What are Krispy Kreme Mini Crullers and Bites?
Krispy Kreme was top of everyone’s minds a few years ago, with devotees swearing by their pillowy soft Glazed Original (which happened to coincide with the company’s IPO, hmmmm…).
The hype has diminished since, but Krispy Kreme remains a force in the world of chain doughnut shops and a stalwart presence on market shelves. Its latest offering is a variety of Mini Crullers and Bites, with the promise of more limited time offerings in the future.
How are they?
Original Glazed Mini Crullers
Krispy Kreme seems to be trying to replicate a French Cruller, which is usually the same dough as an eclair (Pâte à Choux, for you fancy lads and ladies). A real French Cruller is very light, with a distinct chewiness.
These seem more like a light cake doughnut piped into a cruller shape. The texture is far from fresh, though that’s par-for-the-course in mass-produced grocery store pastries. If I close my eyes, I can pretend these are day-olds instead of I-have-no-earthly-idea-maybe-last-month?-olds, which can’t be said for every doughnut on store shelves.
It should be said that Krispy Kreme has offered bags of Mini Crullers in stores for a while now, so I’m uncertain what’s new about these. Most promotional photos depict individual packs of two crullers, but all the boxes of Mini Crullers I purchased held a single large bag.
Purchased Price: $3.88
Size: 12 oz box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 crullers) 250 calories, 15 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar including 17 grams added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.
Blueberry Mini Crullers
This tastes exactly like every mass-produced blueberry pastry I’ve ever had. It’s the same sweetened, fried dough with blueberries (courtesy of the “blueberry flavored bits” no doubt) that I’ve tasted a hundred times before. You can’t go wrong with that combination, but I’m left unconvinced that these offer anything unique.
The assets and liabilities of this product line begin to come into focus here. Barring catastrophe, they’re going to be tasty, but I don’t know if any will be standouts.
Purchased Price: $3.88
Size: 12 oz box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 crullers) 260 calories, 15 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar including 18 grams of added sugars, and 2 gram of protein.
Limited Time Lemon Mini Crullers
Lemon pastries can sometimes be overly lemony, but these are pleasingly mild. There’s an essence of lemon suffusing the cake that allows me to appreciate the flavor without feeling like I’m being sprayed in the face with Lysol. The lack of poppyseeds makes me realize that I have no idea what purpose they have ever served in pastries. Have we all been duped? Are poppyseeds a lie?
Purchased Price: $3.88
Size: 12 oz box
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 crullers) 260 calories, 16 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar including 18 grams added sugars, and 2 gram of protein.
Original Glazed Bites
The Glazed Bites are very similar to the Crullers. The crumb may be slightly denser, but the oil has infiltrated to a comparable degree. The actual texture similarly middling, so the super sweet Krispy Kreme glaze is doing a lot of work to cover for a product that is better than the pack of gas station Donettes, but doesn’t offer much more.
Purchased Price: $3.97
Size: 8 oz box/5 pouches
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4 Bites) 210 calories, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar including 11 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.
Chocolate Bites
Take an Original Bite, add cocoa powder, and you have a Chocolate Bite. It’s good. If there’s a problem, it’s that I’m made to think of a brownie bite, which begs comparison to Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies — greatest of all grocery snack items. So, for those keeping score — Pro: tastes good. Con: not as good as a completely unrelated product.
Purchased Price: $3.97
Size: 8 oz box/5 pouches
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4 Bites) 190 calories, 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar including 12 grams of added sugars, and 3 grams of protein.
Apple Cinnamon Bites
The spiced apple flavor is surprisingly robust considering how subtle the other flavored varieties have been. It’s very spice-forward, with apple flavor following. In a collection of products that have yet to offer a standout entry, these rise above the others.
Purchased Price: $3.97
Size: 8 oz box/5 pouches
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4 Bites) 220 calories, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 13 grams of sugar including 12 grams added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.
Limited Time Strawberry Bites
You know how I applauded the Lemon Crullers for not over knocking me over with lemon flavor? These are like those, except this time, I want to be knocked over! Yes, I’m a mercurial guy when it comes to food. Strawberry flavor is something that can take center stage, but these have the same understated fruit essence. That’s not a problem, but I’m left wanting more.
Purchased Price: $3.97
Size: 8 oz box/5 pouches
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4 Bites) 220 calories, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar including 11g added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.
Anything else you need to know?
It’s been said that the peak doughnut experience is a warm Krispy Kreme fresh out of the fryer, which is only briefly available while a location’s “Hot Light” is on. I must admit I’m a bit resentful that the nearest Krispy Kreme is almost two hours from me. No, not because I’m unwilling to drive two hours and then stalk a Krispy Kreme, but because I am. It’s only a matter of time. Who wants that kind of knowledge about themselves?
But until that fateful day, a lifetime of nuking grocery store pastries tells me that these will be well served by 20 seconds in the microwave. The heat elevates the aroma, the glaze melts slightly, and the crumb softens. The Crullers become so delicate as to fall apart, though the Bites remain easily handled. 10 out of 10 would microwave again.
Conclusion:
I’m not sure the Krispy Kreme products on grocery shelves ever lived up to the hype (pilgrimage to my “local” shop pending). Is there really much of a difference between A Krispy Kreme Glazed Original and Dunkin’s, or Kwik Trip’s Glazers? Perhaps if they’re hot (grumble…)? These Crullers and Bites continue the Krispy Kreme tradition of maybe being better than the competition, but not outstanding.