25 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Ranked From Worst To Best
Krispy Kreme strives to make the most incredible doughnuts on the planet daily, and that's why they have not changed the way they make the Original Glazed Doughnut since the beginning. The brand believes things are better enjoyed together, and doughnuts are no exception.
When you think of doughnuts, there's a good chance your mind goes to Krispy Kreme. Not many brands can compare to the warm, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth taste of a Krispy Kreme doughnut. Whether you want a sweet breakfast or an afternoon treat, these round desserts hit the spot like nothing else. And receiving one of these doughnuts warm and fresh out of the fryer truly takes the cake.
As Krispy Kreme lovers and self-proclaimed doughnut connoisseurs, we love and appreciate the sweet fluffy creations the brand bakes every day, so we sought to taste some of the brand's flavors and rank 25 doughnuts from worst to best. Keep reading to find out which flavors are worth indulging and which ones to leave behind.
25. Traditional Cake
At the bottom of our list, The Traditional Cake Doughnut grabbed the number 25 spot. This simple doughnut remains one of Krispy Kreme's least flavorful options, in our opinion, because although moist and rich, it lacks sweetness. With so many incredible flavors and variations that curb your sweet tooth, the traditional cake flavor did not stand a chance in moving up on our list.
When we eat a doughnut, we want that flaky texture and sugary taste that, unfortunately, this Krispy Kreme Doughnut does not deliver. The doughnut tastes similar in texture to a pound cake, but not in a very good way that will make you want to grab another.
Other Krispy Kreme cake variations like Powdered Cinnamon Cake and Glazed Chocolate Cake taste infinitely better, so we included these amongst different cake flavors lower on our list. Keep reading to learn more about those delicious flavors.
24. New York Cheesecake
Next up in our Krispy Kreme Doughnuts ranking falls New York Cheesecake, the chain's take on the popular dessert. We immediately noticed the disclaimer on their website, naturally and artificially flavored above the product description, which kicked off our review on the wrong foot. This disclaimer left a bad taste in our mouths literally and figuratively. We knew these doughnuts weren't going to be healthy by any means, but the announcement threw us for a loop and rubbed it in our faces.
The New York Cheesecake doughnut contains a creamy cheesecake filling with cream cheese icing and crunchy graham crackers to top it off. We expected a certain level of sweetness to mimic the iconic dessert but instead bit into a tart-tasting pastry. Overall, we set higher expectations for this flavor, and it fell flat. If you like New York Cheesecake, opt for the real thing and search the Krispy Kreme menu for something better.
23. Glazed With Kreme Filling
Our next doughnut varies from many of Krispy Kreme's other offerings because it lacks the signature doughnut hole in the center. The Glazed with Kreme Filling Doughnut resembles the famous Krispy Kreme Doughnut we know and love without the signature hole in the middle. We recognize that filing a traditional doughnut with Kreme is not entirely possible, so we let this variation slide and moved on to the taste test.
This round pastry is covered with glaze and filled with Krispy Kreme's signature Kreme. We expected a sweet and creamy sensation but experienced a strange combination of tastes and textures. Something about Kreme inside our tried and true glazed doughnut felt incorrect. The Kreme itself tastes buttery and similar to a cake filling. However, we found that the Kreme was inconsistent through the doughnut, not guaranteeing Kreme in every bite. It would be like if you took a bite into an Oreo, and only one side had cream in the center. We will be passing on this flavor next time.
22. Chocolate Iced With Kreme Filling
Like our last doughnut variation, the next flavor on our list consists of sugary Kreme, but this time in chocolate. Drum roll please for the Chocolate Iced Doughnut with Kreme Filling. While this pastry, according to Krispy Kreme, is a "favorite to many," we did not feel strongly about moving it up in our ranking. Imagine the Glazed Doughnut with Kreme Filling, but dipped in chocolate icing.
We found the Kreme inside to be more consistent throughout the chocolate variety, but standby our critique on the flavor of the Kreme. The buttery filling mimicks custard but feels lighter and not as satisfying. Without the Kreme, this Chocolate Iced Doughnut would be more delicious and highly ranked. This sugary treat contains only 23 grams of sugar, which surprised us. A coffee frappuccino from Starbucks contains close to 50 grams. While we did not love this variation, grab a Chocolate Iced Doughnut with Kreme Filling if you want something sweet but not the sugar overload.
21. Glazed Lemon Filled
Some combinations should be left uncombined, and the glaze and lemon combo are one of these combinations. Krispy Kreme took their classic glazed doughnut and filled it with a lemon filling, not to be mistaken for lemon Kreme, to create the Glazed Lemon Filled Doughnut.
