A Look Back At 50 Years Of Dunkin' Munchkins

If you're familiar with Dunkin' (and unless you live in one of the states without one, you probably are), then you know all about the glory that is Munchkins: the company's signature version of donut holes. While biting into a full-sized donut and savoring its pillowy goodness is its own reward, there's something tantalizing about the popability of Munchkins. You can stick them in your car's cup holder and snack on them on your way to work, or take home a huge box and watch the kids go to town on them. They're the quintessential treat to bring to the office if you want to be king for a day, or you can turn them into a convenient dessert at a potluck. It's an iconic treat that helped make Dunkin' a household name in American chain donut mastery, and, like any legendary snack, it has a unique history and eventful life story.

Now that it's been over 50 sugary-sweet, jelly-filled years since the Munchkin's inception, it's time to look back on its origin story and accomplishments. As Dunkin's profits continue to soar year after year, and the chain — despite distancing itself from its humble, donut-inspired beginnings — consistently cranks out new concoctions, we expect only great things for Munchkins in the upcoming decades. Let's take a walk from the 1970s to the present day and discover how Munchkins were first created, how they evolved, and what the future holds for these sweet little poppable morsels.

Although the first Dunkin' location was in Massachusetts, then called Open Kettle, Munchkins were born elsewhere — but not too far away. They first popped up in the working-class town of Hartford, Connecticut, and we have but one Dunkin' employee to thank for them.

Edna Demery's story is — surprisingly — one of love, betrayal, and good old-fashioned Americana. She worked as a Dunkin' store manager in the '70s, back when Dunkin' served fresh-baked pies and first expanded outside of the U.S. There, she met her husband, Robert, who worked alongside her until they both retired from the donut biz. Eventually, their children would work with them at the Hartford Dunkin', turning the franchise into a wholesome, family-run operation.

A few years into Demery's career, she threw some leftover dough into the fryer and topped what came out with sugar. She distributed the little bite-sized donuts to the other Dunkin' employees, but they didn't turn heads at first. Once she started getting crafty, topping the little donuts with coconut or chocolate and filling them with jelly and cream, they became a huge hit. Sales boomed, and the tiny donut holes eventually made up about 10% of the Hartford Dunkin's entire revenue. Eventually, corporate caught wind of the rumors about mini donuts in a modest Connecticut city. The Dunkin' bigwigs wanted to see what the fuss was all about, and just like all of Hartford, they loved Demery's creation and promptly featured Munchkins on Dunkin' menus nationwide.

Dunkin' HQ decided that Munchkins were worthy of a spot on the Dunkin' menu in the early 1970s, right after Demery created them in 1972. Essentially, they were so good that there was no time to waste in getting them into the hands of the public, but that also meant that Dunkin' wanted to keep all the credit. The story of the success of Munchkins takes a bleak turn when we learn that Edna Demery — hard-working mother and business manager — didn't get the credit she deserved for her sensational creation; at least, not for a while.

It wasn't until 2020 — 48 long years since the journey of Munchkins began — that Edna Demery finally received her much-deserved acknowledgments. Bob Rosenberg, former Dunkin' CEO and son of William "Bill" Rosenberg — the man who founded Dunkin' way back in 1950 — published a memoir titled "Around the Corner to Around the World." In his memoir, he offers 12 important lessons for any aspiring entrepreneur in navigating the dog-eat-dog world of business. But, most importantly, he finally credited Demery with the creation of the humble Munchkin, and she and her family were honored to be recognized for their contribution to American food history.

In an interview, Edna Demery claims that she lived on donuts. Cranking out all those donuts for her customers (and herself) yielded a ton of leftover little dough balls. Back when the donuts at Dunkin' were made by hand, dough had to be physically removed from the center of each dough ball to create the classic shape of the soft, delicate, and dunkable treat. Before Munchkins came to be, those dough balls were thrown away, until Demery decided it was time to put them to good use. She threw these byproducts of the donut-making process into the fryer and, well, the rest was history.

Nowadays, Dunkin' uses donut cutters just for Munchkins, which helps them achieve their iconic, perfectly-spherical shape. A machine does the work to make all of Dunkin's donuts, whereas, back in the Demery's day, donuts at Dunkin' were made by hand and were much fresher than the less-than-coveted, machine-cut donuts that Dunkin' is responsible for today (it's no wonder the folks at Dunkin' don't want to be associated with donuts anymore). We can't help but wonder if the intentional Munchkins of today are better or worse than the leftover-dough Munchkins of yesteryear; only those golden-agers with a sweet tooth among us will know for sure.

