I ordered the same 6 drinks at Dunkin’ and Dutch Bros Coffee, and the pricier chain just barely came out on top
August 5, 20240
Dunkin’ is a globally recognizable chain.
Meredith Schneider
Even though I’m still not sure whether to call it Dunkin’ or Dunkin’ Donuts, the brand has been serving coffee, doughnuts, and other breakfast staples since the 1950s.
And over 70 years later, the chain’s multibillion-dollar parent company, Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc., is still growing. It doubled its quarterly profits in July.
I may have originally gone to Dunkin’ for doughnuts as a kid, but I stayed loyal because of its expansive, reliable coffee menu.
Dutch Bros’s locations may still be in the triple digits, but that may be changing.
The Golden Eagle is a caramel coffee at Dutch Bros.
Meredith Schneider
The Golden Eagle is one of the most hyped drinks on the Dutch Bros menu. It’s a breve made with espresso, half-and-half, vanilla syrup, and caramel sauce.
I ordered a medium for $5.60 — without the whipped cream to keep the comparison even. The full medium has 480 calories.
The drink was a bit sweet, but I can see why it’s a fan favorite.
Dunkin’s caramel macchiato is the closest match.
The iced vanilla cold brew at Dutch Bros can be topped with a sweet foam.
Meredith Schneider
A cold brew with sweetened foam is one of my favorite drinks. My medium iced vanilla cold brew with soft top from Dutch Bros had 120 calories and cost me $7.47.
The coffee is the main focus in a cold brew, so I think there’s always a better chance of it being brewed well. But the sweet topping blended into the drink beautifully, like a more elevated sweetener.
The flavor was well-balanced, and the topping stayed fluffy for nearly an hour. I wasn’t convinced anything could beat this.
At Dunkin’, I picked up a vanilla cold brew with sweet foam.
I like a creamier chai latte, and Dutch Bros delivered.
Meredith Schneider
Dutch Bros’ medium chai latte, which cost me $6.71, was creamy and indulgent.
The spices in the 350-calorie drink really shined, but it was also creamier than most chai lattes I’ve tried.
It tasted like autumn.
Dunkin’s iced chai was nearly identical.
Dutch Bros iced mocha uses chocolate milk.
Meredith Schneider
My medium iced mocha cost me $5.27 and had 310 calories.
Dutch Bros has several signature mochas, but the classic expertly blends the shop’s own brand of chocolate milk with espresso.
The chocolate milk added flavor and creaminess that couldn’t be topped, and I loved that adding the chocolate in milk form didn’t change the drink’s texture.
Dunkin’s cocoa mocha iced latte was the competitor.
Dutch Bros toasted-mellow drink tasted like s’mores.
Meredith Schneider
The toasted-mellow blended freeze seemed like a standard s’mores-flavored drink to me, so I was surprised to learn that it’s made with espresso, vanilla, chocolate, and macadamia nut.
A mediumcost $7.69 and had 540 calories, and the flavor was striking.
It was definitely comparable to the quintessential fireside treat, making it a great dessert-like coffee. The drink was also blended to perfection.
The closest thing at Dunkin’ is its bonfire s’mores frozen coffee.
I actually loved Dutch Bros’ oat-milk latte.
Meredith Schneider
Drinking hot coffee on a 90-degree summer day isn’t my favorite activity, but I was pleasantly surprised by Dutch Bros’ oat-milk latte.
The medium, 200-calorie drink cost me $7.03.
My barista brewed it to the perfect temperature so I could safely sip it as soon as I left the drive-thru. It was frothy and genuinely a comforting way to start my day.
Dunkin’s oat-milk latte didn’t come close.
I’ll mostly stick with Dutch Bros, but I’m going back to Dunkin’ for its caramel macchiato.
Meredith Schneider
Overall, most of the Dutch Bros drinks were more expensive, but they also often tasted better. When it came to the oat-milk latte, vanilla cold brew, and iced mocha, there was no competition from Dunkin’.
But the chai lattes at both chains were nearly identical — it’s the only beverage I couldn’t make a solid call on.
I’ll keep going to Dunkin’ for caramel macchiatos, and when it’s in season, the bonfire s’mores frozen coffee was a delightful treat.
