Review: Dunkin's New Spring Banana Drinks Are Full Of Brown Spots

If you are always running on Dunkin' and have a special place in your heart for all of the banana flavored things, you are going to be stoked. Dunkin' recently unveiled its spring collection of drinks, and all of them are heavy on the banana. Some heavier than others, but I'll dig into that later. Coffee has been transformed over the years with creative inclusions like flavored cold foams, flavored syrups, and even protein. There are a bazillion ways to have a cup of coffee these days, and new seasons bring new varieties.

Dunkin' introduced a line of new drinks for spring which all include banana. Some have banana syrup and others have banana cold foam. There are espresso drinks, matcha, and even a frozen option on the new spring squad. The banana essence is what ties them all together. Combining banana flavor with coffee is not totally new, as banana bread lovers have essentially made a huge mark on coffee. There's a reason why banana bread is a beloved and easily customizable dessert, and it just happens to pair well with coffee flavors. 

While I have spotted banana bread lattes on menus in many coffee shops, I haven't seen an entire collection of banana flavored coffee drinks like Dunkin' just launched. I grabbed five of the new beverages and am going to give you the scoop about each and every one.

I enjoy bananas and most banana flavored things, so when I saw the Dunkin' spring lineup I was eager and excited to taste them all. I purchased the five that were available at my local Dunkin' and got straight to tasting before I even walked out the door. 

I took a few sips of each one with water in between so that all the flavors would not get muddled. I judged them on overall flavor, the banana elements, additional flavors or enhancements, and sweetness.

Dunkin's Spring beverages are available nationwide now, although the variety and prices may vary depending on the location. It is not clear how long these seasonal sips will be available for. The new drinks on the menu include Banana Puddin' Cloud Latte (priced at $6.50 in my branch), Banana Daydream Refreshers for $5.16, Bananarama Iced Matcha priced at $5.29, Banana Iced Protein Latte costing $5.99, Banana Shakin' Espresso priced at $5.29, Monkey Business Cloud Latte for $6.50, Nutty Banana Cloud Dunkalatte which costs $6.24, and Banana Frozen Chocolate, which is priced at $5.29.

My local branch of Dunkin' was only able to provide the Banana Puddin' Cloud Latte, Bananarama Iced Matcha, Banana Shakin' Espresso, Nutty Banana Cloud Dunkalatte, and Banana Frozen Chocolate rather than the full selection of banana beverages, so that's what I'm testing in this piece. Let's get to the heart of the banana content!

This new Dunkin' drink is by far one of the more balanced options, relatively speaking. The banana flavor is definitely there but it's not too overpowering. The Nutty Banana Cloud Dunkalatte is made with espresso combined with coffee milk and a kiss of hazelnut. The cold concoction is then topped with banana cold foam. The cold foam itself is fluffy and sweet, complementing the blend of flavors.

The hazelnut tempers the banana syrup so it doesn't come off as too strong like some of the other spring banana drinks. Let's just be honest and admit that a touch of hazelnut makes everything better. 

The most prominent taste for me is the espresso, and I'm not mad about it. If I get a drink made with espresso in a coffee shop, I actually want to taste it rather than drowning it with aggressive sweetness. The drink is rich enough without demolishing the flavor with egregious amounts of sweetness.

One thing about me is that I am a sucker for good banana pudding. The creamy pudding, the heavy cream swirled in to make it even richer, the cookies that wilt perfectly to create a magical texture, is what dreams are made of. When I saw a Banana Puddin' Latte on the new Dunkin' spring menu, I was expecting big things. 

This one is also espresso based but has vanilla custard and banana flavors swirled in. It also has a nice layer of banana cold foam on top. Unfortunately, I did not get the banana pudding vibe from it at all.

It isn't horrible, but it isn't great. It's mild and creamy in texture, and the banana stays in its lane instead of taking over completely. I appreciate the effort, but it was mediocre at best and in no way would satisfy a craving of banana pudding. It just screams banana without the pudding flavors, and comes out as a Dunkin' fail.

Matcha is my jam. I love it. Whenever it's on a menu I have a hard time choosing anything else, even though the price of matcha is a pretty penny. The green matcha tea base of this Dunkin' creation is combined with both vanilla custard and banana flavors. In this drink, as well as the rest that use banana syrup, there are usually three pumps included. If I ordered the matcha again, I'd ask for one less, maybe even two.

It is basically enjoyable, though, and has the basic earthy notes of a solid matcha. It also presents the gorgeous green signature hue and the foamy top typically found in matcha lattes. I have an idea, and it's to swap out the pungent banana syrup for a generous heap of sweet and creamy banana cold foam instead. Cold foam is such a sensation that people (it's me, I'm people) froth up their favorite creamers to make their own cold foam at home. That might be the way to strike a fantastic balance instead of a smack of banana right in your face.

There's a reason perfectly sweetened shaken espressos have gained traction in the coffee world and it's because they are delicious — bold, simple, and a power boost of caffeine. That first sip of an expertly crafted iced shaken espresso is like a little slice of heaven when it hits your taste buds. When I saw this one included on the spring menu at Dunkin', I practically walked in doing jazz hands. Dunkin's version offers two shots of espresso, banana syrup, and oat milk all shaken together with a perfectly foamy finish.

I hate having to say this next part: It was not good. The Banana Shakin' Espresso from Dunkin' might be the worst of the spring lot. One of the best parts about a great coffee shop shaken espresso is the velvety smooth, rich flavor. I'm sorry to burst your shaken espresso bubble, but this one from Dunkin' did not deliver. I fear it was shaken into sadness instead. As if that weren't enough of an insult to coffee, the unapologetically overwhelming banana syrup did not help.

First of all, no. Just no. When I noticed this Dunkin' item on the new spring menu, I was thrilled. Mostly because I have fondly indulgent memories of the famous frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity in New York City. That giant goblet of goodness changed my life when I found out it existed. I certainly didn't expect the one from Dunkin' to reach that level, but I figured it would at least be an enjoyable sweet treat.

I was wrong, but not as wrong as this attempt at an elevated hot chocolate in a fun frozen format. Banana and chocolate flavors are blended into frozen chocolate, which sounds delicious in theory. It looks like a frozen hot chocolate, but there's not a trace of chocolate to be tasted. The banana is way too much in this chilled drink, and Dunkin' dropped the ball here. Even the generous chocolate drizzle isn't enough to help resuscitate the chocolate notes that must have drowned in the banana syrup.

Overall, the new spring Dunkin' coffee and tea drinks just did not impress. If I were to go back for seconds of any of them it would only be the Bananarama Iced Matcha and the Nutty Banana Cloud Dunkalatte. There is a small caveat to both of these options, however. I would definitely make adjustments to a lower fat milk, and I would also also significantly decrease the amount of banana syrup in the drinks.

While Dunkin' clearly went for a banana themed spring menu, they overdid it with the banana. The majority of these drinks were painfully sweet and lost me after the first sip. I do think there is some potential to turn things around with changes and adjustments (like the ones I already mentioned, for example) but as is, I would not rush out for the new banana beverages from Dunkin'.