20 Dunkin' Secret Menu Drinks Ranked
There is a good reason that America runs on Dunkin'. Just like its competing coffee chains, Dunkin's menu features a regular lineup of classics, as well as a frequent rotation of new, limited-edition, and seasonal offerings to things interesting.
But, what happens when the beverage you crave is nowhere to be found on your local menu? You turn to the secret menu, of course. As other coffee giants do, Dunkin' has an off-menu treasure trove of discontinued item reinventions, leaked barista concoctions, and imaginative customer creations.
From new-and-improved coffees to tricked-out Coolattas, we tracked down and taste-tested many hidden menu items for this ranking from worst to best (some were definitely better than others). If you are curious about some of the Dunkin' crowd's hottest hidden recipes, here is what we thought of some of the best secret drinks Dunkin' has to offer, from refreshing Coolattas to more seasonal findings.
20. Blueberry Cobbler
Cobbler is a fascinating dessert. Not quite pie, and definitely not cake, it is certainly its own category, often characterized as a fruity jumble of flavors with a crunchiness and fruitiness that's always satisfying, especially for those who love fruit desserts. Typically, I feel that desserts translate quite well into drinks. However, this one is a massive miss.
This blueberry cobbler in drink form has gone viral on TikTok, with many Dunkin' devotees touting just how delicious it is. So, honestly, I was quite excited for this one. Boy, was I wrong. I ordered a medium iced coffee with one blueberry and two butter pecan shots with three oat milks. It can also be ordered with cream, but I chose oat milk since there had always been people online who recommended that inclusion. With the cobbler feel, I thought that would make the most sense and be most likely to achieve something of a granola.
However, the drink just came out bad. It was unflavored and definitely needed more blueberry, and the butter pecan isn't doing enough heavy lifting. I would have also preferred this with cream rather than oat milk. I imagine it may taste better as an iced latte, but the iced coffee just didn't work here, much to my disappointment.
19. Captain Crunch Coolatta
A million things are going on in this secret menu Dunkin' drink, and not a single one of them reminded me of Captain Crunch. I've never wondered what it's like to drink liquid Sour Patch Kids before, but now, I know. The blueberry and raspberry flavoring is incredibly tart, and the Strawberry Coolatta addition is incredibly sweet. The flavor was way too punchy and strong to be reminiscent of the fruity, childhood cereal.
Want to give this drink that'll make your mouth pucker a whirl? Ask for a Strawberry Coolatta with cream, a blueberry flavor shot, and a raspberry flavor shot added. If you're a sucker for fruity, sour treats like Sour Patch Kids or Nerds, this one will be right up your alley. I recommend asking for half the raspberry and blueberry flavor, doubling the cream, and asking for whipped cream on top to closer resemble a nostalgic bowl of cereal.
18. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frozen Coffee
In childhood, Saturday mornings were for cartoons and slurping up the sweet milk left behind by your favorite cereal. Any time there's a replication of one of these kidhood favorites, I leap at the opportunity to try it. Dunkin's secret Cinnamon Toast Crunch Frozen Coffee is made by adding caramel and coffee syrup, vanilla flavor, and real cinnamon sugar to a frozen coffee, topped with a mountain of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
Be prepared for a rich, sweet, dessert-like drink. I thought there was far too much caramel to be considered Cinnamon Toast Crunch (the recipe calls for two pumps of caramel syrup in a small), and the cinnamon taste was difficult to detect altogether. I'd like the coffee flavor to be stronger as well, so the next time I give this cereal-inspired Dunkin' secret a try, the caramel will be halved, and the cinnamon and coffee amped up.
17. Frozen Chocolate Covered Strawberry
In addition to the chocolate-covered raspberry menu item you can construct, you can switch out raspberry for strawberry and enjoy a different kind of fruit. As another dessert secret menu offering, I also had high hopes for this one. Although I don't often see a chocolate-covered strawberry menu item hold off exceptionally well, I figured customizing it to exactly the way we want it would achieve something more enjoyable.
