Tag: Dunkin Donuts

REVIEW: Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins Affogato

Tiffany 1 Comment

Dunkin and Baskin Robbins Affogato Sign

What is the Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins Affogato?

An affogato is a classic Italian dessert featuring gelato “drowned” (direct translation of the word) by warm espresso. In this version, it’s naturally Dunkin’s espresso poured over Baskin-Robbin’s ice cream.

How is it?

Better than expected!

This combination isn’t new to me, but Dunkin’ isn’t really a place where I would think to order this because it sounds fancy and frou frou. But, if you haven’t tried one yet, it basically tastes like a coffee milkshake (if ordered with vanilla like I did).

Dunkin and Baskin Robbins Affogato Brains

However, because ice cream is less dense than gelato, the pour-over created a weird looking texture that I can only describe as brain-like. Appetizing, I know.

Also, the vanilla ice cream was a bit too icy for my liking. Baskin-Robbins used to the gold standard for me as a kid! Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Dunkin and Baskin Robbins Affogato Bite

You can get any one of the 31 flavors as the base for your affogato! The gal working mentioned that she tried it with the Jamoca Almond Fudge and didn’t love it because it just tasted like a “less sweet version.” So, it’s probably better to stick with a more plain flavor.

Conclusion:

I would order this again! I think this new offering makes the combo stores a bit more exciting for me. I like less-sweet flavor profiles, so next time I’ll get it with a chocolate ice cream for a mocha version!

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: Not available.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Chocolate Cherry Cold Brew

Marvo 6 Comments

Dunkin Chocolate Cherry Cold Brew

What is the Dunkin’ Chocolate Cherry Cold Brew?

It’s Dunkin’s ultra-smooth, full-bodied cold brew coffee with chocolate and cherry-flavored syrup. It’s available for a limited time.

How is it?

Dunkin Chocolate Cherry Cold Brew Top

Its cherry flavor reminds me of what’s in flavored colas. As someone who adores cherry colas, I find the artificial fruitiness to be pleasant. But the cherry is totally chocblocking the chocolate flavor. Sometimes it’s there, but faint, and other times I can’t taste it. Whatever flavor there is, it doesn’t overwhelm the cold brew coffee, and it’s not overly sweet. Even though I’m disappointed it’s cherry-heavy, I still enjoyed drinking it.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Dunkin Chocolate Cherry Cold Brew at 715 PM

I drank this a little after 7:15 p.m. and a small Dunkin’ Cold Brew has 174 milligrams of caffeine. So I guess I’ll be watching The Late Show, then the Late Late Show, then whatever infomercials that follow them, and then the morning news.

At home, I added a splash of sweet cream-flavored creamer, which enhanced the fruitiness and stomped out whatever chocolate flavor there was.

Throughout April, Dunkin’ customers can get this flavor, or any Cold Brew flavor, as part of a special offer of any medium-sized Cold Brew for only $2 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Conclusion:

Dunkin’s Chocolate Cherry Cold Brew is a decent tasting beverage, but I do wish the chocolate stood out more. It’s definitely worth a try if you can get it for just $2.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: Small
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (Small w/o cream) 70 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Yoplait Dunkin’ Inspired Yogurt Flavors

Meghan 1 Comment

Yoplait Dunkin Inspired Yogurt Flavors

What are Yoplait Dunkin’ Inspired Yogurts?

While Dunkin’ is busy trying to make its coffees taste like Girl Scout Cookies, Yoplait has decided to translate the popular breakfast chain’s signature flavors into its perfectly portable 6-ounce yogurt cups. Released as a pair of both Original and Whips varieties, Yoplait’s Limited Edition Dunkin’ Inspired Yogurts aim to keep America running without making a run to their nearest coffee shop.

How are they?

Boston Kreme Donut

Starting with the two entries into their Original line, Boston Kreme Donut was the flavor I dove into first. Yoplait was apparently trying to recreate the treat’s filling as this flavor tasted closest to the sweet custard innards of the famous pastry. Even so, the slight tartness at play here continually reminded me that I was eating a cup of yogurt rather than a delicious, fresh-out-of-the-fryer donut, and its total lack of a chocolate element left my donut desires feeling unfulfilled.

Yoplait Original Dunkin Boston Kreme Donut Yogurt

Purchased Price: 77 cents
Size: 6 oz. container
Purchased at: Food Lion
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 160 calories, 15 calories from fat, 2 grams of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of total carbohydrates, 24 grams of total sugars, and 6 grams of protein.