For us, the tart lemon filling does not compliment the sugary glaze, making it one of our less desired doughnut flavors. The lemon filling's consistency did not match the ideal texture for a glazed doughnut. While we disagree with the initial pairing overall, the lemon taste was not as prominent as we would have liked.
Krispy Kreme highlights in this doughnut will be sure to brighten your taste buds. Still, we think the best option is to choose another flavor because glaze and lemon do not fit our fancy. If filled doughnuts are your jam, opt for Chocolate Iced Raspberry Filled or Chocolate Iced with Custard Filling.
20. Cinnamon Apple Filled
Suppose the smell of apple pie gives you butterflies on Thanksgiving. In that case, the Cinnamon Apple Filled Doughnut will make your tastebuds do a little dance. In every Cinnamon Apple Filled Doughnut, you will find cinnamon apple compote in every bite. This variation was inspired by classic apple pie, just like mom used to make. Then, the doughnut is tossed in cinnamon sugar to further the cinnamon deliciousness.
We had high hopes for the Cinnamon Apple Filled doughnut because we love the classic taste of cinnamon and apple; however, this doughnut missed the mark for the Mashed taste testers. First, like with the New York Cheesecake doughnut, we noticed the natural and artificial flavors disclaimer.
After this observation, we focused on the flavors, especially in the filling. This doughnut's filling gave more gelatin-like consistency and taste, unlike the Kreme filling. This doughnut honestly could be improved by adding the traditional Kreme center. We will be opting for the Apple Fritter or Powdered Cinnamon Cake flavors moving forward.
19. Oreo Cookies and Kreme
Few combinations compare to the chocolate cookie crunch and creamy white filling of the original Oreo cookie. Nothing compares to America's favorite cookie and maybe a glass of milk to wash it down, except perhaps the doughnut version. Krispy Kreme created a new favorite, the Oreo Cookies and Kreme Doughnut. These Oreo cookies and Kreme-filled doughnuts get dipped in dark chocolate icing and then topped with Oreo cookie pieces to create a cookie doughnut-like hybrid.
The Oreo cookie itself is such a crowd-pleaser, so we assumed the Oreo Cookies and Kreme Doughnut would offer excellent reviews too. Unfortunately, Krispy Kreme missed the mark with this remarkably overly sweet doughnut. Our tasters argued the tastiest part of the doughnut is the Oreo crumble. We would be content only scraping off the toppings, but the entire doughnut is up for review in this article. Overall we enjoyed this donut and the taste of Oreos, but we would not consider it a favorite.
18. Reese's Classic Doughnut
Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Doughnut lovers rejoice because Krispy Kreme offers the doughnut trifecta you never expected. Feast your eyes and taste buds on the Reese's Classic Doughnut. It's the magic of your favorite Reese's cup, transformed into a doughnut shape.
These doughnuts are filled with Reese's Peanut Butter Kreme, dipped in Hershey's chocolate icing, topped with mini peanut butter chips, and covered with a chocolate and Reese's peanut butter sauce drizzle.
Compared to many of the other doughnut variations in this article, the Reese's Peanut Butter Kreme is one of the sweetest and more filling options. It falls heavy in your hand and will have you smacking your lips to clear the chocolate and peanut butter from your gums. The peanut butter chip toppings help identify the doughnut for what it is and provide a solid crunch in every bite. While we did not enjoy some of the other doughnuts with Kreme, this smooth and velvety variety hit the nail on the head.
17. Chocolate Iced Cake
It's not even your birthday, but we're going to dive into our next doughnut, the chocolate iced cake. This doughnut is Krispy Kreme's Traditional Cake doughnut hand-dipped in a rich, decadent chocolate icing. While we are suckers for a moist slice of chocolate cake, many of the cake doughnuts from Krispy Kreme did not exceed our expectations.
The Traditional Cake doughnut, although dipped in chocolate icing, is not exclusively covered in chocolate. Because of its shortage of toppings, this doughnut did not strike our fancy like many of the other variations. In short, it's a dull-tasting doughnut. The chocolate icing provides more flavor than the plain traditional cake doughnut; however, it does not provide incredible flavor. We would appreciate the chocolate icing coating the entire doughnut for a more chocolatey crunch. If you like cake, but want a doughnut with a more flavorful punch, try the glazed doughnuts or one covered in powdered sugar.
