Dunkin Donuts Puts Massive Amount of Sugar in New Pumpkin Drink — And It's Getting Called Out

This season, countless coffee addicts are chomping at the bit for their yearly dose of pumpkin spice everything. There is some bad news for caffeine-deprived Dunkin' customers, however, according to one TikToker. Apparently, drinking a Sweet Pumpkin Swirl Frozen Coffee might well be as bad as chugging an entire six-pack of soft drinks loaded with sugar. In a video that debuted one day ago, TikToker Flavcity informed people about the sugar-coma-inducing treat. The video has already garnered 1.4 million views since its debut.

"Who the f— thought it was a good idea to put this on the menu?" Flavcity asks in the video. "Because this drink has a hundred and eighty-five grams of sugar in it." Drinking one Pumpkin Swirl Frozen Coffee is equivalent to drinking nearly five cans of non-diet soda at once, based on the 39 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce Coca-Cola. As an example of how much sugar is in the drink, Flavcity pours 185 grams of white sugar into a clear Dunkin's coffee cup and fills it nearly halfway. "I'll give you another perspective," he says as he pulls out a donut box. "The amount of sugar in there is equal to 14 glazed donuts."

@flavcity

❌🎃Dunkin’ Pumpkin🎃❌ #dunkin #dunkindonuts #americarunsondunkin #eatthisnotthat #addedsugar #pumpkinspiceseason

♬ original sound – FlavCity

"There's 12 mentions of sugar and high fructose corn syrup in there," he says as he points to the drink's ingredients. "There's 930 calories. And 194 carbs." That's more than a third of the recommended calorie needs for a moderately active adult male. "If America runs on this," he says, in reference to Dunkin's national slogan, "we're f—ed." 

"WTH Dunkin, America won't be able to RUN anymore," agreed one user. "How is it legal for companies to have this on their menu," another wrote. Even though Flavcity warned viewers that many Americans are at serious risk of developing diabetes today due to the poor diets they consume, many viewers dismissed Flavcity's warning, telling him to loosen up. "Soooo don't drink it. Calm down," one wrote. "If you don't want the sugar, DONT DRINK IT," another added.

According to Dunkin's official product nutritional list, a large Pumpkin Swirl Frozen Coffee with whole milk does indeed have 185 grams of sugar and 930 calories. It also includes 290 milligrams of sodium and 194 carbohydrates. Swapping out whole milk for skim doesn't change much, though the total amount of calories decreases to 880. 

If you can't start your day without Dunkin', don't despair. Plenty of healthier alternatives are on the menu if the idea of all that sugar sounds unappealing. Eating Well asked its nutrition editors about their choices for more healthful coffee.

One selection was the Nutty Pumpkin Coffee, which as a hot drink nets 170 calories, 26 grams of carbohydrates, and 25 grams of total sugar. A cold, large Nutty Pumpkin Coffee has 350 calories, 52 grams of carbohydrates, and 50 grams of total sugar. Even with the lower amount of sugar, this drink is still near the suggested daily limit for added sugar intake, per the American Heart Association. The AHA recommends that men and women consume no more than 36 grams or 25 grams of added sugar a day respectively. One suggestion was to ask for half the usual syrup or flavoring to reduce the sugar without sacrificing the taste.

The second choice was a small Pumpkin Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam, which comes in at 190 calories, 37 grams of carbohydrates, and 35 grams of total sugar. While this drink has a significant amount of sugar added to it, it was suggested that in order to make it a little healthier, omit the cold foam and drink it straight up instead or with a splash of milk to help cut down on the added sugar in the drink. 

As a general rule of thumb, ordering these drinks on occasion might be better than making them part of a daily morning routine. A tip from the article's editors suggested that to make sure that the drinks fit within personal health goals, try to stick to a smaller size and ask for half the amount of sweetener.