Buzz
Donuts are a universal treat enjoyed across cultures. Wherever oil is available, people have created their own versions of fried dough, from Argentina’s kreppel to Zambia’s vitumbuwa, showcasing humanity’s love for this indulgent snack.
Unfortunately, some individuals believe they can improve the classic donut. They experiment by combining these sugary, fried delights with unconventional ingredients, ranging from melted cheese to chilled meats. Occasionally, this results in something extraordinary, like the Luther Burger—a mouthwatering fusion of a cheeseburger and a donut that’s as delicious as it is artery-clogging.
However, this list focuses not on the triumphs but the disasters—the most outrageous and unappetizing twists on the beloved glazed treat. You won’t encounter these creations in your local supermarket, and that’s something to be grateful for.
If you’re brave enough, prepare to explore the 10 most horrifying donut concoctions ever created.
10. The Buffalo Crunch Donut
Tim Horton’s is an iconic part of Canadian life. Canadian friends often rave about the exceptional flavor of their coffee, donuts, and TimBits, whatever those may be. Given their extensive experience in crafting delicious donuts, one would assume they’d know how to avoid culinary disasters.
Sadly, that assumption is incorrect.
In 2014, Tim Horton’s unveiled a creation at the New York State Fair that left taste buds traumatized and brought tears to the eyes of those who dared to try it.
This culinary catastrophe, dubbed the Buffalo Crunch Donut, combined a sweet, fluffy donut with a spicy buffalo sauce glaze, topped with crushed buffalo chips and served with a side of buffalo sauce for dipping.
This dreadful donut was reportedly offered in two varieties: mild and hot. Personally, I’d steer clear of both. For shame, Tim Horton’s! For shame!
9. The Sloppy Joenut
Krispy Kreme, I’m truly shocked by this creation. It’s appalling. I feel almost personally insulted by this decision, and that’s saying a lot!
Krispy Kreme is renowned for crafting delectable donuts. In fact, they are often seen as the epitome of American donuts, with their signature glazed treats being a staple in offices and break rooms nationwide.
However, in 2013, Krispy Kreme let us down by introducing the Sloppy Joenut, a creation that ambushed our unsuspecting taste buds.
Teaming up with Chicken Charlies in Del Mar, California, Krispy Kreme gave chef Charlie Boghosian the green light to stuff ground beef, sloppy joe sauce, and cheddar cheese between the halves of a sliced glazed donut, drenching the poor pastry in grease and sauce. The result? A soggy, unappetizing disaster. Krispy Kreme, you should be ashamed!
8. Foie Gras Donut
Aside from the celebrated Luther Burger, it’s widely agreed that meat has no place in a donut. This is especially true for organ meat—in fact, it might even be a triple no-go.
Foie Gras, for the uninitiated, is the liver of a duck or goose that has been fattened through force-feeding. It’s one of those peculiar, indulgent foods favored by the wealthy. Jeff Warner of Brooklyn’s Do Or Dine restaurant made the, let’s say, ‘bold’ choice to incorporate it into a donut.
Setting aside animal welfare concerns, this combination sounds downright unappetizing. Organ meats are rarely suitable outside of stews, and stuffing them into a donut feels like an unnecessary effort to ruin a perfectly good treat.
Packed with rich duck liver and jam, and priced at a staggering $11 per donut, this creation is something that should never have seen the light of day. In a fair and compassionate world, it either wouldn’t exist or would at least come with a more reasonable price tag.
7. Seaweed Pork Floss Donut
Have you ever woken up and thought, ‘You know what would make my morning perfect? A donut sprinkled with pork and seaweed.’
No? I didn’t think so. Yet, Dunkin’ Donuts apparently believes this combination is a winner, as they’ve added it to their menu in select locations. Imagine a classic glazed donut, but topped with pork floss—a fluffy, shredded pork product—and dried seaweed. Oh, and did I mention the glaze? It’s made with chili oil.
Thankfully, this peculiar item is confined to China, far from most of us. Still, Dunkin’ Donuts, what were you thinking? Why would you create such a thing?
The company claims that customers in China favor a ‘traditional, savory breakfast option.’
I’m not entirely convinced that pork and seaweed on a donut fits that description, but I suppose the company knows better.
6. Kimchi Donut
Dunkin’ Donuts, are we really doing this again? More bizarre flavor experiments?
For those unfamiliar, like I was before diving into this culinary nightmare, Kimchi is a classic Korean side dish. It’s made by fermenting napa cabbage, Korean radish, and a blend of seasonings and vegetables (like spring onions and ginger) in large earthenware pots buried underground during winter and summer.
