Glazed donuts – Marie's Donut Diaries

Apple Cider Donuts and Powdered White Cream Donut | Fuhrman’s Cider Mill-Bakery-General Store | Erie, PA

December 5, 2018 mariesdonutdiaries

Pic of Fuhrman’s – I didn’t even touch on the maple products! Love me some real maple syrup.

Read my latest donut review of Fuhrman’s Cider Mill-Bakery-General Store in the Erie Reader! If you haven’t been to the store, it’s an Erie staple located on upper Peach Street. I wouldn’t say the donuts are the main draw but the atmosphere and employees make it a great place to find unique gifts, Erie-area food items, and nostalgic treats. It’s definitely worth a visit, and a convenient place to buy holiday gifts for friends, co-workers, and family members without fighting the below I-90 Peach Street nonsense or whatever horrific redesign of the mall’s exit ramp that is happening currently. Find a copy of my full review in all great Erie stores that carry the Erie Reader (they have it at Fuhrman’s) or read it by clicking here and leave me a like and a comment!

Locally made Apple Cider from Fuhrman’s Cider Mill-Bakery-General Store with a side of Apple Cider Donuts and a blurry baby head hanging out in the background.

Powdered Sugar Cream Filled Donut was my fav. Sweet cream. (Hi weird porn guys from India who landed here from hitting that search term!)

Like this post and say hi below 🙂 After you do that on the Erie Reader page. Thanks.

Donut Reviews

Raspberry Fritter – The Doughdrop Inn – Erie, PA

November 9, 2018 mariesdonutdiaries

Happy FriYAY! Like I took my month-long summer vacation through July/August, consider my absence for the past 10 weeks a maternity leave. Life of a donut blogger is a life of luxury.

As of yesterday, I lost just over half of the weight I gained while pregnant so what better way to celebrate than with a gigantic box of donuts?

I decided to start with the raspberry fritter on the left side of the photo. Because I know my baby is going to wake up any minute, I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Any issues that the Doughdrop Inn had when they first opened seem to be reconciled as far as donut availability. There were tons of options – cakes, glazed, and filled donuts. I went around 9:15AM on a Friday so I’d say you are safe to go any time they are open and have a variety of delicious choices. Second, I want to highlight that the fritters are part of Fritter Fridays – they are buy one get one free! And they had a ton on hand in various flavors. Third, this is the best fritter I have had in Erie and possibly the best elsewhere? I mean it has everything you could want in a fritter. Crisp edges outside, soft dough inside, and actual detection of the fruit flavor.

Look at all that gorgeous raspberry.

(Baby is crying.) So this is the best less than $2 you will spend today. Go buy one and get one free. I would tell you about the blueberry fritter too but this donut is gigantic and I really only could eat one. My gut instincts are telling me the blueberry fritter will be just as good a day old 🙂 WIN-WIN. (And WIN – it’s about to be the freakin weekend.)

THE BREAKDOWN: Raspberry Fritter

Store: The Doughdrop Inn lives here

Address: 1529 W 38th St, Erie, PA 16508

Cost: About $1

What they want to highlight: Fritter Fridays are buy one get one free fritters!

What I thought was the highlight: Not only is it a BOGO but a totally worthwhile BOGO!

Rating out of 5 stars: 4.5

Would I buy it again?: Yes, for sure.

What could make it better?: If they delivered because it started snowing 😦

Snow 😦

Full cases!

I photograph almost all the donuts on the same size plate. I think they are 4-inch plates? My point is – these fritters are huge.

I finally can enjoy coffee in my custom Marie’s Donut Diaries mug made by an adoring fan. Good morning. I left the breadcrumbs on the counter in the photo to stay relatable.

Leave a comment PLEASE and tell me about all the donuts you’ve consumed while I’ve been baking, delivering, and caring for our new baby ❤ Are you going to give Doughdrop Inn a try? What is your favorite donut from there?

P.S. My adoring fan is my only fan who likes all my blog posts and is married to me and made that baby with me.

