When that donut craving strikes, Dunkin’ Donuts offers a reliable, tasty pastry. But you also need the right cup of Joe to wash it down with!
All Dunkin’ coffees are made with 100 percent Arabica beans for superior smoothness and flavor. And there’s no shortage of choice. In fact, with different sizes and flavor combinations, there are more than 25,000 ways to order you coffee at Dunkin’!
So which of those coffee options are the best bet?
That’s what we’re going to discover! Join us, as we take a tour to investigate the best hot coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts …
The Best Hot Coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts
1. Espresso
All espresso drinks start with the espresso shot itself. And there’s no better way to give yourself an energy boost in the morning!
That’s because an espresso packs all its caffeine into a small volume of coffee. It’s quick to drink, giving you an immediate buzz.
In theory, you could add any of Dunkin’s flavor shots and swirls to your espresso. But we think it’s best left alone. The whole point of espresso is the intensity of its coffee flavor.
The beans are 100 per cent Arabica, and they’re Rainforest Alliance certified – so you know they’re sustainably sourced.
At Dunkin’, you can normally choose from at least three different blends. We’ll discover more about those later.
2. Cappuccino
Feeling in the mood to luxuriate over a long, creamy drink? If so, a Dunkin’ cappuccino is a great option.
You can choose between small, medium and large sizes. But they all combine a single or double shot of espresso with creamy milk with a thick foam on top. Make sure you dap your lips with a paper napkin when you’ve finished to avoid a milk mustache!
There’s just as much caffeine in a cappuccino as an espresso. And there’s often more, if you’re comparing a single espresso with a double-shot cappuccino! But because it’s a longer drink and enjoyed more slowly, you won’t get the same intense caffeine hit.
And the milk and foam make this a sweeter, creamier drink – perfect to accompany a long chat with friends.
3. Latte
Like a cappuccino, a latte combines espresso with milk. The difference is in the way the drink is constructed.
In a cappuccino, the layers of steamed milk and foam are distinct, with a thick layer of foam topping the drink. With a latte, there’s more steamed milk and just a light layer of foam on top. That means less chance of a milk mustache!
This is another case where you can choose the size of your drink – small, medium or large. If you want a stronger coffee, just ask for an extra shot of espresso. But whichever size you choose, this is a drink to be savored, rather than downed!
And like cappuccinos, lattes work well combined with a range of different flavors. Dunkin’ offer both flavor shots and swirls. Flavor shots are unsweetened, while flavor swirls are syrups – packed with sugar. We’ll take a look at some of the options in a moment.
4. Macchiato
Looking for an intense coffee flavor with a touch of creaminess? The macchiato may be the coffee for you.
It combines espresso with milk, but the proportions are quite different to a latte or cappuccino. In this case, the espresso has just a dash of steamed milk.
The macchiato at Dunkin’ is a longer drink than you’d get in Italian cafes, making it more of a latte macchiato. Here, two shots of espresso are poured over steamed milk. Get it to drink in, and you’ll be able to see the two different layers in the glass.
5. Americano
For a longer coffee drink without any foam, choose the Americano. This combines two shots of espresso with hot water.
Drink it black to enjoy the flavor of the coffee bean in its purest form. But if you prefer something less bitter, adding cold milk will give you a creamier coffee experience.
It comes in small, medium or large sizes. Note that the only difference is in the amount of hot water added to the espresso shots. So if you choose a small Americano, you’ll have a drink with a slightly more intense flavor than you’d get with a large.
6. Hazelnut Cappuccino
Dunkin’ offer a great range of flavors to add a twist to your coffee. Choose from unsweetened shots, or syrupy flavor swirls. Note that if you normally add sugar to your coffee, you may not need it if you choose a flavor swirl. Try it first, and see what you think.
The hazelnut flavor is available as either a shot or a swirl. We think it works beautifully with the creaminess of a cappuccino. And if you opt for a swirl, it looks great on top of the foam!
Just bear in mind that the swirl together with the steamed milk make this option high in calories. So it’s best enjoyed as an occasional treat.
7. French Vanilla Latte
French vanilla is another flavor that’s available as either a shot or a swirl. The creamy sweetness here works brilliantly with a latte. Choose a shot for the flavor without all the extra calories.
The flavor is so popular that you’ll find lots of recipes online attempting to mimic it. But for the real thing, you’ll have to head to your local Dunkin’.
8. Winter White Chocolate Cappuccino
When the mercury plunges, there’s nothing like a creamy, chocolatey cappuccino to keep your spirits up!
Dunkin’s Winter White Chocolate flavor is only available as a flavor swirl, so it’s pretty calorific. But when you’re in the mood for indulgence, it’s hard to beat the sweet white chocolate taste. There’s also a subtle hint of vanilla in the mix. And it’s delicious with a foamy cappuccino.
And despite the name, there’s no reason you have to wait for winter to enjoy it. Order one on a drizzly fall day, and remember that colder weather comes with benefits!
9. Caramel Macchiato
Caramel is a timeless flavor, and it works beautifully with all types of coffee. The sweetness balances out the bitterness of the bean for a delicious drink. Enjoy it with a cappuccino or latte, but we think it works particularly well with the stronger flavored macchiato.
