4 Donut Flavors That Stood The Test Of Time, And 4 That Didn't

What can be said about donuts that hasn't already been spoken? Indulgent, notoriously addictive, and available in countless flavors and varieties, we're convinced the world's a better place with donuts in it. There isn't a tastier complement to freshly brewed coffee than freshly-fried dough. And few things trump the sensorial experience of jelly shooting into your mouth after the first bite or the enjoyment of licking maple icing from your fingers. From buttermilk and blueberry cake to the best flavor of all-time, regular glazed, lots of donuts have been around for quite a while, and for good reason.

While we can't say what made them outlast others, one thing's for sure: they represent a very small subset of flavors that were once widely available. And we're not talking about limited-time offerings, either. We're talking about donuts that used to be every bit as common as the flavors you see today. Some, we found, were phased out due to ingredient shortages, and others for reasons unknown. Here are 4 donut flavors that stood the test of time, and 4 that didn't.

Aside from the humble plain cake donut, the legendary powdered sugar donut may be the simplest donut variety around. Yet, in its simplicity lives one of the tastiest pastries around, combining the soft-textured sweetness of powdered sugar with the indulgent flavor of freshly-fried dough. It really doesn't get much better than that. From the classic Hostess Donettes and Entemann's variety pack to Tastykake minis, powdered donuts are definitely a top 10 flavor.

The interesting thing about simplicity, though, is that it can be a double-edged sword. You should never order powdered donuts from Dunkin', for example. They landed at number 14 in our ranking due to being unbearably dry and unevenly powdered. Which, if we're being honest, powdered donuts aren't without their flaws. Each time you order one is a game of Russian Roulette — will it be a dry or moist experience? And they can bore your palate if you over-indulge. But when they're made right, moist with a cloud-like lightness to the sugar, it can be a transformative indulgence.

Filled donuts have always been a popular variety. Some crowd-favorite filling flavors include Bavarian cream, Boston cream, and, of course, the one-and-only jelly. Throughout history, however, many flavors have come and gone. Black raspberry, not to be confused with blackberry, is one such filling that was widely available during the 1950s and '60s, but is curiously absent from today's menus. Compared to their fruity doppelganger, black raspberries are smaller, noticeably sweeter, and have a crunchier consistency. And they aren't tart like the red variety.

So, why did it disappear all of a sudden? Well, it may have less to do with customer feedback than with an ongoing decline in black raspberry harvests. According to the USDA, black raspberry plants began losing vitality during the 1990s due to, what plant pathologists say, was a viral outbreak. There's a large gap between the 1950s and 1990s, so there's a chance this theory is off the mark. But, if history shows anything, crop availability is a huge driver in what types of fruits confectioneries use.

The crown jewel of the donut world, Regular Glazed is up there with croissants on the Mount Rushmore of tastiest pastries of all time. The pillowy texture of this yeast-style donut is heaven in a bite. Like when you drive past the nearby Krispy Kreme and see the "Hot Now" sign lit, it's like a bat-signal for their iconic Original Glazed. The buttery, chewy dough stretching as you pull away, the flakes of glaze leaving a mess, and the final task of licking icing from your fingers — is an entire sensory experience.

Krispy Kreme didn't invent the regular glazed donut; it just invented one of the best donut chain glazed donuts, a customer magnet since 1937. Aside from Krispy Kreme, we'd be surprised if you could find a donut shop in the world that doesn't carry it. And if there is, it'd be like an ice cream shop not offering vanilla. Dunkin's glazed donut isn't as celebrated as its rivals, but it's still one of the chain's most popular flavors, which is a testament to how much people love glazed donuts.

The Hungarian word "lekvár" might be unfamiliar to you, but once upon a time, it was uttered at donut shops across America. It means "fruit preserves," and can be made from fruits such as apricots, cherries, and prunes, though some translations say that it specifically refers to the latter. "Prune butter" is another translation. If you were to walk into Dunkin' Donuts during the 1970s, you'd see lekvár as one of 12 filling options. Sidebar: the chain also offered black raspberry filling. It was listed under the "Lemonaires Filled" category, which we think is a period-centric term for regular filled donuts, not just lemon-filled ones. We were unable to find any mention of lemonaires online, though, so the word may have been coined by Dunkin'.

