19 Voodoo Doughnut Flavors, Ranked

Any Portlander is undoubtedly familiar with Voodoo Doughnut, a legendary establishment that has cemented itself as a local institution and can't-miss tourist destination since its founding in 2003. Voodoo Doughnut is a microcosm of Portland as a whole, boasting both the ordinary and the offbeat, both welcoming and unfamiliar to the newbie. You don't have to be adventurous when you walk into Voodoo Doughnut, but honestly, I'd recommend being open to something new — chances are, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

And, nowadays, you don't need to be in the City of Roses to get your hands on a donut from Voodoo. The humble shop has since expanded to include locations throughout Oregon, Colorado, Texas, and even Illinois, to name a few. As a proud resident of the city that gave Voodoo Doughnuts a name, I headed to the flagship location to try and rank a sampling of its dozens of flavors. My ranking is, admittedly, based on my own donut preferences — I favored donuts that weren't too cloying, had a moist and tender crumb, and I gave some preference to unique flavors or those that surprised me. Keep reading for my full review of 19 Voodoo Doughnut treats. 

The main reason Voodoo Doughnut's Chocolate Old Fashioned donut takes the bottom spot on my list is because it doesn't present anything unique, and when you think of Voodoo Doughnut, "unique" is the name of the game. And, there's the fact that I'll never be the biggest fan of chocolate donuts, which also didn't work in this treat's favor. 

The chocolate is closer to being a milk chocolate than a dark chocolate, and I always prefer dark chocolate, another knock against this donut. Moreover, I found the donut's interior texture a little dry — nothing too bad, but noticeable when comparing this donut against others on my list. If you typically enjoy chocolate old-fashioned donuts, I don't doubt you'd like this; still, a trip to Voodoo begs for something more interesting. 

Another donut that had to snag a lower spot on my list was Voodoo's Sprinkle Cake donut. Again, it's not a bad donut — it just doesn't showcase everything Voodoo has to offer. It actually does taste like a piece of cake, which was a fun surprise, but it was also fairly cloying, and I felt a sugar rush coming on after only one bite. 

I liked the texture of the donut, which, again, was spongy like a piece of cake. If you head into Voodoo with a picky child in tow, this would be a safe choice for them (and it's undeniably very appealing to any fan of sprinkles). But other than its obvious merits, it didn't present anything new or intriguing to the donut marketplace, so I could only give it spot 18 here. 

If you've ever thought to yourself, "Man, I wish I had a bubble gum-flavored donut," head on over to Voodoo Doughnut. Its Voodoo Bubble donut is a pretty spot-on imitation of the retro candy, and in that way, it was impressive — not to mention, the piece of wrapped Dubble Bubble in the middle is the proverbial icing on the cake.

Even though this donut was remarkably true to its name, I couldn't get into it. Something about a bubble gum-flavored donut, though nostalgic, was too novel to find favor with me. I have no doubt that kids or adult Dubble Bubble enthusiasts would be pleased with this one, but on the whole, I think it has a fairly niche market. 

Though I never seek them out, I do like snacking on the occasional pack of M&M's, and I thought this donut would get a higher spot here — after all, it's just a donut topped with a copious amount of M&M's. Unfortunately, sweet-on-sweet combos are not usually my thing, and Marshall Mathers is a sugar-rush donut if there ever was one. 

Add icing into the equation, and I could barely make it through a bite of this donut before my sweet tooth told me it had enough. Now, if you like the idea of candy on an iced donut, this might be right up your alley, and I won't deny the fun textural appeal that the M&M's introduce. It's an undeniably creative way to use M&M's, but I didn't think this was as strong as some other options here. 

Up next, we have The Homer, one of Voodoo's larger offerings that's also attractive to look at. But, at the end of the day, I have the same complaint here that I had with my other lower-ranked choices: It's not a very impressive offering, especially when placed next to some of the following choices. 

That said, the donut itself had a great texture — it was moist and spongy, exactly what I look for in a good donut. I also thought the amount of frosting on this bad boy was spot-on. There wasn't enough to make it too saccharine, and the strawberry flavor it brought to the donut was welcome. Get this one if you want a solid choice that won't ask you to step too far outside your comfort zone.

If your favorite childhood breakfast was strawberry-flavored Pop-Tarts, you'll definitely be drawn in by Voodoo Doughnuts' obvious attempt at a copycat, which the chain calls its Strawberry Go-Tart. As strawberry Pop-Tarts have long been a personal favorite of mine, I expected this to get a higher spot than it did.