Apple Fritter

Standing as the second newly-inducted member into Yoplait’s Original lineup, Apple Fritter also fell a bit short of my expectations. With a vanilla yogurt base with apple chunks and cinnamon spice mixed in, this flavor more closely resembled Chobani’s Apple Cinnamon Greek Yogurt than it did any pastry. Although I found it tasty enough, I didn’t think this flavor was anything unique, and you could easily recreate it at home by mixing some apple pie filling into a cup of vanilla yogurt.

Yoplait Original Dunkin Apple Fritter Yogurt

Purchased Price: 77 cents
Size: 6 oz. container
Purchased at: Food Lion
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 150 calories, 15 calories from fat, 2 gram of total fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 10 milligram of cholesterol, 95 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of total carbohydrates, 20 grams of total sugars, and 6 grams of protein.

Coffee Cinnamon Roll

As the first of their Whips additions, Coffee Cinnamon Roll immediately piqued my interest. I like drinking coffee while I eat cinnamon rolls, but I don’t necessarily associate the two flavors together in one food. After trying this, I realized why. While coffee and cinnamon buns generally complement each other, they canceled each other out in this case, which resulted in a bland, unappetizing flavor that can only be described as cloying. The whipped texture didn’t do this variety any favors either and just made it even harder to notice this yogurt’s resemblance to its indulgent inspiration.

Yoplait Whips Dunkin Cinnamon Coffee Roll Yogurt

Purchased Price: 77 cents
Size: 6 oz. container
Purchased at: Food Lion
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 160 calories, 35 calories from fat, 4 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of total carbohydrates, 23 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein.

French Vanilla Latte

Also joining into Yoplait’s Whips collection, French Vanilla Latte was perhaps the flavor I was anticipating the most, especially after my spectacular experience last year with Baskin Robbin’s take on Dunkin’s French Vanilla Coffee. Just as I had hoped, this variety ended up being my favorite out of the bunch. The whipped, mousse-like texture worked well here and made the yogurt seem reminiscent of the frothed milk on top of an actual vanilla latte.

Yoplait Whips Dunkin French Vanilla Latte Yogurt

Purchased Price: 77 cents
Size: 6 oz. container
Purchased at: Food Lion
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 160 calories, 35 calories from fat, 4 grams of total fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of total carbohydrates, 21 grams of total sugars, and 5 grams of protein.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Although yogurt may seem like a healthy way to start the day, buyer beware, because some of these have more or about the same amount of sugar as the breakfast items that inspired them. For example, the Boston Kreme yogurt contains seven more grams of sugar than Dunkin’s actual Boston Kreme Donut.

Conclusion:

Despite most of these yogurts being good enough, they aren’t going to take the place of stopping by Dunkin’ on the way to work. Instead, I see them as a being a handy way to ward off the 3 P.M. snack slump without making you leave your office.

QUICK REVIEW: Dunkin’ Donuts Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bottled Iced Coffee

Marvo 1 Comment

Dunkin Donuts Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bottled Iced Coffee

What is the Dunkin’ Donuts Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bottled Iced Coffee?

A limited edition, pumpkin spice-flavored addition to Dunkin’s bottled iced coffee line that made its debut early last year. This is the second new flavor introduced this year, the first being Cookies & Cream.

How is it?

Unlike the previously mentioned Cookies & Cream flavor, which didn’t taste like what it’s supposed to, this one tastes exactly like how it’s supposed to. From the first sip, the familiar spices — ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves — coat my tongue much like brown and orange leaves cover the ground during fall.

Dunkin Donuts Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bottled Iced Coffee 2

It tastes like I’m eating pumpkin pie with a glass of iced coffee that’s medium on the cream while I sit on my porch watching the fall breezes make those orange and brown leaves dance in my yard at a party I’ll have to clean up later with a rake. I very much enjoyed drinking it, but it’s also not that different from other pumpkin spice iced coffee drinks I’ve had.

If you stuck an incomplete jack-o-lantern on my head with the mouth cut out to act as a blindfold and had me drink various pumpkin spice iced coffees available from stores and fast food chains, I don’t think my taste buds would be able to determine which is which. It’s like finding an orange leaf on the ground with all the other fallen leaves, raking them into a pile, and then trying to find that leaf.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Apparently, I’m REALLY into fall leaf imagery right now. Maybe because we on this rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean don’t experience fall as most of the United States does.

For you caffeineheads, all 13.7 fluid ounces will get you 187 milligrams of caffeine. So make your heart rate spike with pumpkin spice.

Conclusion:

The Dunkin’ Donuts Limited Edition Pumpkin Spice Bottled Iced Coffee is a pleasant way to sip the fall flavor, but nothing stands out about it. It’s just another good option to get one’s pumpkin spice coffee fix.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 13.7 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 260 calories, 7 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 39 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee Thins

Marvo 7 Comments

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.