The Dunkin' Coolatta Secret Menu Hack We Never Should Have Ordered

As far as Dunkin's Colattas go, your options are limited. But, those options multiply when you consider all of the ways you can mix and match them with the rest of the syrups and swirls that Dunkin' has to offer. From frozen chocolate-covered strawberry to Cinnamon Toast Crunch frozen coffee, and from cotton candy Coolattas to cookies and cream, your drink options get much more exciting when you peek into the secret side of the menu. Still, some options are better than others, with the Captain Crunch Coolatta being by far the worst. We wish we never ordered it in the first place.

Tasting Table taste testers tried and ranked 20 of the most popular Dunkin' secret menu drinks, and the Captain Crunch Coolatta was their greatest regret. While the drink does begin with a Strawberry Coolatta base — notably our favorite caffeine-free option from Dunkin' — the Captain Crunch Coolatta is ordered by adding shots of blueberry and raspberry syrup and cream. The combination makes sense in theory, recreating the milky and fruity flavors of a bowl of this nostalgic cereal, but not so much in execution. Our taste testers likened it more to the sensation of drinking a liquid Sour Patch Kid.

All in all, this drink was way too sour to provide any of the childhood nostalgia you might hope for. Our recommendation is to order it with less syrup, more cream, and added whipped cream — but, truthfully, you'd be better off ordering something else.

There are dozens of secret menu drinks to choose from, and virtually any of them will taste better than the Captain Crunch Coolatta. But, if you want something you know will be worth your while, the best place to start would be a similar secret menu drink that our taste testers ranked above it. While you can never go wrong with ordering a classic strawberry Coolatta, if you want to change it up, another one of our taste tester's favorite drinks from the secret menu was the Strawberry Cheesecake Coolatta. All you have to do is ask for a vanilla bean Coolatta with pumps of strawberry, toasted almond, and hazelnut. Surprisingly, it doesn't come out tasting overly sweet.

Ranked slightly behind the Strawberry Cheesecake Coolatta was our taste testers' next favorite similar secret menu drink: the Birthday Cake Coolatta. One positive about this drink is that it is one of the most simple to order, all you have to ask for is a vanilla bean Coolatta with a hazelnut swirl. The sweet, nutty combo admittedly doesn't come out tasting so much like birthday cake flavor — but it's still light and sweet, nonetheless, and it's made even better with a topping of whipped cream. If that's not up your alley, however, you could also try a Strawberry Shortcake Coolatta or a Cotton Candy Coolatta, both of which followed closely behind on our taste testers' ranking of Dunkin' secret menu drinks.