The Charli Drink At Dunkin’ Donuts (Is It Any Good?)

Last Updated on March 10, 2023 by brewthatcoffee

Dunkin’ Donuts is renowned as much for its tasty donuts as it is for its coffee, which is loved by regular people and celebrities alike.

Dunkin’s most famous fan is TikTok personality Charli D’Amelio, who raved about her favorite beverage on her channel, creating an unexpected increase in sales.

Dunkin’ and Charli made the endorsement formal with the release of the Charli drink in 2020. What does the Charli taste like? Is it any good?

The Charli drink was a limited-release beverage made by Dunkin’ Donuts in collaboration with TikTok influencer Charli Di’Amelio. The Charli consists of a medium cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl. The Charli Cold Foam is a variation with a sweet foam topping.

Dunkin’ Donuts’s relationship with Charli D’Amelio developed by chance, as the TikTokker is often shown enjoying her favorite iced coffee and singing its praises. Let’s look at what goes into the Charli drink, how it tastes, and whether you can make it at home.

What Is The Dunkin’ Donuts Charli Drink?

The Charli drink was a limited-release beverage named after the teenage influencer and TikTok star Charli D’Amelio. It consists of a medium cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl.

Charli orders this beverage regularly and hypes it up via TikTok to the extent that it became part of her personal brand. This informal support has drawn many of her massive 100 million-strong TikTok following to Dunkin’ to order similar beverages.

Gratified by the free marketing, Dunkin’ approached Charli to make her endorsement official. They created a drink based on her go-to order, which they named after her. Fans nicknamed the pairing “Chunkin’,” in the same spirit as Benifer or Brangelina.

Released in the fall of 2020, the Charli drink was accompanied by a social media campaign. Promotions included fun branding, Insta-worthy ChrliCldBr stickers on the cup, additional rewards points, and a competition where the winner could meet Charli.

The beverage is not a unique or new creation, despite the new name: cold brew variations always were and continue to be available at Dunkin’.

What It Tastes Like (Is It Sweet?)

The Charli is intensely sweet and milky, which will please caffeine and sugar addicts. The combination of creamy milk and sugary syrup makes it smooth, silky, and refreshing, with a cozy caramel flavor that fits with its fall release.

With the milk and caramel, the Charli doesn’t taste as bitter or strong as some cold brews.

If you need a sugar-high and caffeine to kickstart your day or get you through a dull afternoon, order the Charli.

Is It Still On The Dunkin’ Menu?

The Charli drink was only available at Dunkin’ Donuts for a limited period, in stores and via the mobile app.

Part of the Charli campaign included a push for coffee drinkers to download the app and order remotely. This makes sense in the context of the 2020 pandemic and social restrictions.

The Charli is no longer on the menu, although it was briefly rereleased in 2021.

How To Order The Charli Drink

As the Charli drink is not on the menu at Dunkin’ Donuts, you will need to order a medium cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl. You may want to have only two pumps in a small brew and four in a large one.

In 2020 and 2021, fans could order the beverage by asking for the Charli.

How Much It Costs

The medium-sized Charli, a standard cold brew with whole milk and caramel, costs $3.19. If you ordered a large, it would come to $3.39. (The large also has an extra pump of caramel.)

Make The Charli Drink At Home

You can make the Charli Drink and enjoy your favorite TikTokker’s signature beverage at home, even if you don’t have a coffee machine or French press.

Dunkin’ Donuts has made the process straightforward with the Cold Brew Coffee Packs, which you can use instead of grinding your own beans. The at-home blend is rich and smooth-bodied, ideal for cold coffees or smoothies.

If you’re new to making cold-brew coffee, start with a ratio of one cup of beans to four cups of water. This makes three cups of relatively strong coffee, so experiment to find your perfect cold brew.

Equipment

  • Coffee grinder
  • Measuring cups
  • Mason jar with lid
  • Wooden spoon
  • Pitcher
  • Coffee filter
  • Glass
  • Measuring spoons

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dark roast Arabica coffee beans (or beans of your choice) or two Dunkin’ Donuts Cold Brew Coffee Packs
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 1½ tablespoons caramel syrup or sauce (Dunkin’ Donuts does not sell caramel swirl, so find a similar syrup.)
  • ¼-1 cup milk of your choice

Instructions

1. Grind coffee beans to a medium or coarse grind. It should look like cornmeal, not powder.

2. Measure out one cup ground coffee.

3. Combine the ground coffee and water in your mason jar. Stir so that all the grounds are saturated. No stirring is required for the coffee packs.

 4. Close the lid. Place the jar in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter for 12 hours or overnight. If using ground coffee, stir the mixture periodically.

5. To drain the coffee, place a coffee filter (or fine muslin) over the pitcher and pour the coffee through. Discard the filter and grounds, or discard the Cold Brew Packs.