I found that this one really needed more chocolate to make the whole chocolate effect work. I ordered a medium frozen Chocolate Collata and asked for two pumps of strawberry to be added to it. When tasting, it was clear the chocolate wasn't substantial enough to really mix well with that strawberry, and there just needed to be more of a balance of flavors to make this one complete the whole chocolate-covered strawberry effect I was looking for. Plus, it doesn't really look like much. Order with whip for more of that dessert feel.
16. Cotton Candy Coolatta
When it comes to iconic childhood treats, replete with sticky hands and sugary flavors, perhaps nothing comes to mind with a more intense memory than cotton candy. It's hard to forget the sickly sweet fruity flavors often associated with this fair-going treat. I was interested in trying a Dunkin' version of this sweet to see how it might stack up against other secret menu options.
To achieve something like a cotton candy flavor, I ordered a medium Vanilla Bean Coolatta and asked for one pump of blue raspberry to be added. To make it truly feel like a dessert, you can also add whipped cream right on top. The color of the drink ends up being light blue, definitely perfectly colored to resemble blue raspberry cotton candy. Although the color hits right, the flavor wasn't quite there. I got, more than anything else, a blue raspberry ICEE flavor rather than the cotton candy. I imagine the vanilla bean is supposed to offer that kind of wispy sort of taste that I sometimes feel is iconic of vanilla, but this one didn't quite achieve that effect in flavor, even if it's a pretty great summer Dunkin drink.
15. Strawberry Shortcake Coolatta
Creamy and decadent, the secret Dunkin' Donuts Strawberry Shortcake Coolatta is the drink of summer. To order it, ask your barista for a Coolatta made with half strawberry and half vanilla bean flavor, topped with a generous spray of whipped cream. I stirred our whipped cream into the drink beforehand — delicious.
I was expecting a sugary landslide in this Coolatta, but it was surprisingly mild and easy to drink compared to similar frozen drinks that can cause a bellyache. The vanilla could have been stronger and was stomped out by the strawberry to a degree. Next time, I would try adding a shot of vanilla flavor as well to amplify its potency, but the additional sugar from the vanilla syrup might put the sweet meter over the top on this one. I do wish there could be some kind of cake or graham component to replicate the taste and texture of the shortcake half of the strawberry shortcake equation. Without the crunch, this is more of Dunkin's version of a strawberry milkshake.
14. Coco Berry Latte
The Coco Berry Latte is a popular option on secret Dunkin' menus. It's a simple combination of blueberry flavor and a hot or iced mocha, whatever your choice. I asked for one shot of blueberry flavor in a small iced mocha. The drink has potential, but one blueberry flavor shot just wasn't enough.
Dunkin's mocha flavor is very rich and bold; the blueberry shot was shy and easily overpowered, so much so, that I suspected the flavor shot had been forgotten in our drinks. Only after the first five sips did I detect the slightest berry aftertaste. It wasn't nearly enough to compel me to want to order the drink again, but it may be an entirely different flavor if the blueberry is given a fair chance next to the mocha. If you go for the Dunkin' Coco Berry Latte, ask for a second shot of blueberry flavor — otherwise, you'll be drinking a plain mocha with a strange berry-ish aftertaste.
13. Frozen Cookie Dough
I have so many memories of making cookies with family, and probably devouring half the bowl of cookie dough before it even hit the cooling racks. Of course, my greedy scoops always received the warning that it might make me sick, but the flavor was just too good to miss. Now, of course, there are plenty of ways to enjoy that cookie dough flavor without the risk of getting sick from this delicious treat. Seeing that there's a Dunkin' secret menu item for frozen cookie dough, I was immediately drawn to try this alternative.
You'll begin by ordering a frozen coffee. The size you go with is ultimately up to you, but I decided to choose a medium and add two pumps of mocha, two pumps of French vanilla, and two caramel swirl pumps. If you're looking for a little bit more of a coffee flavor, you may want to go with an even larger size, but if you want your sweetener to be stronger, you can, of course, go down to a small. I found this to be a really tasty mix of flavors that was satisfying without being overly sweet. With so many flavors and sweeteners going on, it certainly ran the risk of becoming overly flavored, but the combination of everything together just seemed to work really well.
