Since its debut in 2020, Dunkin’s line-up of energizing iced drinks, called Refreshers, has been the go-to choice for lots of people when an immediate cool-me-down is needed. With their bright colors and variety of fun flavors for you to try, they seem like the perfect alternatives to heavier drinks like iced teas and coffees. But there’s more than just fruit and ice giving you a boost in these drinks — they also pack a caffeine punch. Quite a few have assumed that because of the fruity vibe, Dunkin’ Refreshers must be caffeine-free.
This actually isn’t the case. In fact, a medium 24-ounce Refresher packs up to 99 milligrams of caffeine. For reference, a small 16-ounce has 66 milligrams and a large 32-ounce has 132 milligrams. Refreshers are made by mixing a flavored fruit concentrate with Dunkin’s brewed green tea – the same one you can order separately as an Unsweetened Iced Green Tea. According to Dunkin’, this green tea base alone adds about 68 milligrams of caffeine to a medium Refresher. But if you do the math, that only accounts for about two-thirds of the drink’s total caffeine.
The other third comes from the fruit concentrate itself. If you check the labels on the flavor packets, you’ll see that each one contains green tea extract, which will further bump up the total caffeine. It’s actually because of this inclusion that there’s really no way to make a “caffeine-free” Dunkin’ Refresher. But you can still drop the level and give it a flavorful upgrade by asking the barista to swap the green tea with lemonade – or give your Refresher more flavor (and caffeine) by requesting more of the boxed concentrate!
How do Refreshers compare to other Dunkin’ drinks, caffeine-wise?
So, just how much of a jolt are we talking with 99 milligrams of caffeine? To put it in perspective, let’s compare Dunkin’ Refreshers to some of the chain’s other popular drinks. A medium 24-ounce Refresher should have about the same amount of caffeine as a medium 14-ounce hot black tea (Bold Breakfast Black Tea), which clocks in around 90 milligrams. If you’re trying to gauge your buzz, you can think of a Refresher as being on par with a standard cuppa. If coffee is more your speed, then the good news is that a medium 14-ounce hot coffee at Dunkin’ packs way more of a punch with 210 milligrams of caffeine.
So, if you’re in need of a milder energy boost, the Refresher’s definitely the way to go. Now, on the Dunkin’ menu, Refreshers might remind you the most of the Dunkin’ Energy, which contains caffeine via guarana. Both sport vibrant colors, fun flavor combos, a boost of vitamins and minerals, plus the promise to energize. And the verdict is, when it comes to caffeine, the Dunkin’ Energies definitely have the edge. A medium 24-ounce size delivers about 144 milligrams of caffeine, which is nearly 50% more than what you’ll find in a Refresher of the same size.
All in all, the Dunkin’ Refreshers are right smack in the middle of the chain’s iced drink line-up, caffeine-wise. They’ve got more “oomph” than your standard iced tea, but aren’t quite as intense as a coffee or energy drink, making them a great choice when you want a little energy pick-me-up, but not a full blown buzz. We ranked 10 Dunkin’ Refresher flavors from worst to best if you’re looking to try one.