Donut Reviews, Erie Reader Articles by ME

Chocolate and Vanilla Glazed Donut – The Doughdrop Inn – Erie, PA

July 8, 2018December 5, 2018 mariesdonutdiaries

The past week is historically significant for many reasons – I was born on July 2nd, the United States’ birthday was July 4th, and a new donut shop emerged in Erie, PA. The Doughdrop Inn caters to the upper west side of Erie. Although there are many great donut options in Erie, (such as Mighty Fine, H & K Do Nut Shop, and Jack Frost) I think the more the merrier. Since opening on July 5th, the Doughdrop Inn can’t keep their donuts on the racks. They sold out Thursday and when I arrived Friday around 8:30AM they were almost sold out again, despite making more donuts than they had the day before. This made my heart happy but made the brains of many Erie residents visiting the donut shop basically implode today. They couldn’t grasp the idea of not getting exactly what they wanted (a full selection) when they wanted it (any time from opening to the shop’s 2PM closing time). They talked back to the nearly empty shelves. One man remarked, “This is no Barbatos,” referring to the restaurant that once resided in the same space and has been out of business for who knows how long. Basically, what I’m getting at is the people of Erie were showing their ass and it wasn’t cute. However, the staff of the Doughdrop Inn was professional, kind, and their smiles did not waiver. Instead of giving a lecture on how to handle your mouth in public and respect people trying to make your city better and offering a SERVICE you that you CHOSE to employ, I’ll stick to reviewing a donut.

I will certainly visit again to try out more of the many from scratch donut varieties that they offer but this review is about the Chocolate Vanilla Glazed Donut. They don’t have official names for the donuts so I’m hoping they change this one to Marble Cake or something. Anyway, names don’t mean anything. The cake cake cake cake is all anyone cares about and this is the best cake you can get. I am still thinking about it and when I will get to have another one. It’s like a bundt cake or a sweet bread but like the best one you have ever had. The cake has a real chocolate taste that is rich and not overwhelming but definitely will give any chocolate lover their fix. The vanilla is a nice balance to the chocolate. The cake is soft and the texture is not spongy or dry. It is perfect. You can tell that it is made from scratch. The glaze isn’t too sweet or thick or thin. It perfectly covers each bite.

I’d highly recommend any of their cake donuts and can’t wait to get back and try their sandwiches. Specifically, I want the Donut Monte Christo breakfast sandwich that is described as a savory, sweet grilled donut with ham, turkey, and Swiss served with a side of homemade raspberry preserves for only $3.29. My fat mouth is watering.

THE BREAKDOWN: Chocolate Vanilla Glazed

Store: The Doughdrop Inn lives here

Address: 1529 W 38th St, Erie, PA 16508

Cost: About $1

What they want to highlight: They make donuts from scratch.

What I thought was the highlight: They make donuts from scratch.

Rating out of 5 stars: 4.2

Would I buy it again?: Yes, for sure.

What could make it better?: If Erie residents would have more chill.

LEAVE A COMMENT about your Doughdrop Inn experience. What’s the best chocolate glazed donut you’ve had? LIKE this post if you like it – it’s basically the easiest thing you can do today.

Outside

Happy customers 🙂

Seating area

There it is. One of the best cake donuts you’ll have with super chocolate taste and a perfectly balanced vanilla cake offset.

Donut Reviews

Glazed Creme Filled – Beiler’s Doughnuts – Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, PA

July 1, 2018June 30, 2018 mariesdonutdiaries

So I have been super lucky and hit some donut hot spots since starting my donut diaries endeavors. Beiler’s Doughnuts (located in the Reading Terminal Market situated in my own personal hedonistic city of Philadelphia) continually tops lists as the #1 donut in Pennsylvania. (Google it.) When I lived in Philly in the early 2000s, Reading Terminal topped my personal list of places to eat. I didn’t know Beiler’s by name. I called it the Amish bakery – but they’re actually Pennsylvania Dutch. They had a small collection of donuts offered and I always chose the powdered cream filled. Delicious. Also, their restaurant had a not-of-this-world chicken and waffles special that is hard to pin down the day it’s offered and a bakery that every single things is way below big city prices and doesn’t offer anything less than the best *fill in the blank* you have ever bought. My favorites are the cheesecake cupcakes and raspberry pie. Any Beiler’s product can change souls and make grown men cry.

