Dunkin’ Brown Butter Toffee Latte Review: Tastes Like Amped-Up Caramel

Get ready to channel all the cozy vibes on your next Dunkin’ run. The chain’s winter menu dropped on Dec. 28, and in addition to new Biscuit Bites, it includes a sweet and toasty Brown Butter Toffee Latte. If the name alone isn’t enough to get you reaching for your fuzziest socks, one sip just might do the trick. I tried the new drinks, and this review of Dunkin’s Brown Butter Toffee Latte covers both the iced and hot versions of the drink, so you know what to expect whether you heat it up or cool it down.

You might still be on Team Cookie Butter Cold Brew after sipping it all December long, but with new seasons comes new sips. Channeling dessert flavors, the new latte in town has “bold espresso and subtle brown butter and toffee flavor notes,” according to Dunkin’s Dec. 21 press release. This isn’t the first time toffee flavors have made an appearance in Dunkin’s lineup: In winter 2018, Dunkin’ released a limited-time Buttery Toffee Nut coffee, and it was a winner. This time around, the Brown Butter Toffee Latte shares its predecessor’s sugary, candy-like quality with a less nutty, more caramelized flavor profile.

If you know toffee, you’ll know it’s a butterscotch made from sugar and butter. Dunkin’s nutritional information shows the Brown Butter Toffee Latte uses a syrup made from brown sugar, water, invert sugar, molasses, and natural flavor, so it’s safe to say the company followed a classic toffee recipe to recreate the flavors in a drink.

Dunkin’ Brown Butter Toffee Latte Review

Loyal Dunkin’ drinkers will think of this sip like a nuttier Caramel Swirl coffee, but, of course, you’ll get a little bit of a different experience depending on if you drink it cold or hot.

Iced Latte:

I went for the iced version first, despite the cold winter day in New York. As the chilled coffee hit my palate, it was overly sweet but a sweet tooth like myself enjoyed the dessert-style drink. I went in for a second and third sip to suss out the flavor more. It definitely carries a toffee characteristic with a caramelized brown butter flavor that’s slightly roasted and ever-so-slightly oaky. After a few more sips, I caught a hint of vanilla that complements the rich, buttery composition.

Hot Latte:

In both coffees, I opted for Dunkin’s default milk choice, whole milk, for the Brown Butter Toffee Latte as I wanted to try it the way it was intended. For some reason, the milky flavor was stronger in the hot version. If you love a warm cup of milk, this is for you. The same caramelized notes were apparent in the toasty sip, but it was less sweet — or perhaps I got used to the sugar level.

After trying both the hot and iced version, I prefer the iced for a more enhanced toffee flavor that still brings the cozy vibes. Iced or hot, though, the Brown Butter Toffee Latte is a winter brew that I’ll be going back for at least a few times this season.