Dunkin Sugar Free Flavors For Coffee Drinks
If you’re on a diet or just looking to cut back on how much sugar you consume, figuring out what’s safe to order at a coffee shop can be tricky.
Of course, black coffee or hot tea with nothing added to it are always great options, but if you want to treat yourself without overdosing on sugar, it can feel like you have to memorize the nutritional facts for every drink.
Luckily, Dunkin Donuts has the answer. The coffee chain carries flavor options with both a sugar-free base as well as the standard liquid cane sugar base.
Read on to learn more about your low sugar and sugar-free options at Dunkin!
What is a Flavor Shot at Dunkin Donuts?
Dunkin offers two different methods to add a boost of flavor to any drink on the menu, from iced coffee to cold brew, hot coffee, or tea.
The best option for people who want to reduce their sugar intake is the Flavor Shot.
Flavor shots are unsweetened and sugar-free add-ons that provide flavor and aroma to your drink.
These flavors still have a few calories (about 5-10 calories depending on the size of the drink), but don’t include dairy or artificial sweeteners.
They’re purely flavor and aroma that you can add to any drink, making them a great option for keto drinkers and other dieters.
Flavors include:
- French Vanilla
- Hazelnut
- Caramel
- Toasted Almond
- Blueberry
- Raspberry
- Coconut
While Dunkin Flavor Shots are unsweetened and sugar-free, Dunkin also offers a flavorful option for people who want a more decadent experience, called Flavor Swirls.
What are Flavor Swirls at Dunkin?
If you want a richer, sweeter experience than Dunkin flavor shots offer, the coffee giant also offers a sweet, creamy, and indulgent option: Flavor Swirls.
Each Flavor Swirl is sugar-sweetened, and all but one flavor (the mocha Flavor Swirl) includes dairy. If you’re lactose intolerant, Dunkin Flavor Shots may be the better option.
The Flavor Swirl flavors lineup includes:
- Caramel
- French Vanilla
- Hazelnut
- Mocha
- Winter White Mocha
- Buttery Toffee Nut
Most of the seasonal specialty drinks also use a Flavor Swirl as opposed to a Dunkin Flavor Shot, so be sure to ask if you’re looking for a sugar-free flavor experience.
Related Read: Dunkin Low Calorie Drinks, Caffeine In Dunkin Coffee
Dunkin Flavor Shot VS Swirl
While there is often confusion about the two flavor options at Dunkin, the differences between the Flavor Shots and Flavor Swirls are pretty easy to remember.
- Flavor Shots are sugar-free, dairy-free flavor add-ons that provide a low-calorie option for keto drinkers and dieters alike, or anyone who doesn’t want to add a lot of sugar with their flavor.
- Dunkin Swirls are sweetened, creamy flavors with a base of sugar and dairy that add richness with your flavor.
Now that you know the difference between the two types of flavorings Dunkin Donuts offers, we can dig into the best options among the sugar-free flavors on the Dunkin menu.
Best Dunkin Donuts Sugar-Free Flavors
We dug into the popular sugar-free flavors available at Dunkin to discover the best flavor shot options based on customer choice.
Our rankings reflect sales numbers and Dunkin’s own figures about how popular each sugar-free flavor shot is.
In addition, we’ve done our research to offer the best options for what drinks to put each flavoring into.
1. French Vanilla
Flavor Notes
A coffee shop classic, Dunkin’s French Vanilla Flavor Shot is warm and sweet, with a nutty undercurrent that blends beautifully with coffee.
While it’s great on its own, many Dunkin Donuts customers like to mix it with other, stronger flavors (like caramel or coconut) to make a more complex experience.
Best with Drink
If you’re a fan of old-school café drinks, the French Vanilla Flavor Shot works very well in a standard latte. It’s also extremely popular in iced lattes as well as Dunkin iced coffee, both cold brew and the standard hot-brewed version.
2. Hazelnut
Flavor Notes
Nutty and sweet, Hazelnut is another classic coffee pairing.
Hazelnut Flavor Shots add a Nutella-like richness to whatever you add them to, without the allergens for those who can’t have tree nuts. The flavor is subtle and pairs well with other Dunkin Flavor Shots.
Best with Drink
A classic pairing is drip coffee with milk and Flavor Shots in hazelnut, to capture the same feeling as some old-style flavored coffees at a diner.
Hazelnut also works very well with a Dunkin mocha or even a standard black coffee. We also like it with caramel, for a Snickers-type feel. It also makes a great skim milk latte!
