Author: Sean

What are they?

Summer has arrived at the doughnut shop! The all-new Strawberries and Kreme Doughnut is a strawberry frosted yeast shell filled with both strawberry and KK’s signature Kreme. The returning Banana Pudding doughnut is a yeast shell filled with a mixture of banana custard and Kreme, topped with yellow icing and Nilla Wafer pieces.

How are they?

Well, it looks like someone at Krispy Kreme didn’t get the memo because my Strawberries and Kreme Doughnut is completely devoid of any strawberry filling. I was really excited at the idea of a dual-filling and the way a jelly texture would work with a creamier one. That being said, it is BURSTING with Kreme and as a huge fan of the thick sweet stuff, I am still enjoying this immensely.

The strawberry icing has a surprisingly authentic and slightly tart berry flavor that’s much more real and much less Nesquik than I was expecting. The yeast shell is soft and fresh and even though I’m a bit letdown, I’ll take Kreme over jelly any day, and even as is it’s pretty delicious.

The Banana Pudding Doughnut came as advertised and the banana custard is AMAZING. It has the runny-ness of custard with the slight sugary grit of the classic Kreme and a big super delicious banana flavor that exceeded my expectations. It’s sweet, but rich and eggy and I can’t imagine any way it could be better.

What could be better are the Nilla wafers, which are stale and don’t do much to elevate the experience, and kind of bring it down – making it taste and feel less fresh. Although it isn’t great, it’s easy to overlook, because once again the ratio of filling inside is damn fine.

Is there anything else I need to know?

What I got was essentially a Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled with strawberry on top and a fancy little Hostess-y squiggle. Since the Kreme filled is my number two favorite right after KK’s Original Glazed, I really dug it, but the potential for it to be even better is there.

Conclusion:

The Banana Pudding doughnut is a worthy returning flavor with an immaculate filling that’s up there with KK’s best. It may have been better with some sparingly placed white chocolate chips, but I can’t deny the necessity of wafers for the pudding profile.

Purchased Price: $1.89
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Strawberries and Kreme, but could be 9 or better if made properly)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Banana Pudding)
Nutrition Facts: Strawberries & Kreme – 330 calories, 17 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 23 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Banana Pudding – 360 calories, 19 grams of fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 24 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein..

What is it?

The apparent runner-up to Krispy Kreme’s glaze-voting-contest-winner lemon – The Blueberry Glaze Doughnut. Once again KK’s iconic glaze conveyor belt of sickly sweet dreams gets transformed from the original wash of sugary vanilla to a brand new and seasonally appropriate blueberry.

How is it?

Out of the box, the doughnut carries the distinct aroma of one of my other favorite breakfast carb bombs – a blueberry bagel. Unlike a blueberry bagel, which always smells sweeter and more potent than the flavor it actually delivers, this doughnut comes through in a major way. The bright berry notes work perfectly with the doughy yeast base for a combination that is truly great and much tastier than it looks.

The blueberry glaze is sweet yet sharp and highlights the golden fried exterior in a way that is often masked by the best-in-its-class original. It’s a gentle flavor that isn’t too over the top yet very present with the perfect ratio of fresh to decadent with the slightly tart blueberry helping to temper the sweeter OG recipe.

Is there anything else I need to know?

Krispy Kreme is known for its super fresh Hot Light doughnuts, but since these are only made once early in the day and I couldn’t make it until later, I had to recreate that magic at home with the microwave. Popping this berry boy into the micro for 6-8 seconds heightens the sweetness and creates a melty soft texture that’s everything conveyor dreams are made of.

Conclusion:

It’s a damn good thing that KK decided to bring out this non-winning glaze for a week-long run because as good as the lemon was, this one is even better. It’s a more notable change to the original while still keeping everything that makes the OG so classic. The blueberry is the berry that’s made for breakfast, performing equally well in pancakes, muffins, oatmeal, and, you’d better believe, doughnuts.

Purchased Price: $1.69
Size: N/A
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 200 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

What is it?

