What French vanilla syrup does Dunkin use?

Dunkin’ Donuts is known for its wide variety of donuts, baked goods, coffee, and other beverages. One of the most popular coffee drinks at Dunkin’ is flavored lattes and cappuccinos made with French vanilla syrup. Customers often wonder – what brand and type of French vanilla syrup does Dunkin’ use in their coffee drinks?

What is French Vanilla Syrup?

French vanilla syrup is a concentrated liquid flavoring made from vanilla beans, vanilla extract, sugar, and water. It has a sweet, rich, and distinctive vanilla taste. The “French” refers to the classic French vanilla custard flavor. The syrup is used to add vanilla flavor, sweetness, and aroma to drinks like coffee, lattes, milkshakes, and frozen blended beverages.

Why Do Coffee Shops Use Flavored Syrups?

Coffee shops like Dunkin’ offer French vanilla and other flavored coffee drinks because customers enjoy the sweet flavored taste. The syrups complement the coffee and allow for customization. Customers can request flavors like French vanilla or caramel to make their drink unique. The syrups dissolve nicely in hot coffee beverages. This allows flavors to distribute evenly throughout drinks like vanilla lattes. The syrups also add visual appeal with swirls of flavor.

What Brand of French Vanilla does Dunkin’ Use?

Dunkin’ uses an exclusive brand of French vanilla flavored syrup from Fontana Flavors, one of the largest food, beverage, and nutraceutical flavor companies in the United States. The vanilla syrup is custom crafted for Dunkin’ using high-quality ingredients.

Fontana Flavors

Fontana Flavors is a family-owned flavor company headquartered in Florida. They manufacture a wide range of flavors and extracts for major brands in the food, supplement, and beverage industries. This includes exclusive custom flavors made for specific companies. Dunkin’ works closely with Fontana Flavors to create signature syrups for their stores.

High Quality Ingredients

The French vanilla syrup for Dunkin’ contains four key ingredients:

• Sugar
• Water
• Natural and artificial French vanilla flavor
• Potassium sorbate as preservative

The vanilla flavor contains vanilla extract made from vanilla beans. Using natural vanilla ensures an authentic, rich vanilla taste.

Custom Formulation

Dunkin’ has exclusive rights to use the French vanilla flavor formula developed by Fontana Flavors. The flavor scientists at Fontana work closely with Dunkin’ to customize the vanilla syrup for optimal taste and performance. Dunkin’ provides input on the desired flavor profile, sweetness, consistency, and other product specifications.

How Dunkin’ Uses French Vanilla Syrup

Dunkin’ stores use the French vanilla flavored syrup in several popular heated and cold beverages. It sweetens and adds signature vanilla flavor to these drinks:

Heated Drinks

• Vanilla Latte – espresso and steamed milk with French vanilla syrup
• French Vanilla Cappuccino – espresso, steamed milk, and foam with French vanilla syrup
• French Vanilla Iced Coffee – iced coffee with French vanilla syrup

The vanilla syrup nicely complements the espresso while giving a sweet, distinctly vanilla taste. It dissolves evenly into the steamed milk for lattes and cappuccinos. The hot drinks showcase the rich vanilla flavor.

Cold Drinks

• Frozen Vanilla Chocolate Chiller – a Dunkin’ signature frozen coffee drink made with French vanilla and chocolate syrup
• Iced Vanilla Latte – chilled espresso and milk with French vanilla syrup
• Frozen Vanilla Coffee Coolatta – Dunkin’s iconic frozen coffee blended with French vanilla syrup

The French vanilla syrup provides the same great flavor and sweetness to cold coffee drinks. Customers love the creamy vanilla taste in Coolattas and chilled lattes.

Added to Any Beverage

Customers can also ask to add French vanilla syrup to any hot or cold coffee beverage for an extra .60 cents. The syrup pumps directly into cold brew, teas, lemonades, and other drinks. This allows custom vanilla flavoring in any Dunkin’ beverage.

Dunkin’ Vanilla Syrup Nutrition Facts

Dunkin’ French vanilla syrup contains approximately 100 calories and 24 grams of sugar in a standard serving (1 ounce). Since it is concentrated, syrup is added in small amounts to coffee drinks. The nutrition facts* for a typical medium 16 ounce French vanilla flavored latte from Dunkin’ are:

Calories	Total Fat	Carbs	Sugar	Protein
130	4g	23g	19g	7g

*Based on Dunkin’ nutrition data. Specific drinks may vary.

The vanilla syrup contributes sweetness and flavor but adds minimal calories. Steamed milk is the main source of fat and protein in a vanilla latte.

Sugar Content

The French vanilla syrup does contain 24g of sugar per serving. When added to coffee beverages, a 16 ounce drink gets about 19g of added sugar from the syrup. For reference, the American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar intake to no more than 25g per day for women and 36g for men.

