Every Item On The Dunkin' 2022 Holiday Menu, Ranked
When was the last time you stopped by your local neighborhood Dunkin'? Did you pick up your usual glazed donut and a medium cup of hot coffee? Well, whether your trip was yesterday or last Christmas, it's time to return. And when you do, be sure to take a break from the norm and try something off their holiday menu.
From classic fan favorites like Munchkins to secret menu items such as the Caramel Coconut Creme Pie Iced Coffee, Dunkin' always has something tasty brewing, and there's only so wrong you can go with coffee and baked goods. But the holiday season might be the best time of year to be a Dunkin' fan. Considering how hard we worked ranking everything the franchise rolled out for fall, naturally, we had to do the same job at the most wonderful time of the year. And between obvious winners like Peppermint Mocha beverages, all-new creations sporting the greatest spread of all time (aka Cookie Butter), and the return of conveniently crafted Pancake Wake-Up Wraps, our cups runneth over with holiday goodness.
But since you can't bring one of every drink with you into work tomorrow morning, we're doing you a favor by telling you exactly which ones are worth the trip –- or the first trip, at least. Because you're sure to go back and try the others when the options are this joyful. Without further adieu, here are all of the Dunkin' holiday menu items, ranked from worst to best.
12. Toasted White Chocolate Chai Latte
You should know right off the bat that this tasting team loves a good chai. Be it hot or iced, in pure tea-bag-and-water or foamy-sweet latte form, the spice blend proves just the ticket on a frigid day. Mark our words, piquant chai warms you to the core by waking up your senses with a wallop of spiciness. This is not one of those chais. This is a slow, comfy warmth, a fuzzy blanket rather than a zesty flavor bomb. A milky chai. Is there cardamom or clove in this chai? Maybe, maybe not. And what does white chocolate have to do with it? We're still not quite sure ourselves.
In spite of all the holiday spirit, Dunkin's Toasted White Chocolate Chai Latte reminds us more of sweetened, warmed whole milk than a chai latte or white chocolate beverage. A cozy mug of this drink could lull you to sleep more effectively than wake you up! Don't worry, it's not bad per se, but don't expect a genuine chai experience. No one would say this was spicy, and we couldn't detect any chocolatey notes, even when the chocolate is in its mildest form (white chocolate barely even counts as true chocolate, scientifically speaking, but when done right it's a joy all its own). Still, it would be lovely to sip while watching your favorite holiday rom-com in your fuzziest pajamas.
11. Bacon Pancake Wake-Up Wrap
Breakfast tacos are a thing, and we're here for it. But using a buttermilk pancake in place of a soft taco shell? Genius! Who wouldn't want to kickstart their day with this baby? Dunkin's two returning savory holiday breakfast offerings, the wake-up wraps, come in Bacon, Egg, and Cheese; Sausage, Egg, and Cheese; and simply Egg and Cheese. Unless you're vegetarian or hate meat, the real question is ... which is better, the one with bacon or the one with sausage? Well, judging by the fact that you're reading this first, it's pretty plain that the sausage is the way to go.
Pancakes and bacon will always override pancakes and sausage in our books, but this bacon leaves a lot to be desired. It's flimsy and thin, with very little flavor, and the poor strips get lost under the other three components. The next minor complaint: The cheese is well-melted but not exactly the finest French fromage, and there could be more overall. But you wouldn't really want waterfalls of piping hot raclette in an on-the-go breakfast wrap, would you? You're looking for easy, breezy, beautifully comforting morning top hits that stay in their place. But otherwise, we were actually really impressed! We skeptically expected rubbery, tasteless, cold pancakes smothering a plastic-y egg patty. But Dunkin' delivers warm, buttery, fluffy pancakes and surprisingly fresh-tasting eggs, even in a to-go order. Yes, people, it's legitimately good.
10. Cookie Butter Cold Brew
This brand-new menu item features Dunkin's ultra-smooth cold brew, along with notes of sweet brown sugar and the flavors of freshly baked cookies. Not sugar cookies though, but the cookies that made their way into the now-iconic jars of cookie butter. In case you're wondering what we're talking about here, it's a historic Dutch blend of beautifully complimentary spices including familiar favorites like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, plus unique dashes of aniseed, coriander, and white pepper. Ever had those scallop-edged Lotus cookies on airplanes? Those treats are speculaas-spiced, and the Cookie Butter Cold Brew from Dunkin' aims to remind you of those. Topped with creamy Cookie Butter Cold Foam to further drive home the flavors, cookie butter crumbles seal the deal. We were positively psyched since cookie butter is a favorite among our crew.
Once we stirred it up, we tasted a delicious cold brew coffee beverage, but not much more. We'd be happier with a stronger speculaas flavor than this one delivers because it didn't scream cookie butter. It does indeed deliver plenty of brown sugary notes and covert glances at savory spices, but nothing too extraordinary. All in all, it's still really good, a velvety brew that makes a rapid caffeine rush dangerously easy. Want to make your own cookie butter so you can infuse (more of) it into your homemade coffee beverages, or pipe it into your homemade donuts? Try this delicious recipe and go crazy with your cookie butter collabs.
