Dunkin' Vs Starbucks: Who Makes The Better Peppermint Mocha?

An invigorating sip of a peppermint mocha signals that the holidays are creeping up and that the end of the year is near. Much like how the pumpkin spice latte signals the start of autumn, the peppermint mocha feels like winter and conjures festiveness with each sip. It tastes comforting and nostalgic, but more complex compared to other sweet drinks. Dunkin' and Starbucks, two popular coffee companies, each have a spin on the beverage that allows customers to indulge in a minty fresh sip. But how do they hold up against each other?

When I tested Starbucks and Dunkin' on who makes the better macchiato, I found that both were pretty lackluster; Dunkin' ultimately took the lead because of its strength. I wanted to see how the two brands would fare with the seasonal peppermint mocha next.

In order to decide which brand wins this holiday drink showdown, I considered the price, availability, and nutrition facts of both Starbucks' and Dunkin's hot and iced peppermint mochas. Then, I based my decision on factors like taste, temperature, and appearance. Cheers! 

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on location. 

Let's set some ground rules on what a peppermint mocha is. The beverage generally includes milk, peppermint, chocolate (or cocoa powder with sugar), and espresso or coffee. There's some variation depending on where you buy or how you make it, so you may find recipes that use alternative milks or different ingredient ratios. 

Ultimately, the drink should be chocolatey and minty with a hint of coffee. It can be made hot or iced, so it's an adaptable choice for different weather conditions or sipping preferences.

Dunkin' has over 13,000 locations worldwide while Starbucks has over 38,000, so you may be more likely to find the latter in your neighborhood. Plus, Dunkin' is not available in all U.S. states. Luckily, I was able to find two locations near my home in the San Diego area. I ordered the hot and cold peppermint mochas on each brand's designated app to streamline the process. Ordering was simple, as I selected the medium size (or "grande" at Starbucks) with no modifications. All drinks were readily available with no issues. 

I wanted to try each drink exactly as it came without changing anything. I already had the apps downloaded and my information added, but if you don't have everything already set up, it may take a few extra minutes before you can have a seasonal beverage at your fingertips. All four drinks were easy to locate via the search function on each app. You could also order in-store or in the drive-through. 

Dunkin's iced peppermint mocha signature latte was priced at $5.49, while the hot was slightly less expensive at $4.99. The Starbucks iced peppermint mocha was $6.75, and the hot version was $6.45. These are the standard base prices; adding a plant-based milk, extra syrup, or another shot may change them.

According to the app, this drink is made with peppermint mocha, whole milk, peppermint mocha swirl, whipped cream, a mocha drizzle, and a hot chocolate powder topping. The medium peppermint iced mocha signature latte with whole milk has 420 calories, 14 grams of fat, 200 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 56 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein and comes in a whopping 24-ounce cup. While you may think that you get a lot of coffee based on the cup size, most of this beverage is made of ice and whipped cream. Because of the ice, it came very well-chilled, but got watered down as time wore on. If you're someone who chugs your coffee drinks, then this won't be an issue. But if you take your time, this beverage will ultimately taste like watery milk. Since the drink was so frigid, it was refreshing and complete with cooling peppermint notes.

I was pretty surprised that the flavor wasn't very coffee-y, given that the Dunkin' macchiato that I sampled in the past was quite strong. As you can see, the color of the peppermint mocha is very light. It was super milky with a hint of chocolate and peppermint. Neither was particularly prominent, and it left me feeling like I had ordered an iced latte with just the essence of peppermint mocha. The price is all right, given its size. Plus, the seasonal cup is jolly and fun.

This drink comes with the same fixings as the iced one, but it's made hot. It is 14 ounces and the only nutritional difference between it and the iced version is that it contains 10 milligrams less sodium. When I opened the cup to take a gander, it looked like someone had already taken a few sips. Maybe this is because the whipped cream melted into the drink, but it still seems like there's a lot of blank space. The mocha wasn't too hot and tasted similar to the iced one — milky and not too potent in terms of coffee, cocoa, or peppermint. This could be a solid choice if you don't want an overbearing mintiness to your drink, but still want to enjoy the rich combo of chocolate and mint. The hot version seems more in-line with the wintery craving for a cozy beverage.

