The Absolute Best Drinks For Summer At Dunkin' Ranked

Summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means: It's time to start switching up our coffee orders. Although some of us are iced coffee drinkers all year round, others prefer to do things the more traditional way. In the coldest months of the year, we're only sipping on our favorite hot beverages to warm us up. But by the time the sun comes out and the weather gets warmer, we're ready to trade our steaming hot lattes for something slightly more weather appropriate.

Luckily, if you get your drinks at Dunkin', you have plenty of options at your disposal when it comes to summertime drinks. From the most basic Dunkin' iced coffees and teas to some creative and unexpected choices, you won't be lacking for drool-worthy drinks. The only problem is that not every iced or frozen option on the menu is particularly good. Although some of them are fantastic, others fall flat.

You don't want to leave only to find that you've ordered the wrong drink and be forced to sip on it all day when you really wish you had something else. Therefore, we've done some very scientific research to taste-test a variety of summer Dunkin' drinks to help you decide what to order the next time you're there. It was hard work, but you can thank us later.

The Mango Pineapple Refresher was introduced to the Dunkin' drinks menu in 2022. Unfortunately, it's really, really not good. We were actually shocked upon first sip because it tastes that unfortunate. First of all, we're not sure where they're getting the "mango" descriptor from. This stuff does not taste like mango in the slightest. There's some sweetness there (actually, there's way too much sweetness but that seems to be common with Dunkin' drinks) but none of the tropical flavor you might expect from a drink that's literally based on a tropical fruit. There's also a bitter note to this refresher that ensures that it cannot possibly go down easily.

One positive about this drink is the color. It looks appetizing, and we love the bright orange hue for the summer months. But at the end of the day, a good drink is all about taste. The Mango Pineapple Refresher simply cannot deliver. After a few sips, we ended up pouring the rest down the drain. We suffered through the experience for you, dear reader, so you don't have to sip this drink for yourself.

Another Refresher we just can't get behind is the Strawberry Dragonfruit Coconut Refresher. This one gets higher marks than the Mango Pineapple mostly because of its appearance. The light purple due is undeniably pretty, so if you're just looking for a summer Dunkin' drink that's Instagrammable, then it might be for you. On the other hand, if you're trying to order a drink that actually tastes good, we probably wouldn't recommend this summertime sipper.

The flavor is not good. It almost tasted like scented Chapstick and seems to have a powdery quality to it — probably not what you're looking for when you want something refreshing. In fact, if you've ever had Sweet Tarts, you may notice the same tinge of flavor to this drink. That tartness is definitely there, but it's almost entirely overpowered by the sugar. We really wanted to like this one because of the lovely color and the addition of coconut milk, but it just didn't do anything for us. We probably won't be ordering this again anytime soon.

Can you tell that we're not into the Refreshers from Dunkin'? They're trying hard to be refreshing, but most of them are far from it. However, if you're looking for something that's slightly better than the other two we've already covered, then you may want to check out the Peach Passion Refresher. This one isn't good by any means, but it's definitely a step up. The peach flavor in this drink is strong — perhaps too strong. However, if you're really, really craving peach, you might be into it, despite the fact that it tastes more like artificial peach than the real thing. But what were you expecting from a fast-food drink? 

It tastes like there's a lot of sugar in this one, but the tartness seems to help tone the sweetness down. We certainly wouldn't go out of our way to order this drink, especially during the hottest months of the year when we want something nice, light, and easy to drink. But we may not push it away immediately if someone else were to buy it for us. It's not even close our favorite on the Dunkin' menu, but you could definitely do worse.

When you're craving a frozen Dunkin' drink, there's a good chance that a Coolatta will catch your eye. After all, it just sounds refreshing, and the available flavors are appealing. We opted for the Blue Raspberry Coolatta, and although it's not something we would order often, we get the appeal of it. Basically, it tastes like every blue slushie you've gotten at a fair or festival. It exudes a feeling of summertime, so you can't help but smile when you take a sip.

Just how many sips you'll be able to take before getting tired of the flavor is another thing. As you'd probably expect, this Coolatta is very, very sweet. You're essentially signing up for a dessert, not a drink, when you make this your Dunkin' order. The flavor is also artificial, so while it might taste refreshing at first, it gets old after a while. We think this would be a fantastic drink for a kid, but once you reach a certain age and your tastes change, we doubt you're going to want to order this before work or after your lunch break. We would probably pass on ordering this again, even if we love the electric blue color.

You may assume that the Strawberry Dragonfruit Refresher would taste like its cousin with coconut. We didn't find that to be the case. In fact, this Refresher has a completely different flavor profile from the coconut milk version. And while this drink isn't particularly good, it's by far the best of the Refreshers flavors we tried. This pink drink has a strong strawberry note to it, which is probably exactly what you want if the name catches your eye. This drink also tastes slightly floral. Those strawberry flavors are there, but you should mostly expect the taste of Kool-Aid. Maybe Dunkin' was trying to catch up with Starbucks' Refreshers with this line, but even the best of these drinks doesn't even come close.

If you're looking for something closer to a tea than a coffee, but just can't stand the thought of a plain black tea, then this drink may not be too bad. Just be warned: It's more high on sugar than it is a healthy, fruit-based drink. Just something to keep in mind as when looking for Dunkin drinks to try!

