Summer vacation is over. Kids are back in school. Coffee lovers know what that means: It’s Pumpkin Spice Season! Anyone who loves pumpkin spice looks forward to this flavor! The limited availability makes these delicious drinks all the more sought after!
This year I tasted hot and cold coffee drinks from both Starbucks and Dunkin to see who does it better! For the purposes of this post, I ordered each drink as it is advertised with the only exception being the omission of whipped cream where applicable.
Let’s Dive In!
Dunkin Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte:
The first pumpkin spice drink I ordered this year was Dunkin’s Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte. The advertised version
includes: whole milk, vanilla, syrup, pumpkin swirl, caramel drizzle, cinnamon and sugar, and whipped cream. The ONLY change I made to my order was to opt out on the whipped cream.
As soon as I received my order I removed the lid to take a peek. My first impression was a little disappointing because there was no evidence of caramel drizzle or cinnamon and sugar topping. I figured this could have been in the bottom of the cup or omitted because I had not gotten whipped cream topping. When I took the first sip, all I got was foam. The next several were no different. I waited for some of the foam to settle and even gave it a little stir hoping that would help. The result was what I considered a cup of warm milk. There was entirely too much foam and no flavor what-so-ever. Nothing about this drink made me think pumpkin spice anything! I was so disappointed I thought this must have been a barista mistake! After all, we are all human!
Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte:
After being so disappointed with Dunkin’s latte, I was looking even more forward to ordering the famous Starbucks Pumpkin
Spice Latte. The advertised drink includes: standard milk foam (not light, extra or omitted), 2% milk, pumpkin spice topping, and whipped cream. The ONLY change I made was to opt out on the whipped cream.
First impression peek I was happy to see I’d still gotten the pumpkin spice topping even without whipped cream. This latte was rich, creamy, and just the right amount of sweet with the perfect amount of pumpkin spice flavor. You could really taste the nutmeg and cinnamon blend you’d find in a pumpkin pie. The foam was present without taking over the drink and most importantly, you could still appreciate the taste of coffee! It’s easy to see why the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is such a fall staple!
Dunkin Iced Pumpkin Spice Signature Latte:
This advertised version includes: whole milk, vanilla syrup, pumpkin swirl, caramel drizzle, cinnamon and sugar, and whipped cream. Again, the ONLY change I made to my order was to opt out on the whipped cream.
After tasting this signature drink I was again surprisingly disappointed in Dunkin. Although there was no whipped cream, there was also no evidence of caramel drizzle or cinnamon and sugar topping (ok, now thinking maybe this wasn’t a barista mistake).  The drink was entirely too creamy and sweet. While the pumpkin flavor did present itself this time, it tasted very “artificial”. I don’t know how else to describe it. There were no notes of actual cinnamon, nutmeg, or anything else. It was like drinking a badly flavored glass of iced milk. There was absolutely no notes of actual coffee flavor.
Starbucks Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte:
The advertised iced version of this classic drink  includes: 2% milk, pumpkin spice topping, pumpkin sauce and whipped
cream. As usual, the ONLY change I made was to opt out on the whipped cream. I was pleased to see there was indeed pumpkin spice topping sprinkled over the ice although it was much harder to see than on the hot latte.
This drink was comparable to it’s hot version in that it was rich and just the right amount of sweet. Again, there was obvious pumpkin spice flavor but it still tasted like COFFEE! There’s no doubt that I fully enjoyed the iced latte just as I had the hot version.
A few extra’s:
Being so disappointed in Dunkin’s Pumpkin Spice made me feel like I needed to give it another try, but maybe order something a little more my usual style. My “go-to” at Dunkin is iced coffee with caramel swirl. No cream, no added sweetener,
just black! The sweetness of the swirl is perfect for my taste! Ordering Dunkin iced coffee with pumpkin swirl (default of 3 pumps) was definitely an improvement from the previous cups of milk I had but still left me feeling like the flavor was too artificial. I decided on my next try I would combine my beloved caramel with the pumpkin. This was by far the best I’d ordered. The caramel seemed to balance out the artificial flavor but still leave a hint of pumpkin flavor.
The very last pumpkin drink I tried this season was a frozen pumpkin coffee from Dunkin. I typically only order frozen coffee when I’m really craving it but I remembered last year I really enjoyed the frozen pumpkin from Dunkin. This year I was also pleased. Dunkin’s frozen coffee includes cream as a default option which seemed to cut the artificial flavor of the pumpkin swirl. I have not had a pumpkin frap from Starbucks for comparison but wanted to include this review anyway!
After these comparisons, there is no doubt that Starbucks has mastered the classic fall tradition of pumpkin spice coffee! They have managed to find the perfect balance of the keeping the bitterness of coffee and pairing it with just the right amount of sweet and spice! If ordering a pumpkin coffee from Dunkin, I would highly recommend pairing it with a favorite flavor or cream to balance the artificial flavor!
Thank you for visiting my page and As Always, Happy Sipping!