9. Peppermint Mocha Hot Chocolate
Of course, it just felt right to make sure the last thing we tried was the Peppermint Mocha Hot Chocolate. Even though it didn't make it to the top spot on the list, there's just nothing like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day –- coffee, tea, or cider really just can't hold a candle to this dessert in a mug. We're fully on board with Dunkin's decision to call this "hot chocolate" as opposed to "hot cocoa," because, wow, the chocolate is no joke. Since a little coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate, that's probably where the "mocha" part comes into play. Otherwise, the mocha is pretty invisible, and we don't taste any coffee-related bitterness at all. This drink tastes much more like someone poured chocolate syrup into the cup and just kept going and going and going.
In case you haven't picked up on it by this point, this drink is very, very sweet. We're guessing it's probably too sweet for some people who just want that mild Swiss Miss flavor. The texture, meanwhile, is utterly luxurious. If you're squeamish about overly minty flavors that might taste like toothpaste, you're also one to appreciate the light-handed treatment of the mint in this beverage. The chocolate is the star here. Even though it's light, is peppermint just not your cup of tea in any way, shape, or form? Try upgrading your hot cocoa with other fun ideas.
8. Cookie Butter Donut
Do you know what would go perfectly with a fresh Cookie Butter Cold Brew? How about a matching donut? Dunkin's got ya covered with its new Cookie Butter Donut. Here's a classic yeast donut shell injected with a cookie butter buttercream filling, topped with maple-flavored icing and a sprinkling of crushed cookies for an extra satisfying crunch. We're a little puzzled by the choice of maple icing, but hopefully, it goes well with the flavors of cookie butter. Let's dive in because it certainly looks like a whole treat.
Like with its corresponding Cookie Butter Cold Brew, the flavor doesn't pack a powerful punch and is more of a subtle nod at the source material. When you get a bite without any of the filling, for example, the cookie butter flavor is blink-and-you'll-miss-it. You probably wouldn't guess the title in a blind taste test. But when you get some of that filling, the zesty, peppery, warming spices are a perfect foil to the sweetness inherent to a donut (especially a Dunkin' donut.) Adding that glaze means even more sugary sweetness, and those boulders of real cookie toppings? Yeah, it's a little much. So this one's decadent and probably not the best choice if you prefer your donuts on the milder end. We'd love it to have a little more filling and a lot more verve, but it's a nice donut and a creative idea.
7. Cranberry Orange Muffin
Is it weird that we were super excited to try a basic Cranberry Orange Muffin? Maybe even more excited than for the Cookie Butter Donut? There's something so spot-on Christmas about the combo of acidic, tart, ruby-red cranberries and zesty, citrusy, orange. It's a much less overpoweringly sweet holiday flavor than, say, Peppermint or Sugar Cookie. Made with real fruit, this time-honored bakery favorite is topped with sparkly sanding sugar for that sweetness you'd expect from anything donut-adjacent. It's an on-the-go treat for the morning when you can't go full donut but also don't want the savoriness of a pancake wrap.
Truth be told, though, this muffin is basically a cake without frosting. We'd hoped for a little less sugar and a little more spice, meaning a bolder punch of puckery cranberry and fresh-squeezed orange pizzazz. It's still a nice break from all the chocolate and mint, though, so we'll happily eat it alongside the Cookie Butter Donut for a really balanced meal. Ha. Hey, there are two different kinds of fruit, so we're still good.
6. Peppermint Mocha Iced Signature Latte
Would look at that? It's beautiful. It's the Peppermint Mocha Iced Signature Latte all done up for the holidays in Dunkin's cleverly, merrily themed cup. For some, it's pure happiness. Dunkin's handcrafted signature lattes are usually pretty darn delicious. And while the pumpkin spice latte is the undebated winner when the leaves start to change (or even earlier), when the holidays roll around, Peppermint Mocha coffee beverages reign supreme. So did you even for a minute think that Dunkin' wouldn't make sure to offer its signature latte in fresh, minty style? No doubt about it, in the world of coffee, marketing, and fast food, the holidays wouldn't be the holidays without dreams of peppermint mochas becoming reality.
A few sips of this one are probably going to satisfy your craving just fine. There's a lot going on, with the solid espresso, the addition of decadent mocha syrup infused with bracing peppermint, a wreath of frosty whipped cream, a flurry of sweet chocolate sauce, and even a dusting of hot cocoa powder. Unless you dig deep past all those toppings to get some of the coffee underneath, it's going to bring more ice cream sundae vibes than Monday morning focus vibes. But the holiday season supersedes the regular rest of the year, so gift yourself a cup of cheer with this festive drink.
5. Peppermint Mocha Signature Latte
No surprise here, wintertime drinks just hit differently when they're hot. Unless you live somewhere that's sunny and warm all year round, you simply must go with the hot version of Dunkin's Peppermint Mocha Signature Latte to get the holiday taste extravaganza in its full power and glory.
