Tag: Dunkin Donuts

What’s the best way to get your New Year’s resolutions off to a rip-roaring start?

Cake for breakfast.

As if their doughnuts weren’t enough to help live this dream, Dunkin’ has released a Lava Cake Signature Latte as part of its new winter menu. Available in hot or iced varieties, the latte is inspired by molten chocolate cakes, which release a hot and gooey chocolate center when you cut into them. (Warning: This moment usually elicits an “ooh and aah!” from bystanders as the chocolate flows freely on your plate, but attempting to recreate this effect with a beverage will result in an “Argh!” as hot liquid spills all over your jeans.)

I ordered a hot latte, which consists of espresso, whole milk, and chocolatey Lava Cake Swirl flavoring. The beverage is topped with whipped cream, mocha drizzle, and hot chocolate powder, all of which create an inviting presentation and reinforce the dessert-like nature of the beverage. Like a lava cake itself, this drink oozes chocolatey flavor. A sweet, syrupy chocolate undercurrent runs through the smooth, creamy base. Dunkin’ Flavor Swirls are known for their indulgent creaminess, and this new Lava Cake Swirl delivers a similar creamy texture without sacrificing the strength of the flavors. The Swirl pairs sweet chocolate and mocha flavors that complement the beverage’s espresso taste well.

In my drink, the intended balance of chocolate, coffee, and cream was interrupted only by an unexpected aftertaste, a lightly cooling peppermint taste. I’m not sure if this effect was due to the preparation, sweeteners, and artificial flavoring, or just a holiday candy cane hangover. The aftertaste wasn’t strong enough to ruin the drink, but it was noticeable enough to make the drink seem like a Peppermint Mocha’s distant cousin who thinks he’s too good to attend family reunions.

The Dunkin’ Lava Cake Signature Latte exists somewhere in the overlapping sections of a Venn Diagram of a mocha, latte, and hot chocolate. It’s like a milky mocha that stole its toppings from a hot cocoa bar. It represents a lava cake well, although, like many of Dunkin’s Signature items, it may be too sweet for some. For me, someone who often sees meals as obstacles to dessert, the Dunkin’ Lava Cake Signature Latte is too sweet for the everyday but perfect for days when chocolate and caffeine cravings converge.

Purchased Price: $3.49
Size: Small
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 290 calories, 11 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of total carbs, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 36 grams of total sugar, and 7 grams of protein.

“Cellar door” is often cited as the most beautiful sounding phrase in the English language, but I think I’ve discovered the new top phonesthetic… which is definitely not a word I just discovered two seconds ago.

Ya had a good run, “cellar door,” but you’re downright hideous next to “brisket bowl.” Ahhh, “brisket bowl.” Just let it roll out – Brisket. Bowl. Doesn’t that feel good? Doesn’t that sound good?

Dunkin’ thought so, that’s why it put out a “Hash Brown Brisket Scramble Bowl.” I mean, that doesn’t flow as well, but I guess it still sounds great. I should’ve known the joint that removed “donuts” from its name would opt against short and sweet alliteration.

So, while that name is a little too gussied up, I’ll let it slide because, well, that sounds delicious. Does it taste as good as it should’ve sounded?

Nope, but it almost got there.

The Hash Brown Brisket Scramble Bowl consists of hash browns, scrambled eggs, smoked cheddar cheese, poblano peppers, caramelized onions, cheddar queso, and what I thought would be the star of the show, shredded brisket.

On paper, that sounds really good, and it’s not terrible, but like the name I keep harping on, and this review I’m sure, it needed some editing.

I’ll start with the good. I love Dunkin’s hash browns. They’re crispy, they’re zesty, and they’re a perfect size. No complaints. I liked the fluffy egg chunks too. In fact, I would’ve liked about 25% more egg. These ingredients make for a great base, unfortunately the meat is usually where Dunkin’ lacks for me.

The brisket was a mixed bag. I didn’t expect KC BBQ, but I was at least expecting tender strips. I got a few sinewy, chewy strings of beef that I had to spit out in a napkin. That was a real buzzkill because other bites were actually nice. Still, I had to go into each forkful with trepidation. It was a game of roulette. Say I got ten bites of brisket, four were good, three were inedible and three got lost in the sauce.

The little bits of poblano were a big hit, but I honestly had no clue there were onions in there. They must’ve just blended into the queso, so they literally got lost in the sauce. I’m a “less is more” guy when it comes to sauces, so I could’ve done with less queso too. Also, this is an absolute salt bomb. Grab a coffee.