Keep in mind when I tried these donuts I had high standards – holding onto my past over-the-top fantastical experiences and now reading from multiple food journalists these are the best donuts IN ALL OF PA. The first donut I tried from the all-donut Beiler’s shop was the Glazed Creme Filled. Maybe I should have gone big and tried the peanut butter and jelly or the key lime donut to have felt the true essence of a number one donut shop. Glazed is glazed and this is DEFINITELY a delicious glazed donut. It’s similar to the cloud-like sweetness of a hot Krispy Kreme glazed but encompasses elevated taste, meaning the ingredients are of a better quality and it didn’t have to be hot to equal Krispy Kreme’s goodness (they gotta be hot from there or else they’re mediocre at best). The creme was not that nasty whipped cream or a grainy sugar – it’s light and fluffy and sweet and smooth. Of the fluff and sweet cream-filled variety, it is probs the best I had. I want to rave and say it’s the best donut I’ve had in Pennsylvania but I’m not sure. It was definitely the best glazed cream filled I have had because usually they aren’t mixed so major 🙂 🙂

THE BREAKDOWN: Glazed Creme Filled

Store: Beiler’s Doughnuts – Visit them virtually here

Address: 51 N 12th St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Cost: About $1

What they want to highlight: They sell donuts.

What I thought was the highlight: They sell donuts.

Rating out of 5 stars: 4.0 – I mean if I said cream filled and glazed donuts weren’t my favorites/go-tos I’d be lying so a mix is 2 for the price of 1 🙂

Would I buy it again?: Probably, but they have so many kinds I might branch out.

What could make it better?: More frosting like cream – but that is just my sweet tooth – I think the majority of people would say this is the best cream filling they have ever had.

Do you think Beiler’s Doughnuts are the best donuts in Pennsylvania? Are they the best even in Philadelphia? How much do you love Reading Terminal? LEAVE A COMMENT and tell the world about it. Please 🙂

A sign of glory

Filling paradise ❤

Husband ❤ Waiting to check out

Lunch was at The Original Turkey in Reading Terminal. Honestly, I could write a whole blog just about this place’s 4 sandwiches and 4 sides. Phenomenal. And that husband is cuuuuuuuute.

It looks homemade in the best way.

Crispy glaze, soft cream, good filling coverage, and almost croissant textured dough. Love.

If you made it all the way to here you must love the blog or love to hate it. Either way, sign up for Marie’s Donut Diaries by clicking follow in the bottom right or go here.

Donut Reviews

Holtman’s Donuts, Stan the Donut Man, The Donut House, Martin’s Donut Shop, Milton’s Donuts – Day 2 – Butler County Donut Trail in Ohio

June 13, 2018 mariesdonutdiaries

Day 2 of the Butler County Donut Trail had me hyped because on Day 1 of our journey many of the Day 2 shops were described by locals and others on the Donut Trail as their favorites. I was tired but determined. We spent the day prior exploring Hamilton, Ohio where we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Hamilton. If you love little towns and can appreciate the small things you will love Hamilton. They have little shops, a scenic river, biking and walking trails, and unique restaurants plus a lot more if you would just go and visit! Plus, it was a great starting point for both days of our donut journey.

Stop 1 – Holtman’s Donuts – 9558 Civic Centre Blvd, West Chester Township, OH 45069

Without referencing a map, my senses say this was the closest shop to Cincinnati. It def had more of the “city” feel than the mom and pop, local diner donut shops. They had all the trends: cereal, bacon, and unicorn varieties. And, like a true city girl, these donuts won in the vanity competition.

From the Top Left – Maple Bacon Crueler, Unicorn Blueberry Cake, Red Velvet

Bottom Left – Twisted Knot Glazed, Samoa, German Chocolate

So obvi the bacon donut you can’t go wrong. Having the maple-bacon combo on top of a crueler is definitely different. Not sure if the donut cake could hold the substance of the bacon. It was still good because, well, bacon.

Not going to be a major surprise, but my favorite was the Twisted Knot Glazed – not the technical terms if you couldn’t guess 🙂 It was that lovely knotty dough that is soft and crunchy and then glazed. It really doesn’t get much better.

