Review: New Dunkin' S'mores Products Deliver On Nostalgia And Sugar
Summer is finally in full swing, and with summer comes summer-themed drinks and treats from our favorite coffee shops. Of course, Dunkin' is on this list of coffee shops. Dunkin' recently announced its limited edition summer items, which are all s'mores themed and meant to evoke campfire-inspired nostalgia. The items include a s'mores donut, a s'mores cold brew coffee, and a frozen bonfire s'mores coffee. Each of these items have their own special spin on the classic summer treat, from a marshmallow filling to a delicious graham cracker topping.
I tried all of these items on the day of their release. In addition to tasting them, I learned what's in them, took a look at their nutritional value, and, perhaps most importantly, noted how long each item will be available . Here is everything you need to know. Spoiler alert — like other popular Dunkin' products, such as its Spiked Iced Coffee, we found that everything was very sweet.
The S'mores Cold Brew delivered with marshmallow cold foam
First is the Dunkin' s'mores cold brew. This consists of cold brew, two shots of s'mores syrup, marshmallow cold foam, and a graham cracker crumble topping. As is often reported, coffee from Dunkin' can be hit or miss, though it certainly has its fans. In my case, the cold brew itself left something to be desired. The coffee did have that classic Dunkin' taste that is almost reminiscent of chicory coffee, but it wasn't necessarily the full-bodied, top-of-the-line stuff you might hope for. Additionally, the s'mores syrup adds some sweetness to the drink, although its flavor is not particularly distinct. It does not necessarily scream "campfire s'mores" as advertised.
The marshmallow cold foam is a completely different story. Sweet, delicious, and sticky, this cold foam tasted like a lighter, cloud-like version of marshmallow fluff. It was sweet — perhaps too sweet, when tasted on its own. That said, the texture and flavor were spot on. Additionally, the graham cracker crumble was perfectly sweet and crunchy, and paired especially well with the cold foam. The crumbles themselves also maintained their structural integrity quite well and were still crunchy throughout the drinking experience, despite the 90-degree heat in which I consumed the drink.
If you are a fan of marshmallows and coffee, this drink is a great choice and provides a significant kick of both caffeine and sugar. While the chocolate was missing from the s'mores equation, this drink was highly enjoyable and definitely super summery.
The Frozen Bonfire S'mores Coffee is all about the sugar
If you are a fan of super sweet coffee drinks, then this may be the choice for you. A small bonfire s'mores frozen coffee comes with two shots of coffee syrup, two shots of s'mores syrup, two shots of vanilla, cream, a drizzle of mocha, whipped cream, more mocha drizzle on top, and graham cracker crumbles atop that. Once you get over the fact that this is a sugar bomb, this drink is delicious.
The vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and s'mores flavors all come through in the drink. In terms of an actual bonfire s'more, this frozen coffee gets much closer than the cold brew does. However, there is little to no marshmallow flavor. This is probably for the best, however, because the marshmallow cold foam is so sweet that it would have definitely been over-the-top here. The topping was delicious, though — who can say no to whipped cream, chocolate, and graham crackers?
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when drinking this is to stir it very well. I found that the sweeteners and melted coffee all sank to the bottom, making the drink cloyingly sweet on first sip. But when you drink the coffee in its frozen form, it makes a huge difference in flavor, as the particles of ice make the experience much more refreshing. This drink definitely captures the feeling of making s'mores over a campfire and enjoying the results.
The S'mores donut is light and airy
Now, this is how you do a specialty item. This is basically a plain donut with chocolate topping, just with a few extra bells and whistles that transform the experience. Those extra add-ons include a marshmallow filling, graham cracker crumble topping, and extra chocolate chunks on top. This simplicity actually worked in Dunkin's favor, because the treat wasn't overwhelmed by many complex additions, like the frozen coffee was.
