Every Krispy Kreme Doughnut, Ranked

When I was younger, Krispy Kreme was a staple. We would visit for fresh, warm, original glazed doughnuts and enjoy the subtly yeasty dough with just enough sweetness from the glaze to make it a perfectly balanced treat. It has been several long years since I last visited a Krispy Kreme location, and I have to say that, like many other former fans who have taken to Reddit to let their woes out, I was sorely disappointed.

Now, my judgment must be taken with a grain of salt. The hype around Krispy Kreme has always been about that red sign in the window being on, signaling that fresh doughnuts were being made and you could consume them still warm and glistening. This has always been the preferred method of consumption, but with Krispy Kreme pushing mass expansion plans across the U.S. and into other countries, they are increasingly focusing on kiosks that don't make doughnuts fresh at all. This will, of course, affect the product's quality and the public's perception of the brand. 

In an effort to spark interest, Krispy Kreme has announced nine new flavors of doughnuts, and I took to the nearest location to try them all and decide which was the best. Excluding the temporary holiday specials, this is all of Krispy Kreme's doughnuts, ranked from worst to best.

One of Krispy Kreme's newly announced flavors, the Oreo cookie doughnut, is filled with a "cookies and Kreme" filling and topped with Oreo cookie pieces with a bit of icing to hold them in place. Upon first seeing it, I thought that out of all the flavors, this would be a hard one to mess up. Who doesn't like Oreos? A cookie that is often replicated into other desserts, such as the delicious mint Oreo Blizzard from Dairy Queen, it's a classic flavor combination of crunchy cookie and smooth cream that would make sense in a doughnut.

Nonetheless, it was terrible. I'm confused about how the cookie pieces on top are even really Oreos — they don't taste like anything. The Kreme filling inside is minuscule and falls absolutely flat. Overall, this doughnut tasted a bit like a crayon, with a side of high-fructose corn syrup. You're better off just buying some Oreos.

I also had high hopes for Krispy Kreme's newly added New York cheesecake doughnut. I'm a huge fan of all kinds of cheesecakes, from the burnt-topped Basque to the spongy Japanese. The top of this unglazed doughnut is covered with icing and topped with graham cracker "crust" pieces, and the inside is filled with a cheesecake Kreme.

First, I just tried a few of the crust pieces on their own. I was hoping for the malty graham cracker flavor with a hint of butter that's so signature of a cheesecake crust, but they fell flat, barely tasting like anything — and they fall everywhere as you try to eat the doughnut. Also, the icing just tastes like cheap sugar with a plastic-like texture.

The filling is decent, with that slight tang of cream cheese, making it at least a bit better than the Oreo-filled doughnut — but there's barely any of it. I expect a filled doughnut to be bursting with delicious creaminess, and this one is just a skimpy portion. Krispy Kreme may have added these flavors to spark interest, but I don't think people will be flocking to the stands for this bland doughnut.

Krispy Kreme has clearly been trapped in the corporate solution of shrinkflation, which has caused many chains and fast-food restaurants to shrink their portions while keeping (or raising) their prices. It's most plainly evident in the quantity of filling, in this case, a sad, insulting puff of cream that wouldn't even fill a tablespoon.

The one upside to this doughnut, as compared to the two flavored ones previously mentioned, is that the taste of the dough isn't overwhelmed by the toppings. Still, the dough could taste better, and the glaze is so bland that it makes the whole thing unpleasant. I love cream-filled doughnuts, but you'd have to bring your own can of whipped cream to this party. I definitely wouldn't bother ordering this one again.

The Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled Doughnut is just like the one previously mentioned, but with chocolate icing instead of glaze. The chocolate is at least a bit better than the original glaze, in that it actually tastes like something. A faint hint of Hershey's chocolate syrup is what it reminds me of, which adds something to an otherwise bland doughnut. I prefer it over the NY cheesecake and Oreo doughnut for its simplicity — those ones felt overdone.

Similarly, in this one, the cream is a very skimpy portion. You would think, looking at this doughnut, that there was a mass shortage of whipped cream, causing them to have to limit the supply. But in reality, it seems to hint that the company is grasping at straws to save on food costs as they over-expand into other countries.

I do think that sprinkles on a doughnut are a bit pointless. They're really there for decoration — and sure, they do add some festivity and color — but the taste of hard sugar and food dye just adds to the cheapness. I wonder, when eating some of these flavors, if microplastics are on the ingredients list for their recipe — they just taste so much like chewing on the back of a pen.

The strawberry icing is reminiscent of Nesquik's strawberry milk powder — not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your tastes. Personally, I have a soft spot for the nostalgia of artificial strawberry flavor, and thus enjoyed this one a bit more than the chocolate cream-filled, but if you don't like a very artificial fruit flavor, I'd steer clear.

I came into this review fully expecting that the original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut, the one that made them famous, would probably be my favorite flavor. After all, many of the flavors they've added are recent additions. When I was a kid, it was all about the original glazed coming off the belt fresh, warm, and sweet. The yeast had a toasty, sour flavor, the dough was fluffy, and the glaze melted onto your fingertips.

This time, that wasn't the case, but let's be very clear: I didn't eat this one freshly made, which makes a huge difference. (If you have access to a Krispy Kreme, you should absolutely give the original a try when the "Hot Now" sign is on.) Unfortunately, the kiosks are now the most common locations, and despite visiting early in the morning to get the freshest doughnut possible, this one just wasn't that good. Even after microwaving it for a short time to mimic the warmth, the dough was utterly flavorless, and the glaze adds nothing but a cheap sugar taste. Still, I do prefer it over the aforementioned flavors, as it at least isn't overwhelmed by unnecessary add-ons.