You could probably combat the decadent milkiness by using a lighter milk, like skim, instead of the standard whole milk. The price seems competitive with other specialty San Diego coffees in the area. The bold pink cup with festive donut ornaments felt happy and fun in comparison to the standard white cup with orange text. This alone could be a selling point when you're seeking cheery drinks and packaging. 

The iced grande peppermint mocha from Starbucks comes with 2% milk, four pumps of mocha sauce, four pumps of peppermint syrup, two shots of espresso, whipped cream, and a chocolate curl topping. The beverage has 420 calories, 17 grams of fat, 90 milligrams of sodium, 57 grams of carbohydrates, 49 grams of sugar, 9 grams of protein, and 175 milligrams of caffeine.

The Starbucks iced mocha is considerably darker compared to Dunkin's chilled iteration of the beverage. Starbucks' drink was much stronger in terms of mocha and peppermint, too. The chocolate and mint come to the forefront, while the coffee and milk come in second. The little chocolate curls are tasty and offer a pop of crunch when you bite into them. As you finish the drink, they sink to the bottom so you can slurp them up with the straw, which serves as a second dessert. 

There was not nearly as much ice in the Starbucks iced mocha as in the Dunkin' one. This makes sense, considering Dunkin's cup was far colder. The cup itself is festive, but it's not as jovial as the Dunkin' one.

The $6.75 price tag is the highest out of all the drinks I tried. This price makes this drink less approachable; it's better suited as an indulgence or a special treat rather than something to purchase regularly. Though, if you like a strong peppermint taste, then this drink is a top contender. 

The hot peppermint mocha has the same components as the iced beverage, but it comes with steamed milk and milk foam. This drink was noticeably hotter than the Dunkin' beverage, and again, had a more prominent mint and chocolate taste. The hot peppermint mocha was just as dark as the brand's iced version.

I didn't notice the dark chocolate curls in this drink, as they likely melted over time. When I went to reheat this beverage in a mug the next day, I found that there was a pile of chocolate at the bottom. It was bittersweet, which led me to believe much of the beverage's sweetness came from the peppermint syrup. In comparison, the Dunkin' hot mocha had a minimal amount of chocolate at the bottom on the next day. I also found that the Starbucks mocha sauce, despite containing sugar, isn't super sweet; the cocoa balances it out). 

As a whole, the drink is sugary, but it reaches equilibrium between the cocoa and milk. The vibrant red cup has pink and green round ornaments and a drink sleeve that reads "merrier together." The price is less than the iced one but higher than either Dunkin' drinks. Starbucks' hot peppermint mocha also has slightly more calories, more sodium, and more sugar than the iced version of the drink.

Well, Starbucks won this match all around. Both the hot and iced peppermint mochas were superior in flavor and stronger in taste, which is the whole reason someone would want to order one of these beverages in the first place. When I savor a peppermint mocha, I want both of its namesake qualities to shine through. Dunkin' was lacking in both peppermint and mocha flavor. Meanwhile, Starbucks was considerably more minty and chocolatey. It's evident that Dunkin' was very milk-forward, based on the color of the drinks alone. Neither, however, had a prominent coffee flavor.

If you want something cold and creamy with hints of mint, the iced peppermint mocha from Dunkin' will likely hit the spot. If you want a strong drink, then opt for either Starbucks iteration. I'm a fan of hot drinks and I sip on them year-round, so overall, I'd mark the hot Starbucks peppermint mocha as the winner. The biggest downside is the price of Starbucks. As much as I love seasonal winter drinks, the price would limit me from purchasing the Starbucks peppermint mocha too often. All of the drinks are also very high in sugar, which means I wouldn't sip on them too often either. Though, I'd still grab a hot Starbucks peppermint mocha once or twice during the season as a happy pick-me-up.