What is the healthiest drink at Dunkin'?

November 26, 2025 •

4 min read

A medium hot chocolate from Dunkin' can contain as many as 330 calories and 45 grams of sugar. To avoid such sugary calorie bombs, it's crucial to understand what is the healthiest drink at Dunkin' and how to customize your order for better nutrition. Opting for simpler, unsweetened beverages is the key to enjoying your caffeine fix without the unnecessary sugar and calories.

Quick Summary

The healthiest choices at Dunkin' typically involve simple brews with no added sugars or syrups. Unsweetened black coffee, herbal tea, or iced green tea are excellent low-calorie options. Customizing beverages by adding a splash of skim milk or a sugar-free flavor shot helps reduce calories while maintaining taste.

Key Points

Unsweetened Black Coffee: The top healthiest option, offering a caffeine boost with minimal calories and zero sugar.
Hot or Iced Tea: A close runner-up, providing a zero-calorie, zero-sugar drink that can be either relaxing (herbal) or energizing (black/green).
Americano: A low-calorie choice for espresso lovers, made with espresso and water, offering a bold flavor for just 10 calories in a medium size.
Avoid Sugary Swirls: Always order flavor 'shots' instead of flavor 'swirls,' as swirls contain large amounts of sugar and calories.
Customize Your Creaminess: For a creamier texture, add a splash of low-calorie options like skim milk or almond milk, rather than opting for traditional cream.
Cold Brew (Black): A naturally smoother and less acidic coffee option that is easier to drink black, containing only about 5 calories.
Beware of Frozen Drinks: Frozen coffees and Coolattas are typically dessert-like beverages loaded with sugar and calories, which should be avoided.

Your Top Choices for Healthy Dunkin' Drinks

When navigating the Dunkin' menu, the primary goal for a healthy drink is to minimize added sugars and caloric additives. The secret is to start with a simple base and add only minimal, healthier extras. Unsweetened tea, black coffee, and espresso-based drinks are your best starting points.

Black Coffee

A medium black coffee at Dunkin' is one of the most straightforward and healthy options, offering just 5 calories with no sugar and no fat. Coffee is rich in antioxidants and provides a natural caffeine boost to increase energy and focus. To make it more palatable without adding significant calories, consider these customizations:

Add a splash of milk: A little skim or almond milk can add creaminess for around 15–20 calories.
Use a flavor shot: Dunkin' offers unsweetened flavor shots (like vanilla, hazelnut, or raspberry) that add flavor without the sugary swirl syrups.

Unsweetened Tea

Dunkin' offers both hot and iced teas, and the unsweetened versions are nearly calorie-free. Green tea, in particular, is packed with antioxidants and can offer a small metabolic boost.

Hot Tea: A zero-calorie, zero-sugar option, hot tea comes in various flavors, including black, herbal, and green, providing a calming or invigorating beverage depending on your choice.
Iced Green Tea (Unsweetened): This refreshing option provides a caffeine kick with no sugar, containing only about 5 calories in a medium size.

Espresso and Americanos

For a concentrated coffee flavor with a minimal calorie count, espresso is a fantastic choice. An Americano, made from espresso and hot water, is another excellent option. A medium Americano has just 10 calories and is sugar-free. These are perfect for those who enjoy a bold coffee taste without the frills.

Lighter Customizations for Other Drinks

For those who prefer a creamier drink but want to keep it healthy, it's all about making smart swaps. Instead of sugary swirls, opt for flavor shots. Instead of whole milk or cream, use skim milk or a non-dairy alternative like almond or coconut milk.

Iced Latte with Skim Milk and Flavor Shot: A medium version of this customization can be significantly lower in calories than a standard latte with sugary syrup.
Cold Brew Coffee (Black): Dunkin's cold brew is naturally sweeter and less acidic than regular iced coffee, making it easier to drink black. A medium contains just 5 calories when left unsweetened.

