Last Updated on April 25, 2023 by brewthatcoffee
Need a dairy-free morning coffee option? You’re in luck! There are many vegan Dunkin’ Donuts drinks and even food options for you to choose from.
With people increasingly turning to a plant-based lifestyle, vegan options are appearing on menus all over. Dunkin’ has been offering almond milk as an alternative since 2014, and the choices have grown from there. Although no vegan donuts are on the menu, what are the best Dunkin’ vegan drinks and food?
The top 15 vegan Dunkin’ Donut Drinks are:
1. Espresso
2. Americano
3. Cold Brew
4. Iced Coffee With Mocha Swirl
5. Hot Black Coffee
6. Hot Tea
7. Sweet Iced Tea
8. Mango Pineapple Refresher
9. Blue Raspberry Coollatta
10. Matcha Latte With Almond Milk
11. Coconut Macchiato
12. And more …
The 15 Best Vegan Dunkin’ Donuts Drinks
Dunkin’ is proud to offer vegan alternatives. The company emphasizes that items marked as vegan contain no ingredients from animal sources (meat, fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, honey, enzymes, and rennet).
There are several options for thirsty vegans at Dunkin’. Many non-vegan coffees and teas can be made plant-based by swapping for oat, almond, or coconut milk. If you’re watching your calorie intake, ask for unsweetened plant milk.
Here are the top 15 vegan Dunkin’ Donuts drinks we recommend.
1. Espresso
Nutrition: 5 calories, 0g sugar, 118mg caffeine
A classic Espresso always gives you that caffeine kick as you knock back a single shot. Dunkin’s signature Arabica coffee is always freshly ground and has a distinct chocolate caramel aftertaste.
How To Make It Vegan
- Espresso is vegan if ordered straight from the menu.
- Order an Espresso with sugar if you need sweetness, but note that you’ll enjoy an extra 55 calories.
2. Americano
Nutrition: 5 calories, 0g sugar, 237mg caffeine
If you need even more caffeine, order the Americano, which comes with two espresso shots of Dunkin’s Rainbow Alliance brew. The coffee is then topped up with hot (or iced) water, offering you a bold, slightly bitter pick-me-up.
How To Make It Vegan
- Americano is vegan if ordered straight from the menu.
- If the two shots are a bit strong, add a dash of oat, coconut, or almond milk (and raise the calories to 30).
3. Cold Brew
Nutrition: 5 calories, 0g sugar, 260mg caffeine
For a refreshing alternative on a hot day, try the Cold Brew. This style of coffee is created by steeping ground Arabica coffee in cold water overnight, creating a silky-smooth beverage. Dunkin’s Cold Brew is made fresh daily in limited quantities, so get your icy drink early.
How To Make It Vegan
- Cold Brew is vegan if you order from the menu.
- A popular “secret menu” variation is the Blueberry Oat Cold Brew. Order Cold Brew with oat milk and three pumps of sugar-free blueberry syrup: it’s like eating pie.
- Select stores offer the Cold Brew Latte but order it with oat, coconut, or almond milk.
4. Iced Coffee With Mocha Swirl
Nutrition: 160 calories, 34g sugar, 285mg caffeine
Another vegan option to cool you down is the classic Iced Coffee. Give it a sweet, chocolatey lift with a Mocha Swirl, which is dairy-free. (None of the other swirls is vegan-friendly.)
How To Make It Vegan
- Iced Coffee is vegan, but make it clear when you order that you want it black with Mocha Swirl.
- For a creamier drink, order your coffee with plant-based milk. Coconut milk is the lowest in calories and tastes great if you add a few pumps of Coconut syrup.
- For a Hazelnut Mocha Iced Coffee, add a few pumps of Hazelnut syrup and use almond milk.
5. Hot Black Coffee
Nutrition: 5 calories, 0g sugar, 180mg caffeine
The classic black coffee is one of Dunkin’s staple menu items and is ideal for vegans. It’s also low in calories but packs a caffeine punch.
How To Make It Vegan
- Coffee is vegan if ordered straight from the menu.
- A flavor shot of French Vanilla elevates an ordinary coffee into a café specialty.
6. Hot Tea
Nutrition: 0 calories, 0g sugar, 90mg caffeine
A zero-calorie option for vegans is hot tea. Dunkin’ has a wonderful variety of teas, including the Bold Breakfast Black Tea and Harmony Leaf Green Tea, which both contain caffeine. If you are avoiding caffeine and want a lighter drink, go for one of the delicious herbal infusions: Chamomile Fields, Cool Mint, or Hibiscus Kiss. The Bold Breakfast Black Tea is now also available in decaf.
How To Make It Vegan
- Hot tea is vegan if ordered straight from the menu.
- Add a lemon wedge for extra flavor.
7. Sweet Iced Tea
Nutrition: 230 calories, 58g sugar, 63mg caffeine
Dunkin’s black and green teas are also available iced, and you can order the tea sweet or unsweetened. The sweet tea is summer in a cup, floral, revitalizing, and without any artificial flavorings. The herbal infusions and decaf tea are not available iced.
