Krispy Kreme's New Mini-Pie Donuts Are Just In Time For Thanksgiving

One of America's oldest dessert traditions is the presence of pies at the Thanksgiving table. Whether it's a classic pumpkin pie, apple pie, or pecan pie, a proper Thanksgiving meal isn't complete unless it's capped off by at least one of these sweet treats.

The origins of this tradition are somewhat unclear though, and like many traditions seemed to come about organically over time. History reports that while the pumpkin was a common food item around the time of the first Thanksgiving in 1620, it's hard to say if any of the pilgrims had made it into a pie. Martha Stewart says that it's unlikely for a pie to have been a featured dessert due to the difficulty of sourcing butter and flour in the "New World."

However, centuries later when Thanksgiving would be declared a national holiday by President Lincoln, pies would become a commonplace feature of the holiday (via Martha Stewart). This is in part thanks to the work of Thanksgiving evangelist Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer and magazine editor, who recommended pie as a necessity for the newly formed holiday.

In celebration of this holiday tradition, Krispy Kreme has debuted a new lineup of donut flavors that are inspired by these classic Thanksgiving desserts.

Four new flavors to be thankful for

Krispy Kreme announced via a press release that starting November 7, customers can try out any of their four new Thanksgiving pie mini donuts. Each of the exciting new flavors is inspired by a classic Thanksgiving pie and is only available for a limited time.

Pumpkin lovers should try the Pecan Pie Doughnut, which is topped with a gooey butter tart filling, chopped pecans, and snickerdoodle cookie pieces, or the Pumpkin Pie Doughnut, which is filled with pumpkin pie filling, coated in pumpkin spice icing and is topped with snickerdoodle cookie pieces. For those who prefer a fruit-based pie, there's the Lemon Kreme Pie Doughnut, which is stuffed with lemon filling, and given a coating of icing and powdered sugar, and the Dutch Apple Pie Doughnut which features apple filling, a caramel-flavored icing, and is topped with snickerdoodle cookie pieces, caramel-flavored drizzle, and a dusting of cinnamon.

Krispy Kreme says these new offerings are available for purchase in 16-count boxes. Any purchase of the 16-count box on November 18 and 19 will also be rewarded with a $1 box of a dozen original glazed donuts as well. This is meant for the found families in our lives that will celebrate Friendsgiving the weekend before the big show.

"In the tradition of favorite Thanksgiving desserts, our new mini pie doughnuts are the perfect bite-sized way to show your gratitude," said Krispy Kreme Global Chief Brand Officer Dave Skena.