Here’s What To Know About If Dunkin’s PSL Is Vegan-Friendly

Although the first day of fall is still weeks away, Dunkin’ is already serving up autumn sips. The fall menu offerings landed in stores on Aug. 18, which means you can start replacing your regular latte with a PSL, like, right now. Dunkin’s take on a pumpkin latte is filled with flavors of the season. But if you’re wondering if Dunkin’s Pumpkin Spice Latte is vegan, here’s what you need to know.

Dunkin’s Aug. 18 release of its PSL was its earliest to date, following the chain’s Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte’s debut in 2020. For a refresher on what’s in this drink, the Signature Pumpkin Spice Latte features pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla flavors mixed with espresso and whole milk. It’s topped with a layer of whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Clearly, the main iteration of Dunkin’s Pumpkin Spice Latte isn’t vegan due to its inclusion of cow’s milk. If you think a non-dairy milk swap will make it vegan-friendly, it’s not that simple.

The problem lies in the pumpkin syrup used in the sips because it also contains milk. According to Dunkin’s ingredient list, the Pumpkin Flavored Swirl Syrup is made with sweetened condensed nonfat milk, which is a combo of milk and sugar. So, any drink you add the pumpkin syrup to won’t be vegan. The Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew also contains dairy in the drink itself as well as the syrup and the cold foam.

To meet Dunkin’s vegan menu requirements, per the brand, the beverage needs to contain no animal sources, including meat, fish, shellfish, milk, egg, or honey products, and no enzymes or rennet derived from animals.

All is not lost, though, because a couple of fall sips do meet Dunkin’s definition of vegan — the new Apple Cranberry Dunkin' Refresher and the Apple Cranberry Dunkin' Coconut Refresher. Both refreshers feature flavors of fresh apple and cranberry blended with fall spices. The difference between them lies in the base — the Apple Cranberry Dunkin’ Refresher contains a blend of Green Tea and B Vitamins for an energy boost, while the coconut iteration combines the fruity flavors with coconut milk.

It’s important to note when ordering a vegan item at Dunkin’, the brand can’t guarantee there’s no chance of cross-contamination since vegan and non-vegan products are prepared in the same area.

If the PSL’s non-vegan status isn’t a deal-breaker, you can enjoy a sweet deal on Dunkin’s Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew and Pumpkin Spice Latte by grabbing a medium-sized drink for $3 through Sept. 14. When heading to Dunkin’ to grab a fall sip, make sure to check the CDC guidelines for the most updated health rules.