If your New Year's resolution involved ditching sugar and caffeine, you may want to keep scrolling. Or be an overachiever and abandon that goal well before National Quitters Day (Jan. 10, in case you're wondering). Dunkin' has dropped a slew of new menu items, including a collab with "Espresso" singer Sabrina Carpenter. So, which ones are worth trying? Read on for a full breakdown—including a no-holds-barred take on each.
Sorry, Lava Cake Latte—Dunkin's New Sabrina Carpenter Shakin' Espresso Is the MVP of Its New Menu
That's that me (brown sugar shakin') espresso
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Published Jan 3, 2025
Candace Davison
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1. Sabrina’s Brown Sugar Shakin’ Espresso
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I'll keep the background info on this Short N' Sweet: Roughly six months after it was tested at select stores in Vermont and Michigan, the Brown Sugar Shakin' Espresso hits Dunkin cafés nationwide—and with a very famous face behind it. Sabrina Carpenter continues her global takeover, partnering with the brand to officially introduce the drink to the masses. See for yourself:
Each iced espresso is infused with brown sugar and oat milk, then shaken with ice to create a creamier, frothier consistency. It's sure to draw comparisons to a similarly shaken brown sugar-espresso drink at a certain siren-logoed chain; this one is a smidge sweeter, with less of a cinnamon-y taste.
The Verdict: It's a smooth, very sippable drink that's well balanced. Some Dunkin' iced drinks have been a bit too milky or watered-down for my tastes—but then again, my go-to drink is unsweetened cold brew, the stronger, the better. This one has brown sugar-caramel notes, but the espresso still shines through. You get a little sweetness, but it never overpowers the drink. Hands down, it's the best drink I've had at Dunkin'.
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2. Lava Cake Signature Latte (Hot or Iced)
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One of the most iconic chain restaurant desserts of the early aughts is getting reimagined in latte—and coffee—form, and I was psyched to try it. The latte is available hot or iced, and it features a "lava cake swirl" before the whole thing is topped with whipped cream, hot chocolate powder and a mocha drizzle.
The Verdict: Unfortunately, this latte felt like it overpromised and underdelivered. It tasted like a regular latte with a few pumps of bitter mocha sauce at the bottom, which were sucked up immediately by the straw, leaving you with a milky latte three sips in. Be sure to stir this one before diving in.
3. Lava Cake Coffee
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If the latte feels too decadent for most mornings, consider the iced (or hot) coffee version. It skips the mocha-hot chocolate-powder-whipped-cream trifecta, creating a more understated—but still chocolatey—sip.
The Verdict: Ideal for coffee drinkers who want notes of cocoa, rather than a straight-up chocolate-y drink.
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4. Chocolate Whoopie Pie Specialty Donut
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Honestly, I'm surprised this hasn't hit the menu sooner. A chocolate cake donut is sliced in half, then filled with whipped, vanilla-flavored icing, mimicking the classic whoopie pie.
The Verdict: This donut was devoured before I could leave the parking lot, prompting requests from my six-year-old taste tester for another. (She deemed it the "best donut ever," unseating the chocolate frosted with sprinkles.) The donut has a similar soft crumb to the cakey pseudo-cookie, making it an excellent substitute, especially when paired with its fluffy, whipped cream-like icing.
These additions are now on menus nationwide, along with a $5 meal deal, which includes a medium hot or iced coffee and two Wake-Up Wraps (a tortilla filled with eggs and cheese, and your choice of bacon, sausage or turkey sausage). They're only available for a limited time, so if you want to ease into 2025 on a sweet note, you better hit up the drive-thru, stat.