If you have eyeballs you can see how beautiful the remaining donuts are. The Samoa could be mistaken for the Girl Scout Cookie if photographed just right. But I was most impressed by the Red Velvet insides. The donut cake tasted just like red velvet cake and if you aren’t into frosting this donut would be your most desired snack in the world. I, however, love frosting so I thought it could use more glaze but I’m sure most Red Velvet Cake fanatics would disagree.

Behold that beautiful red color ❤ ❤ – that’s no filter.

Stop 2 – Stan the Donut Man – 7967 Cincinnati Dayton Rd, West Chester Township, OH 45069

Stan the Donut Man – standing in the midst of a strip mall minding its own business. Strip mall status isn’t a diss – a lot of the shops on the Donut Trail are in strip malls. Stan’s fulfills the traditional donut feigns love for cake donuts and rolls. It is unassuming and obviously delicious. It isn’t going to have the same glitz as the trendy donuts – minus the pineapple fritter. The glazedness and cake were delicious. I didn’t looooove the pineapple chunks along the bottom but that is totally personal preference. I just don’t like eating a piece of fruit and would rather have it flavored or the fruit mixed in because the texture difference is too jarring. That being said it didn’t TASTE bad. I would go back again for the blueberry cake donut. Nothing there is too sweet but this had a really great blueberry flavor in the cake and no blueberry chunk pieces.

Don’t I look so joyous? My cheeks look full that’s for sure lol. Here are the selections – as you can tell the pineapple fritter is a favorite cause there’s only 2 left next to the apple fritters – if you zoom 🙂 And this is cake on cake donut heaven if that’s what you’re in to. Cake cake cake cake cake cake.

Stop 3 – The Donut House – 8268 Princeton Glendale Rd, West Chester Township, OH 45069

Maybe my expectations were too high because I liked the sign. Maybe it was the fact that you could pick a filling for multiple donut shells that were filled in front of you…I don’t want to say I hated it but this was probably my least favorite of all the shops. I was PUMPED to pick the filling for my donut shell – I got a chocolate frosted, white cream filled and a glazed bun with chocolate filling. The donut dough was OK and the filling was way too fluffy for me. Almost a whipped cream filling. People who hate sugary cream filled donuts would probably love these. I am not those people. Not to mention the girl at the counter’s attitude was SO BAD. I think her misery oozed into the donuts. Maybe her dog died that morning but she is loyal and showed up anyway, maybe it was her last day and she couldn’t bear to smile because her heart was broken, or maybe she is miserable and made their mediocre donuts worse.

That blooming glazed at the top left looks tempting, but it was decently flavorless but would I eat it again? Yes, it’s a glazed donut. The fritter was alright too…but yeah of course it is it’s a fritter. And then the 2 filled on the spot on the right side. Just all was flat for me 😦

Stop 4 – Martin’s Donuts – 4 W State St, Trenton, OH 45067

Who doesn’t love a pink building? Probably a lot of people lol but I love a bright building! Martin’s was cool because the donut making area was to the left of the entrance. Considering they open as early as 4AM I think it might be hard to catch them processing 🙂 This shop was as old school as it gets with friendly old men walking out and the man at the counter taking his time to go over and explain any questions from each customer. They were sold out of many of their favorites but I was able to try an Orange Creamsicle Donut and an Apple Fritter. I’m not a usual fan of orange flavored pastries, but this is worth leaving your comfort zone. The cake was good, the filling not too sweet or plain and the frosting was sweet deliciousness. I think the secret ingredient is love.

The Apple Fritter is in another category. The donut maker explained how they are widely requested and featured at an annual festival that they get a gazillion orders for these fritters each year. There weren’t any dirty apple chunks. Only all the dough and glaze and magnificentness of your fritter wishes. Sweet and apple-tinged and no gross textures of goo or hard apples pieces. Possibly the best apple fritter I’ve had? It’s a definite must try if you ❤ fritters or any kind of donut 🙂

Almost empty trays, a #DONUTTRAIL sign, and where the magic is made.

The beautiful Apple Fritter.

And the Orange Creamsicle Donut – love the color.