I don’t ever wanna spit out part of the meal I’m eating, but for some reason, I still give this a light recommendation. It doesn’t need to be tossed behind the cellar door. Hell of a callback there…

I can sit here and tell you the brisket was terrible, but honestly, I think their bacon and sausage are usually pretty unremarkable too, so at least it was a change from the norm.

I think these little bowls are a good portion size, so if you’re just looking for a small breakfast, it’s worth a try. Maybe I just got a bad batch of meat. I might get this again and dump the contents into a tortilla, because I imagine it would make good contents for a breakfast burrito. “Brisket Breakfast Burrito” – now that sounds beautiful.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Bowl) – 340 calories, 22 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 110 mg of cholesterol, 1300 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of total carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, 10 grams of protein.

October is over and no matter how much Halloween candy you’re left with, the calendar is moving on to the winter months and sweets associated with them. Do you still have 25 mini Snickers? Eat ‘em quickly because it’s about to be cookie time. Dunkin’ is ushering in the season with its new Holiday Cookie Signature Latte. It’s a blend of espresso, milk, brown sugar cookie-flavored swirl syrup, and toasted almond flavor. The drink comes topped with whipped cream, a caramel drizzle, and cookie butter crumbles. At least, it should.

If you’re able to get this drink as described, I think you’re in for a treat. Dunkin’s brown sugar cookie swirl really does get the job done as far as providing you with a buttery, cookie-forward base. It works well with the espresso and gets additionally complemented by the unsweetened toasted almond flavor. The almond might be the unsung hero here because I don’t necessarily associate it with holiday cookies, but I’ll be darned if it doesn’t balance everything out. Holiday drinks tend to pile on the indulgences, but this still tastes of coffee, and it gives some holiday vibes without drowning me in sweetness. None of the components here are new, but they are enjoyable, and I would order this again if not for a major problem.

Signature lattes come with accessories. They’re always topped with whipped cream and then should be adorned with whatever really makes them stand out. A Holiday Cookie Signature Latte should come with cookie crumbles. My previous experiences with Dunkin’ tell me it excels at crumbly toppings. But I got this drink at two different locations and both were disappointingly devoid of the crumbly cookie bits. The first didn’t make an effort to substitute for them, and the second tossed on some brown sugar and cinnamon to compensate. I can’t fault the drink for being the well-balanced beverage that it is, but it feels somewhat plain and too close to some past drinks to differentiate itself. What Grinch is out there stealing all the crumbles? Can someone catch him soon because I would really like to give this one a higher rating.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Size: Medium
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 380 calories, 14 grams of total fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 51 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 45 grams of total sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

This Halloween season, Dunkin’ isn’t content just sticking to pumpkin flavors. It’s digging deeper and summoning the purple pigment powers of ube to create the new Potion Macchiato. If you’re not familiar with it, ube is a yam that’s long been used in Filipino desserts and has recently been making its way into various products in the US, usually when someone wants to capitalize on its vibrant violet properties.

The Potion Macchiato features a marshmallow ube swirl blended with milk and topped with espresso. Available hot or iced, the promotional pictures showcase a striking purple base crowned with a layer of deeply dark espresso. None of the ads mention this, but I think it’s important to note that if you stretch out the first syllable in ube, you’ll be making an excellent ghost noise.

Perhaps I should have tempered my expectations, but I was a bit disappointed in the visual appearance of my macchiato. Both portions of the drink were somewhat muted. I pictured the contrast being more vivid, and the beverage I walked away with looked like an apparition of what was advertised. It still felt a little like a novelty, but the ube base was barely purple-hued, and the espresso above it was a light brown. That said, I don’t mind sipping on a murky concoction as long as it tastes good, and I was eager to see if the ube made its presence known.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure it ever does. The overwhelming taste is vanilla and generically sweet. Ube is a milder flavor, so it isn’t surprising that this gets overshadowed, but there’s nothing here to make this drink memorable. I want to say I taste some of ube’s nutty or earthy notes or even that it has a marshmallow vibe, but that would be a stretch. I found myself hoping to taste the espresso more and balance things out, so I gave it a shake, which only resulted in further muddying the appearance and making it look like any other iced coffee.

I think this could be a perfectly satisfying caffeinated treat for those who like their coffee on the very sweet side and since this is Halloween, there’s nothing wrong with leaning into candy-level sweetness. I’ll give the visual gimmick some credit for trying, but I wish the potion itself had more intrigue. Maybe I’ll order my next one with an extra shot of dragon scales? If you’d like to test the Potion Macchiato’s effect on you, get to Dunkin’ soon because this limited-time offering will disappear after the 31st.

Purchased Price: $5.29
Size: Medium
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 48 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 46 grams of total sugar, and 8 grams of protein

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.