Tag: Dunkin

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Pumpkin Vanilla Oatmilk Iced Latte

Erin Leave a comment

The realm of fall coffee beverages is very much a thing, and there is a hierarchy in it. Starbucks has long dominated with its iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte, but there’s always room at the table for a new and interesting take on caffeinated squash. This year, Dunkin’ says they’re “Uppin’ the pumpkin” with its Pumpkin Vanilla Oatmilk Iced Latte – a blend of espresso, pumpkin swirl, vanilla flavor, and oatmilk over ice. This sounds pretty straightforward, and as someone who hasn’t been counting down the days until I can put up a 16-foot skeleton in my yard, all I was looking for was a good standard coffee that hinted at the change of seasons.

There are no whipped cream or cookie crumble additions here to make this photo-worthy; it’s just a regular tan-colored iced latte. The best things are sometimes the simplest, though, and I hoped this might have the sincerity of Linus waiting in the patch for the Great Pumpkin to come. Unfortunately, there is no Great Pumpkin here. Oddly, there is hardly any pumpkin at all. I know that pumpkin is a fairly mild flavor on its own and needs a boost of spice to become what we all associate with “Fall,” but I expected to taste a little more of it here. Or really, a little more of anything.

This drink is very sweet and not very flavorful. The espresso gets lost, and the oatmilk lends a nice creaminess, but it’s too sweet for me to enjoy as a coffee, and it lacks the flavor to make it a fun Fall indulgence. I don’t think there’s anything truly wrong with it, and it isn’t offensive, but at almost six dollars and 300 calories for a medium, I can’t see myself being inspired to purchase this again and I’m not sure why it exists. I suppose it’s an easy way to order an oatmilk beverage without having to customize your order, but I almost feel like that’s doing the oatmilk a disservice. If you’re looking for a coffee to get you into the Halloween spirit, I would look elsewhere because the only thing you’ll be haunted by here is a lack of pumpkin.

Purchased Price: $5.78
Size: Medium
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 300 calories, 4 grams of total fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 62 grams of total carbs, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 42 grams of total sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Dunkalatte

Jenna 3 Comments

Fall is famous for many things: sweater weather, back-to-school season, and the extreme prevalence of pumpkin spice. But for me, the most important thing it brings is a new fall menu from Dunkin’. And while this menu always welcomes returning favorites (refer to my note about pumpkin spice), this year, I had my eye on something new and a little more unique: the Dunkalatte.

I have to behonest, it first caught my attention because I had no idea what this drink actually was. Skimming Dunkin’s latest press release revealed some answers—but also more questions. Okay, this thing is a “coffee milk latte,” but… isn’t “coffee” plus “milk” literally the definition of a latte? What could it possibly mean to put all three of those words together in a row?

Luckily, the press release anticipated my confusion and went on to educate me that “coffee milk,” apparently, is none other than the official state beverage of Rhode Island. More specifically, it is… exactly what it sounds like. A combination of milk with coffee flavoring! Long story short, Dunkin’s new offering combines coffee milk with espresso for a drink that they promise will be extra smooth and creamy. Consider my curiosity piqued!

And my desire reached a fever pitch when I strolled into my local Dunkin and was met by a sign boasting a psychedelic coffee-colored swirl adorned with the bold claim that this product “Tastes like a melty milkshake.” I’m usually a hot coffee girl, but this statement seemed like it would be best tested by the iced variant, and hey, I’m not one to ever turn down anything related to milkshakes.

I must admit that this Dunkin’ order started the same way I start all of my Dunkin’ orders—by horribly underestimating how large its “large” is. Yes, I wanted a caffeine boost to help with my early morning, but I didn’t need quite that much! Luckily, my Dunkalatte was so delicious that I was ultimately grateful for its comically oversized proportions.