Stop 5 – Milton’s Donuts – 3533 Roosevelt Blvd, Middletown, OH 45044The last stop – Milton’s Donuts. You’d think that I would be tired of donuts by now but that is only partially correct. I’m tired from growing another heart and liver and all the other organs that compose a human and carrying around a ton of extra pounds but I am in no way tired of donuts. Milton’s had a super big chalkboard menu of donuts and when I asked for their best they said they had been sold out of those for a while. They said with their most popular flavors it doesn’t matter how many they make, they are gone long before my arrival time, which was around 10:30AM. Might want to start here if you want their best. So the man at the counter who softened the more we spoke, offered a fresh glaze, which I consumed before memorializing its beauty with my sub-par photo skills. It was a regular ring glaze in looks and a hot, fresh glazed better tasting than Krispy Kreme in consumption. So if their “best” are sold this is still a major winner. Also, I loved them because their donuts were gigantic but just because they had the size appeal they didn’t skimp on taste.

Still lots of donuts and big delicious ones but I’d go earlier next time 🙂

If you want to overindulge in sweetness, see some cute towns, and meet some nice people, then get on the Butler County Donut Trail. You have a whole summer and what else are you gonna do? Go to a museum to pretend you like artifacts that you’ll never remember the details of or go to a crowded beach and burn your porcelain skin after this long winter? No! Go get happy with some donuts and more southern accents than I heard when I was in Savannah.

Follow this blog for more #donuttrail info and reviews of donuts across the US (and world :)). Go to the sign-up page to subscribe. Leave a comment about what you want to know about the Butler County Donut Trail or any of your reviews of these shops.

Donut Reviews

Mimi’s Donuts & Bakery, Kelly’s Bakery, Ross Bakery, The Donut Spot, Jupiter Coffee & Donuts, Central Pastry Shop – Day 1 – Butler County Donut Trail in Ohio

June 7, 2018June 6, 2018 mariesdonutdiaries

Donuts have totally been living through a pop culture moment. They’re on phone covers, t-shirts, and all kind of kitschy goods. Everyone wants to show off their donut love and Butler County in Ohio is taking full advantage of the trend. On National Donut Day, Friday, June 1, 2018, my mom and I set off across the lovely state of Ohio to travel the Butler County Donut Trail. After a mostly pleasant ride (minus construction and rain at the end – why does it always have to get bad at the end) we arrived in Hamilton, Ohio at the Courtyard Marriott Hamilton. They were nice enough to host us for the weekend and had a cute welcome basket for me when we got into the room. I was dead tired and we only had 5 hours to sleep available to get up and get on the trail. Unfortunately, my excitement for the donuts that were ahead kept me up and Saturday morning I was basically running on adrenaline and sugar. Here’s my sleep-deprived recollection of day 1 on the Donut Trail.

Stop 1 – Mimi’s Donuts & Bakery – 2267 Millvale Ave., Hamilton, OH 45013

I *think* the favorite donut here was named the Reese’s Donut. It had peanut butter filling, chocolate frosting, and a sprinkle of peanut butter flavor crunch on top. There were a lot of peanut butter filled donuts throughout the trail – most were called Buckeyes – but this was the best peanut butter filled available that we had.

They also had glazed donut holes – like the actual punctured out middle of a donut. I was just complaining about no good donut holes last week lol. These were soft and airy with a thin glaze shell. It’s how I remember donuts holes from DD being back in the day – but better.

The peanut butter donut on left and donut holes on right. Also pictured is a blueberry cake with lemon frosting and a jelly filled. The lemon frosting was real lemon tasting with a good sweetness and the jelly was jelly 🙂

Stop 2 – Kelly’s Bakery – 1335 Main St., Hamilton, OH 45013

The shop is cute with a retro/aqua/check floor design and obviously tons of delicious donuts to choose from on their racks. Of what I tried, I’d go with the fritter. It was better than the Mighty Fine fritter because it had a better texture and the sweetness crept into the crevices more delightfully.

I had my first cereal donut here – it was “like a cinnamon toast crunch” according to the girl at the counter. Cereal donuts are like the most trendy of the donut trend. I tasted it probably about 2 hours after we left the store and the cereal on top didn’t have much crunch left. It’s like the donuts are going through a phase – super trendy, looks intriguing, and doesn’t live up to the hype when you finally get it. The Buckeye was delicious – it’s peanut butter and chocolate I mean what could go wrong? 🙂

Zee winner from Kelly’s – Fritter Power.

