Brian Nagele
As we reveal the pinnacle of Dunkin’ Donuts flavor options, take a lovely voyage into the olfactory world of their coffee. Every taste is evidence of Dunkin’s skill in creating the ideal cup of coffee, from the powerful embrace of Original Blend to the sweet symphony of Caramel Swirl. There’s a flavor for every palate: relish in the richness of Mocha Madness or bask in the cozy warmth of French Vanilla. Join us as we explore the varied world of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, delving into more than just a simple cup of coffee—rather, a sensory experience that will elevate your morning ritual with caffeine. Find out why the foundation of Dunkin’s coffee heritage is these delicious flavors.
Caramel Swirl
The caramel swirl flavor at Dunkin Donuts is a staple for the franchise. You can add this swirl to pretty much any Dunkin drink to elevate the flavor and add some sweetness. For me, I love to get a classic iced coffee with a caramel swirl instead of adding sugar and cream to it since the flavor is already sugary and creamy enough to replace generic whole milk. However, if you want a little something more extravagant, you can get the sweet cream cold brew with an added caramel swirl flavoring, otherwise known as “the Charlie,” for a smoother taste, or the classic Caramel Macchiato, which is a classic Macchiato with a caramel swirl. Honestly, there isn’t a coffee-based beverage on the Dunkin menu that you can’t add caramel to make it better.
Butter Pecan Swirl
Think cozy, think comforting, think buttery. Butter pecan, the lesser-known of the Dunkin flavor swirls, is all three warm feelings melted into one sweet syrup. I like to get a butter pecan latte around the holidays in place of the traditional peppermint mocha or salted caramel because I think its buttery flavor brings some warmth to the colder months that those other flavors don’t. You can still enjoy this flavor any time of year though. For example, if you want a chilled, sweet treat to cool you off on a hot summer’s day, I recommend adding the swirl to Dunkin’s frozen coffee, it’s like a butter pecan milkshake with a caffeine jolt to get you through the rest of the day.
Hazelnut Swirl
The hazelnut swirl at Dunkin Donuts is nutty and warm. It can effortlessly elevate a boring coffee drink into a delicious treat. The coffee flavor does particularly well during the colder months when added to a hot coffee beverage, whether a plain drip cup or frothy latte because its nutty flavor is reminiscent of the holidays. Although, you can still get this flavor any time during the year. If you’re looking for recommendations, you can’t go wrong with an iced latte with a hazelnut swirl or a hazelnut swirl macchiato, hot or iced.
French Vanilla Swirl
Like the caramel swirl, the french vanilla swirl is a staple at Dunkin and a very versatile flavor. You can add it to a latte on its own or pair it with another flavor to make a special treat. For example, say you can’t decide between the caramel or vanilla swirl for your latte. Get both. I’ve done this before and swear by it. The french vanilla and caramel together create a delightfully warm flavor since they work well together. However, you also can’t go wrong with adding the French vanilla swirl to a classic cold brew or iced coffee either to add a bit of sweetness to that bold brew, especially if you want the caffeine kick but don’t particularly like the bitter flavor of either drink black.
Mocha Swirl
When you see or hear the word mocha, you might not understand what the flavor will taste like outright, but you can think of it as chocolate. The mocha swirl adds a rich, chocolate flavor to coffee drinks, which complements the boldness of the beans. The flavor isn’t sickly sweet either, making it one of the best coffee flavors at Dunkin for those who don’t like adding sugar to their drinks. Instead, the mocha swirl amplifies the coffee flavor. If you want to give the mocha swirl a try, I recommend adding it to a hot latte first because it makes the beverage taste like a delicious hot chocolate with a little hint of coffee.
Pumpkin Swirl
Although it’s one of the season Dunkin flavor swirls, the pumpkin swirl is always a favorite when fall rolls around. The flavoring is fine on its own with an iced or hot black coffee since it has plenty of sweetness and flavoring to add to the drink. However, if you want to create a fun, flavorful fall drink, I can personally attest to the signature pumpkin swirl latte. You can order this autumnal beverage either hot or iced, but I think it’s served best hot. The hot, frothy milk, rich espresso, and pumpkin swirl melt together, creating a warm, spiced drink to comfort you on a crisp day.
Peanut Butter Cup Swirl
Peanut butter might not seem like the best complement to coffee at first glance, but, like a match made in heaven peanut butter and chocolate combination in a peanut butter cup, the peanut butter cup swirl makes a cup of coffee out of this world delicious. Dunkin created this new signature swirl as a part of its Halloween-themed releases. I haven’t had the flavor in any of Dunkin’s other coffee beverages because the peanut butter cup swirl macchiato is too good for me to try it in anything else. Especially as a hot macchiato, the peanut butter cup swirl makes the drink taste like melted Reeses.
Caramel Mocha Swirl
What happens when you combine two of the best coffee flavors at Dunkin? You get the chocolatey caramel goodness that is caramel mocha. This coffee flavor tastes like a liquid milky way or caramel truffle when added to any coffee drink at Dunkin. In the winter, you can order this flavor to mimic the salted caramel mocha offered at Starbucks for like half the price. Or, you can add it to an iced latte in the summer for a sweet, mid-afternoon pick-me-up. However you order the caramel mocha, I’m sure you’ll be delighted by the sweet, chocolate flavor that erupts after your first sip.
Rocky Road Swirl
Ice cream lovers and coffee fanatics can rejoice over a new common favorite, Dunkin Donuts’ rocky road swirl. Somehow, the coffee has combined chocolate ice cream’s richness with almond goodness and marshmallow sweetness to create this sugary syrup. As an ice cream-inspired flavor, the rocky road swirl goes well in a frozen or iced coffee drink. But, it can add a bit of chocolatey goodness to a hot latte or macchiato too. Personally, I tried this flavor as an iced latte over the summer and was pleasantly delighted at how refreshing it was despite the rich flavor profile.
You do realize that Dunkin’ Donuts no longer sells hazelnut swirl or hazelnut shot, they don’t even sell the bagged hazelnut ground coffee anymore. Since I only drink hazelnut, they lost a loyal customer.