How To Make It Vegan
- Iced tea is vegan if ordered straight from the menu.
- A Blueberry or Raspberry flavor shot adds delicious fruitiness.
8. Mango Pineapple Refresher
Nutrition: 130 calories, 29g sugar, 99mg caffeine
Dunkin’s Refreshers are all vegan, and we recommend the tropical Mango Pineapple option. It’s made with green tea, zesty mango, and sweet pineapple for extra freshness. It’s also lower in calories than Sweet Iced Tea. Try the Mango Pineapple Coconut and Lemonade Refreshers as delicious alternatives, as are the Peach Passionfruit and Strawberry Dragonfruit flavors.
How To Make It Vegan
All Refreshers are vegan if ordered straight from the menu.
9. Blue Raspberry Coolatta
Nutrition: 350 calories, 83g sugar, 0mg caffeine
The Blue Raspberry Coolatta is like a fruity, plant-based milkshake. It’s bright blue and has an utterly refreshing raspberry tang. The Strawberry Coolatta is also vegan, but the Vanilla Coolatta is made with milk.
None of the other frozen beverages (including coffee and chocolate) are vegan, and plant-based alternatives aren’t on offer.
How To Make It Vegan
The Blue Raspberry Coollatta is vegan if ordered straight from the menu.
10. Matcha Latte With Almond Milk
Nutrition: 180 calories, 32g sugar, 0mg caffeine
The name “latte” indicates that you’re ordering a milky beverage. Dunkin’ gives you the option of almond milk at all its outlets. This creamy, delicious green tea-based latte is an excellent alternative to coffee on a chilly day.
How To Make It Vegan
Order a Matcha Latte with almond milk instead of dairy milk.
11. Coconut Macchiato
Nutrition: 30 calories, 0g sugar, 284mg caffeine
If you want a creamy coffee but find a latte too milky, go for a Macchiato: you’ll get two espresso shots poured over foamed milk. Apart from being dairy-free, coconut milk is also low-calorie.
How To Make It Vegan
- Order a Macchiato with coconut milk and a Coconut syrup flavor shot.
- For a Hazelnut Macchiato, order a Macchiato with almond milk and a Toasted Almond flavor shot.
12. Blueberry And Vanilla Ice Cream Latte With Oat Milk
Nutrition: 130 calories, 5g sugar, 166mg caffeine
The “secret” menu at any coffee chain doesn’t actually exist (spoiler). Instead, you need to order exactly what you want. And what you want here is an iced oat milk latte mixed with the ice cream tastes of blueberry and French vanilla. This concoction tastes like a milkshake without dairy or heavy creaminess.
How To Make It Vegan
- Order an Iced Latte with oat milk, one blueberry flavor shot, and one French Vanilla flavor shot.
- Another secret menu item is the Coco-Berry Ice Cream Latte. Order an Iced Latte with coconut milk, two Blueberry flavor shots, and one Coconut flavor shot.
13. Chai Latte With Almond Milk
Nutrition: 220 calories, 41g sugar, 105mg caffeine
The fragrant spices of cinnamon and cardamom are perfect for a cold winter’s morning, with the rich, creamy latte warming you from the inside. It even has a subtle caffeine boost to wake you up. Unlike other coffee shops, Dunkin’ makes Chai Latte using chai tea syrup, not milk-based powder.
How To Make It Vegan
Order a Chai Latte with almond milk.
14. Upside Down Iced Caramel Macchiato With Almond Milk
Nutrition: 60 calories, 0g sugar, 284mg caffeine
This favorite from the secret menu turns the usual Macchiato layers upside down, starting with the coffee. You get a drizzle of caramel, two espresso shots, milk, and milk foam. Top it with vanilla syrup for extra sweetness.
How To Make It Vegan
Order an upside-down Macchiato with almond milk, a Caramel flavor shot, and French Vanilla syrup drizzle.
15. Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cappucino With Oat Milk
Nutrition: 60 calories, 0g sugar, 166mg caffeine
Although you can have your Cappucino with almond or coconut milk, the oat milk version is delicious. Pair it with a Brown Sugar Cinnamon shot (available at select stores) for the ultimate winter beverage.
How To Make It Vegan
Order a Cappucino with oat milk and a Brown Sugar Cinnamon flavor shot.
Ordering Vegan Drinks At Dunkin’ Donuts
The baristas at Dunkin’ are trained to offer and prepare all café beverages without dairy, so it’s easy to order as a vegan. Choose your drink iced or hot, with or without a flavor shot.
Note that vegans are penalized as you must pay to swap the dairy for plant milk.
Drinks Without Any Kind Of Milk
Most vegans would go to Dunkin’ for the coffee, not the donuts, as the safest options at Dunkin’ are the café drinks that come without milk. Order hot or cold espresso, Americano, coffee, and tea without any concerns.
