Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut ranking second overall is perhaps the most eyebrow-raising result of a full taste test that worked through every flavour currently on shelves, and the original still came out on top. The soft drink, first produced in 1885 at a pharmacy in Waco, Texas, now carries a range of eight variants, and a team of editors set out to rank them all, from the polarising Zero Sugar at the bottom to the enduring 23-flavour original at the summit.
Dr Pepper Creamy Coconut ranking defies expectations
The coconut variant was the outlier nobody saw coming. The tasting team noted that rather than tasting like sunscreen, it adds a soft, faintly tropical note that makes each sip feel decadent without being heavy. Credit for that reception belongs in part to the broader dirty soda trend, which has pushed coconut flavour combinations into the mainstream. As the editors put it, coconut may just be the 24th flavour Dr Pepper was missing.
The backstory of that can matters here. Tasting Table reports that Creamy Coconut first debuted as a limited release in April 2024 before being brought back for another limited run in 2025. Demand was clearly not going away, and the 2026 edition is now the most widely available version yet: according to USA Today, the flavour began rolling out at major retailers nationwide on 13 April 2026 and will remain stocked on shelves through 31 July 2026. Two limited runs that generated enough noise to earn a third outing is a reasonable measure of a flavour’s staying power.
The full rankings, from worst to best
At the bottom of the table sits Dr Pepper Zero Sugar. The blend of artificial sweeteners produced a strong chemical aftertaste that, in the team’s view, overpowered everything else. One tester described it as tasting “bad for you in a not yummy way.” Diet Dr Pepper, ranked third overall, fared considerably better: sweet without being too aspartame-forward, and balanced enough to convert at least some diet sceptics.
Dr Pepper Strawberries and Cream came in seventh. The reaction was split between those who found it enjoyable in a candy-sweet way and those who detected a medicinal aftertaste. Dr Pepper Blackberry, which hit shelves last year, landed sixth after splitting the room more sharply still, with some tasters arguing it drifted into blue raspberry territory while others could not put it down.
Dr Pepper Cherry placed fifth. Visually distinct from the rest due to its reddish-brown tint, it delivered a more subdued fruity taste that the team compared to a cherry soda from a rival brand, without the cough-syrup association some might fear. Dr Pepper and Cream Soda ranked fourth. Where most flavours let the original recipe lead, this one pushes a loud vanilla note to the front, closer to a cream soda lollipop than a soft drink, making it the richest option in the range.
That leaves the original at number one. The blend of 23 flavours has held up across 140 years, striking what the team called the ideal balance of sweet, herbal and slightly spicy. However much the newer variants add to the range, the classic formula remains the benchmark against which every other can is measured.
For anyone looking to pick up the Creamy Coconut before the summer window closes, USA Today confirms it is available at major retailers nationwide until 31 July 2026.