I’m a Registered Dietitian whose most favorite stop in the morning is for coffee and because of my profession, I know how to select the healthiest Dunkin Donuts drinks without it packing on the pounds.
I’m going to walk you through the tactics I use for ordering to help you recognize how your morning drink may actually be setting you back several paces in your weight loss journey.
These tactics can be applied to your coffee ordering anywhere, but I want to specifically go over some examples of the healthiest drinks available in 2023 at Dunkin’ Donuts.
What Makes a Dunkin’ Donuts Drink Unhealthy?
As a Dietitian, my first go-to in research is to find the nutrition database for any establishment I’m looking into.
Well did you know that Dunkin Donuts’ latest Nutrition Guide, which was last updated on 12-15-2022, is 52 pages long?!
And that doesn’t even scratch the surface of the almost endless number of combinations one could make when placing a drink order; sizes, milks, sugars, additions, modifiers, etc. It would be impossible to analyze every single option.
Coffee itself, with nothing in it, is virtually calorie-free. Same for espresso and tea. This is because they are mostly water that has had the flavor extracted through the steeping of tea leaves or coffee beans.
So we’re going to boil it down to the general categories of additions that will impact the nutritional value of your drink; milk, sugar, and size.
Milk
The dairy in your morning cup of joe is probably one of the sneakiest ways that calories are added in your drink.
Currently the following options are available at Dunkin Donuts in 2023: coconut milk, oat milk, whole milk, skim milk, almond milk and cream. Of course, options may vary by location and inventory.
I’ve provided a quick nutrition description of each milk below as well as how many calories are in 3 Tbsp and one cup of each.
Coconut Milk
This unique milk alternative may offer some extra vitamins and minerals but it is fairly loaded with saturated fats. With 102 calories in 3 Tbsp of coconut milk (544 calories in one cup), it is most definitely not a low calorie option.
Oat Milk
Another milk alternative but one that is not tipping the calorie scales, oat milk contains about 25 calories in 3 Tbsp (133 calories in one cup).
A drawback however is that oat milk has a very thin viscosity. This would prevent your drink from having that rich creamy mouthfeel that we all know and love.
Whole Milk
Dunkin Donuts’ default option for their specialty beverages such as lattes, cappuccinos, and frozen drinks is whole milk. It’s because whole milk’s full-fat content makes your drink taste so delicious with that velvety smooth mouthfeel.
However, it’s not shy of calories especially because more milk is needed to make these specialty drinks and not just an added splash like in regular drip coffee.
One cup of whole milk contains about 150 calories (28 calories in 3 Tbsp). Depending on the type and size of the drink you may even be multiplying that number.
Skim Milk
Skim milk is notorious for being healthy but not popular. One cup of skim milk contains only 90 calories (17 calories in 3 Tbsp). Most of these calories are from protein and carbohydrates, not fat.
However, it’s because of this extremely low fat content that skim milk practically has the viscosity of water. Making specialty coffee drinks seem less rich.
Almond Milk
A milk made by straining the mixture of blended almonds and water, has gained popularity in recent years. It has only 60 calories in one cup (11 calories in 3 Tbsp) and is ever so slightly thicker than skim milk.
A reason that it’s low in calories is because it is also low in protein. So while it may be a low calorie option, it’s not exactly a nutrient-dense alternative.
Cream
Dunkin’ Donuts uses a “light cream” which contains about 18-20% milk fat. This equates to about 87 calories in 3 Tbsp (464 in one cup). It provides a rich and thick mouthfeel, allowing for your coffee to have a deeper feel.
Cream is by far the most popular dairy option at Dunkin’ Donuts.
So all in all, the healthiest milk option at Dunkin’ Donuts would be skim milk. It’s low in calories but is also nutrient-dense with protein, vitamin D, and calcium.
Sugar
It should be no surprise that sugar is one of the main contributors to excess calories in your morning coffee drink.
Sugar Substitutes
Dunkin’ Donuts wouldn’t be a coffee shop without your typical sugar options for the non-fancy-just-give-me-my-coffee folks.
You can get the following sweeteners added to any drink you order at Dunkin; sugar, Equal, Splenda, Sweet ’N Low, and Stevia in the Raw.
Flavor Shot
It’s worth noting that Dunkin Donuts does give you the option to add flavor without sugar, known as Flavor Shots.
A Flavor Shot is only about 5-10 calories, is sugar-free, and non-dairy. These make great options if you don’t need the sweet but just the flavor to make your drink great.
