!!!

Comments are closed.