The concept of a cinnamon-coated, apple-filled doughnut sounds delicious. It's basically the flavor concept of a bear claw, but in a different shape. While the concept is nice, the flavors on this one (unsurprisingly, at this point) fell flat. They describe the dusting on the top as a "powdered cinnamon coating," which I assume means it's a mixture of powdered sugar and cinnamon, but I can't even taste the cinnamon.

As for the filling, it is a nice, chunky sort of apple jam, but it tastes surprisingly unlike apples. Probably it is a cheaper version made more with corn syrup than actual apples. Like the other filled doughnuts, there isn't nearly enough filling.

All in all, I like the concept, and the filling is at least tasty enough to rank above the previously mentioned doughnuts. But it was still disappointing.

The plus side of the chocolate iced doughnut is the flavor of the chocolate. Is it cheap, Hershey's-type chocolate? Yes. But does it improve an otherwise basic, bland doughnut? Also yes. I prefer the chocolate icing over the original glaze because it at least tastes like something besides melted sugar plastic, and it stays true to what it is (unlike the flavored doughnuts that claim to taste like something but fall far short).

I may be being a bit harsh, but ultimately, these doughnuts make me want to run to a grocery store or local shop in search of a doughnut that is actually properly made.

The chocolate iced custard filled doughnut was the first one I ate that I actually somewhat enjoyed. It is still seriously lacking in the custard department — what happened to filled doughnuts that ooze creamy filling with every bite? But the custard does taste good. It soaks into the doughnut, adding some flavor to the dough.

The chocolate icing is a nice combo with custard — this is a classic doughnut flavor for a reason — and the idea behind the taste is good. I may be a bit biased, since chocolate custard-filled is one of my favorite doughnuts to order (although I would much rather visit a local shop that makes them better than Krispy Kreme). If they just added more custard, it wouldn't be so bad, but you can't help but feel like you're being cheated out of a good snack with how skimpy the portion is.

Once again, the bland taste of the doughnut is saved by a decent filling. It's a classic raspberry center, no chunks or anything too fancy, but a good raspberry flavor nonetheless. Unfortunately, the filling here is also in short supply, about a tablespoon for the whole doughnut. It makes me long for a classic raspberry-filled doughnut where the jam oozes out onto your fingers and makes a bit of a mess.

That being said, I do prefer the taste of the raspberry filling over the custard and certainly over the cream-filled, as it is both sweet and tart enough to make each bite a bit more interesting — if only there were enough to go with each bite of dough.

The glazed cinnamon roll doughnut is pretty much a cheaper version of the name. It has the components of its namesake pastry — cinnamon, a rolled dough, and classic icing — but lacks the 'oomph' of a good cinnamon roll.

The perk I do see with this doughnut, though, is that cinnamon rolls often come in such massive portions that you can never eat the whole thing in one sitting. If you're looking to satisfy your cinnamon roll craving without eating such a large portion, this doughnut isn't a bad way to do it.

Heated up and dipped into coffee or cocoa, it would make a nice treat — although there were a few I liked a bit more than this one.

The lemon filling here actually surprised me. It has a tangy, mouthwatering flavor and a creamy texture, just like a lemon curd should. It blends nicely with the dough, and I would say it is one of the more craveable doughnuts, and definitely the best of the filled variety — if not because the flavor of the filling is strong enough that a little bit goes a long way as compared to the cream, custard, or even raspberry. 

Still, I found myself eating the filling and discarding most of the doughnut, as once the filling is gone, there's really not much to enjoy, and, as you can see, it's way more doughnut than it is lemon curd. It was my favorite filling flavor — but there was one doughnut that took the cake. 

I don't typically like cake doughnuts. They can be overly dense or heavy, and I often miss the flavor of yeasted dough. The Krispy Kreme original glazed cake doughnut, though, was easily my favorite out of all the Krispy Kreme doughnuts. There isn't much flavor in the other non-cake doughnuts, so I didn't miss it. Plus, the cake doughnut has a texture that isn't overly dense. It is very sweet, but dipping it into a hot cup of coffee is the perfect way to balance it out.

Everyone has their personal preferences when it comes to flavors and textures. I found that I preferred the simplicity and texture of this one the most, compared to the other doughnuts, which were either disappointing in the filling or just plain bland.

As I mentioned in the intro, Krispy Kreme doughnuts are really served best when they're fresh out of the fryer and still warm. That's why they became a name worth knowing. As the company expands, it is opening more kiosks than manufacturing locations, and selling its doughnuts in 7-Eleven and grocery stores, making the freshly made product harder and harder to find.

Where I live now, there are several easily accessible kiosks, but the nearest place to get hot, fresh doughnuts is quite far away. Thus, the best solution I had was to visit the kiosk early in the morning when the doughnuts had presumably been made and delivered recently. This, of course, will affect the quality. But there are plenty of doughnut shops, grocery stores, and even other chains that have no problem making doughnuts whose fresh flavor lasts for several hours after they come out of the fryer.

All of this to say: if you have the opportunity to visit a Krispy Kreme and try an original glazed fresh out of the fryer, you absolutely should. But when it comes down to buying flavored doughnuts, you're much better off visiting a local shop or grocery store to get your fix.