Krispy Kreme is absolute heaven in a little glazed pastry.
It pretty literally melts in your mouth like maybe no other donut does.
But let’s face facts – the donut wars are heating up, and there are a TON of great competitors out there.
And in fact…
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There are now plenty whose fans would claim they’ve lapped Krispy Kreme and their best shots.
Are they right?
Well, that’s for you to decide.
Starting with the bad boys from Beantown…
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Where you’ll find them: Dunkin’ is in almost every state, with its biggest gap in the sparsely-populated states from the Dakotas to the Pacific Northwest.
All about the donut: I mean, it’s Dunkin’! They’ve got tons of great options, all for a great price. (My personal favorite, no surprise, is their Boston Kreme.)
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Where you’ll find them: Voodoo is in nine states so far – all three West Coast states, plus Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, and Florida and Tennessee.
All about the donut: If you want imaginative flavors, executed well – go to Voodoo. Their bacon maple bar won “America’s greatest doughnut” in 2022. Their Portland cream is great, probably my favorite name is “Oh Captain, My Captain” which is topped with Cap’n Crunch cereal.
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Where you’ll find them: Duck Donuts is mostly on the East Coast, but it has outposts as far west as Utah and California. It’s truly becoming a national chain.
All about the donut: Their donuts are crispy and a good mix of traditional and new flavors – plus, they just look good! (Check out the picture.)
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Where you’ll find them: Only in New England – more specifically, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
All about the donut: Anyone who can compete with Dunkin’ on their home turf has gotta be good, right? Try the coconut jelly stick or the cinnamon donut to start, just so you’re getting something a little different from “typical.”
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Where you’ll find them: You’ll only find Stan’s Donuts in and around Chicago (though it actually started in Los Angeles).
All about the donut: When you think of a prototypical donut, you think of something like Stan’s…it’s a classic! That said, it has some non-standard options as well like the Le Stan Croissant Donut and the Chocolate Pocket with Nutella.
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Where you’ll find them: Daylight Donuts is from Oklahoma, but they’ve gradually expanded out west to Utah (and even Hawaii), north to North Dakota, and as far east as North Carolina!
All about the donut: Great cake donuts (try the blueberry) and cinnamon rolls. Plus, I love their sausage rolls as a savory alternative!
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Where you’ll find them: Just a handful of states for now – Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, DC, and Colorado.
All about the donut: Based on the title, you’d maybe expect these donuts to be savory. And you’d be wrong – instead, the salt just enhances the sweetness. Try the brown butter and salt, cookie monster, or the mixed berry cheesecake – and you’ll see exactly what I mean.
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Where you’ll find them: Another regional chain, LaMar’s is in five states – Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Colorado.
All about the donut: Sour cream donuts are probably my favorite donuts in the world, and LaMar’s has tons of them. Get it topped with chocolate drizzle if your sweet tooth needs a little extra soothing.
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Where you’ll find them: Winchell’s is a western chain, with a heavy presence in California and a handful of outposts as far east as Nebraska and Kansas.
All about the donut: Great donuts, mostly traditional flavors, but exceptionally well-executed. If you’re feeling like something a little different, I’d try the pineapple fritter. Personally, my favorite is the apple jelly filled donut with a cinnamon crumb.
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I couldn’t leave without giving Krispy Kreme its due! After all, it’s one of the only two truly “national” donut chains.
Where you’ll find them: Just about everywhere – Krispy Kreme has over 350 locations in 41 states; their
All about the donut: A hot Krispy Kreme donut is truly one of the best things you’ll ever eat. So soft, doughy, and sticky!
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So there you have it – nine donut chains with a reasonable claim that they’re as good as (or maybe even better than) Krispy Kreme.
Certainly their fans would argue they’re there.
But what do YOU think?
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Is Krispy Kreme your favorite donut?
Or one of these competitors?
Or someone else entirely?
Let us know in the comments!
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Mel-O-Cream. Headquartered in Springfield, IL but locations in nearby towns. They started as a local doughnut shop and now they have a warehouse operation where they provide doughnuts to a number of store chain. Best doughnuts in the area!