- We tasted a dozen assorted doughnuts from Krispy Kreme.
- The assortment included glazed, filled, and cake doughnuts.
- With a wide variety, it ultimately came down to personal preference when choosing a favorite.
When it comes to doughnuts, I choose glazed every time. Anyone can top a doughnut with fancy, flashy, Insta-worthy toppings but there’s nothing to hide behind a classic doughnut with a simple glaze. At Krispy Kreme it’s no different, and their original glazed doughnut is the obvious choice, especially when the Hot Light is on.
But is there a sleeper hit I’ve been missing out on all these years by ordering original glazed without question? I sampled a dozen different Krispy Kreme doughnuts to find out which is best. I based much of my decisions on the balance of flavor and textures, as well as the sweetness of the doughnuts.
I tried all the doughnuts available year-round at this particular location, but obviously, it may vary based on your location.
Here’s what I thought of each:
Chocolate iced with Kreme filling was a bit too sweet for me
There are recurring themes between the different flavors, the Kreme filling being one of them. For me, the filling was overly sweet and dense, reminding me of the pre-made icing you'd buy at a supermarket. As a result, it overwhelmed an already-sweet doughnut.
Glazed with Kreme filling was similar
This doughnut was also just a bit too sweet for me.
The cinnamon bun had a subtle flavor
The cinnamon flavor was subtle and the doughnut was a bit tougher in texture than original glazed, which, in looking at the ingredients lists, was perhaps due to the addition of oat fiber.
The glazed blueberry cake had a muffin-like texture
This dense doughnut was crumbly and not as sweet as some of the others. The glazed topping added a satisfying crunchy texture.
Glazed raspberry filled didn't live up to my expectations
Jelly doughnuts are a classic, and I know people that love Krispy Kreme's version, but I wasn't as impressed. I was looking for a tart raspberry filling to cut through the sweetness of the glazed doughnut. Instead, I felt I got a bland jelly that only hinted at a raspberry flavor.
Chocolate iced glazed had additional sweetness and not much chocolate flavor, in my opinions
I found Krispy Kreme's chocolate glaze lacking in a deep, chocolatey flavor and adding sweetness to an already-sweet treat.
Glazed chocolate cake delivered on flavor
Hello, chocolate. This doughnut is crumbly like glazed blueberry cake, but with an indulgent chocolatey flavor. It's pretty dense, though, and as much as I love doughnuts I don't know that I could finish this in one sitting.
Glazed lemon filled brightened the palate with a tart lemon filling
The lemon filling delivered the tartness I was looking for in the raspberry jelly doughnut, a perfect foil to the sweetness of the glazed doughnut.
Colorful sprinkles leveled up the chocolate-iced-glazed doughnut
While Krispy Kreme's chocolate icing wasn't my favorite, the sprinkles added texture and, as an added bonus, made it more aesthetically pleasing.
Chocolate-iced custard-filled is essentially a Boston cream doughnut
At the end of the day, it's about personal taste, and I have a soft spot for Boston cream doughnuts. The generous custard filling inside a fluffy doughnut made for a tasty treat.
Cinnamon swirl stood out with its sugary coating and unique topping
Tossing the doughnut in cinnamon sugar emphasized the lightness of Krispy Kreme's doughnut mix, and the cream cheese icing and cinnamon swirl added just the right amount of sweetness and moisture.
Original glazed is a classic for a reason
The Hot Light specifically signals hot, fresh, melt-in-your-mouth, indulgent-yet-light original glazed doughnuts (the likes of which there is no comparison), but even after sitting in a display case and cooled to room temperature, this OG reigns supreme. It is sheer perfection.
