Get in a Christmas state of mind with cookie-inspired lattes and other winter flavors.
It's late November, which means Christmas songs are starting to edge their way onto playlists and we're ditching our pumpkins for garland and tinsel. It also means that pumpkin's time in the flavor spotlight is sadly coming to an end. Last weekend I learned my nearest Starbucks is officially out of the game-changing fall drink, the pumpkin cream cold brew, bringing that wonderful autumn chapter to a close for 2019. But my sadness is tempered by the fact that there are so many Christmas drinks making their debut. While peppermint may not be equally matched with pumpkin in my book, there are loads of other winter flavors successfully making their way into coffee.
And I tried not one, but TWO of these holiday flavors from America's favorite donut source. I couldn't wait to try out Dunkin's new "largest ever" holiday lineup this year, especially when I saw a toasted gingerbread latte gracing the menu. This menu item is incredibly smart on Dunkin's part, especially given the news that the fan-favorite gingerbread latte from Starbucks would not be making a return this year. I've never had the green mermaid's take on the drink, but something about the drink jumped out at me from the Dunkin menu.
The Toasted Gingerbread Signature Latte has flavors of gingerbread, marshmallow and chocolate, swirled in with rich espresso and creamy milk. It is topped with whipped cream, caramel and cinnamon sugar, but I opted for it without whipped cream. I got it iced (obviously) and in a medium, clocking in at $4.54 with tax, more expensive than other iced coffees from Dunkin but definitely cheaper than lattes of the same size from Starbucks and most other coffee shops.
To properly understand what I thought of the gingerbread latte, all you need to know is that I exclaimed "WHAT! That's amazing!!!" after pulling out of the drive-thru and sipping it for the first time. It definitely tastes like gingerbread, like an actual cookie and more sweet than spicy. It's richly flavored and not too milky like I feel Dunkin lattes tend to be (which is why I usually opt for iced coffee over lattes there). But I would absolutely order this again. I'm already excited to get it again.
The next drink I tried carried more mystery. I remember seeing a joke about how Starbucks will get your name wrong but Dunkin will get your order wrong, and folks, this could not be more true. Every time I go to my local Dunkin, it's honestly a wild card what beverage I'll walk out of there with. I just accept it because I go with the flow. I don't want to trash on Dunkin; working in the service industry is tough, and I know that I couldn't possibly keep all those drinks straight. But I have to be honest.
So I wasn't surprised when I got a drink with a "FrsWC" abbreviation on the side, which I know didn't correspond with the Merry Mocha Mint Signature Latte I had ordered. It was sort of a fun game trying to figure out what it was. I got real close and whispered "What are you?"
(You might ask: Libby, why didn't you take it back? Because I hate confrontation and didn't want the Dunkin employees to be mad at me, ya know? I also like white mocha more than peppermint mocha and had only gone for the Merry Mocha Mint originally because I heard the peppermint mocha is a fan-favorite at Dunkin, so I was happy to have this mystery drink instead.)
After looking up the list of Dunkin holiday flavors, I came to the conclusion that this mystery drink was the Frosted White Chocolate Signature Latte. Upon first sip, I immediately thought of a sugar cookie. It's incredibly sweet, almost like a marshmallow or frosting. If you're a fan of white mocha, you'll probably like this. It was good, but I likely wouldn't order it again as long as the gingerbread latte is there to steal its thunder. I mostly enjoyed how sips of its super sweetness only enhanced the unique flavor of the gingerbread latte.
In addition to the signature lattes (which also include the aforementioned Merry Mocha Mint latte and a Holiday Eggnog Latte), Dunkin also has two holiday flavors that can be added to drinks: Gingerbread S'mores and Winter White Chocolate. I'm really curious to try these in iced coffees, especially the Gingerbread S'mores. They're also offering a Holiday Brownie Crumble Donut if you want a snack with your coffee.
I also respect Dunkin's interesting take on the holiday cup, decking them in the brand's signature bright pink rather than the typical red or green. The iced cups feature wintry pink symbols, including a donut wearing a bow, which fills my girly heart with absolute glee and made me say "It's a donut wearing a bow!"
Overall, I learned Dunkin truly has a fun-packed holiday menu this season, outpacing their fall menu which included a delicious but not groundbreaking Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Signature Latte. I would definitely go for the Toasted Gingerbread Signature Latte again, and if you're a Starbucks fan reeling from gingerbread's absence, well, you know where to go for a fix.
Thanks for reading!
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