So you’ve decided you’re doing the keto diet, a meal plan that restricts your intake of carbs and increases your intake of fats and protein. You might’ve been prepared to make some lifestyle changes in terms of food, but what about when you, say, need a keto-friendly Dunkin Donuts drink order at the drive-thru? Following the keto diet properly means that you’ll probably have to adjust your classic Dunkin order. No worries, though-there are plenty of items on the Dunkin Donuts menu that are totally keto-friendly - and it’s more than just a simple black coffee (though if that’s your order, no hate!) Here’s exactly how to make sure your coffee is keto, according to expert dietitians Keri Gans, RDN, author of The Small Change Diet, and Vandana Sheth, RDN, author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes. Keep reading.
Making Your Dunkin' Donuts Order Keto-Friendly
Navigating the Dunkin' Donuts menu while following a ketogenic diet might seem daunting, but with a few simple strategies, you can easily enjoy a delicious and keto-compliant beverage. The key is to prioritize simplicity and be mindful of added sugars and high-carb ingredients.
- Keep it simple: When ordering, stick to the basic drinks and forget the fancy ones that have lots of added sugars.
- Use milk alternatives: If you don’t like your coffee or tea black, try adding keto-friendly, low-carb, unsweetened options like coconut and almond milk to your order. These don’t contain lactose (a form of sugar) like regular milk, which makes meeting your daily carb intake goals a lot easier.
- Add shots of flavor: Flavor shots are typically sugar-free and unsweetened. There are at least five to six varieties on the menu that will add flavor without added sugar and have anywhere from five to 20 calories per serving. Just remember to ask for flavor shots and not flavor swirls (think: a caramel drizzle), since those contain sugar.
- Incorporate a sugar substitute: If you absolutely need sweetness in your coffee drink (same), then you should add a packet or two of Splenda to your order. It’s the best option for easing coffee’s bitterness while also remaining low-carb and low-sugar.
Dunkin' Donuts offers a variety of options that can be modified to fit a ketogenic lifestyle. By understanding which ingredients to avoid and which substitutions to make, you can confidently order a satisfying and keto-friendly drink.
Keto-Friendly Dunkin' Donuts Drink Options
Here's a breakdown of some of the best keto-friendly orders you can make at Dunkin' Donuts, along with nutritional information:
Americano (Hot or Iced)
If your go-to order is an Americano, you’re all set when it comes to keto-friendly drinks-all it contains is espresso and water. Add-ins like heavy cream or sweetener will add a little extra flavor to your beverage, and they don’t contain tons of carbs and are high in fat.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
- Per large serving: 65 cal, 3 g fat (0 g sat), 3 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 10 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein
Hot Coffee (Black or With Cream)
Nothing beats a classic: a hot, black coffee is the perfect keto-friendly option to order from Dunkin Donuts. Feel free to add heavy cream or a light sweetener for some sweetness and to stunt that bitter coffee taste.
- Per large serving: 120 cal, 12 g fat, 2 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 2 g protein
Iced Coffee (Black or With Cream)
Prefer a colder option for your keto-friendly Dunkin Donuts order? Grab yourself an iced coffee instead of a hot one. Same nutritional info applies, except the added ice might water down the bitterness of your drink a little bit more. As always, feel free to add some heavy cream or light sweetener to suit your taste buds.
- Per large serving: 120 cal, 12 g fat, 2 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 2 g protein
French Vanilla Iced Coffee (Black or With Cream)
If you want to put a twist on your typical iced coffee situation, here’s what you should do: Make it a French vanilla iced coffee instead. Just ask the barista to add a pump or two of the French vanilla flavor shot, which is both unsweetened and sugar-free. Add cream to taste.
- Per large serving: 125 cal, 12 g fat, 2 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 2 g protein
Toasted Almond Iced Coffee (Black or With Cream)
Make your iced coffee a new flavor by adding a pump or two of the toasted almond unsweetened flavor shot, then add a little bit of sugar-free sweetener and heavy cream to complete the flavor profile. And yep, it’s both delicious and keto-friendly.
- Per large serving: 130 cal, 12 g fat, 2 g carbs, 2 g sugar, 2 g protein
Espresso
Another way to keep your coffee order simple while still getting all the caffeine you need? Try ordering a shot (or two) of espresso. This way you know the ingredients are super easy to track-it’s literally just…espresso-and you’ll still get the energy boost you need.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
- Per one-shot serving: 5 cal, 0 g fat , 1 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 1 g protein
Cold Brew (Black or With Cream)
Less acidic and more naturally sweet than regular coffee, cold brew is a great option for people on keto everywhere. Have it poured over ice and add a little heavy cream or sugar and boom, you’re fully caffeinated while still sticking with your keto plans.
