Many Dunkin’ fans frequent the popular chain not just for a sugar boost from its delicious donuts, but also for a caffeine boost – whether it’s the go-to morning cup of coffee or a much-needed afternoon pick-me-up.
If you’re looking for the beverages that will give you the most buzz, there are a handful of coffees, teas, and other drinks on the Dunkin’ menu with high caffeine levels to get the job done.
We’re rounding up all the highest-caffeine drinks at Dunkin’, so you know what to reach for when you need that boost.
Drinks at Dunkin’ with the most caffeine
What exactly is considered high-caffeine? We’re qualifying a high caffeine content as any drink that contains 100 mg of caffeine or more for a medium size cup. This is based on the fact that the daily amount of caffeine that’s generally considered to be safe for adults is around 400 mg, which adds up to three or four standard 8-ounce cups of coffee.
The general rule of thumb when it comes to caffeinated drinks is that the more concentrated the beverage is with coffee or espresso (or in other words, the less diluted the beverage), the higher its caffeine content will be. That means that a drink like an Americano, which is purely composed of espresso and water, will contain more caffeine than a drink like a latte, which is diluted with a large amount of milk.
So what’s the most highly caffeinated beverage on the Dunkin’ menu? The Frozen Coffee takes the cake, clocking in at 295 mg of caffeine for a medium cup size. Other high-caffeine contenders include Iced Coffee, Americanos, Macchiatos, and Cold Brew.
While black brewed coffee is often higher in caffeine than crafted drinks, that’s not the case at Dunkin’. Their Original Blend Coffee is still at the higher end of the list, but it contains around 210 mg of caffeine for a medium cup (for context, a medium roast brewed coffee at Starbucks in the same size contains 310 mg).
It’s helpful to keep in mind first that the caffeine amounts are approximate values based on standard brewing procedures, and also that several things can affect the caffeine content of a drink. Obviously, with most drinks, as you increase the size the amount of caffeine tends to increase as well.
But aside from size choice, adding either milk or sweeteners like flavor shots to your drink at Dunkin’ can affect its caffeine levels. For example, a coffee with milk in it will have slightly less caffeine than a black coffee. And adding a shot of flavored syrup to your crafted drink at Dunkin’ will also slightly decrease the amount of caffeine, since in most cases you’re adding a bit more dilution.
Speaking of flavor shots and flavor swirls at Dunkin’, there’s one thing to note about those: the Mocha Swirl flavor swirl does include some caffeine – so it will decrease the caffeine content less than the other flavors. In most cases the effect will be minimal, but if you flavor your Frozen Coffee with Mocha Swirl, the caffeine amount will significantly jump from 295 mg to 324 mg.
Below is the full list of the highest-caffeine drinks at Dunkin’ – everything on the menu with over 100 mg of caffeine.
Hot Drinks | Caffeine Amount [Medium Size] |
Americano | 284 mg |
Macchiato | 284 mg |
Original Blend Coffee | 210 mg |
Latte | 166 mg |
Cappuccino | 166 mg |
Dunkin’ Midnight Coffee | 164 mg |
Hot Chocolate (Espresso) | 131 mg |
Espresso (Single) | 118 mg |
Chai Latte | 105 mg |
Cold Drinks | Caffeine Amount [Medium Size] |
Frozen Coffee | 295 mg |
Iced Coffee | 294 mg |
Iced Americano | 284 mg |
Iced Macchiato | 284 mg |
Cold Brew | 260 mg |
Cold Brew with Cream | 234 mg |
Iced Latte | 166 mg |
Iced Cappuccino | 166 mg |
Spark’d Energy Drink | 144 mg |
Iced Chai Latte | 105 mg |
The beverage on the current Dunkin’ menu with the highest amount of caffeine is the Frozen Coffee beverage, which is made with blended milk, sugar, and Dunkin’s Coffee Swirl syrup. This drink contains 196 mg in a size small, 295 mg in a size medium, and 393 mg in a size large. The drink will contain even more caffeine if it’s flavored with the Mocha Swirl syrup.
When it comes to the brewed coffee available at each coffee chain, Starbucks brewed coffee overall contains more caffeine than Dunkin’ brewed coffee. Depending on the roast, Starbucks coffee has anywhere from 260 mg – 360 mg of caffeine for a grande size, while Dunkin’ brewed coffee has anywhere from 164 mg – 210 mg of caffeine for a medium size.
The Spark’d Energy beverages at Dunkin’, in any flavor available, contain the following amount of caffeine per cup size: 96 mg in a size small, 144 mg in a size medium, and 192 mg in a size large.
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