When Munchkins made their debut in the '70s, Dunkin' customers enjoyed bargain prices — even for back then. Dunkin' HQ considered calling the treats "Penny Poppers" and selling them for a penny each, but abandoned that price-specific name in favor of the Wizard of Oz-inspired moniker. At many locations, a mere $0.19 awarded you a dozen assorted Munchkins, albeit not in as many flavors as you can get your hands on today.

Dunkin' claims that about five cake Munchkins equals one whole cake donut, and a little under five yeast Munchkins equates to an entire yeast donut. We'll go ahead and do the math for you: Those '70s Munchkin prices translate to roughly the same as $0.08 per whole donut. Guess those really were the good ol' days.

Now, Munchkins — frustratingly — aren't available as a bundle of a dozen. Instead, you can choose between packs of three, five, 10, 25, or 50. A single Muchkin today costs more than the entire dozen did back in the days of hippies, disco, and shag carpets. But despite the price hike over the years, Dunkin' still manages to sell an incredible 800 million Munchkins annually. They usually go for about $0.25 to $0.30 each (depending on how many you buy), meaning Dunkin' earns about $216 million dollars every year from Munchkin sales alone (yes, we went ahead and did that math, too). They go down in price the more you get, so make sure to opt for that tempting 50-pack; you can get through it all — we believe in you.

It's right there in the name — Munchkins and kids are a match made in donut heaven. When Munchkins first launched, Dunkin' didn't miss a beat in rolling out ads for the tiny treats aimed at tiny people. These television ads incorporated the iconic charm of the era, with bold, colorful sets and giddy children brandishing Munchkins galore. One ad showcased a boy referring to himself as a "munchkin" and adorably offering customers a choice of a "little bunch basket," a "big bunch basket," or a "great big super bunch basket."

Another ad from the '70s — this one a newspaper advertisement — introduced Munchkins as the ideal after-school snack or lunch-box treat, claiming "love at first bite" when your child devours their first Munchkin. It offered a choice of chocolate-glazed, crunch, and jelly-filled. This ad also came with a $0.10 coupon off a box of 15 Munchkins — that's nearly half price, if you can believe that. Dunkin's Munchkins have also long been associated with Halloween, and more recent ads show them off as the alternative to regular old candy on every kid's favorite holiday.

In the winter of 2024, Dunkin' unveiled its DunKings campaign, which featured a new drink, a specialty Munchkins item, and — most importantly — the legendary comedic brilliance of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, because who better to rep Dunkin' than these two famous Bostonians? Dunkin' unveiled its partnership with the duo in a Super Bowl ad, in which Affleck crashes his then-wife Jennifer Lopez's recording studio with an eccentric, over-the-top Dunkin'-themed song (and outfit). Matt Damon is there for emotional support, but he's not having any of it.

The winter DunKing release included an iced coffee — with vanilla, cream, sweet cold foam, and a dash of cinnamon — that was allegedly Ben Affleck's regular Dunkin' drink order. Alongside your DunKing iced coffee, you could grab a Munchkin skewer; it was a dainty way to hold three assorted Munchkins in one hand and your coffee in the other. This skewer could be purchased separately and added to any drink, it could just be a sweet, on-the-go treat. In the words of Matt Damon: "How do you like them donuts?"

With a name that sounds like it was destined to become a Dunkin' drink, rapper Ice Spice joined Dunkin' in 2023 with a Munchkin-infused beverage. The ad campaign featured the rapper and none other than Ben Affleck — Dunkin's new brand ambassador, so he claims — in a board meeting, trying to come up with a name for the new drink. In the ad, Ice Spice divulges that her name and the fact that her fans are referred to as munchkins makes her "a Dunkin' girl." Eventually, the pair settles on a straight-and-to-the-point name for the drink: the Ice Spice Munchkins drink.

The seasonal drink was made up of Dunkin's famous frozen coffee, whipped cream, and a caramel drizzle — with a Munchkin twist. Dunkin' opted to blend pieces of pumpkin Munchkins directly into the drink, taking the fan-favorite pumpkin-flavored coffee to the next level. The Ice Spice Munchkins drink marked a historic release for Dunkin', as it was the brand's first-ever official donut-infused drink. Never before had a Dunkin' coffee ever directly incorporated donuts, outside of the company suggesting that its donuts be dipped in coffee.

