We Tried Nick DiGiovanni's New Dunkin' Iced Coffees, And Blueberry Donut Is The Winner

It's been a big year for Dunkin'. The donut chain's star-studded summertime ad campaign featuring Will Arnett and content creator Corporate Natalie — in affiliation with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon — continues to fan the flames of passion for loyal customers, and an onslaught of brand-new beverages (like caffeine-packed Sparkd' Energy drinks) now graces menus nationwide. But apparently, Dunkin' is just getting started.

On July 31, Dunkin' is unveiling a new lineup of iced coffees, all crafted under the watchful eye of TikTok star chef Nick DiGiovanni. Sold nationwide exclusively through the Dunkin' app, the aptly named Chef Nick Menu celebrates the flavors of summer in a way that only this coffee-and-donut giant can — with a touch of sweetness and a lot of flair.

I couldn't wait for the official release of these new limited-edition drinks. As an avid lover of all things iced coffee, ever eager to get a taste of what Dunkin's been brewing, I jumped at the opportunity to give these new concoctions a taste test ahead of the launch. Fully caffeinated and in excess of my daily sugar quota, I'm here to tell you everything you need to know about Dunkin's new Chef Nick Menu iced coffees. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by Dunkin'.

First things first: What exactly is on the Chef Nick Menu? While these offerings aren't groundbreaking, they do hit the spot when it comes to satisfying the craving for a sweet pick-me-up. The most unique new flavor is the Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee served with sweet cold foam, an homage to a classic Dunkin' pastry. This confectionary-inspired concoction features blueberry and dough flavors along with creamy foam, in an attempt to emulate the distinct flavor of a Dunkin' blueberry donut. 

Caramel lovers are in for a treat with not one, but two delightful new options that draw on the silky-smooth, sugary goodness of the golden-brown confection. The Caramel Coconut Cream Iced Coffee adds a tropical twist to a classic, while the Caramel Almondmilk Iced Coffee tempers the cloying nature of caramel with a pour of almond milk. Last but not least is the Mocha Vanilla Iced Coffee, the caffeinated equivalent of another summertime treat: a chocolate-vanilla swirl soft serve ice cream cone. 

Want to get your hands on all four iced coffee flavors from the new Chef Nick Menu? You'll need to download the Dunkin' app. While the sips are available nationwide, they're also mobile-order exclusives, meaning that you'll have to purchase these limited-edition iced coffees through the app to get your hands on them. Thanks to perks like Dunkin' rewards and the option to not have to speak to anyone until you've had your morning iced coffee, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

The specialty drinks on the all-new Chef Nick Menu are well-priced, especially when you consider the cost of an iced coffee at Starbucks or a small, local coffee shop these days. The most expensive of the newly introduced sips, the medium Dunkin' Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee, will run you $4.19 before tax. For reference, a medium Dunkin' Original Blend Iced Coffee costs $3.29, and a medium latte (which the blueberry-tinged drink arguably is), costs $4.89 before add-ons. So believe it or not, you might actually be saving money by trying out these new sips instead of trying to hack your way through the Dunkin' coffee menu. A medium Mocha Vanilla Iced Coffee or Caramel Coconut Cream Iced Coffee will set you back $3.29 before tax, while the Caramel Almondmilk Iced Coffee costs just $3.88 for a medium. If you're sitting on unused Dunkin' rewards, you can treat yourself to a new iced coffee for 500 points.

While there are certainly exceptions to every rule, Dunkin' isn't exactly known for its healthy choices. Flavor is king here, which comes through in the satisfying taste of these iced coffees — and left me nervous to check out the nutrition facts. The calories per serving size will appear in the app next to your order, but you'll have to scour Dunkin's nutrition pdf online to find the exact nutrition information for your drink. As of this writing, the chain only includes full nutrition info for the Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee. For the other three drinks, you'll have to do some creative math to approximate the contents of your iced coffee.

Using a medium-sized drink as a guide, the iced coffees range in caloric value from 190 calories for the Caramel Almondmilk Iced Coffee to 340 calories for the Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee — no surprises there. Where things get a little dicey for the health-conscious crowd is in the sugar content. A medium Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee packs a punch with a whopping 39 grams of sugar. For reference, the American Heart Association suggests limiting your sugar intake to 6% of your total daily calories — roughly 36 grams for men and 25 grams for women. The fat content isn't as high, with 9 grams of fat in a medium Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee. If you do plan to indulge, though, maybe stick with a small serving.

First up in my taste test of Dunkin's new Chef Nick Menu was the Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee with sweet cold foam. This is the drink I was most excited to try, and I barely made it through the front door before swigging it. Even without any background knowledge of the menu, I could've told you immediately that this coffee was designed to taste like a blueberry donut. In fact, the first words out of my mouth were, "This tastes exactly like a blueberry Munchkin." Suffice it to say, Dunkin' fans will want to get their hands on this iced coffee.

Now, this drink isn't exactly punching you in the face with blueberry flavor. The slightly artificial blueberry taste of the classic Dunkin' donut is definitely noticeable, but the drink is first and foremost an iced coffee — think a coffee-forward sip with undertones of blueberry and a lingering fruity taste on the tongue. 

The combination of the sweet cold foam and blueberry flavoring is well-balanced, triggering just enough nostalgia that your mind drifts back to the last time you stuffed a few blueberry Munchkins in your mouth. This drink was so good that my husband and I actually argued over who would get to finish it. Don't worry — our marriage survived, and we both found a new favorite Dunkin' order. 

Next up on the docket was the Caramel Coconut Cream Iced Coffee. The simple combination of Dunkin' iced coffee sweetened with caramel and coconut adds a refreshingly tropical twist that transcends typical caffeinated caramelly sips. This concoction reminded me of coconut flan, with its silky-smooth texture and a nice balance of flavors. Neither the caramel nor the coconut were too overpowering; instead, they harmonized beautifully, creating a drink that was both rich and refreshing. Let's just say that I am a fan.

A word of warning for those who aren't into coconut: This one might not be for you. While I found the flavors to be well-balanced, the coconut notes were definitely noticeable, and could be considered the more dominant of the two key tastes. Anyone who is not a coconut enthusiast might find the drink a bit overwhelming. 

However, for those who appreciate a tropical twist, the Caramel Coconut Cream Iced Coffee is a delightful surprise. It offers a perfect blend of creamy caramel and exotic coconut that transports your taste buds to a sun-drenched beach with every sip. 

As a self-described chocoholic, I was pretty excited to get my hands on this newcomer. The Mocha Vanilla Iced Coffee combines three ingredients that only bring out the best in each other. As any amateur baker (or "Great British Baking Show" fan) can tell you, coffee and chocolate make a great pairing — since chocolate helps cut through the bitterness of coffee — while vanilla brings out the sweetness in both. On paper, this concoction is a match made in culinary heaven.

In reality, the drink underdelivered on its promise. The first sip tasted watery, and upon inspection, this beverage needed a good stir to reincorporate the syrup that had sunk to the bottom of the cup. After a thorough mixing, the mocha flavor came through much stronger, though I didn't detect any vanilla notes. Could this have been intentional? Maybe, but if a drink has "mocha vanilla" in its name, you should be able to taste both flavors distinctly.

We can probably chalk this one up to first-day jitters on the part of the Dunkin' employee who prepared this novel offer. I give Dunkin' the benefit of the doubt that the crew will get the hang of pumping out these new drinks more consistently. While the first impression was lackluster, I'd be willing to give the Mocha Vanilla Iced Coffee another chance once the chain works out the kinks — though I might order it with an extra pump or two of mocha syrup. 

Last but not least, we have the Caramel Almondmilk Iced Coffee. As a lactose-sensitive girlie, I was very glad to see Dunkin' add an alternative milk offering to this limited-edition lineup. That being said, I went into this taste test a bit apprehensively, because coffee drinks with almond milk tend to lack the creaminess I crave in my iced coffee. This one surprised me in all of the best ways.

Upon the first sip, I noticed that the Caramel Almondmilk Iced Coffee also needed a strong swirl to reincorporate the caramel into the drink. About 15 seconds of vigorous mixing later, I tried this again, and was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely, sweet combination of caramel and coffee, with just enough almond milk to bring it all together. 

My preconceived expectations were soon put to rest, as the caramel syrup's creaminess seemed to offset the typically watery nature of almond milk, creating a delightfully luscious consistency. Even better, this drink was surprisingly sweet in a good way. As someone who likes a little sweetness without tipping over into sugary territory, I found that Dunkin's Caramel Almondmilk Iced Coffee hit the spot, like the Goldilocks of cold caffeinated drinks — not too sweet, not too rich, but just right.

It's clear that a fair amount of trial and error went into the making of these new app-exclusive iced coffees, and the results speak for themselves. While the Mocha Vanilla Iced Coffee underdelivered, I'm hopeful that a recipe tweak or two can bring this offering up to match the quality of its menu mates. The Caramel Coconut Cream and Caramel Almondmilk options both managed to satisfy my sweet tooth — but the Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee frankly blew me away. 

I don't know what I was expecting from a coffee that promised to deliver blueberry flavor, but I was pleasantly surprised with the mouthwatering results. Despite its "donut" moniker, the blend isn't overly sweet, but rather tastes like a coffee-forward sip made for blueberry donut lovers. 

For me, the best part about Dunkin's new Chef Nick Menu iced coffees is that they all deliver well-balanced flavors without being sugar bombs. Caramel lovers are in for a refreshing summer with this new menu, though I'd highly suggest branching out and giving the Blueberry Donut Iced Coffee a try. After all, if anyone can succeed at making coffee taste like a beloved pastry, it's gotta be Dunkin'.