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Dunkin’ Donuts Caramel Iced Coffee Recipe: Easy Steps

glass of caramel iced coffee

Caramel is a classic pairing with a savory cup of coffee. It makes sense, then, that Dunkin’ Donuts offers several variations of Caramel Iced Coffee, including a specialty drink you can order at their store and a premixed carton you can grab at the checkout line of major chain grocery stores. While both options are tasty, they will cost you a pretty penny over time. Plus, they both contain a whopping amount of sugar, and there are obviously no modifications for the premixed beverage. Did you know it is super simple to make a similar drink at home that you can tailor to your tastes? You can even use Dunkin’ Donuts beans to make it extra genuine.

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What You’ll Need

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of ice
  • 1 tablespoon caramel sauce
  • 3 pumps Torani caramel syrup
  • 4 oz half-and-half
  • 8 oz double brewed coffee, preferably Dunkin’ Original Blend
  • Extra caramel sauce for drizzle (optional)
Equipment
  • Coffee maker
  • Coffee filters
  • 16 oz cup
  • Spoon
  • Tablespoon
  • Pump bottle

1. Brew your coffee.

Using a regular coffee pot, brew 8 ounces of coffee at twice the strength as you usually prefer. For example, if you normally use 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds per 8 ounces of water on an average day, add 4 tablespoons for this drink. Don’t worry about it tasting too strong. The iced drinks melt quickly, so you’ll actually need to make the coffee too strong to protect it from becoming too diluted. Any type of Arabica beans will do but go for Dunkin’ Original Blend if you want it to taste as close as possible to the real thing. Once your coffee is finished brewing, remove it from the warmer and let it sit undisturbed for about 15 minutes. You don’t want it to be scorching hot when you pour it over your ice, or it’ll rapidly melt.

2. Prepare your ice, half-and-half, and syrups.

While the coffee is chilling, scoop 1 cup of ice into a 16-ounce glass. Pour 4 ounces of half-and-half over the ice. Next, add 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce and 3 pumps of Torani caramel syrup into the glass. Stir vigorously, making sure no clumps of sauce linger in the drink.

3. Pour the cooled coffee over the mixture and stir.

By the time you’re finished mixing the ice, milk, and syrups, the coffee should be almost ready. It’s okay if it’s still a little warm as long as it’s not blisteringly hot. You can always add a little more ice to your drink if you feel like the coffee didn’t cool quickly enough. Once the coffee is done, pour it over your ice mixture and stir. Top with added caramel sauce if you’re craving some extra sweetness. Enjoy!

homemade dunkin coffee

How to Make Dunkin’ Iced Coffees at Home

Now that we’ve covered some ground on how to make iced caramel coffee, let’s talk about possible modifications and other Dunkin’ drinks you can make at home.

Modifications

Although we love a cafe atmosphere, there really is something about making your own coffee creations from your humble coffee pot. For starters, homemade recipes are easily customizable. If you have dietary restrictions that don’t allow you to indulge in half-in-half, you can swap it for creamy coconut milk—without the typical upcharge for plant-based beverages. While you can technically make the iced caramel coffee with any milk you want, we definitely recommend sticking with a creamier dairy or plant-based milk as opposed to skim milk or almond milk. It obviously won’t hurt to opt for skim, but the drink won’t taste the same. If you do go for a lighter option, you might want to swap the caramel sauce for caramel syrup so that it blends smoother.

Homemade coffee drinks usually don’t contain as much sugar either. Our Dunkin’ Donuts Caramel Iced Coffee contains 17 grams of sugar per 16 ounce serving. If you order an iced coffee with a caramel swirl at Dunkin’ Donuts, you’ll be facing about 40 grams of sugar in a medium (12 ounce) drink. Of course, there’s always the chance that Dunkin’ drinks aren’t sweet enough for you, which is easily remedied by adding extra sweeteners at home.

How to Make Any Dunkin’ Iced Coffee at Home

With twice the amount of coffee grounds, you can elevate your home office experience to include a built-in, at home Dunkin’ cafe. You won’t even need to make a coffee run. The biggest trick to making any Dunkin’ iced coffee drink is to utilize their double brewing method. First of all, it’s not what it sounds like. Double brewed coffee is simply made with twice the amount of coffee grounds—or half the amount of water—that you’d typically use to brew your regular cup of joe. If you usually use 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds per 8 ounces of water, use 6 tablespoons for the double brewing method. This method is employed for all of their iced coffees because it ensures the beverage doesn’t become too diluted as the ice melts.

From there, you can make any Dunkin’ drink at home. Simply double-brew your coffee and add similar syrups in the same ratio as our recipe, whether that be a seasonal peppermint swirl or an everyday flavor like French vanilla.


glass of caramel iced coffee

Simple Dunkin' Donuts Caramel Iced Coffee Recipe

America might run on Dunkin' but it's always nice to have a backup plan in case your time or budget doesn't allow for a coffee break, or if you work from home. This caramel iced coffee recipe tastes very similar to the real thing—with an extra swirl of freedom since you can decide exactly how you want your drink to taste from the comfort of your own coffee pot.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1 16-ounce drink
Calories 275 kcal

Equipment

  • Coffee maker
  • Coffee filters
  • 16 oz Cup
  • Spoon
  • Tablespoon
  • Pump bottle

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup ice
  • 1 tbsp caramel sauce
  • 3 pumps Torani caramel syrup
  • 4 oz half-and-half
  • 8 oz double brewed coffee preferably Dunkin' Original Blend
  • Extra caramel sauce for drizzle optional

Instructions
 

  • Double brew 8 ounces of coffee using your choice of Arabica beans, using twice as much coffee grounds as you typically would. We recommend using Dunkin' Original Blend if you're wanting it to taste as close as possible to the cafe beverage, but any type will do the trick. Once the coffee is finished brewing, remove the carafe from the warmer and let it cool for about 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the drink.
  • Scoop 1 cup of ice into a 16-ounce glass. Pour 4 ounces of half-and-half, or your choice of creamer, over the ice. Add 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce and 3 pumps of Torani caramel syrup into the ice. Stir until the iced milk is smooth, with no clumps of caramel sauce.
  • Once the coffee has cooled, pour it over the drink and stir until consistent. Go ahead and add a little more ice if the drink appears to be melting too quickly. Drizzle extra caramel sauce over the top if you desire, and enjoy your caramel iced coffee.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal

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Conclusion

It’s easy to make a caramel iced coffee that tastes just like Dunkin’ Donuts. All you need is double brewed coffee, ice, half-and-half or your preferred cream, and caramel sauces and syrups. Besides the convenience, the best thing about making specialty coffee at home is that you have a full range of options with the types of milk and syrups you use. Once you’ve mastered the art of caramel iced coffee, feel free to experiment with other flavors of syrups and sauces using the same ratios in our recipe.


Featured Image Credit: Jumpstory

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Brooke

If there's a pencil and paper on her desk, Brooke Bundy has a cup of coffee (or tea) in her hand. Brooke worked in a coffee shop for three years while she finished her Bachelor's degree in Media Studies, and studied to be a writer. She met her future husband in the coffee shop where he lingered too long over deep conversations and dark roast coffee. Now they're happily married in New Orleans, LA, where they spend their free time exploring parks and cafes with their dog Tuggles.

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