- Per large serving: 120 cal, 12 g fat, 2 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 2 g protein
Matcha Latte With Coconut Milk (Iced or Hot)
You can still order a matcha latte from Dunkin Donuts even if you’re following the keto diet. Just make sure you get yours with coconut milk or heavy cream instead of cow’s milk. (And, yep, it’s available both iced and hot.)
Per large serving: 190 cal, 6 g fat, 30 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 3 g protein
Iced Green Tea (Unsweetened)
Not up for coffee? No worries. Iced, unsweetened green tea has the caffeine you need, minus the bitterness. Plus, yep, it’s totally keto-friendly, since it’s basically just water and herbs. (If you need even more sweetness, feel free to add some Splenda.)
- Per large serving: 5 cal, 0 g fat, 0 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 1 g protein
Iced Raspberry Tea (Unsweetened)
Yep, Dunkin has all the keto-friendly tea options for when you hit up the drive through. Want more of a fruity taste for your Dunkin order? The chain has you covered with this unsweetened iced raspberry tea, which will be a real treat for your sweets craving.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
- Per large serving: 20 cal, 0 g fat, 5 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0g sugar, 0 g protein
Latte With Coconut Milk (Hot or Iced)
Latte lovers, this one’s for you. You can still order hot and iced lattes while also doing the keto diet. All you have to do is make sure you get yours with coconut milk to ensure that it stays within keto guidelines.
Per large serving: 70 cal, 6 g fat, 4 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 1 g protein
Iced Blueberry Tea (Unsweetened)
Yep, Dunkin has blueberry-flavored tea on the menu, and it’s totally keto-friendly. Just make sure you get the unsweetened version, but feel free to add some of your own light sugar (like Splenda) in there to taste.
- Per large serving: 20 cal, 0 g fat, 5 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 0 g protein
Plain Iced Tea (Unsweetened)
If you’re the person who always orders iced tea during the summer (or winter…or fall…), this one’s for you. The unsweetened version of Dunkin Donuts’ iced tea is totally keto-friendly since, well, it’s basically just water-soaked herbs (that taste amazing, mind you).
Important Considerations
- Flavor Shots vs. Flavor Swirls: Remember flavor shots and flavor swirls are two different things! Dunkin Donuts unlike most coffee chains uses flavor shots rather than syrups. Keto at Dunkin Donuts is made easy with their flavor shots. These sugar free flavor shots however are not to be confused with their flavor swirls. Flavor Swirls- These are the sugar version of flavor shots. When ordering flavor shots make sure it’s unsweetened.
- Refreshers: Don’t get the thought of refreshers mixed up with iced tea. Refreshers unlike iced tea (unsweetened traditionally) are sugar ladden drinks.
- Milk Options: As you can see we choose to make our keto dunkin donuts coffees with coconut milk. That’s because their coconut milk is unsweetened making it a great low carb option. They also don’t have typical heavy cream and rather heavy cream that’s half cream and half, half and half. However, we did want to include all milk options incase you were interested in knowing the net carbs per serving of milk in a cup of your coffee.
- Customization: Ordering only plain coffee drinks and then customizing it accordingly. Gone are your days of ordering sugary holiday drinks and limited edition lattes.
- Keto Friendly Flavors: Blueberry- Feeling adventurous? This blueberry shot is the perfect low carb addition to your iced green tea- unsweetened. Raspberry- Another great option if you like Raspberry tea and don’t want all the sugar. Make any of their base teas a little more interesting by adding a shot of blueberry, raspberry, or coconut!
Keto-Friendly Food Options at Dunkin' Donuts
While Dunkin' Donuts is primarily known for its coffee and baked goods, there are a few food items that can be incorporated into a ketogenic diet with some modifications.
- Breakfast Sandwiches (No Bread): Say no to breakfast bagels and sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches. You can also order any other sandwiches and wraps without the bread for a low carb option. Bacon egg and cheese no bread- 220 calories, 3g carbs, 17g fat, 13g protein.
- Snacking Bacon: Sadly there aren’t a ton of low carb side options at Dunkin. The one shining glory snack is their small bag of snacking bacon. This bacon isn’t really keto friendly, but it is low carb if you did a half serving (5 net carbs).
- Avoid Bagels and Muffins: If you were looking for a low carb bagel you’ll be sad to know Dunkin has no diet bread or muffin options yet.
Tips for Ordering Keto at Dunkin' Donuts
Need to make the best possible keto Dunkin Donut options? Here we will share some good tips for ordering keto friendly options at dunkin.
- Ordering only plain coffee drinks and then customizing it accordingly. Gone are your days of ordering sugary holiday drinks and limited edition lattes.
- When it comes to food, skip the bun!- Say no to breakfast bagels and sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches.
- When ordering flavor shots make sure it’s unsweetened- We touch on this below, but dunkin uses keto friendly flavor shots instead of sugar free syrups.
- Those are our best ordering tips so you can walk in confident like a pro.