The main culprit here? I didn't get much strawberry filling in my donut. It wasn't the most egregious of sins, but in such a competitive ranking, it was enough to knock this flavor down a few pegs. And, other than the filling, the donut was fairly standard — there wasn't anything unique about the icing or sprinkles on top, and the donut itself was good, but nothing too impressive. If it looks appealing to you, go ahead and grab one — or go with one of my following choices. 

Now, I typically love anything mango-flavored. I'll always favor a mango mimosa over its typical orange-flavored counterparts, and mango is one of my favorite fruits to snack on when summer rolls around. I didn't feel the most confident walking into a mango-flavored donut experience, and I did ultimately walk away a little confused, but because I feel like this is a pretty niche offering, I couldn't give it higher than 13th place.

Surprisingly, this donut was really tangy on top and almost sour. I had to look around a bit for the mango filling, but I liked it once I found it. My biggest problem is that I can't say this feels like a donut — it feels more like a nondescript mango-flavored pastry. I had trouble deciding whether I liked it or not. The mango filling appealed to me, but the almost-sour topping didn't. I'd say it's worth trying at least once. 

I'm giving Voodoo Doughnut's Voodoo Doll bonus points for sheer creativity. This is the kind of donut I think of when I envision the shop — a quirky and offbeat representation of a classic donut, with a little surprise mixed in.

This chocolate-covered donut is filled to the brim with raspberry jam, and the combo of the raspberry and the chocolate is quite delicious. Moreover, the design is an obvious (but still very fun) allusion to the spot's name, and the pretzel stick through the heart seals the deal. I was more impressed by the overall execution of some of the next picks, but still, this is a playful entry that will find wide appeal with Voodoo Doughnut's audience. 

Do you like chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate? Then you may do well to choose another devilish donut in Voodoo's collection, fondly dubbed the Diablos Rex. This donut is a chocolate-lover's dream, made of devil's food cake (which, yes, is different from chocolate cake), chocolate frosting, and a chocolate chip-studded center, decked out with a vanilla pentagram and red sprinkles to drive the design home. 

Unfortunately for the donut, I found it too indulgent for my liking, and I couldn't give it a higher spot than No 11. It definitely has its merits, though — it's quite moist, the icing on top is nice and thick, and the chocolate chips in the center are a fun touch that also gives the donut some textural interest. It's not really my thing, but I have no doubt that the chocolate mega-fan will be endeared to this one. 

As a coconut fiend, I couldn't give a very low spot to Voodoo Doughnut's Chocolate Coconut donut. Chocolate coconut smoothie bowls are a summer breakfast staple in my house, and you can catch me adding shredded coconut to everything under the sun (and, occasionally, eating it straight from the bag). 

That said, the coconut was my favorite part of this donut. I still couldn't get myself to be a big fan of the chocolate donut and chocolate frosting combo, though it was rich enough to be satisfying and not get lost under the coconut. Moreover, the shredded coconut added a lovely texture to the donut. I see the actual donut here as more of a vehicle for frosting and shredded coconut than anything else. While I could have this donut again, I wouldn't necessarily seek it out. 

Call me basic, but I really enjoyed Voodoo Doughnut's Blueberry Cake donut. I found it pretty impressive in its simplicity — despite being "only a cake donut," it packed plenty of flavor without being the slightest bit overwhelming. Not to mention, I'm sure it helps that I absolutely love blueberry pastries.

There's a light glaze on this donut that gives it the perfect amount of sweetness while still allowing the donut to shine in its own right. The blueberries came through well, and I appreciated that they didn't hide themselves in the slightest — that made this donut taste quite fresh. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the donut, though, was its texture: light, moist with a perfectly tender crumb. I couldn't justify placing this above some of the upcoming options, but I still found it to be an impressive donut. 

If you try to relive your childhood by habitually ordering a Cap'n Crunch Frappuccino at Starbucks, allow me to introduce you to your newest obsession: Voodoo Doughnut's Oh Captain, My Captain donut. I'll always be a fan of using nostalgic cereals in newfangled treats, and even though this donut didn't get a higher spot here, I can still call it quite good. 

This donut has that fun cereal milk appeal that you'll find in Milk Bar treats, and the Cap'n Crunch on top is appealing on all fronts — it looks lovely, adds a nice burst of flavor, and gives the donut a great texture. In this case, the cereal makes the donut, as I didn't find anything too spectacular about the donut or the frosting itself.

We're down to the top seven flavors, and when discerning between these, I considered which I was most likely to get again. The lineup is a mix of both unique flavors and classic donuts that I thought were executed particularly well. To start, Voodoo Doughnut's Grape Ape was a delightful surprise. 

