What Brand Of Oat Milk Does Dunkin' Use?

As the popularity of oat milk continues to skyrocket, it's cropping up in more and more places and is now ubiquitous at many larger coffee chains. Dunkin' added the option to its menu in 2020, making it "one of the first national quick service restaurant brands to make oatmilk available at 100% of its U.S. locations," according to the company's press release. The decision came after a test run in California gave customers a taste of the vegan alternative to cow's milk.

The brand that Dunkin' uses in its beverages is Planet Oat. In 2023 it was the best-selling oat milk in the United States (per Statista), which is not the brand of oat milk Starbucks uses. Starbucks, however, didn't add the plant-based milk to its permanent menu until 2021. Dunkin' partnered with actress and vegan personality Tabitha Brown to make the announcement on Instagram and TikTok where she was shown enthusiastically trying the non-dairy milk in a variety of cold coffee types, including iced coffee, chai, and matcha lattes. 

At the time of the rollout, Dunkin' introduced its new Iced Oatmilk Latte. That specific item is no longer listed on the menu — although the regular iced latte can still be made with oat milk. In fact, any drink at Dunkin' can be customized with oat or almond milk for an additional charge. Almond milk is the only other dairy-free option and has been available since 2014. The company added coconut milk in 2021 but discontinued it in 2023.

Planet Oat's popularity can be attributed to its rich flavor; it's exceptionally creamy and has just a hint of sweetness. It's vegan, gluten-free, and contains no soy, peanuts, tree nuts, lactose, or any artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Compared with making your own homemade oat milk, the way Planet Oat is made is slightly different. After the oats are soaked in water, their starch is broken down with enzymes, giving the milk its smooth texture. Once the remaining solids are removed, the liquid gets fortified with additional flavors and nutrients. 

Planet Oat's milk comes in an assortment of flavors, including original, vanilla, extra creamy, dark chocolate, and unsweetened varieties. There's also a specialty product called Barista Lovers that's formulated to achieve frothing and steaming at home just like you would get at a cafe. Based on customer reports and videos of Dunkin' staff at work, the company uses the extra creamy rather than the barista blend. For vegans who want even more flavor in their oat milk beverages, the coconut, raspberry, vanilla, hazelnut, toasted almond, and blueberry flavor shots at Dunkin' are also 100% free of animal products.

In 2023, a lawsuit was filed against Dunkin' due to up-charging for its non-dairy milk. The suit claimed that it's discriminatory against people who are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow's milk. Starbucks has been named in a similar suit, which is still pending, while the case against Dunkin' was dismissed in 2024.