The frozen coffee from Dunkin' was probably the drink we were most excited to try. We love the espresso Frappuccino from Starbucks and thought that this drink would be relatively similar. And while the texture isn't too far from its Starbucks cousin, we wouldn't say the flavor profile is all that similar. Although you can get sweetener added to the Starbucks version, the Dunkin' frozen coffee came kind of sweet even though we had ordered it plain. That sweetness wasn't unwelcome, but it was unexpected. Luckily, the additional bit of sugar wasn't overwhelming — but we probably would have liked it more without.

Was this the best frozen coffee drink I've ever had? No. But it's definitely not a bad one either. And there's something about a frozen coffee that's just so welcoming on a hot day. If we were at a Dunkin' when it's 90 degrees outside, there's a good chance that this is exactly what we're going to order. Just a warning: It melts very quickly, so don't wait too long before you start drinking. If you do, you're pretty much just getting a plain coffee.

Chai lattes are one of the greatest drinkable inventions the world has ever known. There's something comforting about this drink, so we were super excited to see an iced version on Dunkin's menu. Who wouldn't want to experience this cold weather favorite during the hottest months of the year?

First of all, the iced chai latte from Dunkin' looks really, really good. If you prefer your chai lattes on the milkier side, then there's a good chance you're going to love this one. Upon taking a sip, we realized just how heavily spiced this chai was. For those looking for a lot of flavor, this is perfect. However, we did find the intensity of flavor to be a little extreme if you're trying to go for something refreshing. It's not not refreshing, but sweetness and spice are generally what we're going for during the winter months.

This is the kind of drink that could give you a stomachache on a super hot day due to the amount of milk and sugar. If you decide to enjoy your beverage in the air conditioning, there's a good chance you'll fall in love with this chai latte — no heat required.

Matcha has gotten plenty of press in the last few years, and it's no wonder why. Though coffee can sometimes cause jitters or digestive upset, most people don't have the same reaction from matcha. The drink contains caffeine, but it tends to have a much less drastic effect than your average cup of joe. That's why we were so excited to see the frozen matcha latte on the menu at Dunkin'. A matcha is good enough, but when you freeze it? That really takes things to the next level. Although this drink didn't break the top three, we have to admit that it's really, really good — especially if you're looking for something that will give you plenty of energy.

The flavor of this drink is quite strong — there's no mistaking that this is a matcha drink from the very first sip. And while it is a latte, the dairy doesn't feel overwhelming. It's flavorful but not heavy. Our only real complaint about this drink is that it melts so fast. Once you take a sip, you'll probably like it so much that you'll finish it within a matter of minutes anyway.

It may seem boring to mention Dunkin's lemonade, but we have to admit that this is one of the best fast-food lemonades we've ever had. And what would a summer drink ranking be without the appearance of the most classic summertime drink of all time? We've found that a lot of fast-food lemonades tend to be sickly sweet, which really negates the refreshment factor. But you don't have to experience that let down when you get your lemonade from Dunkin'. The tart flavor takes center stage and makes you savor every sip.

We probably wouldn't go out of our way just to grab this lemonade. But if you're already going through the drive-thru and want to snag something for the scorching heat, we don't think you can go wrong with this classic sipper. Plus, kids and adults alike will enjoy this drink, so it's something you can share with the whole family. There's nothing wild going on here, and that's just how we like it for such a summertime staple.

You don't always need something out of the ordinary to fix your caffeine craving. Although you can get a ton of unique drinks from Dunkin' that you won't find anywhere else, sometimes, we just want something simple. That's where the iced tea comes into play. This easy, breezy drink is definitely going to be one of our go-to beverages for the summer. It's lighter on caffeine than a regular coffee, but don't let that deter you — they brew their tea very strong at Dunkin'. You're still going to get the burst of energy for a midday pick-me-up.

The flavor is great too. The black tea is uncomplicated and unfussy, but you can really pick up on the earthiness of the tea quite well. We love that you can order a large drink without feeling like you're overdoing it or drinking too much sugar. When making iced tea for yourself at home just feels like a chore, the iced tea at Dunkin' will get the job done and leave you ready to tackle your day ... without the jitters.

How could we not love the cold brew at Dunkin'? We could tell they pay attention to bean quality and flavor upon the first sip. This cold brew has a lovely natural sweetness to it that comes not from sugar but from the coffee itself. You're not left with that mouth-drying sweetness but rather just not overwhelmed by the bitterness of the coffee. Even if you usually add cream and sugar to your coffee, we suggest you try this one on its own at first. You may be surprised how much you like it even without anything else added to the mix.

We also appreciate that, while this coffee is undoubtedly strong, it's not so strong that you can only take a few sips. At some coffee chains, the cold brew tastes good, but by the third sip, the jitters start to come on. Luckily, we didn't have that experience with this cold brew at all. Sometimes, all you need is a simple drink that will get the job done right. That's exactly what this coffee from Dunkin' offers. It's undoubtedly one of the best Dunkin' drinks on the menu.

Last but not least, we have the iced macchiato from Dunkin'. If you are looking for the perfect cold drink to enjoy during the summer months, you may have just found it. They use plenty of milk for this drink, but don't assume that the dairy overshadows the coffee. The coffee they use for their macchiatos is incredibly strong, so once they mix it with a serving of milk, you're going to get the perfect mix for energy. The end result is quite creamy. You can also adjust this drink by deciding which kind of milk you opt for — we chose whole milk.

This isn't an over-the-top, ground-breaking drink, but that's just how we like it. It's delicious, dependable, and will give you just enough energy to get you through your day. It's the kind of thing we would drink when we wanted to power through the rest of the work day. If you're at Dunkin' during the summer, and you just can't figure out what to order, we couldn't suggest the iced macchiato enough.