12. Birthday Cake Coolatta
It's not my birthday, but it felt like a celebration with the secret Dunkin' Birthday Cake Coolatta. Silky and supple, this hidden gem is made with a vanilla bean Coolatta and hazelnut swirl. It takes a lot of imagination to taste the idea of birthday cake in this — to me, it seemed more like sucking down melted vanilla ice cream — but the drink is plenty sweet and delicious.
Hazelnut seems a bizarre choice to replicate a slice of birthday cake, but the two tastes are still compatible. The vanilla bean is the more dominant flavor in the Birthday Cake Coolatta by leaps and bounds but is well-complimented by its nutty companion. My chief complaint is that this secret drink is just a bit too sweet for me to enjoy even an entire small. That said, this Coolatta is a solid option when you want to treat yourself — birthday or no birthday. Add a heap of whipped cream to liven up the party.
11. Oreo Iced Coffee
Dubbed milk's favorite cookie, this pantry staple seems to always make it onto secret menus. There's a reason that there are so many interesting Oreo flavors, and it's because the cookie is so perfectly snackable, poppable, and lovable. Though I didn't anticipate an Oreo iced coffee capturing all the flavors of an Oreo cookie, I was blown away by how much of a balance in flavors I could actually sense.
To get yourself an Oreo iced coffee, start by ordering a medium Dunkin' iced coffee and ask for it to include three creams, two sugars, one vanilla bean, one French vanilla, and one mocha. This one is largely a coffee drink, unlike some of the other secret menu options I sampled, but it still has plenty of sweetness and is definitely a more interesting drink. The very first thing that popped out to me was the obvious taste of cream you get with this one. In all likelihood, this is the combination of the cream, vanilla bean, and French vanilla in there, but it's definitely present. The mocha is representative of the chocolate cookies, but it's not overwhelming, just as the chocolate in an Oreo cookie isn't overwhelming either. My only complaint with this one is that it did have a little bit of that fake sweetness taste to it, but it's unclear exactly which flavoring it is coming from.
10. Chocolate-Covered Raspberry Hot Chocolate
You should absolutely keep this chocolate-covered raspberry hot chocolate recipe in your back pocket for those winter days when a hot beverage is called for to get you through the day. Berries and chocolate are a heaven-sent flavor combination that uplifts all of the best desserts and drinks, as proven by the Dunkin' chocolate-covered Strawberry Coolatta. Asking for this secret Dunkin' drink is easy: All the hot chocolate needs is a pump of raspberry flavor (note, I got one shot in a small).
While the drink is creamy and smooth, it lacks the overbearing sweetness that similar drinks have on this ranking. The chocolate softens the tartness of the raspberry, and the berry eases the sugary flavor of chocolate. The duo is perfectly balanced. It tastes like biting into a delectable candy from a heart-shaped box. While the raspberry hot chocolate felt far from romantic on a boiling day in July, I'll be sure to revisit this beverage when I'm looking for a Valentine's pick-me-up in the blustery days of February.
9. Iced Nutella Latte
Nutella is a well-loved partner in crime to graham crackers, bananas, and pancakes. It makes sense to combine the rich, sweet, hazelnut-and-cocoa spread with bold coffee. The Dunkin' secret menu Iced Nutella Latte is the best take I've found at replicating the flavor of Nutella in a coffee drink: an iced mocha swirl, made with two creams, and one hazelnut flavor shot.
This drink is very dense and heavy in texture, but sweet and chocolatey in flavor. I think it would definitely benefit from another hazelnut shot. As in the Coco Berry Latte, the mocha hogs the flavor spotlight. I'd hoped for a stronger coffee element and will ask for an extra espresso shot next time so that next time the roast isn't overpowered by the hazelnut and chocolate. Lactose-intolerant coffee drinkers may want to pass on this one or ask for it made with a milk alternative that might mimic the highly rich creams.