As was promised, this thing was indeed noticeably creamier than a usual latte. Iced coffee can quickly become watery, but the richness of the coffee milk base here prevented that effectively, with the pleasant result that my massive beverage went down just as smoothly after an hour on the train as my first sip did immediately after departing Dunkin’s doors. It was wonderfully sweet (I think the mellow flavor of the coffee milk masked the harshness of the espresso, which was a big plus for a Frappuccino fiend like me: the coffee flavor is certainly still there, it’s just not as in-your-face), and the texture felt thicker than a regular latte. All in all, Dunkin’ sure wasn’t kidding: “melty milkshake” is an extremely accurate depiction. But don’t worry, that won’t impact your caffeine fix—despite its dessert-like nature, this Dunkalatte definitely still delivered a buzz.

If you’re able to look past this drink’s vague name, you’ll discover something that will perk you up while also tasting indulgently incredible. Plus, it introduced me to the concept of state beverages, so please excuse me while I dive back down that rabbit hole!

Purchased Price: $5.43
Size: Large
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 410 calories, 13 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 350 milligrams of sodium, 60 grams of carbohydrates, 58 grams of sugar, and 15 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Mike’s Hot Honey Sandwich

Erin 1 Comment

Ever since Mike’s Hot Honey debuted in 2010, it’s been oozing its way onto pizza, ice cream, and everything in between. Dunkin’s menu is the latest to fall into Mike’s sticky fingers with its new Hot Honey Bacon Sandwich, Wake-Up Wrap, and Snackin’ Bacon. The sandwich stacks hot honey bacon, a fried egg, white cheddar, and a hot honey drizzle on a brioche bun. Honey seems like a perfect condiment for a breakfast sandwich, so this collaboration is a no-brainer, and I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. Dunkin’ might be a little late to the game, but there’s no reason this shouldn’t be a slam dunk.

Upon unwrapping this sandwich, I took note that it looked like a lot of buns and not much else. The cheese was visible, but that was about it. I don’t typically feel the need to dissect my food before eating it, but sometimes it can be helpful when reviewing to make sure you actually have all the correct ingredients since (this will come as no shock to my fellow fast food purchasers) plenty of times – you don’t.

Opening the sandwich revealed everything that was supposed to be there, albeit none of it looked very appealing. The cheese wasn’t well melted, the bacon mediocre, and the egg looked squishy, perhaps due to sitting on the bottom bun that was soaked in the hot honey glaze. I reassembled things, which did make for a more complete picture. Although unfortunately not a better eating experience.

For having both hot honey bacon and a hot honey drizzle, there is zero heat present in this sandwich. I couldn’t detect any whatsoever, and if I hadn’t seen the employee who made it using a bottle with a Mike’s label, I would have thought it was regular honey, and maybe the location ran out of the real stuff. My dad is the kind of spicy food-averse person who starts coughing if they look at a red pepper flake, and I think he could eat this with no problem. Dunkin’ must have mellowed out the pepper content in hopes of a more universal appeal to its sweet-leaning fanbase, but it’s disappointing to expect a sweet/hot combo and lack half of it entirely. Trying the bacon on its own, I found it to be serviceable fast food bacon with a honey flavor, but the heat is still missing. The egg was as unpleasantly squishy as its appearance promised. I didn’t expect a great fried egg in this situation, but a spongey, sweet one does not help things. Perhaps if a more viscous honey drizzle was used or if it was placed elsewhere on the sandwich, it would work better, but as it is things just get soggy.

When I tried this, there was a deal in the app to get it for $3, and it’s definitely not worth more. Fans of hot honey and good breakfast sandwiches should get their fix elsewhere because Dunkin’ dropped the ball on this one.

Purchased Price: $3.00 (app offer, normally $5.99)
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 600 calories, 29 grams of total fat, 12 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 265 milligrams of cholesterol, 1210 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of total carbs, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 23 grams of total sugar, and 24 grams of protein

REVIEW: Dunkin’ S’mores Cold Brew

Erin Leave a comment

The classic summer flavor of s’mores has descended on Dunkin’, so if you’re the kind of person who enjoys campfire-melted candies smashed between graham crackers, get ready to mix all that up in your coffee. The S’mores Cold Brew combines Dunkin’s classic cold brew with s’mores flavored syrup and is topped with marshmallow cold foam and graham crumbles.