The Original Glazed Doughnut from Krispy Kreme with a lemon makeover. Doughnut fans across the world voted between lemon, blueberry, caramel, and maple. Citrus came out on top, which will be available for one week of lemony delight.

How is it?

Like all glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts, this one is delicious. Soft, flaky, and doughy with a gentle snap from the ever so slightly thicker glaze than usual. When I went into the shop and got close to the glazing conveyor belt, the waft of lemon aroma was strong. But much like a cup of herbal tea, the nose was more prominent there than what I get while actually eating.

The lemon flavor is soft and favors sweetness over acidity, although the citrus presence tempers the usual hyper-sweetness of the Krispy Original Glazed. There’s a touch of fresh zesty flavor that cuts through the sugar, and a distinct confectioners powdered sugar flavor like the icing on top of a pound cake. It’s there just enough to make a difference but not nearly as strong as a lemon filling or thick frosting.

Is there anything else I need to know?

When popped into the microwave for the suggested six seconds the texture softens but surprisingly the lemon flavor stays the same. I’ve found that generally an altered glaze will pop more when warm, but the lemon remains subtle and gentle like a cool spring breeze.

Conclusion:

This is a lovely doughnut with a refreshing spin on one of the best items in fast food, but not something you need to go out of your way to try. I love that KK is mixing it up with its glaze and allowing for some real change to its recipe, but unless you’re a die-hard lemon fan it’s not a game changer, and even then it might be more subtle than your pucker-loving lips might desire.

Purchased Price: $1.29
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 190 calories, 11 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 10 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

What are they?

The Chips Ahoy! Cookie Doughnut is an unglazed shell filled with cookie dough Kreme, dipped in dark chocolate, topped with cookie pieces and a mini Chips Ahoy! Cookie. The Nutter Butter Cookie Twist is an original glazed twist dipped in peanut butter icing, topped with Nutter Butter cookie pieces, and drizzled with peanut butter icing.

How are they?

The Chips Ahoy! Cookie Doughnut is a slightly modified version of one of my favorite Krispy Kreme staples, the chocolate iced kreme filled, and it’s pretty damn tasty.

The cookie dough kreme is very similar to the usual white kreme but with a lovely brown sugar flavor and gritty crunch to emulate one of America’s favorite ice cream mix-ins. Somehow the brown sugar presence makes the kreme overall less sweet and when combined with the dark chocolate icing makes for a delicious and well-balanced bite.

The cookie crumbles on top were pretty much a non-factor – only giving a tiny bit of crumbly boost without much flavor. I’ve never been a big fan of chewy Chips Ahoy! And unfortunately, the mini cookie on top, which should be crunchy, got a bit soft from exposure to the air.

The Nutter Butter Cookie Twist feels like a bit of a missed opportunity – it isn’t filled with peanut butter. Since we already know KK can whip up a great PB Kreme from last year’s Reese’s doughnut, I can’t help but feel a bit let down by the lack of peanut butter pop.

The glaze on the twist combined with the cookie crumbles makes the overall profile super sweet, and any salty nuance gets lost in the shuffle. It’s still a decent doughnut but it tastes like a sugary crunchy version of the original glazed that veers too much into sugar coma territory – nothing special.

Is there anything else I need to know?

This is pure junk food/fast food fun at its best. The shape of the twist cleverly emulates the shape of Nutter Butter cookies and the Chips Ahoy actually comes with a cookie. Taking childhood cookie staples and transforming them into fresh doughnuts is great, and hopefully the Caramel Tim Tam Krispy Kreme isn’t too far around the corner.

Conclusion:

While neither of these doughnuts completely nail the cookie they’re going for, there’s no doubt that the Chips Ahoy one is a tasty remix of one of KK’s best offerings, while the Nutter Butter is forgettable.

Purchased Price: $1.89 each
Size: N/A
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Chips Ahoy)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Nutter Butter)
Nutrition Facts: (Chips Ahoy) 400 calories, 22 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 120 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 26 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. (Nutter Butter) 310 calories, 14 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 1.5 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 27 grams of sugar, and 4grams of protein.