The array of Peppermint Mochas in the world just keeps expanding. Find them at Starbucks, Peet's Coffee, Caribou Coffee, McDonald's, and more. So how does Dunkin' approach its brew? The chain's addition to the Peppermint Mocha universe has a lot more of both the "peppermint" and the "mocha" flavors than the hot chocolate does. With less sugary, syrupy sweetness and rich, overpowering chocolate to take all the credit, you get a more balanced sip. It's still very sweet, though, so don't be surprised when this coffee tastes like both Christmas Morning and Christmas Dessert. The warmth of the hot beverage creates some cognitive dissonance against the cool flavors of peppermint, which is one of the reasons many people aren't a fan of peppermint lattes in general. If you agree that mint can be off-putting when too strong, the mint here is meager and doesn't take over. Dunkin's is mild on all fronts, from the coffee to the peppermint to the mocha, so it's great for people who want a hug in a mug.
4. Toasted White Chocolate Iced Signature Latte
Of all the Dunkin' holiday beverages, we were most intrigued by A. the Cookie Butter Cold Brew and B. this pretty Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte. Starbucks rolls out its Toasted White Chocolate Mocha every year in recent memory, and we do love the stuff. Seriously, we're big fans, awarding it the top spot in our Starbucks holiday menu ranking. But that's a mocha, and this is a latte, so it's bound to be an all-new taste experience. Need a refresher on the different types of coffee? Don't worry, sometimes we do too.
Well, mocha or latte, apparently there's just something special about White Chocolate in a coffee drink. Deeply creamy with notes of caramelized sugar and buttery nuttiness, this latte is far more delicious than we even hoped for. It tasted rather like ice cream when in the cold form, especially when you factor in that sweet, sweet layer of thick whipped cream and a generous drizzle of caramel sauce. The espresso flavor does get lost in the winter wonderland, though, so this iced "coffee" won't taste much like coffee at all, which is probably just fine with lots of customers. Also, a few of our taste testers put up a sound argument that the chilled version of the drink takes away from the toasty notes, so we probably wouldn't order this one iced again.
3. Holiday Blend Coffee
We know what you're thinking –- a basic black coffee in the number three slot? What in the upside-down-snowglobe-world are these taste testers thinking? Sure, maybe we were biased by desperately needing something robust and unsweet to wash down the donut and whipped cream and muffin and pancake, but even if this was the only thing we ordered, it would still be a true miracle.
A part of Dunkin's Limited Batch Series, the medium roast Holiday Blend Coffee makes a merry return to all the Dunkins in the land. This heartwarming coffee blend promises to feature sweet notes of molasses and dried fruit, festive flavors that will put coffee lovers in the holiday mood. While chain coffees often assure us of various fun "notes" in their coffee blends, usually they become a muddle of bitterness that just tastes like regular old coffee. Not this Holiday Blend. We savored the nostalgic fruity undertones and understood the nod to molasses when sipping the wonderfully smooth texture yet enjoying a unique complexity of flavor. At the very end, a little hint of cocoa danced across our palate and we weren't mad about it. Last but not least, if you're a real fan, for the first time ever you can go ahead and purchase a package of ground coffee to brew a cozy cup at home. Love this particular batch every single morning in December, or even year-round? Better stock up!
2. Sausage Pancake Wake-Up Wrap
And here's the one with sausage! Featuring more than subtle hints of sweet maple, the Sausage Wake-Up Wrap really brings out those buttermilk pancake notes. It's also easily a better portion and proportion than bacon. The meat itself is nicely cooked, juicy, and mildly flavorful. Since the Sausage Wake-Up Wrap maintains the good stuff and improves upon the meat of its bacon counterpart, it's a practically perfect breakfast for cozy holiday comfort food. Our biggest, and possibly only, complaint is that we were promised to have our wraps served with a side of syrup, but there was no syrup to be found. So just in case your location is similar, be sure to specify you want that syrup. Though it's worth noting that the addition probably makes the whole neat and tidy idea more complicated — everyone knows that it's humanly impossible not to get something sticky when syrup is involved. But nothing goes better with maple-scented sausage and buttermilk pancakes than syrup, even when it's breakfast syrup as opposed to pure maple syrup.
We know syrup would take this breakfast from part of your morning routine to the highlight of your day, but either way, we loved how pliable the pancakes were — a perfect sleeping bag for the fillings that keeps it all wrapped up, nice and toasty and warm. Can we have this for breakfast on Christmas Day, please? Okay, depending on location, Dunkin' might be taking the day off, so Christmas Eve it is.
1. Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte
You knew you were going to see this guy again! The Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte is coming in hot at the top of our rankings. While we enjoyed the iced option, this beverage was meant to be served warm. We really got those "toasted" notes, which hint at the nuttiness of a buttered pecan or roasted chestnut, and added some special luxe to the drink that peppermint mochas or pumpkin spice lattes simply can't access.
You might feel slightly dramatic at the drive-through when ordering a Toasted White Chocolate Signature Latte, but guys, it's worth every indulgent, heavenly sip. Oh, and the cinnamon sugar dusting? It's not random at all, but a clever way to keep the holiday festivity going while bringing in a little zest and some herbal aromatics. This might just be our new holiday classic, the go-to drink whenever we want to feel merry and bright without diving into the Peppermint Mocha well. Dunkin', you did well.