These popular fall drinks contain more sugar than you think

DALLAS (KDAF) — A new study of fall drink menus across some of America’s favorite coffee chains has revealed the options made with the most sugar.

The study by Luckraise.io analyzed the ingredient and nutritional information relating to seasonal drinks menus for Starbucks, Dunkin’, Caribou Coffee, Dutch Bros, Tim Hortons, and Biggby Coffee. To allow fair comparison across different drink sizes across brands, the researchers calculated how many grams of sugar each beverage had per 100 calories.  

Shortlisting drinks only containing coffee, this ranked the fall drinks with the highest sugar content ratio. 

Table: Top 15 fall drinks with the highest sugar content ratio 

Rank	US Chain	Drink Name	Sugar(g) per 100 calories	Total sugar*	Percentage of recommended daily intake*
1	Dunkin’	Iced Almond Spice Coffee	21.05	40	80%
2	Dunkin’	Cereal ‘N’ Milk Coolatta	20.9	140	280%
3	Caribou Coffee	Pumpkin Espresso Shaker	20.37	55	110%
4	Caribou Coffee	Pumpkin Latte (Iced)	20.33	61	122%
5	Caribou Coffee	Pumpkin White Mocha (Iced)	19.77	87	174%
6	Dunkin’	Pumpkin Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam	19.58	47	94%
7	Dutch Bros	Caramel Pumpkin Brûlée Chai Breve (Blended)	18.33	99	198%
8	Dutch Bros	Caramel Pumpkin Brûlée Shake (Blended)	17.59	146	292%
9	Biggby Coffee	Chumpkin Latte (Frozen)	17.56	76.4	153%
10	Biggby Coffee	Sweet Foam Pumpkin Cold Brew	17.5	42	84%
11	Caribou Coffee	Pumpkin Latte (Hot)	17.32	71	142%
12	Caribou Coffee	Honeycrisp Apple Caramel Espresso Shaker	17.17	79	158%
13	Biggby Coffee	Jack-O-Lantern Latte (Hot)	16.79	42.8	86%
14	Caribou Coffee	Pumpkin White Mocha (Blended)	16.78	146	292%
15	Caribou Coffee	Pumpkin Latte (Nitro)	15.71	88	176%

*Total sugar and the percentage of daily recommended intake calculated based on a standard/medium-sized drink or similar. 

Taking the top spot at the fall drink with the highest sugar ratio this year is Dunkin’s Iced Almond Spice Coffee, according to the analysis. The autumnal addition to the coffee chain’s menu contains a whopping 21.05g of sugar per 100 calories. For customers picking up a standard-sized beverage, they will consume an estimated 80% of their recommended daily sugar intake due to its total sugar content of 40g.  

Dunkin’s Cereal ‘N’ Milk Coolatta places second on this year’s list, with a sugar ratio of 20.9g per 100 calories. However, this new nostalgic drink from Dunkin’ is one of the chain’s most sugary drinks overall, with a huge 140g of sugar in a medium-sized drink. This equates to an eyewatering 280% of an adult’s recommended daily sugar intake in just one drink. 

Third is Caribou Coffee’s Pumpkin Espresso Shaker. According to the chain’s ‘pumpkin level’, the beverage is their most pumpkin-fueled option on their menu this fall, making it the ideal choice for lovers of seasonal drinks. However, it’s also the brand’s highest-sugar option, when scaled by calories, with a content ratio of 20.37g of sugar per 100 calories. A medium-sized Pumpkin Espresso Shaker contains 55g of sugar. 

Caribou Coffee’s Iced Pumpkin Spiced Latte ranks fourth among popular fall drinks this year that have the highest sugar content ratios. According to the analysis, the chain’s iced take on this seasonal classic contains 20.33g of sugar per 100 calories. The 61g of sugar overall in a medium-sized beverage equals an estimated 122% of an adult’s recommended daily intake. 

Caribou Coffee also takes fifth place on the list for its Iced Pumpkin White Mocha. This autumnal option is perfect for fans of sweet, white chocolate, but those who still want a seasonal touch. Among options on the chain’s menu, this beverage also contains a high sugar content ratio of 19.77g per 100 calories. Overall, a medium-sized drink contains 174% of the recommended daily intake, with a total of 87g of sugar detailed in its recipe. 

However, among the top 15 most sugar-fueled drinks analyzed for this season, it is Dutch Bros’ Blended Caramel Pumpkin Brûlée Shake and Caribou Coffee’s Blended Pumpkin White Mocha that have the highest total amounts of sugar in each, with a medium-sized beverage containing a huge 146g of sugar overall. This accounts for almost three times the adult recommended daily intake, totaling around 292%.