16. Apple Fritter
Something about Apple Fritters makes us feel like the seasons are changing, and we need a warm cup of apple cider. This classic treat bursts with cinnamon and apple flavor, all covered by Krispy Kreme's signature glaze. While doughnuts and fritters are similar, before continuing, we would like to point out the key differences. Bakers create doughnuts by deep-frying a piece of dough or batter. On the other hand, fritters take food (like apples) and deep-fry it after coating that food in the batter.
We do not consider Krispy Kreme's Apple Fritter a doughnut. The flavor and consistency check our boxes, but it landed in the middle of our roundup because it does not compare to many actual doughnuts on the list. We tasted equal parts apple and cinnamon in every bite of this thick doughy pastry. If you enjoy this flavor pairing, we know you will want to get your hands on Krispy Kreme's Apple Fritter.
15. Strawberry Iced
Our next pretty pink doughnut will catch the eye immediately. The Strawberry Iced Doughnut combines your favorite classic doughnut with sweet pink icing on top. Like some of the other doughnuts previously mentioned, Krispy Kreme discloses on its website that this doughnut does not contain real strawberries and is naturally and artificially flavored. So we are curious what goes into the strawberry icing on this doughnut.
The Strawberry Iced Doughnut resembles the original glazed doughnut but has a pink hue. Taste-wise we picked up on the artificial strawberry flavoring and felt like the icing mimics the taste of milk and Nesquik Strawberry flavor powder. We would order a Strawberry Iced Doughnut in a dozen variety boxes but not purchase a single pink doughnut to go with our morning coffee. Unfortunately, the artificial flavoring was too off-putting and overly sweet to launch the Strawberry Iced Doughnut any higher on our Krispy Kreme doughnut roundup.
14. Strawberry Iced With Sprinkles
Next on our list, we tried the Strawberry Iced With Sprinkles, aka The Strawberry Iced Doughnut's elevated cousin. The Strawberry Iced with Sprinkles takes Krispy Kreme's Original Glazed Doughnut, dipped in strawberry icing and topped with festive rainbow sprinkles. Essentially, we do not have a ton to add compared to the last doughnut on the list. Still, the fun addition of sprinkles granted this doughnut a ranking higher than the plainer version.
Unlike Homer Simpson, we could not imagine consuming hundreds of pink sprinkled doughnuts in a short sitting, especially with icing as sweet as Krispy Kreme's strawberry icing. We can only imagine the stomach ache and pink dyed tongue that would evolve from that binge. Overall we find the Strawberry Iced with Sprinkles on the average end of Krispy Kreme's doughnuts. We would choose to buy and eat this doughnut in mixed dozen boxes or for a pink-themed party.
13. Dulce de Leche
The famous south of the border treat inspired Krispy Kreme's Dulce de Leche Doughnut. This doughnut comes with a thick dulce de leche filling on the inside and a crunchy, granulated sugar coating on the outside. Those familiar with Dulce de Leche likely got their first taste of the caramel treat at a young age from Haagen Daz Ice Cream Cone.
The Dulce de Leche Doughnut's filling was not overly sweet, which we appreciated. This realization was unexpected, with "sweet" essentially in the dessert's name. Unlike many other filled Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, we wanted to keep going back for more caramel deliciousness. The Dulce de Leche Doughnut provided incredible sweetness, flavor, and the right amount of powdered exterior. Our only complaint would be not enough filling. When we like something, the limit on it does not exist. If you want a rich and creamy caramel-flavored treat, keep the Dulce de Leche Doughnut top of mind.
12. Glazed Cruller
Doughnut or Cruller, you decide. Our next Krispy Kreme favorite is the Glazed Cruller. Bakers make crullers by deep-frying a rectangle of dough with a cut made in the middle to allow it to be pulled over and through itself. This cut maneuver produces twists in the side of the pastry that differentiates the treat from a standard doughnut. Crullers often have a soft, airy texture. People worldwide enjoy doughnuts for breakfast, and crullers are certainly a favorite that we recommend dipping in coffee for maximum enjoyment.
Krispy Kreme sets its crullers apart from the rest by covering them with their uniquely delicious signature glaze, which improves the traditional cake pastry immensely. This Krispy Kreme variation provided a twist (no pun intended) on the original cake doughnut. The unique twists and subtle glaze surprised our taste testers with its effortless goodness. We would recommend this doughnut twofold if you want something traditional, yet different at the same time.
11. Glazed Sour Cream
Do you like sour cream enough to eat it in a doughnut? Our answer leans towards no. The next Krispy Kreme Doughnut in our taste test is the Glazed Sour Cream. We know what you're thinking. Does it taste like sour cream? In short, no, and actually, we learned from the Krispy Kreme website that this doughnut does not contain real sour cream at all.