If you're a fan of every grape soda under the sun, I can't recommend this donut enough. It really impressed me, even though I'm not the biggest grape fiend out there; the grape flavor is abundant and manages to feel natural when paired with the donut, even though I've never had a grape-flavored donut before. It has the appeal of grape candy in donut form. Moreover, the sprinkles on top were a nice textural touch. 

Don't knock me for putting Voodoo Doughnut's Buttermilk Bar in sixth place — it was divine, and if I could have justified giving it a higher spot, I would have. But, for being an unflavored donut, it was an incredible entry that I'll absolutely be having again soon. 

For starters, the buttermilk bar was very tangy, and I loved the dimension of flavor it brought to this bake. It was lightly glazed on top, which gave it an ideal amount of sweet appeal. But more than its stellar flavors, I have to praise the texture of this donut — it's light without being fluffy, slightly crispy on the outside, and has the most tender crumb. This donut will be easy for anybody to love, and is a good choice on days when you need something safe and comforting. 

Churro cheesecake sounds like a recipe for perfection. I love churros, and I love cheesecake, and giving the duo simultaneous real estate on a donut is a surefire win. I enjoyed Voodoo Doughnut's Churro Cheesecake donut a lot, and I struggled not to eat the whole thing. 

But I couldn't give it higher marks for one small reason: The cheesecake dollops on top weren't cream-cheese-y enough for me. I don't know that I'd have identified the cheesecake element of this donut on my own. Other than that, it was fantastic, and the churro-flavored donut was spot on. If you don't mind that the cheesecake isn't really giving cheesecake, this would be an excellent donut to pick up when you go in. 

You may be wondering, what's so special about an unassuming, seemingly lackluster donut? The surprise in the center, that's what. This raspberry-filled donut was my favorite filled donut of the bunch, in part because of its simplicity; this was a basic concept that was executed very well, and I adored it. 

The raspberry filling was everything it needed to be — tart, flavorful, and abundant. It definitely took center stage, but not to the detriment of the rest of the donut. The actual pastry had a lovely light, cakey crumb, and the glaze on top acted as a foil to the tart filling without making the final product overly sweet. If you're looking for a delicious raspberry-filled donut, you won't go wrong with this one. 

I'm not a fan of packaged cookies, with the one exception being Oreos. I could eat an entire pack of Oreos without blinking an eye. So, it stands to reason that I'd love an Oreo-studded donut, and I wasn't disappointed with this offering. To put it simply, it's an Oreo-lover's dream.

Surprisingly, despite the hefty amount of Oreos piled on top of this bad boy, it still didn't feel too heavy or overwhelming. The frosting on the donut felt reminiscent of the cream inside an Oreo (I could be making that up, though), and overall, this donut felt like a novel way to get my fill of my favorite packaged cookie. If you feel the same way about Oreos, you'd be happy with this one; however, it simply couldn't beat my top two choices. 

You'll find maple bacon donuts at many donut shops, and I'll always buy one when I see it; it is a sweet-salty combo that simply can't be beat. Moreover, Voodoo Doughnut's Maple Bacon Bar is the ideal representation of the maple-bacon combo in full force. I couldn't get enough of it. 

Big props to the bacon on this donut — it was irresistibly thick, crispy, and salty. It held its own against the maple topping remarkably well. Speaking of the maple topping, it wasn't too sweet, just sweet enough to mediate the salty-savory character of the bacon. The balance in this donut was nothing short of impeccable, and it's sure to be a favorite of any savory fans such as myself. I came close to giving this the top spot in this ranking, but at the end of the day, I had to favor the following treat. 

Listen, I don't care whether an apple fritter technically qualifies as a donut — this offering from Voodoo Doughnut was absolutely exquisite, and giving it the top spot here was only necessary. First, look at how big it is! Scoring this donut for just under $5 felt like an absolute steal, and fortunately, it also over-delivered on flavor and texture.

Sweet, crispy glazed exterior? Check. Apple-studded interior? Check. Tender, brioche-like texture that I'm still thinking about days later? Check. This treat had everything I look for in an apple fritter, and it's not at all too sweet. If you, like me, love any and every type of apple treat, head to your local Voodoo Doughnut and get this one ASAP. You won't be disappointed in the slightest. 

Finalizing this ranking was an interesting process. I tried to balance multiple factors when considering the order of these donuts. I factored in how unique they were to the Voodoo Doughnut brand and whether any came as a pleasant surprise; I also considered my own personal preferences and how impressive the donuts were as a whole. 

What I ended up with was a list that, admittedly, put many of Voodoo's more intriguing flavors in the middle — they'll have wide enough appeal to sell out, but I didn't find them crave-worthy. My top choices, though, are primarily well-executed classics.