Unraveling the truth about whether or not a product is vegan can often be a challenging task.
This difficulty is mainly rooted in the fact that food brands can be quite ambiguous about the origin and nature of their ingredients.
However, this article seeks to shed light on this issue to support you in your commendable journey to maintain a vegan lifestyle that aligns with your values of respecting all living beings and our planet.
Is Dunkin’ Matcha Vegan?
Regrettably, Dunkin’s Matcha Latte, either hot or iced, is not completely vegan. The reason is rooted in the ingredients that Dunkin’ Donuts uses in its Matcha Lattes.
Dunkin’s Matcha Lattes are typically made with dairy milk, an ingredient that is not vegan because it comes from animals. Dunkin’ Donuts does offer dairy-free milk alternatives like almond milk and oat milk, which can be substituted for dairy milk.
However, the matcha powder mix used in the lattes is dairy free. However, it does contain sugar, which may have been processed with bone char.
Is Dunkin’ Matcha Cruelty-Free?
Unfortunately, Dunkin’ Matcha Latte — iced latte or hot latte — cannot be considered cruelty-free, owing to its inclusion of dairy-derived ingredients and refined cane sugar.
Dairy production often involves processes that aren’t aligned with cruelty-free principles, hence making the product unfit for those adhering to a strict cruelty-free lifestyle. Bone char, used in the refining of sugar, is made from the ground-up bones of animals.
What Is Dunkin’s Matcha Made Of?
Let’s delve deeper into the composition of both the Dunkin’ Hot Matcha Latte and the Dunkin’ Iced Matcha Latte:
- Matcha powder mix
- Dairy milk or non-dairy milk (like almond milk, oat milk)
- Sugar
- Whipped cream (optional)
Matcha powder mix
Matcha is a type of powdered green tea that originated in Japan. It plays a crucial role in providing the unique flavor and green hue in the Matcha Latte. However, Dunkin’s matcha powder mix contains a milk derivative, rendering it non-vegan.
Dairy milk
Dairy milk is sourced from cows and forms the base of the Matcha Latte. Its non-vegan status is clear due to the exploitation of cows in the dairy industry. You can opt for vegan options like almond milk or oat milk instead, but remember, the matcha powder mix itself isn’t vegan.
Sugar
Sugar is a sweetener derived from sugarcane or sugar beets. While it’s generally vegan, some sugar types are processed using bone char, which is non-vegan. Unfortunately, Dunkin’ Donuts hasn’t confirmed the exact source and processing method for its sugar.
Whipped cream
Whipped cream, often used as a topping, is made from cream, which is a dairy product. It’s an optional ingredient, but including it makes the latte non-vegan.
Vegan Alternatives to Dunkin’s Matcha
Your vegan options at Dunkin’ Donuts are rather limited. In fact, Dunkin’ still doesn’t serve any vegan donuts. Not a single vegan donut. And while Dunkin’s Matcha Latte might not be vegan-friendly, either, you’re not completely out of luck. With a bit of an open mind, there’s plenty that’s vegan at Dunkin’ Donuts.
You can opt for any one of the following coffee drinks or other beverages:
- Iced Coffee
- Iced Americano
- Cold Brew
- Dunkin’ Refreshers
- Dunkin’s Hot Coffee
Ensure you substitute any dairy milk with almond or oat milk. You can also order a hot or iced Chai Latte with nondairy milk, but the Chai Tea Syrup does contain cane sugar, which may be processed with bone char, which strict vegans prefer to avoid. So even the Chai Latte might not be a good choice at Dunkin’.
Many of the Flavor Shots at Dunkin’ are vegan, however, and you can add one to any beverage. Here are the vegan Flavor Shots at Dunkin’ Donuts:
- Vanilla
- Hazelnut
- Toasted almond
- Blueberry
- Raspberry
- Coconut
The Mocha Swirl flavor shot contains sugar, which we can’t guarantee doesn’t use bone char.
Conclusion
Making informed choices about what you consume is an integral part of leading a vegan and cruelty-free lifestyle.
Though Dunkin’s Matcha Latte is not vegan or cruelty-free due to dairy-derived ingredients, Dunkin’ Donuts does offer a range of other vegan-friendly drinks that can suit your palate and align with your values.
Understanding the ingredients in our food is the first step towards making compassionate choices for ourselves, the animals, and our planet.