I Tried “Unconventional” Dunkin’ Drinks so You Don’t Have To

You know the saying, “America runs on Dunkin’”? Well, in my short time here on this Earth, I’d beg to differ that it’s actually college students, in particular, who run on Dunkin’. 

I may be biased because I love coffee — I’ve loved it from much too early of an age than I should have. Throughout high school, I had a Dunkin’ Donuts less than a mile away from my neighborhood, so my friends and I would walk there on a nice summer day long before we could legally drive. With that personal anecdote being stated, I have confidence that I knew my way around Dunkin’, and I’ve tried more than I haven’t. 

I took it upon myself to try five different combinations of shots, syrups and iced coffee and espresso types that aren’t on the menu, and that the regular consumer wouldn’t think to order – but I did because I’m creative and daring. Without further ado, here are the 5 drinks that make up my personal secret Dunkin’ menu. 

Iced coffee with a shot of Hazelnut and Vanilla Swirl

I’m not sure why, but I’ve never been into the french vanilla swirl in my coffee by itself. When I mix a hazelnut shot in with it, there’s automatically so much more personality added to my coffee. For this specific test, I ordered a medium french vanilla iced coffee with a shot of hazelnut and oat milk (stated just as that). You can specify the number of swirls to cater what you are feeling, and you can order it with cream, almond milk, or black depending on your preference. As a personal caveat, I get all my drinks with oat milk in them because I prefer it to any other option. 

Iced Cappuccino with three Toasted Almond Shots and two Hazelnut Swirls

Here’s where my creative skills start peeking through. My thought process behind this one was to indulge in the “nutty” fantasy, because I love the taste of both almonds and hazelnuts. If you don’t share that sentiment, or if you have a nut allergy, I’d skip this one, but if you want to add indulgence to a plain hazelnut flavor, I’d highly recommend adding the toasted almond swirl for a bit of pizzazz. 

Cold brew with one toasted almond shot, one coconut shot and a mocha swirl

I can’t take credit for “creating” this combo because I found it deep in the internet one night at 3 in the morning about a year ago, but I’ve been hooked ever since. The inspiration behind this drink is an Almond Joy candy bar. I love chocolate, and I absolutely gush over Almond Joys. If I can combine one of my favorite candy bars with my coffee obsession, you know I am going to do so. If you like Almond Joy, order this indulgent drink and thank me (and my late night internet scrolling) later. 

Iced caramel macchiato with 2 raspberry shots

When I want to feel fancier than a regular iced coffee on a Saturday morning, I go for a good old fashioned iced macchiato. They’re creamy, indulgent and just so pretty to look at with the ombre effect of the coffee on top and the milk (or oat milk in my case) on the bottom. I used to just order a plain caramel macchiato, but one morning I spontaneously ordered shots of raspberry in it as well and I’ve never gone back since. Having the fruity aftertaste mixed in with the sweet caramel flavor reminds me of eating a fancy chocolate from Godiva. 

Caramel cold brew with one blueberry shot, one raspberry shot and sweet cold foam on top

Here it is, my favorite concoction I’ve managed to try so far! Recently, Dunkin’ added the option of ordering cold foam atop of cold brews and iced coffees, and I honestly prefer their cold foam to that of Starbucks. It’s sweet but not too sweet, and it’s what sets this drink apart from all the others I’ve mentioned. Of course, you could get the cold foam on top of the other drinks, but in my experience, everything in this one comes together like never before. We’ve got a shot of blueberry and raspberry to compliment the caramel, which sounds like it’d be overwhelming, but if you like your coffee to be just as intriguing as you, it’s perfect. The cold foam seeps more into the drink as you sip it, adding a nice garnish. 

There you have it, there are 5 drinks I’ve managed to “generate” in an attempt to satisfy my taste buds, attend to my coffee needs and share them with others. If you’ve read this far along, I hope you found my experiments somewhat useful, and if you try any of these, I hope you enjoy them. If Dunkin’ continues to expand upon their options, I cannot wait to explore more in this creative caffeine concoction realm, and maybe I’ll be back with a part two soon, if creativity in this brain permits.