8. Snickers Iced Coffee
While Oreos may be a pantry staple, Snickers are often an easy-to-grab candy bar that, as the advertising would have you believe, definitely satisfies hunger and curbs any cravings. An iced coffee may not do exactly the same, but a Dunkin' secret menu Snickers iced coffee certainly captures the flavors with its top-notch coffee as a base.
If you love a Snickers candy bar and wish your coffee could taste like it, too, order yourself a small iced coffee with two pumps of caramel, one hazelnut, and one mocha. Ask for as much creamer as you would like to be added to that. This one has a stronger hazelnut feel than anything else, even though it's one of the options you added one pump for, but the balance of flavors is also quite good. If you are a real lover of caramel, you may want more caramel added to the drink to really get the whole effect, and if chocolate is more your game, you may want to increase those pumps, as well. Even still, everything all together definitely creates a sweet and enjoyable drink.
7. Eggnog Latte
Who said that eggnog has to only be a delicacy for the holiday season? You might not find this dense, creamy drink on your grocery store shelves this time of year, but Christmas can come in July thanks to the Dunkin' Eggnog Latte on its secret menu. A vanilla chai — hot, iced, blended, or however you take it — with a caramel swirl flavor is how Dunkin' fans replicated a classic eggnog.
I chose to try mine blended thanks to the dogged summer heat (my take on an eggnog milkshake recipe). But, this Dunkin' drink might best enjoyed hot, as an eggnog latte likely would be during the holidays. All of the spices you expect in eggnog are there thanks to the chai: An autumnal blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The drink could probably do without the vanilla, however; with both the vanilla and the caramel, it feels a bit too much like taking a bite out of a Christmastime candle.
Missing from this vanilla chai creation, of course, is the eggy custard-like flavor, but I don't have any suggestions on how to replicate this. The vanilla or caramel could also be halved for a less sugary, more spiced taste.
6. Toasted French Vanilla Iced Latte
Does a nutty and vibrant, yet not too sweet, and strongly coffee-flavored drink check all of your boxes? Then so does the secret Dunkin' Toasted French Vanilla Iced Latte, made by adding a shot of each of the toasted almond flavor and French vanilla flavor to an iced almond milk latte.
Right off the bat, this drink will hit you with its nuttiness, between the almond milk, almond flavoring, and the hazelnut in the French vanilla. The dairy-free milk allows the espresso to be the centerpiece flavor in this coffee drink, but the toastiness I was eager for was lost in all of the other competing tastes. The concept of this Dunkin' iced coffee drink sounds divine, however, I'm confident there's a way to tweak this latte to perfection.
I have a couple of suggestions to update this one: Opt for regular vanilla instead of French vanilla, double the toasted almond flavor, use regular dairy milk or water, or try any combination of the above. The different nut-flavored components will harmonize better and let the intended toasty vanilla flavor take the spotlight.
5. Almond Joy Iced Latte
How can you make a candy bar better? Turn it into liquid form and add it to coffee, of course. Dunkin's secret Almond Joy Iced Latte — made by just adding a flavor shot each of the toasted almond and coconut flavors — tastes like the beloved candy bar in a cup. The mocha and espresso were well-balanced, and overall the drink was smooth, but I had one grievance: The coconut was doing too much. It dominated the toasted almond flavor and didn't give its companion any room to perform. A second try at this coffee would definitely include half the coconut and double the almond flavor.
Also, don't let its confectionary inspiration play tricks on you; this is not a candy-sweet drink. Toasted almond and coconut aren't among the sweeter of Dunkin's flavors (both are available in Dunkin' sugar-free drink flavors), making the iced Almond Joy perfect for coffee lovers who prefer strong espresso.
4. Strawberry Cheesecake Coolatta
One of my two favorites I enjoyed was another spin on the Coolatta. This comes on the heels of my absolute love for cheesecake as a dessert, and although I didn't necessarily get much cheesecake flavor in this drink, the slight tartness I got from the strawberry was certainly delicious.
