REVIEW: Dunkin’ Bacon & Cheddar Omelet Bites

Dunkin Bacon  Cheddar Omelet Bites Tray

I’ve eaten many an egg bagel in my day, but eggs shaped like little bagels?! What is this madness?

Yeah, I’m not gonna lie, Dunkin’ got me to try its new Bacon Cheddar Omelet Bites mostly because of the shape. Seeing egg bites with a donut hole somehow filled the massive hole in my ever-aging heart.

It takes a lot to get a dedicated Bread Head™ like myself to order eggs without some kind of carb surrounding it, but I had to find out if these were as good as they looked.

As it turns out, I’m a fan. Sure, the expectation of the menu picture didn’t quite match the reality of what I got, but I still found the presentation to be pretty fun.

Dunkin Bacon  Cheddar Omelet Bites Both

The bites come in a serving tray with a fork, but have enough structural integrity to hold in your hand if you wanna be a weirdo and eat them like the holed out treats that preceded them.

The egg is cooked sous vide, and it made me realize that I’ve never had eggs that way. I’m not sure I’ve ever had anything sous vide, and I honestly don’t even know if I’m using it right in a sentence – I uh, I don’t know how to write sous vide. … Sue me. I’m what the French call, “les incompetents.” I’ll just be an uncultured dummy and use the English translation, “under vacuum.”

Guess what? “Under vacuum” eggs taste pretty damn good.

Dunkin Bacon  Cheddar Omelet Bites Fork

They had a slightly mushy almost potato-like texture that might not be for everyone, but I genuinely enjoyed it. It was as if they took the filling of Pillsbury Breakfast Scrambles (the savory Toaster Strudels) and rolled it into a patty. The flavor was very similar to me, but it was also right in line with what you know and love from Dunkin’ or most other fast food breakfast menus.

The cheddar and bacon definitely pop. The cheese is blended perfectly into the egg, so there’s no ooze to worry about. I’d say the bacon leans towards that artificial “bacon bits” taste, but it’s fine. Those are good too.

Dunkin Bacon  Cheddar Omelet Bites Single

I’m glad they used this gimmicky shape, because I’m not sure I would have gravitated towards them without it. I’ve seen omelet bites at other places like Starbucks, but never gave them a second thought.

So yeah, these are fun and satisfying. They’re a really good source of protein also, which I appreciate.

Dunkin’ is also selling an egg white and veggie variety. I might try them at some point, but I’m definitely going back for the Bacon Cheddar bites. Even though they stand on their own, I’d like to see if I can try to slide these between two little biscuits. It might end up being an overwhelming starch bomb, but I know it’d be delicious. Hopefully they release more of these with some crumbled sausage next time.

After the speed bump that was the Mini Pancakes, it’s good to see Dunkin’ innovating the “mini” food game once again. You’ll never go wrong with a Munchkin, a mini bagel ball, or a couple of these new Omelet Bites.

Purchased Price: $4.14
Size: 2 Bites
Purchased at: Dunkin
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 19 grams of fat, 10 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 185 milligrams of cholesterol, 520 milligrams of sodium, 7 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of total sugars, and 17 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Pancake Minis

Dunkin Pancake Minis with Syrup

Pancakes have never quite translated to the fast-food world.

Outside of the “hot cakes” McDonald’s used to slap inside giant Styrofoam cloches, I can’t even think of a traditional pancake I’ve seen on a menu.

French Toast Sticks? Sure. McGriddles are kinda like pancakes, but not quite. What else am I forgetting?

One thing’s for sure, I definitely don’t remember ever eating a pancake from Dunkin’.

Well, lucky for us(?), Dunkin’ figured out how to bring pancakes to the menu with the use of its patented Munchkinizer™ technology. Introducing Pancake Minis!

According to Dunkin’, “Pancake Minis includes six mini pancakes filled with maple-flavored bits, served warm with a side of syrup.”

Dunkin Pancake Minis Plated

A few key words really struck me – “maple-flavored bits.” Yes! That’s how you sell a pancake at Dunkin’, mimic the McDonald’s McGriddle cake. You’re telling me I can eat mini poppable McGriddles and add even more syrup if I want too?!

… Oh you’re not? Oh. That’s disappointing.

Don’t get your hopes up. The pancakes desperately need the syrup. Any sweetness just tastes like a teaspoon of sugar was added to the batter. Without strong “maple-flavored bits,” this entire concept is DOA. Unless you’re planning on dining inside a large Dunkin’ restaurant, these are pointless.

Few foods on Earth get colder faster than a pancake. These pancake Pogs get colder even faster than that! They won’t travel well.

I’m a car eater, but I also despise getting sticky, so opening and dunking into a syrup cup in my car isn’t ideal. You’re playing with fire even if you’re parked. The drip threat isn’t worth the risk.