Comparison of Healthy Dunkin' Drink Options


Drink Option	Calories (Medium, Plain)	Sugars (g)	Key Benefit	Notes
Black Coffee (Hot or Iced)	~5-10	0	Lowest calories and simple	Can be customized with sugar-free flavor shots or skim milk.
Unsweetened Tea (Hot)	0	0	Calorie-free and calming	Available in various flavors, including herbal and black.
Iced Green Tea (Unsweetened)	~5	0	Refreshing and antioxidant-rich	Contains a moderate amount of caffeine.
Americano (Hot or Iced)	~10	0	Espresso richness with fewer calories	A longer-lasting alternative to a straight espresso shot.
Cold Brew (Black)	~5	0	Smooth, low-acid coffee	Naturally sweeter than regular coffee, great for black coffee drinkers.

What to Avoid for Healthier Choices

While Dunkin' offers many healthy choices, it's equally important to be aware of the high-sugar, high-calorie drinks to avoid. These include:

Signature Lattes: Many of these drinks are high in sugar and calories due to multiple pumps of sweetened swirls and added toppings.
Frozen Drinks and Coolattas: These dessert-like beverages are packed with sugar and are not suitable for a daily healthy habit.
Flavor Swirls: These are not the same as flavor shots. Swirls are syrups loaded with sugar, while shots are unsweetened flavor enhancers. Always ask for a flavor "shot," not a "swirl."

Conclusion: Your Best Bet for a Healthy Drink

Ultimately, the healthiest drink at Dunkin' is a simple, unsweetened option like black coffee, hot tea, or iced green tea. These beverages provide hydration and a caffeine boost with virtually no calories or sugar, making them the best choice for anyone conscious of their health. Customizations like adding a sugar-free flavor shot and a splash of low-fat milk can enhance the taste without sabotaging your dietary goals. By ordering smartly and understanding the nutritional differences, you can enjoy a delicious Dunkin' drink that aligns with a healthy lifestyle.

For more detailed nutritional information, you can always visit the official Dunkin' nutrition website: https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/menu/nutrition.

How to Order the Healthiest Drink

Start with a basic brew: Choose hot coffee, iced coffee, cold brew, hot tea, or iced tea as your base.
Go black or add low-calorie milk: Request your drink black, or with a splash of skim milk, almond milk, or oat milk.
Choose flavor shots, not swirls: Opt for an unsweetened flavor shot if you want added taste without the sugar. Avoid the sugary swirls.
Hold the sweetener, or add your own: Skip the pre-added sweeteners or bring your own stevia or other zero-calorie sweetener.
Small is best: When in doubt, ordering the smallest size of a customizable drink is the best way to control calories and sugar.

Following these simple rules will ensure your Dunkin' run supports your health goals rather than hindering them.

Frequently Asked Questions

The healthiest tea at Dunkin' is any of the unsweetened options, whether it's hot or iced. Unsweetened herbal and black teas have zero calories and zero sugar, while unsweetened iced green tea has only about 5 calories.

While lower in calories than some frozen drinks, Dunkin' Refreshers are not the healthiest option because their calories primarily come from added sugar. For a truly healthy drink, an unsweetened tea or coffee is a better choice.

The lowest calorie drink at Dunkin' is hot black coffee or hot herbal tea, both containing effectively zero calories when ordered plain.

A flavor 'shot' is a sugar-free, nearly zero-calorie flavor enhancer, whereas a flavor 'swirl' is a sugary syrup that adds significant calories and sugar to your drink.

Yes, you can order an iced or hot latte with skim milk and an unsweetened flavor shot to keep it sugar-free. The milk contains natural sugars, but there will be no added sugars.

When ordered black and unsweetened, a Cold Brew is comparable in calories (around 5 for a medium) to a regular iced coffee. Some people find cold brew to be naturally sweeter and less acidic, which can make it easier to drink without added sweeteners.

To keep your drink healthy, you should avoid any options with flavor swirls, frozen coffee drinks, Coolattas, and pre-sweetened items like sweetened iced tea.