The Glazed Sour Cream Doughnut tastes like a decadent cake doughnut topped with Original Glaze. The signature glaze provides the perfect addition to the classic doughnut. We do not know where the sour cream fits in the name, but we were pleasantly surprised by the taste of this doughnut. Sour cream adds moisture to baked goods without thinning the batter, so we think the name comes from the moist nature of this doughnut. We know people hate that word, but we said it. Yes, this doughnut is incredibly moist and delicious.
10. Glazed Raspberry Filled
The Glazed Raspberry Doughnut landed next on our list as no surprise because it's a Krispy Kreme classic. Krispy Kreme takes a signature glazed doughnut and fills it with sweet, tangy raspberry jelly. Add this doughnut to your next variety box; trust us if you like filled doughnuts.
We noticed a divided front from the Mashed taste-testing team on jelly fillings. Those who do not like filled doughnuts felt passionate about keeping a plain doughnut, sans fillings. At the same time, jelly lovers rejoiced at the concept and sweetness of the raspberry filling. Still, they voted for more filling overall inside the doughnut. We can appreciate an even distribution of jelly, so receiving one without enough can be highly disappointing.
We recognize jelly fillings are not everyone's cup of tea. If you gravitate towards a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or jam with brie, definitely give the Glazed Raspberry Doughnut a try.
9. Chocolate Iced Raspberry Filled
Do you take your doughnut Chocolate Iced and Raspberry filled? Say that 10 times fast while biting into the side of a doughnut. Krispy Kreme improved its Glazed Raspberry Doughnut with nothing other than its signature chocolate icing. It's *chef's kiss.* We believe there are few things chocolate coating cannot fix. We stand by this and love anything chocolate coated from Krispy Kreme.
This scrumptious doughnut provides a sweet raspberry filling inside with chocolate icing and a delicate red swirl on top. We could do without this swirl, although cute, it does not provide much-added taste or benefits to the consumer. Overall, the doughnut packs the perfect amount of sweetness for those who love chocolate and fruity flavors together. Every bite mixes the raspberry filling and chocolate coating to provide the best of both worlds in a delicious round pastry. Add the Chocolate Iced Raspberry Filling to your doughnut radar today.
8. Chocolate Iced With Custard Filling
We mentioned it before: doughnut fillings are not everyone's cup of tea. Krispy Kreme's Chocolate Iced Custard Filled doughnut raises the debate for our Mashed team between fruit fillings and custard fillings; which filling tastes better. After trying both doughnut variations, the verdict is in, and the custard-filled doughnut takes the cake.
Krispy Kreme's chocolate-iced and custard-filled doughnut takes the traditional glazed doughnut, filled with custard and covered with rich chocolate icing. This creation melts in your mouth and provides a balanced amount of chocolate and custard in every bite.
Although incredibly delicious, the most significant problem with this doughnut arises from the possibility that the inside may come as a surprise when mixed with other doughnuts in the box. It's like when you bite into a See's Candy and have no idea what will be inside. With doughnuts, it could be custard or a fruity filling. Whatever the case, you can rest easy knowing we find this filled doughnut to be one of Krispy Kreme's best.
7. Cake Batter
The name of our next doughnut may fool you; the Cake Batter doughnut does not technically fall under Krispy Kreme's cake doughnut category. Pretend it's your birthday every day with the delicious cake batter doughnut. This pastry comes filled with cake batter Kreme, topped with yellow icing and bright confetti sprinkles, making it the perfect addition for any celebration. And yes, any day ending in "y" constitutes a celebration in our book.
Like any cake, the sweet factor comes into play for our judgment. For us, the Cake Batter doughnut packed an incredibly sweet punch, so much so we felt the head rush you get from indulging in too much candy. Do we regret eating the Cake Batter doughnut, however? The answer is a resounding "no." Compared to many artificially flavored products, the filling tastes like actual funfetti cake batter. The sprinkles add a delicious touch and a crunch on top too.
6. Glazed Blueberry Cake
This next Krispy Kreme Doughnut might be our favorite out of the roughly half dozen cake doughnut variations. Glazed Blueberry Cake takes a classic cake doughnut then combines it with blueberry and a glaze finish to create a flavor combination, unlike any others. The blueberry variety provides a fruity and moist flavoring that outshines the other cake doughnuts. Additionally, the fruit flavor, although artificial, tastes like the real thing and offers more sweetness than even some of the jelly-filled Krispy Kreme creations.
