Dunkin' Has Removed Coconut Milk From Its Dairy Alternative Options

Dunkin' is sending the year off with a farewell to its lineup of Coconut Refreshers as it removes coconut milk from its menu. Coconut milk's time in the spotlight was short-lived at the iconic coffee and donuts chain, as it was introduced as recently as 2021. While the company didn't explicitly explain why they were removing coconut milk as an option, we can speculate that cost and demand played a primary role. The chain will continue to supply other dairy alternatives in the form of almond and oat milk, which are cheaper and more popular.

For fans of the Coconut Refreshers lineup, you're not completely out of luck: You can still purchase Refreshers like the Mango Pineapple or the Strawberry Dragonfruit with a green tea base. If you prefer the coconut milk version, you'll have until the end of the year to grab one before they're gone for good.

It's not all bad news. In the company's statement announcing the change, they said, "Although Dunkin' is indeed bidding farewell to coconut milk at locations nationwide in 2023, new and exciting beverage innovations are on the horizon in 2024 to provide guests with a growing variety of both coffee and non-coffee drinks to enjoy." And of course, you can never go wrong with one of their classic iced coffees. 

2024 will mark the tenth anniversary of Dunkin' introducing its first dairy alternative to its menu. Almond milk was the first option to arrive back in 2014 and continues to be their most popular plant-based milk available. Oat milk was introduced in 2020 and coconut milk arrived shortly after in 2021.

Soy milk is the only popular plant-based milk that Dunkin' hasn't yet tried. However, as the company continues to experiment and discover what its customers want, there's a very good chance that its non-dairy products will continue to take new forms. Coconut milk has seen a decline in popularity over the past few years, at least in the restaurant industry. If Dunkin' were going to branch out into new territory, soy milk seems like the most obvious choice. But as the plant-based milk industry continues to grow and innovate, we are seeing interesting choices like rice milk and pea milk pop up. We'll just have to wait and see what Dunkin's 2024 menu has in store for us.