Review: Dunkin' Goes Two-For-Two On New Winter Drinks

Dunkin' is ready to shake off the winter blues. In addition to a new start-studded Super Bowl commercial and the return of some fan-favorite doughnuts, the chain has launched two new menu items. Cold brew fans can enjoy the Vanilla Creme Cold Brew, which features brown sugar syrup, a shot of vanilla flavor, and is topped with sweet cold foam. Anyone looking to get a little sweeter can turn to the Toasted White Chocolate Iced Coffee. This drink takes Dunkin's classic ice coffee and adds in a toasted white chocolate swirl and cream.

While I may not have the star power of Ben Affleck — or the tracksuit style — I still wanted to see if Dunkin's newest offerings were Big Game-worthy, so I stopped by my local store to pick up the beverages. Read on to determine whether the Vanilla Creme Cold Brew or the Toasted White Chocolate Iced Coffee should be part of your next Dunkin' run.

In my experience with seasonal Dunkin' menu drops, there's always a super sweet choice and a coffee-lovers option released simultaneously. For anyone who identifies as a pure coffee-holic, the Vanilla Creme Cold Brew is for you. This is a fairly stripped-down cold brew that fits nicely in line with Dunkin's other offerings.

No, this is not a bitter black brew — 38 grams of sugar, after all — but this beverage doesn't scream overly sweet. I like to mix my sweet cream in with the rest of the drink and doing so lets the sugary foam take the edge off the cold brew in a way that makes it taste more like a lightly sweetened regular coffee. The vanilla flavor is subtle but present enough to be noticed in every sip. In total, it's a tasty but not horribly memorable take on cold brew, which is definitely different from iced coffee, by the way.

Did someone say sweet? Like many of Dunkin's signature drinks, the Toasted White Chocolate Iced Coffee is a dessert delivered via a straw. Still, after getting past the initial sugar shock, I was pleasantly surprised by the layered flavors of this drink.

The word "toasted" can be paired with any number of foods, from toasted spices to that perfect breakfast bread, so I was unsure how Dunkin' would incorporate the flavor into a white chocolate coffee, but they nailed it. White chocolate is easily the primary flavor, but the toasted elements bring a slight nutty smokiness to the drink that helps tame the overall sweetness. And unlike the Vanilla Creme Cold Brew, which is more coffee-forward, this drink is creamy and exceptionally smooth with every sip. Oh, and don't forget the cinnamon and sugar-dusted whipped cream on top. I'm not ashamed to say I scooped it up with the end of my straw before diving into the drink itself.

If a Toasted White Chocolate Iced Latte sounds like a good way to start your day, you can pick up a small for $4.69, a medium for $5.39, or a large for $5.99. The drink is also available hot. A small is $4.49, the medium is $5.19, and the large is just 50 cents more. Of course, anything with white chocolate in the title is probably going to contain a bit of sugar, and this drink is no exception. A medium contains 250 calories and 37 grams of sugar, regardless of your desired temperature.

If the higher octane cold brew is your preference, there's the Vanilla Creme Cold Brew. A small costs $4.59, a medium is $4.89, and a large is $5.19. Once again, sugar is front and center, and the drink contains 38 grams, along with 190 calories in a medium. Both drinks can be ordered either in stores, or through the Dunkin' app.

With a sprawling menu, there's something for just about everyone on the Dunkin' menu, and the Toasted White Chocolate Iced Coffee and Vanilla Creme Cold Brew are just two more solid options in the lineup. While neither is a mind-blowing coffee revelation, they're both worth a try. I prefer the sweet creaminess of the Toasted White Chocolate, but sweet is my default, so if you're more of a coffee-served black person, give the Vanilla Creme Cold Brew a shot.

I ordered both drinks through the Dunkin' app and brought them home, where I photographed and tasted them. My evaluation was based on taste and trueness to their promised flavors. (Did the "toasted" elements come out, and were there really vanilla notes in the cold brew?) Dunkin' was not aware of the review while preparing these drinks, nor did they compensate Daily Meal or me in any way for this piece.