Mmmm, forbidden donut. *Homer drooling sound*
Are you tired of Dunkin’s normal fare? Then, may I interest you in Dunkin’s new PARAnormal fare?!
*Lights flicker! A wolf howls! An additional cliché scary thing happens!*
With a fiery delight fit for goblins and ghouls.
A ghost pepper donut?! How can it be true?!
This treat is no trick…
On to the review!
*Shrill scream, maniacal laugh, yadda yadda, and so on*
Now that I’ve set the mood…
According to the press release, the new Spicy Ghost Pepper Donut is a “classic yeast donut ring, topped with a strawberry flavored icing that features a bold blend of cayenne and ghost pepper, finished with red sanding sugar.”
If that sounds spooky and strange to you, I’m right there with you. I had no clue what to expect. “Ghost Pepper” gives the impression this donut tastes like the 4th layer of hell. But then again, would Dunkin’ really put something on the menu that would force you to chug a gallon of milk at 7 am?
I won’t drag it out to calm your fear – this donut isn’t extremely spicy. I mean, it’s spicy for a donut, but you won’t have to plan your day around it.
Have you ever spritzed cologne or perfume and then walked through the mist to catch some of the droplets? This is like if a Strawberry Donut did that with pepper spray.
I’ve never eaten a straight ghost pepper because I’m not a psycho, so I can’t really vouch for the exact authenticity of the pepper flavor. I did, however, taste a crisp red pepper vegetable essence, if that makes sense.
It’s “ghost” in the sense it tastes like the ghost of pepper past. I’d put the heat level on par with a standard spicy chicken nugget. But the strawberry icing and little sugar crystals neutralize it down another Scoville notch lower.
Imagine the aftertaste of having a spicy Mexican or Indian dinner, then chasing it with a strawberry donut for dessert.
The heat did grow with each bite, leaving my lips a little numb, but it wasn’t something that stuck around. A few sips of coffee should just about wipe the ghost from your palate completely.
So, did I like it? Ehhhh. Definitely not a top tier donut, but a weird novelty worth trying if only to get into the Halloween spirit. I respect the seasonally appropriate marketing, but wish Dunkin’ went with a cinnamon-based “Red Hot” heat instead of “ghost” pepper.
I think this exists just to be a fun “Bertie Botts Beans”-type prank donut to toss into a dozen. It’d be funny to watch an unsuspecting friend eat it and wonder where the spice is coming from.
I say try it if only to say you’ve had it. It’s basically a dollar. Why not?
To quote Ray Parker Jr, “don’t be scared of no ghost… pepper donut.” That’s the remix. Check his Soundcloud if you don’t believe me.
Happy Halloween!
Purchased Price: $1.19
Size: n/a
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 260 calories, 11 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 300 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of total carbohydrates, less than 16 gram of total sugars, 1 gram of fiber, and 4 grams of protein.