While modern refrigerators now allow the fermentation process to be done at home using jars or Tupperware, some still prefer the traditional method of burying the pots underground.
So, how does this relate to donuts? Dunkin’ Donuts, aiming to attract Korean customers, thought it would be a great idea to stuff this fermented side dish into sweet dough, fry it, and call it the Kimchi Donut.
Dunkin’, why do you insist on these strange creations?
5. The S’moracha
Who came up with this? Seriously, who? I couldn’t pinpoint its origin, but I did find its recipe, so we, unfortunate souls on this dreadful journey, can recreate this monstrosity in our own kitchens or labs.
The S’moracha is precisely what its name suggests: a donut that combines s’mores and sriracha. At first glance, it appears to be a normal, even appetizing donut, coated with all the sweet toppings you’d expect.
Packed with chocolate, marshmallow, and graham cracker crumbs, this donut had the potential to be a delightful treat, satisfying the sweet cravings of anyone who tried it.
Unfortunately, the S’moracha includes a fourth, unexpected ingredient—like a villainous twist: Sriracha, the fiery, tear-inducing Asian hot sauce famously packaged in a clear bottle with a black rooster logo.
This is the kind of donut you’d give to someone you despise, a cruel prank disguised as a snack. It’s the pinnacle of the hot sauce-drenched pastry trend.
4. Bone-Marrow Donut
New York appears to be a hub for culinary innovation, but this particular creation makes me question whether we, as a society, should perhaps curb that creativity just a tiny bit.
The Bone-Marrow donut sounds like a Halloween prank—a donut filled with whipped chocolate designed to mimic bone marrow, a playful, spooky trick to attract customers.
How I wish that were true. Instead, the reality is far more unsettling. Deep within New York City, The Doughnut Project has teamed up with Hudson & Charles’s Butcher Shop to create the Bone-Marrow donut. This donut is filled with chocolate and real beef bone marrow, extracted from beef and pork bones, roasted, and combined with chocolate at the center. It’s then topped with a clementine glaze and chocolate shavings.
When will we learn that animal parts have no place in desserts?
3. The Luxury Zebra Cro
Only two types of eggs should ever be associated with donuts: chicken eggs, used in the dough or as part of a Luther Burger topping, and Cadbury Creme Eggs, as a filling or Easter decoration. Under no circumstances should any other kind of egg come near a donut.
And certainly not fish eggs. Sadly, Paul Hurley, the founder of Dum Dum Donutterie, has decided to include these on his ultra-luxurious cronut.
This controversial pastry is a hybrid of a donut and croissant, featuring premium ingredients like champagne, vanilla beans, and the finest chocolate.
The truly revolting part? To justify its exorbitant price, Hurley added caviar and gold leaf, pushing the cost to $2,000 per donut and its edibility to practically zero.
If you have endless money to burn and a disdain for your taste buds, this might be a worthwhile purchase. For everyone else, it’s best to steer clear.
2. Golden Cristal Ube Donut
While this donut isn’t as much of a culinary offense as others on this list, it’s certainly an affront to your wallet and common sense.
The New York-based Manila Social Club has crafted a donut priced at $100 each—an absurd cost for a simple fried treat. What justifies such a price tag?
It’s adorned with a layer of solid gold.
The donut itself is relatively straightforward, albeit a bit extravagant: fried dough filled with ube mousse—a creamy, whipped filling made from purple yams—and topped with champagne-infused frosting. The outrageous cost, and the absurdity, comes from the 24-karat gold leaf delicately placed over the finished product.
While technically edible, it’s still metal. It adds no flavor and serves no purpose other than inflating the donut’s price to an exorbitant level.
This is a hard pass for me.
1. Texas Style Kolache
As mentioned earlier, every culture with access to oil eventually creates its own version of a donut. The Czech Republic is no exception, introducing the Kolache, a pastry traditionally served at weddings. These soft, fluffy pastries are filled with cream, sweet cheeses like cream cheese, or fruits, embodying the perfect donut—a delightful, tender treat that evokes nostalgia and joy.
Then came Texas. Known for its love of meat and beer, Texas took this passion and extended it to donuts, creating a unique twist on the classic Kolache.
The Kolache Factory, true to its name, takes the classic Czech wedding pastry and fills it with beer-poached sausage, cheese, and jalapenos, creating a controversial twist on the traditional treat.
While these ingredients are delicious on their own or in a savory dish like a biscuit, they have no place in a sweet, delicate donut. Texas may have nailed the flavor combo, but it’s a mismatch for this sugary delight.
