Battle of the (Pumpkin Cream) Brews.
It is crazy how the seasons changing can make businesses so much damn money. Bikinis in the summertime, floral candles in the spring, peppermint in the winter and what we are consumed with now—pumpkin in the fall.
And if there was an award of Best Monetization of Seasons, it would be a tie between Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts.
Starbucks is the reigning queen (or king) of the pumpkin brew. Its Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew is the delectable potion exhausted college students use to get them through a chilly, long day on campus (or the drink of choice for a CEO, we won’t tell).
Pumpkin-ness
It’s a tie!
When it comes to pumpkin, Starbucks doesn’t play. The combination of its cold brew flavor with the pumpkin cream creates for a delicious harmony of the two. You still get the bitter yet smooth profile of the cold brew, but with notes of pumpkin, cream and fall seamlessly blended in.
However, Dunkin’ was up for the pumpkin fight. The Dunkin’ version of the fall staple is equally as pumpkin-y in its own way. Instead of a pumpkin spice flavor, Dunkin’ focuses on amplifying pumpkin’s flavor itself. Dunkin’ is known for its flavor swirls that are both sweet and creamy; so, while Starbucks’ sheer flavor meets the fall drink demands, Dunkin’s pumpkin cream gives the Washington favorite a run for its money.
Side note: Dunkin’, the East Coast favorite, has a reputation for inconsistency. The day when I tried the pumpkin cold brew might’ve been a good day/fluke. We cannot guarantee your barista that day will be equally as skilled.
Creamy-ness
Starbucks
Now, this is a skewed ranking; I don’t like my coffee very creamy, as I prefer the coffee’s profile to overpower the fancy stuff. While the pumpkin cream cold foam is delicious, it’s sometimes challenging to fully mix in. While most sips are pumpkin-tastic, some sips leave you only the cold brew, which isn’t pleasant when you aren’t expecting it. However, if you take time to stir the cold foam with the cold brew, it creates the perfect medium between coffee and pumpkin delight.
Sweet-ness
Dunkin’
Donuts are sweet treats and Dunkin’ Donuts take the sweetness of its donuts and applies that to its coffee. Dunkin’ specializes in its swirls, which contain more calories and dairy than a simple flavor shot, so its pumpkin coffees (and Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew) contain far more dairy than the Starbucks alternative. Of course, you can change the amount of dairy or entirely replace dairy with alternatives. Mixed with dairy and sugar, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew from Dunkin’ is a sweeter, sugary version of the Starbucks more “mature” fall beverage.
If you want sugar, you should run on Dunkin’.
Calorie-ness
Dunkin’, barely
Calories shouldn’t matter, as they’re essentially units of energy; However, starting off your day with a whole bunch of calories, mostly from sugar, isn’t the most nutritious way to kick off a morning. For this reason, it’s pretty much a tie for the two coffee giants, with Dunkin’ winning by 20 calories and 1 gram of sugar.
For a medium Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
Dunkin’: 230 calories, 30g of sugar
Starbucks: 250 calories, 31g of sugar
So, depending on your health goals/concerns when it comes to your morning coffee, you might prefer one over the other
Coffee Pro Drip: To lessen the amount of sugar in your pumpkin cream cold brew, try modifying the number of pumps of vanilla or pumpkin in your drink. You can do this at the register or on the coffee shop’s app.
Pricey-ness
Always Dunkin’
The appeal of Dunkin’ over Starbucks is its affordability. Almost always, drinks at Dunkin’ are cheaper than its competition. Now, while it’s cheaper, sometimes it comes with a cost. As stated earlier, Dunkin’ is fairly inconsistent and people on TikTok have gone as far to do “daily Dunkin’ checks” to see if their favorite drink taste the same as before.
However, if price is an important factor on which coffeeshop you buy your brews at, Dunkin’ is the sure winner. For the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, it will cost you around $3.99 for a medium at Dunkin’, and around $5.45 for a grande at Starbucks (prices vary from state to state). You don’t have to be good at math to know which drink is easier on the wallet. But talking bang-for-your-buck, you might stay away from Dunkin’…
Overall-fall-ness Winner
Starbucks: Consistent, Creamy and Cucurbita (aka Pumpkin)
There are always personalized reasons why people choose one coffee place over another: price, location, brand loyalty, consistency and more. However, in the battle of the brews there can only be one winner. Weighing out all criteria and thinking about which store offers a better Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew for your money, Starbucks comes out on top.
Starbucks and Dunkin’ proved that they know how to put pumpkin deliciously in coffee; but the real winner lies in the consistency and flavor of the Starbucks version. Overall, with Starbucks, you are paying for high-quality fall goodness that is worth every sip.
As the weather falls chillier, the last thing you want is for your pumpkin coffee expectations to fall flat; Starbucks will always fight for you and your pumpkin coffee desires.
Which pumpkin coffee do you prefer? Let us know by tweeting @PulltabSports.