Choose a flavor shot to keep the calories under control, or go for the sweetness of a swirl. With a macchiato, there’s no foam for it to sit on top of – but it will taste just as good!
10. Toasted Almond Latte
Coffee, milk and nutty flavors work brilliantly together. And we’d highly recommend giving your latte a twist with added toasted almond flavor.
The toasted almond only comes in the form of a shot, so there’s no extra sweetness. That makes it perfect if you don’t like a sugary coffee, but still want something different.
The taste comes from a combination of natural and artificial flavorings. And it also gives the coffee a wonderful toasted almond aroma.
In some areas you may only be able to find this flavor at particular times of the year, i.e. Thanksgiving and Christmas. So enjoy it while you can!
11. Blueberry Macchiato
Who doesn’t love a blueberry donut? So why not up the blueberry ante with a coffee to match!
Dunkin’s blueberry flavor is only available as shot, so there’s not so many extra calories to worry about. Note though, that we’ve heard that some Dunkin’s add caramel. If your local shop does that, the flavor will be sweeter. But it won’t, sadly, be so kind to your waistline.
Like most of the other Dunkin’ flavors, this one is made using a mixture of natural and artificial flavorings. The fruity taste works brilliantly with a macchiato, although you could also enjoy it in any other coffee.
12. Buttery Toffee Nut Cappuccino
Dunkin’ went to a lot of trouble to perfect their buttery toffee nut flavor swirl. They began by trying numerous different recipes to find the perfect nut brittle. And when that was achieved, they began the task of working out how to replicate it in a syrup.
The result perfectly balances the toasted nut flavor with buttery toffee. And its sweet nuttiness works brilliantly with the indulgence of a foamy cappuccino.
This is a drink that’s perfect for an afternoon treat, when you need a little something to keep you going.
13. Coconut Cappuccino
We’ve already seen a few nutty flavors amongst the Dunkin’ range. The coconut flavor is a worthy addition, with a creamy sweetness that works beautifully with milky coffee. It pairs perfectly with cappuccino, but it would be a great addition to a latte too.
The coconut flavor comes only as a shot, so there’s no added sweetener. A single shot adds just 10 calories to your coffee. The flavor comes from a combination of natural and artificial sources. And there’s a dash of fruit juice to give it color.
A coconut cappuccino is the perfect choice to finish a meal. And the natural sweetness means you could even have it in place of dessert.
14. Raspberry Latte
If you like your coffee with a fruity twist, a raspberry latte could be just what you’re looking for.
The raspberry flavor comes as a shot, so it has no added sugar. And you can enjoy the natural sweetness without adding much to your coffee’s calorie count. A single shot has just 10 calories.
Add it your latte to add a tart fruitiness to a creamy drink. A shot in a macchiato works well with the stronger coffee flavor too.
15. Mocha Macchiato
Looking for a hint of chocolate in your coffee? A mocha macchiato is like dessert in a cup!
The flavor here is a swirl, so it’s made with syrup. Depending on the size of your coffee – and the generosity of the barista – it will add between 150 and 160 calories to your drink.
It’s a good pairing with a macchiato, where the more intense coffee flavor is balanced by the chocolate. And it’s not too sweet either.
It also works well with a cappuccino. Here the result is more like hot chocolate with a hint of coffee.
16. Original Blend
We promised we’d tell you more about the different coffees that form the basis for Dunkin’s espresso. There are three different blends, with the original still the most popular.
The Dunkin’ original blend uses beans from a number of locations, though there’s no information on where those are. What we do know is that it’s a medium roast. That means that the taste is a balance between the original coffee bean and the flavors created by the roasting process.
It’s a smooth, rich coffee that’s very drinkable.
17. Dark Blend
Dunkin’ also offer a dark roasted blend. You may see it referred to as “Midnight Blend”. Here, the beans are roasted for longer, so they’re dark brown, almost black in color. The roasting process also brings the oils to the surface of the bean, giving it a glossy sheen.
The flavor here primarily comes from the roasting process. Dark roasted beans have a smokier, slightly more bitter finish that medium or light roasted.
A dark blend espresso will give you a strong, smoky flavor. Used in a latte, macchiato or cappuccino, the smokiness of the dark roasted beans will be balanced by the milk.
18. Dunkin’ Decaf
Are you looking for the taste of coffee with less caffeine? If so, there’s good news! Dunkin’ offer a decaffeinated version of their original blend.
Note that this contains less caffeine than standard coffee, but not no caffeine. So don’t think that you can drink endless cups if you’re trying to reduce your caffeine intake!
The amount, though, is much lower. An 8-ounce serving of Dunkin’ Decaf contains about 10 mg of caffeine. The standard blend has about 15 mg per ounce. That means the same 8-ounce cup would contain about 120 mg of caffeine.
Ready for a Dunkin’ Coffee?
That brings us to the end of our look at the best hot coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts. We hope you’ve found something to meet your caffeine – or decaf! – needs.
And if you usually stick to the same old coffee, why not mix it up and try something different? You never know, you might just find a new favorite!
