Dunkin’ has always been a dependable destination for coffee and quick breakfast staples, but that extends well beyond coffee and donuts. While the brand has leaned into seasonal drinks and sweet bakery items in recent years, its bagels remain a quiet classic — soft, lightly chewy, and usually served with a generous smear of cream cheese. But if you’ve been ordering the same toasted bagel on autopilot, there’s more room to customize than you might realize. There are plenty of tips, tricks, and hacks for smarter ordering at Dunkin’ that can help you create the perfect bagel.Despite the streamlined menu, Dunkin’ stocks a handful of versatile ingredients that, when used creatively, can elevate your bagel to a better breakfast. From unexpected toppings to add sweet or savory notes to additions that bring more texture to every bite, there are ways to turn your usual order into something more filling, flavorful, or texturally interesting — without giving employees (or your wallet) a migraine. Some of these add-ons don’t appear on the menu itself, but they’re easy to request and assemble yourself if you dare to think outside the bagel.

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Ask For Honey Packets To Drizzle On

You won’t find honey on Dunkin’s standard bagel menu — the “spread” options the chain offers only include butter and a variety of flavored cream cheeses. But because of the stacked hot drink menu (which we ranked), some locations stock individual honey packets — especially those with a full tea selection. Pairing honey with cream cheese on a warm, toasted bagel offers a gentle hint of sweetness to balance the tangy cream cheese, especially on plain, wheat, or multigrain bagels (this might be a bit more offbeat on an everything bagel).

The standard butter spread you can easily order on your bagel is also delicious with honey, creating a salty-sweet situation reminiscent of a warm buttermilk biscuit or that deliciously addictive honey butter that is a big reason why Texas Roadhouse’s rolls are so good. Or, if you’re just looking for the sweet flavor without all the creaminess of a spread like cream cheese or butter, honey is also delicious on its own, especially on flavors like cinnamon raisin or blueberry where there are already sweet flavor profiles at play.

Order Avocado Spread To Turn Your Bagel Into Avocado Toast

It’s not news that you can order avocado toast at Dunkin’ — the chain added the popular breakfast item to its menu back in 2021 — but you can hack your way into an elevated avocado toast if you know your way around the menu. The shining star of this beloved type of toast is the avocado spread — that’s where the flavor, creaminess, and protein boost all come from. The vessel, however, is interchangeable.

If you’re bored with bread, think outside the box and use a bagel as the base instead. When ordering a bagel at Dunkin’, opt out of butter or cream cheese and ask to add avocado spread instead. Lather your bagel with it and you’ll have handheld avocado toast, bagel-style. The spread pairs especially well with everything or sesame seed bagels, creating a savory, balanced bite with just enough fat and salt to keep you full until lunch.

Add Hash Browns For Texture (And A Little Nostalgia)

Dunkin’s mini hash browns are typically sold as a side, but they can also double as a bagel filling. If you’re someone who has been adding potato chips to your sandwiches since childhood for that extra crunch, this hack is for you. Try layering the delicious little hash brown coins inside a toasted bagel with cream cheese. The hash browns are small enough to fit neatly on a bagel half, and their golden crust holds up surprisingly well when stacked inside.

Because they’re lightly spiced with herbs and salt, they bring just enough flavor without overwhelming whatever spread you’re working with or the flavor of the bagel itself. For maximum herby, savory flavor, opt for an everything bagel with Dunkin’s Garden Veggie cream cheese. This DIY hack works best if eaten shortly after assembly — once the hash browns cool down, they lose some of their crispness.

Add Snackin’ Bacon To Your Bagel For Extra Protein And A Savory Crunch

Bacon is a fan favorite at breakfast time, and Dunkin’ dialed into the craze by offering its Snackin’ Bacon — smoky, slightly sweet strips of bacon that feature brown sugar-infused sweet black pepper seasoning. And while they’re marketed on the menu as a standalone snack, they’re even better when added to a bagel. Layering Snackin’ Bacon into a cream cheese–covered bagel creates a savory breakfast sandwich — no egg or cheese required.

The smaller size of the bacon strips makes them ideal to use as a bagel topping, too. Unlike full breakfast bacon, which can hang out awkwardly from the sides, Snackin’ Bacon fits inside the bagel with less mess. This is a practical option if you’re looking to boost the protein in your breakfast without splurging for a full-on bagel sandwich from Dunkin’, complete with egg and cheese. You could, however, go all in with avocado spread and turn it into a fast-casual riff on a California-style breakfast slider.

Request ‘Very Dark’ (Or ‘Very Light’) Toasting

Bagel texture can make or break the experience, and at Dunkin’, the standard toast level may not always meet the bite you’ve been craving. Fortunately, there’s a simple fix: Ask for your bagel “very dark” or “very lightly” toasted, depending on your preference. This small customization allows you to control the crunch factor and avoid the inconsistency of a middle-ground toast. Not all Dunkin’ locations will appease your toasting preferences, but it’s common practice at many stores to customize your toasting level if you ask. According to a Reddit thread on a subreddit dedicated to Dunkin’, requests for “very light” or “very dark” toasting are typically honored — just be polite and clear when ordering.

If you like a crispier bagel with an almost blistered exterior, opt for a “very dark” toast that stands up well to cream cheese or avocado spread without turning soggy. On the other hand, a “very light” toast keeps the inside of the bagel soft while warming the bagel just enough to bring out its flavor. This one also makes way for more of a chew and less of a crisp. Basically, this minor adjustment is the bagel equivalent of asking for your fries or hash browns extra crispy. You’re still getting the same item, but fit to your own personal preferences for texture.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.