Dairy-Free and Vegan Options

Dunkin’ recently introduced oat milk and almond milk as non-dairy alternatives. Customers can order vanilla flavored lattes and cappuccinos with oat or almond milk. This allows people who are vegan or lactose-intolerant to enjoy vanilla coffee drinks from Dunkin’.

Cost of Dunkin’ French Vanilla Syrup

The French vanilla syrup is an inexpensive way for Dunkin’ to offer flavored coffee and expand their beverage menu. The per ounce cost of commercial flavor syrups is relatively low. And only a small amount of syrup is added to each drink.

This table shows the estimated cost of French vanilla syrup:

1 Gallon French Vanilla Syrup	$27 to $33
128 Ounces per Gallon	About $0.21 to $0.26 Per Ounce

Dunkin’ likely pays even less per ounce with their high-volume purchases. The small amount of added flavor syrup keeps production costs low compared to ingredients like milk, coffee, and cups. This allows Dunkin’ to offer French vanilla flavored drinks at little additional expense. Yet customers will pay up to $1 extra for flavor additions like vanilla or caramel syrup.

Customer Preference for French Vanilla

French vanilla remains one of the most popular syrup flavors at Dunkin’. It outsells other specialty flavors like hazelnut and peppermint. There are several reasons why customers prefer French vanilla:

Classic Flavor

French vanilla is a timeless, recognizable flavor. Customers know what to expect compared to unique flavors like pumpkin or blueberry. The familiar vanilla taste has wide appeal.

Sweet Yet Simple

Customers like that French vanilla syrup sweetens drinks naturally without overpowering the coffee. It adds just a pleasing hint of vanilla. The flavor isn’t too bold or complex compared to flavored syrups like white chocolate or raspberry.

Nostalgia

For many, vanilla brings back nostalgic memories of childhood treats, milkshakes, and ice cream. It’s a comforting, feel-good flavor that customers crave.

Goes with Anything

Since French vanilla is a mild flavor, it complements any coffee drink whether hot, iced, or frozen. Customers love adding it lattes, cappuccinos, frozen Chillers, brewed coffee, and more. The versatility makes it a popular choice.

How to Order a French Vanilla Coffee at Dunkin’

It’s easy to order a delicious French vanilla flavored coffee at Dunkin’:

1. Choose your coffee drink – such as a latte, cappuccino, brewed coffee, Cold Brew, Coolatta frozen drink, etc.

2. Decide on hot or cold coffee.

3. Select size – small, medium, large.

4. Request French vanilla syrup as the flavor.

5. Choose milk options if applicable – dairy, non-dairy, skim, whole, etc.

6. Specify number of pumps of French vanilla syrup if you prefer light or extra flavor.

7. Order any other customizations – extra espresso shot, sweetener, topped with whipped cream, drizzle, etc.

8. Pay for coffee drink with French vanilla syrup added. Expect a .60 cent upcharge for flavor.

9. Enjoy your customizable French vanilla coffee creation from Dunkin’!

Tips for the Best French Vanilla Dunkin’ Coffee

Here are some tips to get the most delicious French vanilla flavor in your Dunkin’ coffee or specialty drink:

Size Matters

Opt for a larger coffee if you really want to taste the vanilla syrup. The flavor will be more pronounced in 16 oz or 20 oz drinks compared to small 12 oz servings.

Extra Pumps of Syrup

Don’t be shy requesting an extra pump or two of French vanilla! More syrup equals stronger vanilla flavor.

Pair with Sweet Cream

Add sweet cream or extra milk to balance and enrich the vanilla coffee taste. The creamy dairy complements the vanilla beautifully.

Top it Off

Whipped cream, drizzles, and toppings like caramel or chocolate accent the French vanilla in pleasing ways. Add some crunch with cookie or cinnamon crumble toppings.

Iced is Nice

Try French vanilla in cold brew, lattes, and frozen blends. The flavor tastes indulgent in iced drinks.

Conclusion

Dunkin’ Donuts uses a signature French vanilla flavored coffee syrup from specialty flavor producer Fontana Flavors. The syrup contains cane sugar, water, natural and artificial vanilla flavors, and preservatives. It delivers the sweet, rich French vanilla taste that customers love. The syrup customizes hot and cold coffee drinks from lattes to Coolattas at little added cost to Dunkin’. Customers consistently prefer the familiar, comforting flavor of French vanilla over other specialty syrups. To get the most out of French vanilla coffee drinks, order larger sizes, ask for extra pumps of syrup, and complement with creamy dairy additions. With the versatility and crowd appeal of French vanilla, it’s sure to remain a Dunkin’ coffee favorite.