Wake up, babe, the new summer Dunkin’ menu just dropped! Nothing refreshes a menu like a few new options. Dunkin’ fans will be pleased to know that this summer brings back some favorites to the menu along with some brand-new breakfast innovations that are sure to make the Dunkin’ menu all the more delicious. Dunkin’, if you’re not aware, is killing the fast-food breakfast game. So we’re pretty psyched that the brand continues to expand and iterate on it.
The full list of new items includes the return of the Salted Caramel Cold Brew and the Caramel Chocoholic Donut. The latter first debuted in 2018, made a return in 2019, and now three years later, is finally back. So if you’re a caramel fan in general, Dunkin’s got your back. As excited as we are for returning favorites, nothing hits like something new. Newcomers on the menu include the Chorizo and Egg Wrap and Chicken and Roasted Pepper Wrap as well as a new Dunkin’ Refresher flavor, Raspberry Watermelon.
To get a handle on everything worth ordering (and not), we sampled all the new food and drinks so you don’t have to. So let’s dive into Dunkin’s new Summer 2023 menu, starting with our least favorite of the four…
5. Raspberry Watermelon Refresher
Tasting Notes:
To be completely fair to Dunkin’, the Refresher line of drinks just aren’t for me. I come to Dunkin’ for breakfast and coffee and this just straight-up tastes like candy, and I’m not into it. Imagine a watermelon-flavored Jolly Rancher with a tart raspberry kick and a smooth berry finish. Typically, Refreshers allow you to choose between green tea or lemonade as a mixture. When I went to Dunkin’, they didn’t give me the option. Considering how intensely sweet the drink is, I have to assume they picked lemonade for me.
If you want something more subtle, definitely opt for green tea instead. If, however, you’re into intense sweetness, the Raspberry Watermelon Refresher definitely delivers.
The Bottom Line:
It’s candy sweet and refreshing, but a little too intense. If you want something more balanced and less tart, opt for green tea over lemonade.
4. Caramel Chocoholic Donut
Tasting Notes:
There is a reason Dunkin’ dropped the ‘donuts’ from its name. In 2023, Dunkin’ just isn’t a donut spot and the Caramel Chocoholic Donut doesn’t do anything to change that. The donut is rich and chocolatey with sweet caramel balancing out the indulgent qualities of the chocolate. The chocolate curls on the top add a deeper chocolate flavor that complements the whole thing nicely. From a flavor standpoint, this donut is delicious (albeit a bit too sweet) but what is lacking is the dough itself. It doesn’t have that nice chewiness that a great donut provides. It’s a bit drier, like a grocery store box cake.
The Bottom Line:
If you love Dunkin’s donuts, you’ll appreciate the variety that this donut brings to the menu. It’s rich and sweet and comes across more like a slice of cake than a donut. If, however, you don’t come to Dunkin’ for donuts, then this isn’t going to win you over.
3. Chorizo and Egg Wrap
Tasting Notes:
Bursting with flavor, the Chorizo and Egg Wrap has a mild kick to it that hovers over a bed of salty, slightly sweet, vegetal, garlicky, and buttery flavors. This wrap is loaded up with chorizo, eggs, roasted tomatoes, black beans, and a mildly spicy cheese sauce wrapped in a red pepper lavash. The mouthfeel is a bit mushier than I was expecting, but I can overlook that considering how intense and focused the flavors are in the end result.
I think I would’ve preferred a more neutral tasting lavish here. While Dunkin’ claims this is a red pepper lavash, it sort of tastes like a big Cheez-It. It’s an extra flavor that this already packed wrap doesn’t need.
The Bottom Line:
Delicious, garlicky, spicy, and intensely flavorful.
2. Chicken and Roasted Pepper Wrap
Tasting Notes:
While it sounds and looks a lot less appetizing than the Chorizo and Egg Wrap, I think the focused and direct flavors of the Chicken and Roasted Pepper wrap comes across better than the Chorizo and Egg version. This wrap is loaded with chicken, roasted peppers, spinach, and cheese in a plain lavash wrap. The chicken is surprisingly tender and the roasted pepper and spinach combo adds a strong vegetal flavor with mild peppery notes and an appetizing earthiness. The cheese helps to bind those flavors together with a salty and creamy finish.
The Bottom Line:
Light and flavorful, the Chicken and Roasted Pepper Wrap feels perfectly fit for summer snacking. I can see myself ordering this on a hot summer morning over the Chorizo and Egg which feels more geared toward colder weather.
1. Salted Caramel Cold Brew
Tasting Notes:
Hands down, Dunkin’s best summer treat is the Salted Caramel Cold Brew. The coffee is slow-steeped, sweetened with caramel, and topped with caramel cold foam with burnt sugar bits. The coffee is smooth with a soft inviting mouthfeel that serves as the perfect delivery system for these intensely sweet and buttery caramel flavors to wash over your palate.
Once the cold foam works itself into your drink the whole thing takes on a creaminess that pushes it slightly into latte territory without the heaviness of all that milk. My favorite feature is those brown sugar bits though, which have a sort of floral sweetness to them that pairs so naturally with rich caramel.
The Bottom Line:
Dunkin’s Salted Caramel Cold Brew is so damn good it should be a permanent fixture on the menu. But it’s not, so enjoy this while you can, and hit Dunkin’ soon!
