Dunkin' vs Starbucks: Calorie Comparison for 10 Drinks

<div class="quick-answer"><strong>Quick Answer</strong>Dunkin' generally has fewer calories than Starbucks for the same drink category, especially in flavored lattes and cold drinks. A Dunkin' medium caramel latte has about 240 calories; a Starbucks grande caramel latte with the same milk has roughly 380. Cold brew and black coffee are nearly identical at both chains.</div>


Why Compare Dunkin' and Starbucks?

These are the two biggest coffee chains in the US, and most regular coffee drinkers have visited both. If you're watching calories, the choice of where you get your morning coffee can mean the difference of 100–200 calories per day — that's 36,000–73,000 extra calories per year.

This comparison uses medium (14 oz) Dunkin' drinks matched against Starbucks grande (16 oz) orders. Where sizes don't match exactly, I've noted it. All drinks use whole milk unless specified. You can [calculate your exact Dunkin' order](/dunkin-calorie-calculator) after reading this.

The Comparison: 10 Popular Drinks

1. Regular Latte

**Dunkin' medium latte with whole milk:** ~180 calories

**Starbucks grande latte with whole milk:** ~250 calories

Starbucks uses more milk per serving in a grande, which accounts for most of the difference. Both are made with espresso and steamed milk — the calorie gap is almost entirely about portion size.

2. Iced Coffee

**Dunkin' medium iced coffee with whole milk:** ~80 calories

**Starbucks grande iced coffee with whole milk:** ~120 calories

Iced coffee is straightforward — brewed coffee over ice with milk. The Starbucks version uses more milk in a grande, which explains the gap.

3. Cold Brew (no milk)

**Dunkin' medium cold brew:** ~5 calories

**Starbucks grande cold brew:** ~10 calories

Essentially identical. Both are cold-steeped coffee with no added ingredients. The slight difference comes from serving size variations.

4. Caramel Flavored Latte

**Dunkin' medium caramel swirl latte:** ~240 calories

**Starbucks grande Caramel Latte:** ~380 calories

Here's where the gap really opens up. Starbucks uses more syrup and more milk in their caramel drinks. If flavored lattes are your go-to, switching to Dunkin' saves about 140 calories per order.

5. Mocha

**Dunkin' medium mocha latte:** ~260 calories

**Starbucks grande Caffè Mocha:** ~360 calories

Same pattern as the caramel drinks — about 100 calories less at Dunkin'. Dunkin's mocha uses a mocha swirl (flavored syrup), while Starbucks uses mocha sauce, which tends to be sweeter and more calorie-dense.

6. Frozen/Blended Coffee

**Dunkin' medium Frozen Coffee with whole milk:** ~350 calories

**Starbucks grande Frappuccino with whole milk:** ~420–480 calories

Starbucks Frappuccinos are consistently higher calorie than Dunkin' Frozen Coffees because they include additional mix-ins and sweetened syrups by default. The base formula is more calorie-dense.

7. Vanilla Flavored Drink

**Dunkin' medium French Vanilla swirl latte:** ~230 calories

**Starbucks grande Vanilla Latte:** ~280 calories

About 50 calories less at Dunkin' for the vanilla option.

8. Hot Cappuccino

**Dunkin' medium cappuccino with whole milk:** ~140 calories

**Starbucks grande cappuccino with whole milk:** ~140 calories

These are nearly identical. A cappuccino is mostly espresso and foam — the milk volume is lower than a latte, so the calorie count is relatively small at both chains.

9. Matcha Latte

**Dunkin' medium matcha latte with oat milk:** ~240 calories

**Starbucks grande matcha latte with oat milk:** ~240 calories

Also essentially the same. Both chains use a sweetened matcha powder, so the base sweetness is baked in regardless of milk choice.

10. Black Coffee

**Dunkin' medium black coffee:** ~5 calories

**Starbucks grande brewed coffee:** ~5 calories

Zero difference. Both are just coffee and water.

The Bigger Picture

Dunkin' is cheaper on average and slightly lower in calories for flavored drinks. The biggest calorie gap shows up in flavored lattes (caramel, mocha, vanilla) where Dunkin' consistently runs 100–140 calories lower than Starbucks for a comparable size.

For plain coffee, cold brew, or espresso, there's effectively no difference.

The hidden variable is customization. Starbucks allows extensive drink customization that can push calories up or down significantly. Dunkin' has fewer options but that also means fewer surprises. The [Dunkin' calorie calculator](/dunkin-calorie-calculator) lets you price out any Dunkin' customization before you order.

How to Order Smarter at Both Chains

At both Dunkin' and Starbucks:

- **Ask for fewer pumps** of syrup on flavored drinks — most standard orders use 3–5 pumps; cutting to 2 saves 20–40 calories

If you regularly switch between the two chains, knowing these numbers helps you make equivalent choices regardless of which one you're at that morning. For Dunkin' orders, [estimate your calories here](/dunkin-calorie-calculator). Learn more about [how we calculate these values](/about).