4 min read
I’m a huge banana coffee fan. I’ll admit it’s an unusual flavor, and I understand why it has its skeptics. But personally? I’m obsessed, and I think everybody should try it. In fact, I’ve got the whole office talking about banana coffee these days because I feel I need to spread the good word, which I have been doing with reckless abandon.
I was thrilled when both Starbucks and Dunkin’ launched new banana-flavored drinks. After tasting the Starbucks vs.Dunkin’ banana lattes, I still wanted more. Of all the Dunkin’ banana drinks—there’s a lot of them!—which is the best for banana beginners or hardcore enthusiasts like myself?
Armed with a breakfast burrito and a warning to my coworkers that I would be a level of caffeinated best described as dangerous, I started my very scientific taste test to find the best banana coffee from Dunkin’.
How I tested
Dunkin’ has three signature banana lattes, and I tried them all: the Banana Puddin’ Cloud Latte, the Monkey Business Cloud Latte, and the Nutty Banana Cloud Dunkalatte. I was going to stop there, but when I saw the Chocolate Covered Banana Iced Coffee, I decided that as long as I’m already three coffees deep, I may as well make it four.
Flavor-wise, the cold foam itself has a banana Laffy Taffy vibe. I tried all the coffees with and without the cold foam, and I found they were tastier with. Here are my favorites in order.
Good Housekeeping / Jillian Sollazo
Sarah Vincent
A totally normal amount of coffee to have at my desk, which did not alarm any coworkers.
#1. Chocolate Covered Banana Iced Coffee
What is it: An iced coffee with mocha swirl, cream, and banana cold foam.
The chocolate banana iced coffee is my favorite of the bunch. It’s the least sugary-tasting of the four drinks (though it’s still plenty sweet). The mocha gives it a comparatively “bitter” note to the other drinks, which helps balance the sweetness of the banana cold foam. This is more mocha-forward, so it’s not overly banana-y, but both flavors get to shine and complement each other well.
If you’re banana-curious, I would definitely recommend you start here! This drink is a fun twist on a mocha that feels whimsical without tasting like drinking a straight-up milkshake. I would enjoy sipping this while walking around the city, bopping around a craft fair or art gallery.
#2. Nutty Banana Cloud Dunkalatte
What is it: A latte with hazelnut swirl, coffee milk, and banana cold foam.
I’ve never actually had a Dunkalatte before. I’ll admit to being skeptical: Why does coffee need coffee-flavored milk added? Now that I’ve tried one, I understand: it makes your drink taste like melted coffee ice cream.
If you love coffee-flavored ice cream or coffee-flavored yogurt, this is a drink you’ll enjoy. It doesn’t taste quite like normal coffee—it tastes like coffee flavoring. The hazelnut flavor isn’t prominent, but it gives a lightly nutty profile that mixes well with the banana.
The banana addition here is nicely subtle, because the coffee itself is already sweet and smooth. It gives an additional flavor note that makes this more layered than just the super-sweet ice cream vibe of the coffee alone. If you want a dessert drink, this is what I would choose off the menu.
This latte makes me wish that scoop shops sold banana coffee-flavored ice cream. (Maybe with some Heath bar mix-ins?) Ben and Jerry’s, please answer me.
#3. Monkey Business Cloud Latte
What is it: A latte with butter pecan swirl and banana cold foam.
The flavors are less defined in this latte than in the others. It hits more of a generic sugary taste; I’m less convinced by it than the top two drinks. Something about the butter pecan makes the banana cold foam taste more artificial here than it does in the other coffees. I wonder if the butter pecan and the banana are too close in flavor profile.
I also suspect the butter pecan swirl may simply not be my favorite versus a brown sugar or caramel flavor. If you’re a big butter pecan fan, your mileage may vary!
Personally, I probably wouldn’t come back for this drink versus the chocolate banana or the Dunkalatte, which feel more creative and better combine with the banana.
#4. Banana Puddin’ Cloud Latte
What is it: A latte with banana swirl and banana cold foam.
This was the first item I tried from Dunkin’s banana menu, and it’s my least favorite of the bunch. I’m glad I tried the other drinks and didn’t let this one put me off the rest of the menu! It turns out I’m just not a fan of the banana swirl.
This drink has a strong banana-laffy-taffy flavor. I prefer the other drinks, which have more balanced flavors than the banana-on-banana profile of this drink. Fans of this latte love that it reminds them of a creamy banana pudding. If you love banana flavored candy, you may want to give this one a try.
The Verdict
I would definitely order the Nutty Banana Cloud Dunkalatte and Chocolate Covered Banana Iced Coffee again. I think they are the best drinks on Dunkin’s banana menu, offering a fun spin on a traditional drink with multiple layers of flavor. Whether you are a banana coffee fan or just want to try something new, they are the standouts for this limited edition menu.
Sarah Vincent (she/her) covers the latest and greatest in books and all things pets for Good Housekeeping. She double majored in Creative Writing and Criminal Justice at Loyola University Chicago, where she sat in the front row for every basketball game. In her spare time, she loves cooking, crafting, studying Japanese, and, of course, reading.
Dining and Cooking