Dunkin' Vs Starbucks: Who Has The Better Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso?

A good, consistent, strong cup of brewed coffee is often what makes or breaks the morning. Having a go-to coffee spot is nearly as important as having a favorite barber, nail salon, bartender, or even dentist; and for many of us, Starbucks and Dunkin' are the go-to choices. Fast and reliable, the two mega-chains have perfected the art of coffee to-go, offering plenty of specialty drinks at competitive prices that change with the seasons. Which one you prefer is often a point of contention: Loyalists to either brand hardly trade sides to the other, especially when it comes to their favorite drinks. It's worth exploring, then, how those drinks really stack up when tasted side by side, without any bias (I like both chains, I promise).

The Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso has risen in popularity over the last few years, first appearing in Starbucks stores before eventually joining the Dunkin' menus, too. Built with espresso, oat milk, and brown sugar syrup and served over ice, the drink is popular among iced coffee enthusiasts who like a strong coffee with a sweet and creamy finish. The two chains make the drink very differently, though, and which one you choose may depend on how you like your coffee. To determine which one you should reach for on your next morning run, I tried both shaken espresso drinks, testing for espresso flavor, sweetness, overall taste, and value.

The shaken espresso is technically a drink that has been around long before Starbucks introduced it. The shakerato, an Italian iced coffee made of espresso, sugar, and ice and shaken in a cocktail shaker until cold and frothy, is a classic that has been enjoyed long before Starbucks brought it west. Like an espresso martini without the vodka, the shakerato is a drink that can be enjoyed anytime of the day, improving the taste and texture of plain espresso without altering the integrity of the roast. Both Starbucks and Dunkin' have added brown sugar syrup (make your own brown sugar syrup at home with two easy ingredients) as well as oat milk to the drink, creating a sweeter, creamier flavor. Though similar in taste, the shaken espresso differs from a latte in that it is shaken, creating an airy, foamy texture and infused flavor.

Each chain prepares its version of the brown sugar shaken espresso a little differently. For a grande, Starbucks combines 3 espresso shots and 2 pumps of brown sugar syrup in a shaker with ice, shakes the mixture until foamy, and then tops with a dash of oat milk. A medium at Dunkin' combines 2 shots of espresso, oat milk, and 3 pumps of brown sugar syrup in a shaker with ice and shakes the entire mixture, resulting in a fully combined drink. On paper, the methods sound similar enough, but I found the results to taste — and even look — pretty different.

The Starbucks Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso is popular for being one of the most caffeinated specialty drinks on the menu. Visually, the drink is a light, milky color, and when ordered as a grande or venti has clear distinctions between layers (the tall seemed to be too short for the layers to stay visible for very long). There are visible flecks of cinnamon toward the bottom of the drink, which gives the drink a warm, spiced scent. It's also the first thing you taste, and it lingers, combining with the brown sugar for a cozy drink.

What's most notable about the Starbucks shaken espresso is the blonde roast, which gives the drink a mild, nutty flavor with a subtle caramel note. The espresso flavor is not strong -– I wouldn't recommend this one to those who like their coffee black. Instead, this drink is great for those who tend to like iced coffee with cream and sugar, or enjoy milky, warm lattes. My only wish is that the espresso tasted a little stronger because as the ice melted, the drink became unbearably bland (a problem also solved by drinking faster).

The Dunkin' Brown Sugar Shakin' Espresso is offered as part of a collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter after her all-too-catchy 2024 single. Beyond the collab, the drink is otherwise a variant of the Starbucks version, involving brown sugar syrup and oat milk shaken with espresso. This time, though, the drink is darker brown in color with no flecks of cinnamon or froth. This is likely because the espresso used isn't blonde (though it would certainly strengthen Carpenter's collab) and involves an extra pump of brown sugar syrup.

The taste of the Dunkin' shaken espresso is initially alarming — the espresso tastes burnt. I gave it a few more sips, wondering if it could have been a fluke of the first sip or a bad strawful of bitter espresso. Not so: The entire drink had a burnt flavor that the sugar only barely masks. This could vary by drink or location, but when I headed back to try again, I noticed the same result: burnt, bitter coffee flavor. Whether it's the fault of over-roasting the beans, over-grinding the espresso, or simply letting the beans overcook, there are many reasons coffee can taste bad, and not everyone dislikes the taste. In fact, as the ice melts and the drink dilutes a bit more, it actually tastes better than Starbucks' version, with the brown sugar more prominent and the drink overall more flavorful.

It's clear that the two drinks are very different, and which one you personally prefer may depend on what you like in a coffee. Dunkin' uses a dark roasted espresso bean, which leads to a richer, more chocolatey drink. Starbucks uses a blonde roast and cinnamon, leading to a nuttier, more caramel flavor with strong cinnamon taste. It's also worth considering the value: A medium at Dunkin' rings up at $5.40, while the equivalent at Starbucks is a whopping $6.95.

If you ask me, I'd choose the Starbucks Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso. If I'm spending over $5 on coffee, I'd rather get a drink that is definitely going to taste good, every time, with high-quality beans and a tasty cinnamon flavor. The burnt flavor of the Dunkin' espresso ruined the drink for me, and though it mellowed over time, I'd rather spend the money on a drink I can enjoy right away. Starbucks, you win this time (I'm sorry, Sabrina).