For this one, I ordered a medium Vanilla Bean Coolatta with another three pumps of strawberry added to that, three toasted almond pumps, and one hazelnut. Both the toasted almond and vanilla are unsweetened flavors, so they're simply adding flavor rather than sweetness. This is helpful given that you already have a lovely and fruity strawberry, and this careful ordering allows the drink to be delicious without being overly sweet. What you'll get is a perfectly lovely pink drink, and I ordered whipped cream on top of mine as well to really create the effect. My complaint about this one is quite mild in that it actually separates quite quickly, requiring that you do a lot of swirling to really make sure the drink stays incorporated. The taste, however, is worth this mild inconvenience.
3. Cookies and Creme Coolatta
Cookies and cream is such a universally appealing flavor, combining milky and chocolatey tastes. A cookies and cream Coolatta seemed like a wonderful secret menu option that could please many. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try the recipe exactly as I wanted, because my location no longer offered the cookie crumbles that I've seen included in this one. Even still, without this addition, the drink is quite good but certainly lacks the texture of the crumbles.
To make a cookies and cream Coolatta, sans cookie crumbles, ask for a small vanilla bean Coolatta with one pump of mocha added to it, as well as the cream base instead of milk, and whipped cream on top. Although not a coffee, this one has a bit of that coffee feeling with the mocha, and I was impressed by just how much of the cream taste you actually get in there. It seemed like a nice balance of those chocolatey flavors accounting for cookies and the creaminess, owing to the vanilla bean and, well, cream.
2. Caramel Coconut Creme Pie Iced Coffee
An easy top contender, the secret Dunkin' Caramel Coconut Creme Pie Iced Coffee is one of the most delightful coffees I've had in a long time. Caramel and coconut, an uncommon pair in coffee, come together for a latte that is equal parts indulgent and balanced. After being concerned that this recipe would yield a stomach-ache-level sweetness thanks to clashing flavors, my concerns quickly evaporated after I took my first sip.
The coconut and caramel flavors equally hold up this iced coffee: The Dunkin' secret recipe calls for an iced coffee with two creams, caramel flavor, and coconut cream flavor. There are several ways to find a new level in this drink, such as a nutty component like hazelnut or using salted caramel instead when it's available. However, the Caramel Coconut Creme Pie Iced Coffee is unique and complex enough to be enjoyed as the recipe intended. It is a dessert-like treat for coffee drinkers and sweet tooth havers who don't have strong cravings for chocolate.
1. Snickerdoodle Frozen Coffee
The big winner of my taste test, and perhaps the most obnoxious drink I ordered, was a play on a snickerdoodle cookie. This is another coffee order, but it ends up tasting more like a milkshake with all of the different flavorings going on here. I did tweak it from the recipes that I had seen for the convenience of the Dunkin' team members because a few of the requests seemed a little outlandish. For one, some recipes recommend blending cinnamon sugar right in the blenders, but I have seen some comments suggesting that some stores weren't allowing this, so I opted not to ask for it. Instead, I ordered a medium frozen coffee with three pumps each of hazelnut, caramel, and French vanilla. I asked for a cream base, and whipped cream to top it all off with some shakes of cinnamon sugar.
With so many flavors going on here, you might anticipate that this one is going to be way too sweet and way too flavored, but what I found is that the balance of flavors works so perfectly that this one is absolutely the most delicious frozen coffee in a cup I've maybe ever enjoyed from Dunkin'. It was a little bit complicated to order, but I think the flavor of it is well worth the extra effort. You can also ask for extra caramel drizzle around the inside of the cup to really make the look of this one pop.
Methodology
Secret menu items are fascinating. They come from devoted diners who take the time to create menu items that are unique, different from the original, stated, base offerings, and simple enough to order that people can easily ask for the customizations.
To rank a bunch of these different secret menu choices, we scoured social media platforms as well as other submissions across the web, ordered them at our respective stores, and then ranked them according to their overall taste and enjoyment factor. We also considered how these drinks measured up to their claimed names commonly associated with them.