Flavor Swirls
With the same classic flavors as the shots, Flavor Swirls is Dunkin’s sweetened flavor options.
Flavor Swirl varieties change pretty regularly throughout the year based on the seasons, but their classic flavors are caramel, french vanilla, hazelnut, and mocha.
One Flavor Swirl adds 150-160 additional calories. Dunkin Donuts also already has a default number of pumps based on the size of your drink:
So say for example you order a large coffee with french vanilla swirl, you have automatically added about 640 calories to your drink. And that’s before you add anything else, like cream.
As you can see this is where the damage is done. This is where those calories really do stack up real quick. And hopefully you are now able to see why size matters so much.
Size
The size of your drink will of course determine the nutritional value and calorie level based on your additions for that size.
Because again, you could order an extra-large black coffee and it will practically be calorie-free still. But if you are like me, and black coffee just isn’t your thing, you may need to reconsider the size of your drink.
As each size goes up, so will the calorie level (drastically) because you’ll be adding more dairy and/or sugar to the corresponding volume.
So let’s look at the chart again but this time I’ve added a column that includes how many calories each size would be with the default amount of pumps.
If you were to order an Extra Large Iced Coffee, with the default 5 pumps of Flavor Swirl plus however much cream you want…you are almost at half the recommended 2,000 calorie diet.
Let me repeat that, you have already consumed half of your allotted calories for the entire day in one single drink.
Size matters. As a Dietitian, I tell all my patients that moderation is key. Do not completely restrict your eating habits because that’s not practical or sustainable.
Instead, plan your indulgences. Plan to order a medium iced coffee next time and you’ve already cut the calories in half.
Perhaps working your way down to a small, and congratulations you’ve done it! You still get to have your coffee treat without feeling restricted but are keeping the added calories to a minimum.
Low Calorie Dunkin’ Donuts Drinks in 2023
As you can probably guess by now, the lowest calorie Dunkin’ Donuts drinks in 2023 are going to be ones that have the least amount of added sugar and milk.
Remember that plain coffee, tea, and expresso are virtually calorie free (containing a whopping 1-3 calories per 8oz). Listed below are some of the lowest calorie and best sugar-free drinks at Dunkin’.
Healthiest Dunkin’ Donuts Drinks in 2023
- Black Coffee
- Black Tea
- Cappuccino with Skim Milk
- Latte with Almond Milk
- Americano
- Expresso
- Macchiato with Oat Milk
The healthiest iced coffee drink at Dunkin’ is still any of the above, the only difference being they are poured over ice.
All in all, this is my Dietitian advice; order a small of whatever drink you want, choose skim milk for the dairy, and a Flavor Shot instead of a Swirl.
This is what will keep the calories to a bare minimum while still providing you your coffee indulgence.
However, if you have a sweet tooth and are looking for the most sweet low calorie Dunkin’ Donuts drink – I suggest using almond milk as your dairy.
This is because Dunkin’ Donuts uses sweetened almond milk, so you’ll still get that delicious kick of sweetness without any guilt.
Conclusion
The healthiest Dunkin’ Donuts drinks are going to have the least amount of added dairy or sugar, and therefore calories, such as:
- Black Coffee
- Black Tea
- Cappuccino with Skim Milk
- Latte with Almond Milk
- Americano
- Expresso
- Macchiato with Oat Milk
Even in a size medium, all of the drinks listed above are 100 calories or less at Dunkin’ Donuts.
Remember that at Dunkin’, Flavor Shots are healthier than Flavor Swirls because there is no added sugar. Also that skim milk would be the best dairy as it is low in calories but still nutrient-packed.
However, if you need that little sugary boost, I suggest pairing a Flavor Shot with almond milk as your dairy. The almond milk is already presweetened, so you’ll get the sweetness without the extra calories.
Making this Registered Dietitian’s order for my most favorite and healthiest Dunkin’ Donuts drink a Small Americano with Almond Milk and French Vanilla Flavor Shot!
At the end of the day though (or should I say morning?) just remember that moderation is key. So if you want cream or sugar in your coffee, by all means order it. Just try to remember moderation.
If you are somebody who is use to loading up on cream and sugar, try working on slowly decreasing these additions and developing a taste for a more black coffee.
After all, black coffee, tea, and expresso are almost completely calorie free. Making them the ultimate healthiest Dunkin’ Donuts drinks.
Happy sipping!