Dunkin Pancake Minis Dip

“How hard is it to not spill syrup, you buffoon?” Ok, fair enough, but in all honesty, the pancakes don’t even taste that good even if you slather them with the Mrs. Butterworth syrup.

They didn’t even stay hot for 30 seconds, and I watched the employee just pull 6 of em out of a drawer. He shuffled them like poker chips then nuked em for 30 seconds. Ok, he didn’t shuffle em, but something about the whole process was still a bit off-putting. This is a nitpick though as I’m sure plenty of places like this prepare foods similarly.

Dunkin’ is great at “mini.” Munchkins are iconic, and those bagel balls are a really good on-the-go snack, but these are just ill-conceived. Pancakes aren’t a quick snack, and they didn’t even try to get creative.

These are basically the Eggo minis in the freezer section, but at least you can make those at home.

Dunkin Pancake Minis

If you’re dead set on pancakes, just go to your local mom and pop breakfast spot instead. You’ll find the time, most people wolf pancakes down in 5 minutes anyway.

The portion size is good and they have 10 grams of protein, but Pancake Minis aren’t worth it. Something tells me they won’t be “selling like hotcakes.”

On a scale of “dip to skip” these are a skip. Just wait for McDonald’s to make “Liddle McGriddles.” ™ Vin. Hit me up, McDonald’s.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 6 pancakes and 1 oz. syrup
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (6 pancakes + dipping syrup) 230 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of total carbohydrates, 22 grams of total sugars, 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte

Dunkin Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Iced and Hot

My relationship with coffee can best be described as a fairweather friend; when things are light and sweet, I’m the biggest fan, but the second it gets dark and bitter, I’m out of there.

For fellow lovers of milky, sugary, frilly coffees, I’m glad to report that Dunkin’s new Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte is a dream come true. This review was the first time I’ve had both hot and iced variants of a latte simultaneously, and I was pleasantly surprised that their tastes were as distinct as their temperatures.

Dunkin Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Iced

To celebrate an unseasonably warm day in late fall, I started with the iced version. On a sweetness scale from “plain cold brew” to “milkshake,” it fell solidly at “Frappuccino” level (that is to say, pretty dang sweet). Alongside the pure richness and creaminess of the white chocolate flavor, which was matched by the pure richness and creaminess of the thick, dense whipped cream on top, the “toasted” aspect of the name shined, accentuated by the cinnamon sugar dusting. The drink’s topping also contained a caramel drizzle, but as syrups tend to do, it quickly melted into the whipped cream in an indistinguishable blob, so it didn’t impact the flavor much for me.

As a white chocolate aficionado, I often lament its relegation to seasonal status, but I’ve got to say that this blissful combination of sweet and smokey was as perfect a winter treat as lounging by the fireplace on a snowy day. Bonus points for living up to the image on the poster about as faithfully as possible under the confines of the whipped-cream-smushing lid.

Dunkin Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Poster

Dunkin Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte Hot

Interestingly, my hot latte was reminiscent of a different iconic winter flavor: gingerbread. After consulting the label to make sure I hadn’t picked up the wrong order, I started to suspect this had to do with the coffee-to-mouth pipeline. Sipping the iced latte from a straw allowed me to skip the whip and get right to the heart of the drink, but since I was swigging the hot latte directly from the opening in the lid, the whipped cream and its accoutrements were the first things that rose to meet me. The heated combination of whipped cream richness, white chocolate toastiness, and the light bite of cinnamon all at once gave the hot version its zesty, cookie-esque character (I found the caramel didn’t make much of a mark in this version, either). Once I slurped past the wintry mix on top, I was met with a beverage as sweet, full-bodied, and comforting as a cup of cocoa.

I couldn’t detect even the faintest hint of acrid coffee taste in either version, which suited me just fine. Ultimately, I might recommend the hot latte over the iced just because it isn’t subject to the same “melting ice diluting the flavor” issue that can plague a cold drink that isn’t chugged quickly enough. But honestly, as long as you don’t mind a serious sugar rush, either variant is so delicious that you just might want to drink it as quickly as possible regardless.

Purchased Price: $4.56
Size: Small
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 300 calories, 11 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium (hot) or 135 milligrams of sodium (iced), 42 grams of total carbohydrates, 38 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Peanut Butter Cup Macchiato

Dunkin Peanut Butter Cup Macchiato Cup

This is a long time coming for me.

I’m sure at some point Dunkin’ has dabbled with peanut butter flavored coffees, but I’ve never had it before. In fact, every time they put out a new flavor, I wonder when peanut butter is coming. I’ve never even had a peanut butter donut from Dunkin’, so I just kinda assumed they banned it altogether because of allergies or something.

Well, I no longer have to wonder what Dunkin’s take on peanut butter might taste like now that I’ve had its new Peanut Butter Cup Macchiato. Was it worth the wait?

