Food & Beverage

Dunkin' coffee-fied cereal: The back story

Photo: Provided.

March 8, 2021

Last July, Dunkin' worked with Post Consumer Brands to make something java-lovers everywhere had probably long been dreaming of — cereal with coffee in it. Now, the companies partially pulled back the curtain on their process leading up to the consumer product.

Two cereals came out of the partnership: Dunkin' Caramel Macchiato and Mocha Latte cereals. Both flavors got their inspiration from the coffee flavors that Dunkin' fans love. At Post Consumer Brands, R&D Product Development Scientist, Maddie Brandt, said the idea to combine the breakfast favorites initiated with the growing popularity of all types of coffee drinks with the American public. And in the case of the two cereals, coffee is not just a flavoring agent, but it is actually directly infused into the morning munch.

"To create the cereal, Dunkin' coffee extract was infused into the cereal pieces to provide maximum coffee flavor in each bite," Brandt said in a blog post on Dunkin's site. "These two flavors are some of the most popular flavors in beverage form. The bold flavors translate well to cereal and provide a unique new way for coffee lovers to enjoy the taste of Dunkin'."

Brandt said the two companies spent 10 months creating the new cereals, over which time they tasted lots of coffee drinks "to learn the different nuances between them." The result are two cereals that the companies believe capture the best of both coffee and cereal, which was just in time for National Cereal Day on March 7. The companies are asking customers who've tried the cereals to post their feelings on their social media accounts.