3. Caramel
Flavor Notes
Smoky and sweet, with just a hint of bitterness, caramel flavors work well with coffee in general.
Caramel Flavor Shots feature minimally bitter cooked sugar flavors and rich buttery undertones, for a sugar-free take on a traditionally high-sugar taste.
Best with Drink
The sweet, buttery flavor notes make this Flavor Shot a great pairing for adding depth to less flashy drinks like the Dunkin Signature Iced Latte.
But it’s a match for other drinks as well, like cold brew, or mocha. We also think that it goes exceptionally well mixed with French Vanilla Flavor Shots to get a rounded sweetness that makes black coffee with skim milk feel decadent.
4. Toasted Almond
Flavor Notes
Toasted almond flavors tend to get a reputation as an “old-fashioned” taste, but the toasty, roasty, nutty flavor of these Flavor Shots adds a lot of depth to coffee and tea alike.
The toasted almond Dunkin Flavor Shots are more aroma than flavor, sweet and roasty with the typical almond taste of creamy nuttiness.
Best with Drink
This sugar-free Flavor Shot plays better as part of a team, whether that’s with vanilla in iced coffee, or mocha swirls to give you a drink that tastes uncannily like an Almond Joy.
It might come as a surprise, but this flavor also works very well with a medium sweetened iced tea, as well as a bold breakfast black tea.
5. Blueberry
Flavor Notes
Juicy and sweet, with the crushed berry flavor that’s familiar from classic muffins and pancakes and other breakfast pastries, Blueberry may seem like an unusual flavor to add to coffee, but this sugar-free Flavor Shot has a lot of versatility to go with its cult appeal.
Best with Drink
This flavor goes surprisingly well in black coffee, adding a smooth hint of flavor without being overpowering.
You can also try it with mocha or white mocha swirl for a unique take to a latte. If you’re not sure you want it with coffee, it works exceptionally well with green iced teas and also the hibiscus kiss herbal infusion.
6. Raspberry
Flavor Notes
Bright and slightly acidic with classic red berry flavors, Raspberry Flavor Shots are not necessarily what jumps to mind when you think of coffee.
But while the taste is strong and bold, it definitely plays well with various other flavors, especially if you use it wisely.
We recommend avoiding whole milk coffee drinks, as the flavor can be a little weird.
Best with Drink
Like the blueberry Flavor Shots, many customers are wary of trying Raspberry with coffee, since it’s such a fruity flavor.
But it works very well with chocolate flavors, and surprisingly well with vanilla as well. If you’d rather test it out with a non-coffee drink first, Raspberry works very well with the Chamomile Fields herbal infusion, the Cool Mint herbal infusion, and even with green iced teas.
7. Coconut
Flavor Notes
As with Toasted Almond, Coconut Flavor Shots provide a burst of creamy sweetness, though in this case, Coconut has a stronger, more obvious taste.
Rich and bright as a macaroon, Coconut Flavor Shots provide exactly the hit you’d expect, without being overwhelming.
Best with Drink
For a summery treat, get Coconut Flavor Shots added to your Dunkin Donuts Coolatta, for a hit of tropical splendor in your coffee break.
The rich, creamy taste also pairs well with mocha, and of course, coffee with unsweetened coconut milk or another non-dairy milk gets an added boost from these Flavor Shots.
Wrapping Up
If you’re looking for sugar-free options to make your coffee into a treat, Dunkin Donuts offers a lot of choice in their Flavor Shots.
The dairy-free, sugar-free add-ins bring a burst of flavor with minimal extra calories, making them equally good for those who prefer skim milk and “skinny” drinks, as well as heavy cream-loving keto dieters.
Even if you just want a low-sugar addition to your sweet and creamy coffee, Flavor Shots are an easy component to change things up in your coffee routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Calories in a Flavor Shot at Dunkin Donuts?
A single shot of Dunkin Donuts Flavor Shots has a surprisingly low-calorie count: 15 calories and 2 grams of carbohydrates.
Coffee with Dunkin Flavor Shots and skim milk makes a very reasonable treat for dieters, and paired with heavy cream the add-in makes a very appropriate choice for people on the keto diet.
Can I Buy Flavor Shots at Dunkin Donuts?
Unfortunately, Dunkin Donuts doesn’t offer its Flavor Shots for individual sale. You can only get them in-store, by adding them to your drink order.
If you want to make your own flavored coffee at home, Dunkin Donuts does sell flavored coffee beans, in many of the same flavors you can find on location.
There are also some DIY options for making your own Flavor Shots.