A little over a decade after the first Dunkin' location popped up in Quincy, Massachusetts, a similar establishment was born up north. It would go on to become a cultural motif and part of Canada's national identity. Tim Hortons opened its doors in 1964, when the eponymous NHL defenseman decided to switch gears and become a breakfast food aficionado and businessman. As of writing, Tim Hortons has about 700 locations in the U.S., but the Canadian coffee-and-donut giant hardly trumps Dunkin's staggering 9,500 U.S. restaurants.

While Dunkin' may not have achieved the same level of cultural significance in America that Tim Hortons has in Canada, Dunkin' can at least stake its claim in the donut hole. In 1976, only a couple years after Dunkin' unveiled Munchkins, Tim Hortons followed close behind with a monumental release of its own: Timbits. We can only assume that it hoped to latch on to the success of Munchkins, and it certainly worked out well for the chain. Today, you can find Timbits in a wide selection of flavors, including apple fritter, lemon, and sour cream-glazed. Tim Hortons even got pop icon Justin Bieber on board as a spokesperson for the little morsels back in 2021, giving Dunkin's Matt Damon-Ben Affleck sponsorship a run for its money. Now, it's up to you to try both chain's offerings and decide who does the donut hole best.

Although we'd like to believe that we have access to every creation that Dunkin' unveils, the truth is that we're confined by physical limitations. Dunkin' has nearly 4,000 locations outside of the U.S., and not every country or region's menu looks the same as far as coffee options, donut flavors, and Munchkin varieties.

Raspberry truffle Munchkins are a favorite around Europe, along with Munchkins coated in icing and decked out with colorful sprinkles. In the Netherlands, vanilla-flavored orange icing or orange sprinkles adorn Munchkins in honor of King's Day, a springtime holiday celebrating King Willem-Alexander's birthday. The Dutch also revel in nutty goodness with Dunkin's hazelnut Munchkins. These little chocolate cake donuts are coated with crispy hazelnut pieces, creating a delectable sweet, soft, and crunchy treat experience that makes us want to take a trip to the land of windmills and tulips just to snag a bite.

We've all experienced chocolate cake, glazed, jelly-filled, and — the one that remains at the bottom of the Munchkin barrel — powdered sugar. But legend tells of some Munchkin flavors right here in America that are absolute showstoppers. They're the varieties that put the ordinary flavors to shame. That is, if you can manage to scrounge one up.

One of the most iconic donut flavors of all time shrinks down into Munchkin form at some Dunkin' locations. The Boston cream Munchkin is a unicorn among desserts, with Redditors, TikTokers, and local news stations covering sightings of the elusive treat. Dunkin' states that the Munchkin flavor is real, but it can only be found at certain Dunkin' locations around the country. It doesn't give any more hints as to where one can find the Munchkin though — thanks, Dunkin'. Some Redditors say they spotted the Boston cream Munchkin at Dunkin' locations from Cincinnati to Central Florida, but not in the donut's namesake city, oddly enough.

Butternut Munchkins are known to make an appearance at select Dunkin's, but you're more likely to find these uniquely flavored donut tidbits in the Philippines, where they come as chocolate, vanilla, or orange donuts covered in crispy butternut pieces. Cinnamon and vanilla cream are known to exist somewhere in the Dunkin' universe, so if you get your hands on any, please tell us.

Dunkin' is all about those seasonal releases, and sometimes we get lucky enough to experience a brand new Munchkin flavor during one of these festive debuts. Munchkins even make an appearance in the most sought-after flavor of all seasonal treats: pumpkin. The pumpkin Munchkin is featured on Dunkin's fall menus frequently either as a component of a quirky beverage — like the Ice Spice drink — or mixed with standard flavors in a box.

There was a time when donut lover's could track down a cornbread Munchkin at Dunkin'; it put a uniquely savory and Southern touch on its menu and was adored by Dunkin' connoisseurs. Valentine's Day is known to inspire pink velvet Munchkins or cutesy, sprinkle-covered, chocolate morsels.

The Munchkin Halloween bucket — which first hit the donut scene in 2024 — gave kids a festive, reusable bucket to collect Halloween candy in once all the Munchkins were devoured. This bucket's release was on-brand for Munchkins, which have long been associated with the spooky holiday. But it wasn't all about the bucket; the Halloween treat included a new black and orange-sprinkled Munchkin to ring in the (alternative) holiday season.