Dunkin Is Saying Goodbye to This Nondairy Milk and These Drinks at the End of the Year

If your regular order at Dunkin’ is one of the Coconut Refreshers, or you request coconut milk in your coffee, then you might want to run by your nearest Dunkin’ and order a farewell drink. The Massachusetts-based chain has confirmed that it will pull coconut milk from its U.S. locations by the end of this year — and that means Coconut Refreshers are on the way out too. 

“Although Dunkin’ is indeed bidding farewell to coconut milk at locations nationwide in 2023, new and exciting beverage innovations are on the horizon in 2024 to provide guests with a growing variety of both coffee and non-coffee drinks to enjoy,” a Dunkin spokesperson told Nations Restaurant News, which first reported on the menu change. 

“Guests will still be able to enjoy all of their favorite Dunkin’ drinks with nondairy substitutes, including almond milk and oat milk,” the company said in a statement.” 

Even though coconut milk won't be available in 2024, there is a workaround for Refreshers lovers. According to the spokesperson, customers can still have the Mango Pineapple or Strawberry Dragonfruit flavors made with green tea instead of coconut milk. 

Dunkin' didn't explain why it will no longer offer coconut milk, but one industry analyst has suggested that it could be either its higher cost, its relative unpopularity compared to other nondairy milk … or both. Rober Byrne, the director of consumer and industry insights at food service consulting company Technomic, told CNN that coconut milk is "the most expensive nondairy" option. 

The company's data also suggested that only 1% of customers had ever tried coconut milk in their Dunkin' orders, compared with 3% for oat milk and 5-7% for almond milk. 

Dunkin' added coconut milk as its third nondairy option in late April 2021, and it also debuted the Coconut Refreshers and a Coconut Milk Iced Latte at the same time. "The start of the summer season is the perfect time to expand our menu with coconut milk, another exciting nondairy choice for our guests," Jill Nelson, Dunkin's vice president of marketing and culinary, said at the time. "Dunkin' is crafting the coolest coconut milk beverages to keep our guests refreshed and running, throughout summer and all year long." 

It turns out, the coconut milk and those refreshers kept some guests running for over two and a half years, but they'll have to start running on something else for 2024.