It also appears as if Dunkin' was the only major chain to offer it. But, considering lekvár's connection to Jewish and Eastern European culture, it's safe to assume this donut flavor was sold at those-style bakeries, too. Nevertheless, one thing clear is that it hasn't stood the test of time.

A version of fritters has been around since the Roman Empire. Like old-fashioned donuts, fritters are a distinct variety. They're usually hole-less, made of yeast, and have a rustic, irregular shape (though it's worth noting that a holed variety does exist). Apple fritters in particular first appeared in the U.K. and have shown up in cookbooks since the 1700s, if not longer. This time-tested fritter flavor infuses dough with sweet apple purée or chunks and cinnamon spice, the same iconic flavor pairing behind classics like apple pie, apple cider, and the apple cider donut, and enrobes it in saccharine glaze. So we're not surprised it's stuck around this long.

Apple fritters have crusty, bumpy outer layers and a moist, mouth-melty consistency that's ideal for dunking into coffee or topping with vanilla ice cream. And because adhering to a specific shape doesn't really matter, they don't require as much precision to make as regular donuts, which may have made them more appealing to bakers. 

Toast and cinnamon rolls come to mind before cinnamon raisin donuts when we think of bready breakfast staples. But we may have thought differently during the 1960s when Krispy Kreme offered cinnamon raisin as a flavor. Sadly, we couldn't find images of the donut in question, or much evidence of its existence beyond a vintage receipt from 1962 that lists it as "CINN. RAISIN." The rest of the menu featured recognizable staples, with the exception of a curious peanut flavor, which we couldn't find info on, either. 

Another thing that stands out about the receipt is that cinnamon raisin may have been the only donut with a separate, chewable ingredient in it. But the raisins could've easily been blended into the mix, too. It makes us wonder if it was just a limited-time specialty offering. Then again, the flavor might've been more common than we know. Fun Fact: Ice cream was part of Krispy Kreme's permanent lineup during the 1950s.

Of the glazed varieties, chocolate may rank number two. Moist, buttery, and bursting with sweet cocoa flavor, when made right, it even gives regular glazed a run for its money. Whether you prefer the yeast version, which is generally just a regular donut covered with chocolate glaze icing or submerged in it, or the cake version that features dense chocolate through and through, this flavor is a certified winner. The inventor of the glazed donut is unknown, but the rumor is that it happened accidentally one day when a batch of donuts was dropped into a vat of icing. Which, if we're being honest, fits the happenstance nature of unintended inventions. 

That was supposedly during the 1930s, though it's unconfirmed. Historical deep-dives aside, the chocolate glazed donut is, hands-down, an iconic flavor that will likely always be around. To underscore how popular it is, Krispy Kreme teases fans by only making its chocolate glazed donuts available for limited time periods.

We've heard of cinnamon sugar twists, maple, chocolate, and even Korean kkwabaegi, but never orange twists. This bygone donut flavor appeared on Tim Horton's menus during the 1970s as part of the chain's all-star lineup. It was featured in an advertisement published in The Mirror, under the headline, "Announcing Tim Horton's All Star Team." That, and the fact that it has cut-out lines around it with the words, "Free cut out and trade up for a real one at Tim's!" might signal that it was a limited-time flavor. In fact, it's the only donut with cut-out lines around it, so that must've carried some significance.

The thing we're wondering is what it tasted like. The easy answer is fried dough with a touch of citrus. But thankfully, while Tim Horton's no longer makes them, Grandad's Coffee and Donuts in Hamilton, Ontario, still does. Instead of the twist style that Tim Horton's offered, though, it looks like a fritter-style donut with dried orange bits.