Yes, Dunkin Refreshers have caffeine, and more than most people guess for a fruity pink drink. A small (16oz) has 66mg, a medium (24oz) has 99mg, and a large (32oz) has 132mg, per Tasting Table's breakdown of Dunkin's figures, which The Manual confirms. The caffeine is the same at a given size no matter which fruit flavor you order, because none of it comes from the fruit. It all comes from tea.
Where the caffeine actually comes from
Dunkin markets Refreshers as "made with energy from green tea," and that is literally the whole story. The drink is brewed green tea, a flavored fruit concentrate, and B vitamins over ice. Per Tasting Table, the brewed green tea base contributes about 68mg of the caffeine in a medium, and the rest comes from green tea extract blended into the fruit concentrate itself. So the Strawberry Dragonfruit, Mango Pineapple, and the rotating seasonal flavors all land on the same numbers.
That second detail matters if you are trying to dodge caffeine. Dunkin does not publish separate caffeine figures for the lemonade, sparkling, or oatmilk versions, but since the flavor concentrate itself carries green tea extract, do not assume swapping the base gets you to zero. If you need a caffeine-free drink, a Refresher is the wrong order.
Dunkin Refreshers caffeine by size
Calories and sugar below are for the green tea versions, pulled from Dunkin's official nutrition guide (Black Cherry Green Tea Refresher shown; other fruit flavors run within about 10 calories).
| Size | Ounces | Caffeine | Calories | Sugar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 16oz | 66mg | 80 | 18g |
| Medium | 24oz | 99mg | 120 | 27g |
| Large | 32oz | 132mg | 160 | 36g |
How the bases compare on calories and sugar
The current menu lets you build a Refresher on green tea, black tea, sparkling water, lemonade, or oatmilk. Caffeine for the non-green-tea bases is not published, but the calorie and sugar gaps are big and they are all in the same nutrition PDF. Medium size, Black Cherry flavor shown:
| Base (medium) | Calories | Sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Green tea | 120 | 27g |
| Black tea | 120 | 27g |
| Sparkling | 120 | 27g |
| Lemonade | 230 | 55g |
| Oatmilk | 250 | 33g |
The lemonade versions roughly double the sugar. If a regular asks why their "light" drink order tastes like candy, that is why.
Refreshers vs the rest of the Dunkin menu
By Dunkin standards, a Refresher is a mild dose. Tasting Table puts a medium hot coffee at 210mg, more than double a medium Refresher's 99mg, and Caffeine Informer lists a medium iced coffee at 297mg. Even Dunkin's Sparkd Energy drinks, the ones with the energy-drink branding, sit at 144mg for a medium. A large Refresher at 132mg is comparable to a strong 8oz cup of home-brewed coffee, spread across 32 ounces of liquid.
That makes Refreshers the drink to suggest when someone wants "something with a little kick" in the afternoon but complains that cold brew keeps them up. It is also worth flagging to parents ordering for kids: 66mg in a small is not nothing.
For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. How caffeine affects you depends on your own tolerance and health, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.
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Related reading
- Dunkin Sparkd Energy caffeine: how strong it really is
- Pumpkin spice latte caffeine at every major chain
- The Barista Life caffeine database
FAQ
Do Dunkin Refreshers have more caffeine than coffee? No. A medium Refresher has 99mg, while a medium Dunkin hot coffee has about 210mg and a medium iced coffee about 297mg. Even a large Refresher (132mg) stays well under a small coffee's range.
Which Dunkin Refresher has the most caffeine? No single flavor wins. The caffeine comes from the green tea base and green tea extract in the concentrate, so every flavor has the same amount per size: 66mg small, 99mg medium, 132mg large.
Are Dunkin lemonade Refreshers caffeine free? Dunkin does not publish separate caffeine numbers for the lemonade, sparkling, or oatmilk versions. The fruit concentrate contains green tea extract, so assume some caffeine remains and ask the store if it matters to you.