Avoid drinks with “latte” or “au lait” in their name, as they will contain dairy. Macchiato and Cappucino coffees also contain milk.
Vegans should avoid all chocolate beverages, whether hot, iced, or frozen, as they are made with milk powder. Additions of whipped cream mean dairy cream, so don’t order that, either.
Dunkin’ Refreshers
The Dunkin’ Refreshers are all vegan, including the regular flavors, the coconut milk version, and the lemonade:
- the Mango Pineapple Dunkin’ Refresher, the Coconut Refresher, and Lemonade Refresher
- the Peach Passionfruit Dunkin’ Refresher, Coconut Refresher, and Lemonade Dunkin’ Refresher
- the Strawberry Dragonfruit Dunkin’ Refresher, the Coconut Refresher, and the Lemonade Refresher.
Dunkin’ Energy Punch
All Dunkin’ Energy Punch (powered by Rockstar) drinks are vegan, although they’re only available at certain outlets. The following flavors are available:
- Blue Raspberry
- Electric Razz
- Pina Colada
- Pineapple
- Strawberry
- Tropical Blue.
Plant-Based Milk Options
Dunkin’ was ground-breaking in offering almond milk as an option from 2014. By 2019, oat milk was added. Dunkin’ now gives you the option of almond, coconut, or oat milk to replace the dairy milk in their hot and iced coffees and teas. Oat milk is best for milk froth if you enjoy lattes and cappuccinos.
Dairy-free whipped cream and cold foam are not available as toppings.
You cannot choose plant milk in frozen or chocolate beverages, so avoid these.
Vegan Flavor Shots
Pump up your coffee’s flavor by adding a sugar-free, dairy-free flavor shot. Vegan options include:
- Blueberry
- Caramel (Caramel Chocolate is a limited-edition flavor.)
- Coconut
- French Vanilla
- Hazelnut
- Raspberry
- Toasted Almond.
Vegan Swirls
Only the Mocha Swirl is vegan. The seasonal flavors (e.g., Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread) are also flavor swirls. All contain dairy except for Peppermint Mocha and Brownie Batter.
Take care when ordering the Vanilla, Caramel, and Hazelnut flavor shots, as you want the dairy-free syrups, not the swirls.
Vegan Food Menu Options
Dunkin’ has a limited menu of vegan food items, particularly now that the Beyond Meat Plant-based sausages and Hummus Toast are no longer available. Your only options are tasty breakfast carbs and avocado spread.
If you follow a plant-based diet because of allergies, take care as the kitchen uses dairy, meat, and eggs, and cross-contamination can occur. Warn the server of your allergies, but note that Dunkin’ does not have separate food prep facilities.
When ordering vegan options, highlight that you don’t want anything with butter, cheese, cream, eggs, honey, meat, and milk, as many Dunkin’ items contain these ingredients.
Vegan Breakfast Options
If you need a morning snack with your coffee, there are some yummy options – so long as you are not allergic or intolerant to gluten.
Hash Browns
Hashbrowns are entirely plant-based, so you can order hot, crunchy potato patties to start your day. This snack is the only vegan and gluten-free breakfast.
Sourdough Bread
Order a slice or two of Dunkin’s rustic sourdough loaf, plain or toasted, with no butter. Some Dunkin’ outlets serve Avocado Toast or Avocado and Roasted Tomato Toast, which are excellent vegan breakfasts.
English Muffin
Another tasty morning treat is the English muffin. Again, order it with avocado, as Dunkin’ does not stock plant-based butter or cream cheese.
Dunkin’s regular muffins are not vegan, however.
Bagels
Vegans are spoiled for choice with Dunkin’s array of bagels: choose the plain, everything, or sesame bagels with avocado instead of cream cheese or butter. The cinnamon raisin bagels are a delicious option if you’ve got a sweet tooth.
The multigrain bagels are not vegan because they contain honey, and the stuffed bagel minis contain dairy.
Oatmeal
Some Dunkin’ outlets offer Quaker Multigrain Oatmeal Cups, which are sweet and hearty, filled with dried fruit and brown sugar. It can be made with hot water or plant-based milk to keep it vegan.
Vegan Donut Options
None of Dunkin’s donuts or munchkins are vegan as they contain dairy and eggs.
However, Dunkin’ is exploring vegan donut options, with the first test donuts released in Europe. At Dunkin’ stores in Belgium, you can choose from 41 different vegan donut flavors (including traditional glazed, choc chip, raspberry, and Cookie Monster).
Dunkin’ Donuts Vegan Drinks FAQs
Conclusion
While their vegan options are somewhat limited, Dunkin’ does offer several coffees, teas, and iced beverages that vegans can enjoy. Plant-based milk is always available as an option. However, there are few vegan food items besides hashbrowns, sourdough bread, English muffins, and bagels. And vegans live in the hope of a plant-based Dunkin’ donut.
Resources
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/content/dam/dd/pdf/nutrition.pdf
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/menu/
https://news.dunkindonuts.com/blog/vegan-menu-dunkin