The uniqueness of this doughnut helped it achieve a spot in our top ten doughnuts. We have yet to taste other blueberry doughnuts that compete with Krispy Kreme's excellent taste and texture. The Glazed Blueberry Cake doughnut continues to be one of our favorite items, and we'd recommend it for anyone that likes trying things that are out of the box. It's not every day you have a blueberry doughnut, but we cannot recommend this one enough.
5. Powdered Cinnamon Cake
Grab a glass of milk because this next Krispy Kreme doughnut requires a cold beverage to wash it down. The classic Powdered Cake Doughnut takes a traditionally rich and moist cake flavor and covers it with powdered sugar. It's worth the mess and powder-covered fingers for the delectable taste. We like the Powdered Cake Doughnut because it reminds us of our childhood; if you know the Little Debbies powdered doughnuts, you see where this is going. Imagine those little doughnuts slightly enlarged with cinnamon, and you get the Krispy Kreme version.
We love the Powdered Cake Doughnuts and find they fit best in a variety box of Krispy Kremes. We commend the flavor and consistency of the doughnut. It's not the type of doughnut we would typically order, just one or an entire dozen of this specific variety. For this reason, it did not land in our top four, but overall it is one delicious creation.
4. Chocolate Iced Glazed
While you may not guess from our love for fillings and creative toppings, the Mashed team is full of purists at heart. Bottom line, we like our desserts to be simple, and for that reason, the number four doughnut may surprise you. The Chocolate Iced Glazed Doughnut takes the original glazed doughnut and then hand-dips it in smooth, sensational chocolate icing. Although uncomplicated, it is truly a work of art. Krispy Kreme urges, "chocolate lovers take note."
This basic yet delightfully tasty doughnut melts in your mouth. Pro Tip: Go early in the morning to guarantee a fresh batch. The chocolate icing compliments the glazed doughnut but does not take away from the original masterpiece. The Chocolate Iced Glazed Doughnut wins our hearts and taste buds even with no fillings, toppings, or designs. When we order a variety of Krispy Kreme doughnuts, we include the Chocolate Iced Glazed without question.
3. Chocolate Iced With Sprinkles
It's rare to find a doughnut with the best of both worlds; a sweet doughnut inside with an incredibly delectable outside. The Chocolate Iced With Sprinkles doughnut takes the original glazed ring, dipped in chocolate, and then covers it in colorful sprinkles. This trifecta provides a near-perfect pastry.
Chocolate Iced With Sprinkles is a Krispy Kreme classic, so it comes as no surprise that it landed in the top three of our rankings. This doughnut sells year-round, and Krispy Kreme even switches the sprinkle colors based on the upcoming holidays. While you may see the rainbow sprinkles the majority of the year, around Valentine's Day, the sprinkles are red and pink, and so forth.
This magical doughnut is an obvious choice in any variety box or even a single doughnut purchase. If you want a delicious doughnut that is guaranteed to be consistently good in every order, grab a Chocolate Iced Doughnut With Sprinkles.
2. Glazed Chocolate Cake
If you have yet to catch on, people love cake. Cake satisfies not only on any birthday or special occasion but amplifies any regular doughnut into something special. The taste testers have spoken, and the Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnut rounded out second place in our Krispy Kreme ranking. If you like chocolate cake, this doughnut is for you. It's rich, moist, and full of chocolate flavor, then topped with the award-winning glaze. Don't fact-check us on the award-winning part, but it sure tastes like it's won awards.
The signature glaze ties the crumbly cake and the rich chocolate flavor in the doughnut's base. At first glance, you may see a regular-looking chocolate doughnut, but the combination truly is one of a kind. After tasting many Krispy Kreme's, we decided the cake doughnuts, especially this chocolate variation, pair best with a glass of milk or sweet cappuccino. Trust us: dunk your Doughnuts for optimal enjoyment.
1. Original Glazed
Coming in first place in our Krispy Kreme flavor ranking is none other than the Original Glazed Doughnut. While it may be the simplest doughnut on the menu, it also is the most popular.
There's nothing better than a fresh hot-out-of-the-fryer original glazed doughnut. Krispy Kreme notifies customers of freshly glazed doughnuts with their signature Hot Light. When the light goes on, the delicious Original Glazed Doughnuts are available at that moment, and you should run, don't walk to Krispy Kreme to get your hands on this simple yet delicious creation.
The Original Glazed Doughnut is a favorite to many. We firmly believe its perfect amount of sweetness draws in doughnut lovers for more. Eating one will not induce a sugar headache or coma. Even indulging in two Original Glazed Doughnuts likely will not set you over the edge. In the end, this perfect masterpiece of a pastry will forever win our hearts at Krispy Kreme.