Absolutely.

I never order “macchiatos” despite how fun it is to say, and I honestly had to Google what differentiated them from all the other coffee-based drinks. In case you’re as uneducated as me, it has a higher espresso to milk ratio. I shoulda been getting these all along.

Dunkin Peanut Butter Cup Macchiato Orange

Right away, I was shocked by how orange the macchiato was. It’s vibrant and festive, but all I could really think was, “I bet that’s just a bunch of unnecessary additives making it glow like that.” Either way, it’s fun to look at.

Dunkin Peanut Butter Cup Macchiato Layers

The drink settled in two layers, with the coffee up top and the orange peanut butter goodness down below. I wasn’t entirely sure if I was supposed to mix it up, so I sampled each layer before even getting to that point.

I thought the orange layer was delicious. There was a pronounced peanutty flavor with a nice supporting chocolate accent that didn’t outshine the main attraction. It reminded me of a very thin peanut butter ice cream milkshake.

The consistency of the orange was so velvety and tasty, I was actually a little bummed that half the cup had coffee in it. I probably drank a bit too much of the orange on its own before I ultimately mixed the coffee in.

The coffee portion packed a nice wallop and only cut the peanut butter flavor slightly. I was drinking a strong espresso with a peanut butter cup flavor finish, and I can’t think of anything wrong with that.

I hope I’m not alone when I say this is probably the best new Dunkin’ drink I’ve had in years. I think I loved it.

Dunkin Peanut Butter Cup Macchiato Sign

With that said, this can’t be your everyday order. You wouldn’t wanna drink this every morning because it’s basically a dessert moonlighting as a morning coffee. I guess that’s a clever disguise just in time for Halloween.

Outside of that, and the fact it’s a bit more expensive than the standard menu items, I have no other knocks.

I’ll definitely be a repeat buyer, and now that I can add “peanut butter cup” pumps to any drink in the app, I’m probably gonna run this flavor into the ground.

The Peanut Butter Cup Macchiato didn’t appear on the “limited” section of Dunkin’s nutrition page, so hopefully, that means this might be a mainstay. Don’t risk it though, try it as soon as possible.

Purchased Price: $4.89
Size: Medium
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: NOTE: this is w/ whole milk. I used oat. (24 oz.) 280 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of carbohydrates, 44 grams of sugar (including 32 grams of added sugar), and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew

Dunkin Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Tall

What is the Dunkin’ Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew?

Dunkin’s surprisingly tasty way of hammering down the final nail in summer 2021’s coffin.

How is it?

I’ve been on the fence about this whole “sweet cream” kick Dunkin’ has been on recently…until today.

Finally! This is the first time I’ve had any of their various sweet cream toppings that didn’t melt into a viscous goo within two minutes.

The cold brew itself is standard fare, but it’s a style I love around this time of year. I’m usually a “one pump” of pumpkin flavor swirl guy, but special medium-sized drinks always have three. It’s not something I want every morning, but I really didn’t mind it being a little too sweet for my liking. Plus, I think Dunkin’s pumpkin flavor is great because the “spice” is left out.

Dunkin Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew Top

The pumpkin cream is kind of a revelation. I ate a few scoops of it and thought it tasted a little too synthetic at first, but then realized it had a nice light pumpkin pie filling flavor to it. Not only that, I could have been convinced it was spliced with something else. I landed on a vague coconutty taste. While there’s zero indication this is the case, those are two flavor profiles you never get mixed, so I dug it, even if coconut wasn’t technically there.

If this pumpkin cream was sold in a can, I’d probably have that nozzle hovering over my mouth before I even got home.

Anything else you need to know?

The cream is so light and fluffy that it really doesn’t make much sense in watery cold brew. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it a lot, but it just sat there on the top, causing me to mostly eat it on its own as if it was a meringue or something. Once I ultimately gave up and just mixed it into the drink, it didn’t add all that much to the flavor. I think it would probably be more ideal for a frap-style drink.

I also feel like I have to mention that I always use oat milk as my dairy, so my cold brews are always slightly creamier than the rest.

Conclusion:

Dunkin Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew In Hand

This coffee was the first taste of fall I’ve had, so it actually bummed me out a bit. I drank it on a warm, breezy summer day, and while it worked in that setting, I could imagine the crisp cold autumn winds creeping up my neck. I guess it’s time to acknowledge that summer is over. I pretty much use Dunkin’s fall line of products as the gauge anyway.

So, whether you’re a summer dude like me or one of those sweater-loving, Halloween-devoted, and Ugg-thumping Autumn weirdos (I love you all), you can’t really go wrong with a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew.

Purchased Price: $3.25 (G.O.A.T. Milk is $.25 extra)
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 210 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of total carbohydrates, 42 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein.