What Is Coffee Milk At Dunkin', And What Can You Order It In?

Dunkin' Donuts announced its fall menu late August 2024, and along with a few recurring fall favorites like the chain's Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte, it also included something new. That something was the Dunkalatte, Dunkin's first take on Rhode Island's official state drink: coffee milk. Originating out of New England some time between the 1920s and 1930s (just before syrups became readily available), coffee milk is a classic concoction made from a mixture of sweet coffee syrup and milk. But, what exactly is coffee milk at Dunkin'?

According to Dunkin', its coffee milk is made with whole milk and the chain's very own coffee extract. Traditionally made with Autocrat or Eclipse coffee syrup, their recipe sounds pretty on par with the real deal. And when combined with rich espresso, as the Dunkalatte is, you get something between an iced latte and a milkshake that our taste testers don't want to see disappear off the Dunkin' menu. Some customers have been ordering Dunkin's Dunkalatte coffee milk as a substitute for the usual milk in their cold brews, drip coffees, and iced coffees, too, giving them an extra sweet coffee flavor with a thick milky feel.

The only catch is that the drink is quite sweet thanks to the coffee syrup, and it's one of the few things on the Dunkin' menu that can't be substituted with an alternative milk option. With that in mind, omit or reduce any additional flavor swirls or shots from your order, particularly if you're substituting it in another drink.

As much as people seem to be enjoying it, all good things must come to an end — including Dunkin's Dunkalatte. As a seasonal item for the fall, the coffee-milk style Dunkalatte isn't likely to be staying on the menu forever. So, it's probably not a bad idea to prepare yourself by learning to make coffee milk at home. Seeing as its only made from two things, coffee syrup and milk, your grocery list won't be long.  

Autocrat and Eclipse coffee syrups can both can be found pretty easily at stores and online at Walmart or Amazon, and are sold at similar price ranges. The milk you choose should be as creamy as possible for the best results, so you're either going to want to grab a jug of full-fat dairy milk or choose something similar. As far as alternative milks go, a barista edition oat milk will be your best bet. 

Recipes tend to follow a ratio of half a cup of coffee syrup for every 4 cups of milk, but the beauty of making it yourself is that you can put more or less syrup depending on your taste preference. Of course, you could experiment by combining it with other flavors like pumpkin spice, mocha, or hazelnut. And to make it more like the actual Dunkalatte, don't forget to add a shot of espresso to the syrup and milk mix, too.