The chocolate chunks and graham cracker crumbles on top of the donut were fun, although the chocolate itself was very sweet and the graham cracker crumbles lacked crunch. However, the donut itself was light and airy, proving there is a reason that Dunkin' is so well known for its donuts. The marshmallow filling, too, was a delight for the senses. On its own, this tastes like a cross between a classic cream filling and marshmallow fluff. Paired with the fresh donut, the filling oozes throughout your mouth and creates a soft, pillowy texture to contrast with the pleasant doughiness of the pastry.
Availability and pricing
These products are not here for long — true to theme, they're around just for the summer. The bonfire s'mores frozen coffee, s'mores cold brew, and s'mores donut were released on June 26th and will be available until August 27th. Those are the official dates; however, an insider let me know that they will continue to make the drinks for customers while supplies last, so you may get lucky with your local Dunkin'. As for the donuts, those tend to sell out pretty fast, so make sure you head to Dunkin' early in the morning if you want to try those out.
Near me, the s'mores cold brew retails for $4.49 for a small, whereas the frozen bonfire s'mores coffee costs $4.99 for a small (of course, these prices may vary from region to region). The donut cost me $2.46. A plain, small cold brew was only $2.29, but that is without any of the additions, including the s'mores syrup or marshmallow cold foam. Flavored frozen coffee drinks range between $2.99 and $4.80 for the small sizes, though they can reach up to $8.70 if you go all-out on a large. That considered, these s'mores items are on the pricier side, though there are so many bells and whistles that the elevated price is completely understandable and unlikely to shock anyone. Still, these prices are a far cry from what it was like at the first ever Dunkin'.
Nutrition facts
The s'mores donut has a whopping 370 calories, making it one of the highest calorie donuts that Dunkin' currently offers. This is in comparison to the chain's take on the classic glazed donut, which is 240 calories, or a jelly donut, which is 250 calories. I suspect the calorie difference is due to the variety of fillings and toppings for the s'mores treat, including the marshmallow filling and the graham cracker crumbles on top.
The drinks are similarly high in calories. The s'mores cold brew is 360 calories for a small, 390 for a medium, or 550 for a large. This is significantly more than a simple cold brew with caramel cold foam, which is 190 calories for a small or 340 for a large. The frozen bonfire s'mores coffee is even higher in calories, at 590, 830, or 1070 for a small, medium, and large, respectively. If you love sweet coffee, we say knock yourself out and have an occasional treat like this one; just be wary, because this sugary drink can make you jittery and even potentially induce if you are not practiced in the art of drinking sweet beverages.
Overall impressions
If I had to rank these items, I would put the donut in first place, followed by the cold brew in second, and the frozen bonfire s'mores coffee in third. While personal opinion definitely plays a role here, I tried my best to be impartial. For example, I do not usually like donuts in general, but I was extremely impressed with this iteration of the product. On the other hand, I prefer my coffee to be less sweet, although I do love a bit of sugar. Because of this, the s'mores cold brew hits the exact level of sweetness that I usually look for. I also just adored the marshmallow cold foam, which tugged on a nostalgic heartstring.
Overall, nostalgia is really what wins the day when it comes to these products. Many of us remember what it was like to be a child, sitting in a campground or at a bonfire in the backyard, making s'mores. Your fingers get sticky with marshmallow or gooey with chocolate. Each of these items attempts to encapsulate this feeling, each with varying degrees of success that are reflected in the above ranking. At the end of the day, these treats are delicious and summery, and urge you to remember these happier parts of childhood.
Methodology
This review took several visits to the local Dunkin'. I stopped into the shop at my nearby college campus and asked for all of the new s'mores products that they had. I left with both drinks, only to realize when I got home that they hadn't given me the s'mores donut. I went back to the store and learned that it had sold out earlier in the morning. This turned out to be for the better, however, because I returned first thing in the morning the following day and was treated to a fresh donut.
For each of the drinks, I made sure to taste each element on its own. I sipped the coffee, had spoonfuls of cold cream and whipped cream, and picked out pieces of graham cracker. After this, I mixed everything together and tasted the drink as a whole. This is how I learned that the frozen coffee is best mixed together, because the frozen particles are crucial to the flavor. For the donut, I similarly tried each element on its own before taking a bite with everything together.