6. Squeeze three pumps (or 1½ tablespoons) caramel syrup onto the inside of the glass. Drizzle it evenly so that you will enjoy a caramel flavor with every sip.

7. Measure 1 cup cold brew and pour it into the glass. Store the remaining filtered cold brew in the fridge.

8. Add milk to taste. The Charli contains around ¼ cup milk, but if your brew is strong, you can dilute it 1:1.

The Charli Drink (Dunkin Copycat)

The Charli Drink (Dunkin Copycat)

You can make the Charli Drink and enjoy your favorite TikTokker’s signature beverage at home, even if you don’t have a coffee machine or French press.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dark roast Arabica coffee beans (or beans of your choice) or two Dunkin’ Donuts Cold Brew Coffee Packs
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup ice cubes
  • 1½ tablespoons caramel syrup or sauce (Dunkin’ Donuts does not sell caramel swirl, so find a similar syrup.)
  • ¼-1 cup milk of your choice

Instructions

  1. Grind coffee beans to a medium or coarse grind. It should look like cornmeal, not powder.
  2. Measure out one cup ground coffee.
  3. Combine the ground coffee and water in your mason jar. Stir so that all the grounds are saturated. No stirring is required for the coffee packs.
  4. Close the lid. Place the jar in the refrigerator or on the kitchen counter for 12 hours or overnight. If using ground coffee, stir the mixture periodically.
  5. To drain the coffee, place a coffee filter (or fine muslin) over the pitcher and pour the coffee through. Discard the filter and grounds, or discard the Cold Brew Packs.
  6. Squeeze three pumps (or 1½ tablespoons) caramel syrup onto the inside of the glass. Drizzle it evenly so that you will enjoy a caramel flavor with every sip.
  7. Measure 1 cup cold brew and pour it into the glass. Store the remaining filtered cold brew in the fridge.
  8. Add milk to taste. The Charli contains around ¼ cup milk, but if your brew is strong, you can dilute it 1:1.

Notes

Equipment

  • Coffee grinder
  • Measuring cups
  • Mason jar with lid
  • Wooden spoon
  • Pitcher
  • Coffee filter
  • Glass
  • Measuring spoons

Difference Between the Charli Drink & The Charli Cold Foam

With the popularity of 2020’s Charli Drink, Dunkin’ Donuts collaborated with the TikTok star on a second beverage in 2021. This cold brew variation was called the Charli Cold Foam.

The Charli drink is a cold brew topped with whole milk and three pumps of caramel syrup. The Charli Cold Foam is also a cold brew with three pumps of caramel, but instead of milk, it is topped with sweet cold foam and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

The main difference is in the dairy: the milk is mixed into the cold brew in the Charli drink but foamed and used as a cold foam topping in the Charli Cold Foam.

The Charli drink is lighter and more refreshing, with the velvety sweetness of the cold foam.

Dunkin’ Donuts Charli Drink FAQs

One regular-sized Charli drink contains 36 grams sugar from the three pumps of caramel syrup. This is equivalent to 9 teaspoons sugar. You’ll consume 41 grams sugar or 10 teaspoons if you order a medium-sized Charli.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that adult women consume only 24 grams or six teaspoons daily.

To put this in context, a Starbucks Frappucino contains 59 grams sugar, and a Pumpkin Spice Latte has 52 grams.

A Charli Cold Foam contains more sugar than a Charli. It consists of a cold brew with six pumps of caramel syrup. Add on the sweet foam, which consists of vanilla, sugar, milk, and a sugar sprinkle.

A medium Charli Cold Foam has 50 grams or 10 teaspoons sugar.

A medium-sized Charli contains 200 calories, while a medium-sized Charli Cold Foam includes 250 of the 2000 calories recommended daily for an adult woman.

These aren’t the highest-calorie coffee beverages: a Starbucks Frappucino has 350 calories.

With cold brew providing a much bigger caffeine hit than regular coffee or iced coffee, the Charli drinks pack a 260 mg caffeine punch.

Compare this to an iced latte with around 173 mg of caffeine.

Iced coffee is made from coffee that is brewed hot and allowed to cool, then refrigerated and served cold with ice.

Cold-brew coffee is made by steeping ground coffee in cold water overnight. The coffee grounds are filtered out after 12 hours, leaving a richer, smoother, and more concentrated coffee flavor.

Conclusion

The Charli and Charli Cold Foam were beverages produced by Dunkin’ Donuts and endorsed by Charli D’Amelio, a TikTok megastar. Although they are no longer on the menu, you can order a Charli and Charli Cold Foam.

Ask for a medium cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl (the Charli) or a medium cold brew with three pumps of caramel swirl and sweet cold foam.

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