Before I get into how this drink tastes, I must say I’m absolutely smitten with its visual appearance. The initial presentation was pleasant enough with its thick layer of cold foam. But after a few minutes, as the foam cascades down and mixes into the cold brew, the drink divides itself into three neat sections of white, tan, and brown, looking like some sort of s’mores-inspired candy corn cup. Just carrying it around, I feel like I’m holding a special treat. It could taste like garbage and I would still not be angry that I purchased it because it brought my eyes several moments of joy. Luckily, it’s more than a pretty picture.

The drink is topped with a hefty layer of cold foam that is so distinctly marshmallowy in taste and texture. It’s not just foam that’s vaguely vanilla or marshmallow flavored; in fact, it’s less like foam and more like you’ve scooped half a jar of marshmallow fluff on top of your coffee. It even has the slightly sticky consistency you’d expect of any gooey marshmallow product, and while stickiness may sound like an unappealing quality in a drink, I assure you it isn’t here.

Noticeably absent from my first purchase of this was the graham crumble topping, and I wondered how much that changed the overall feel of the drink.

Once you get beyond the sweet foam (which may take a few sips if yours came with as much as mine), you’re met with Dunkin’s cold brew mixed with s’mores syrup. The syrup contributes more sweetness but not a whole lot in terms of s’mores flavor. I thought I could maybe detect a very slight suggestion of mocha, but given that s’mores only have three ingredients, and one is chocolate, you’d expect that to be more prominent. I also didn’t pick up anything particularly toasty or graham cracker-like. But I was happy with the smooth coffee taste of the cold brew, and the marshmallow foam continued to be a standout, maintaining some presence even as I got to the end of the cup.

My second attempt came with the graham crumbles, and they’re a welcome addition as far as s’mores authenticity goes. They’re more sandy and cookie-ish than graham crackers exactly, but they bring toasty, honey notes and a slight saltiness that helps cut the very sweet marshmallow-forward beverage. The foam is the star here and your enjoyment will largely depend on your feelings towards those squishy confections. If you love marshmallows, don’t miss this one. If you don’t, I’d probably give it a pass.

Purchased Price: $4.89
Size: Medium
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 390 calories, 20 grams of total fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 53 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 66 grams of total sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Chocolate Chunk Cookie

Marvo 3 Comments

Dunkin’ has a new chocolate chip cookie, but this time it’s not giving us the recipe. The new Chocolate Chunk Cookie comes pre-packaged and measures four inches wide.

The coffee and donut chain says the treat is loaded with a generous amount of chocolate and has pretzel bits and notes of savory brown butter. Dunkin’ ain’t kidding when it says “loaded.” Unless you’re a bird or eat like a bird, I guarantee you’ll get a bit of chocolate with every bite. There are huge morsels spotted all over it, but split it in half, and it appears there’s a chocolate layer within it. Generous, indeed, Dunkin’.

While munching my way through it, my molars came upon cereal-sized bits of something crunchy. Since I didn’t read the ingredients or the press release before biting into the cookie because I thought there were just choco chunks baked into them, I was pleasantly surprised by the crunchy bits. After learning they were pretzel bites, I was then confused by them because I didn’t notice a pretzel flavor, just a hearty crunch.

While there’s ample chocolate, the snack seems to be 50-50 cookie and chocolate, so it doesn’t seem like I’m eating a candy bar. It has a chewy texture that reminded me of fudge brownies. Oddly, some bites were noticeably salty. I’m pretty sure it’s from the savory brown butter and not the pretzel bits because I detected more saltiness with bites that didn’t include them. It bothered me a little, but I imagine some might find it to be a little too savory to their liking for a sweet cookie.

Dunkin’s Chocolate Chunk Cookie is an okay pre-packaged offering that has the same amount of saturated fat as a Big Mac if you eat the whole thing. I love the amount of chocolate in it, my sweet tooth enjoyed it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the crunch of the pretzel bits, but it’s not a must buy.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 370 calories, 18 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 440 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 28 grams of sugar (including 26 grams of added sugar), and 5 grams of protein.