Stop 3 – Ross Bakery – 1051 Eaton Ave., Hamilton, OH 45013

Ross Bakery was totally delightful – and there are 2 locations you can visit on the donut trail to qualify your passport. (Learn about the passport here.) Each shop had a Donut Trail sign (as shown in the image above) that you could take a picture with to commemorate your visit. I was amazed at how many people had their Donut Trail Passports. The majority of people we saw in the shops were on the Donut Trail and bringing in tons of cash for Butler County, OH.

Anyway, onto important things like DONUTS – the Pretzel Donut was the BEST. It was like eating one of those delicious rectangular pastries from the grocery store – like an Entenmann’s danish that comes in those long packages but THIS DONUT was in the shape of a pretzel, with glaze ❤ I could eat one a day. Also feeling Pretzel Donut’s trendy vibes – it’s non-binary – it doesn’t have to be a danish despite its dough having the look, feel, and taste of a danish because it calls itself a donut but presents as a pretzel. SO progressive.

I also had my second cereal donut from here. The Fruity Pebbles Donut is like EVERYWHERE – again the cereal was soggy and I think cereal is so delicious that it is best to be left as cereal. It photographs nicely though 🙂 And isn’t that all that reallllly matters in the world of clicks and trends? They also had Buckeye Donuts – the cake was very good on this one and had a Hershey Square on top (why is it called a square when it’s a rectangle?). The knotted donut also was super yum with crunch and layers of different dough textures. I say anything from here will be above average but eat your cereal separate.

My variety from Ross Bakery on the left and the WINNER – Pretzel Donut on the right ❤ I will be back for you someday…

Stop 4 – The Donut Spot – 5148 Pleasant Ave, Fairfield, OH 45014

Lines were out the door at the Donut Spot. And I get it – it was a small shop but had lots of delicious choices including one of my favs from day 1 – a cream cheese filled donut with white icing. It was bomb. The cake was unique and a great vanilla/yellow cake flavor and bouncy texture. The white frosting wasn’t layered on too thick so its sweetness wasn’t overwhelming. BUT THE FILLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was cream cheese like a Bavarian cream cheese filling that was filled throughout the insides from edge-to-edge. Cream cheese in every bite. My eyes were like ❤ ❤ Love is love and I loved it. I also am a major cream cheese lover so if you feel the same then get this donut! I also had an Oreo Donut from here. It was good. I liked it. I didn’t die over it but I can say that it didn’t taste just like a donut that had frosting and some Oreo thrown on as an afterthought. It had a little something special. So if you like something like an Oreo Thin maybe you’ll be into this.

The lovely cream cheese filled donut. Might have been called a Cheesecake Donut? Details don’t matter when you’re in love.

Oreoooooooooooooo.

Stop 5 – Jupiter Coffee & Donuts – 5353 Dixie Hwy # 5, Fairfield, OH 45014

Jupiter Coffee & Donuts – it’s trendy-ish, it’s got lots of breakfast pastry options, and better than average coffee (so says my mom). This shop holds a special place in my taste buds. They had a Raspberry Cheesecake Donut – so obvi I was pumped. Then I saw the emphasis was on the raspberry and not the cheesecake – that left me deflated. THEN! I ATE IT! And truly was impressed. I have a little chip on my shoulder when it comes to jelly filled donuts. They just aren’t it for me. Especially the chunky jelly I had in DD’s Royal Love donut. *Tears thinking about it* But Jupiter Coffee & Donuts restored all faith in jelly donuts. The filling was smooth, and sweet, and tasted like what a pastry filling should – a compliment to the soft delicious donut around it. If I was comparing it to a grocery store product it would be on frozen Toaster Strudel level – except this was fresh and 1,000 times better so maybe no comparison lol. And if you don’t like those but like jelly you’ll still love this donut. I also got a fried, glazed croissant. It pains me to knock a croissant or anything glazed, but I am going to err on the side of if this was fresh like out of the fryer, and especially if it was still warm it would be amazing. But after sitting on the shelf…pass. For me, Jupiter Coffee and Donuts was a fitting name for this shop because it was like another dimension – I loved the jelly filled and didn’t finish the glazed croissant.

Moon and Star? Planet and Rising Sun? Parallel Universe Donuts.

Best jelly donut if I had to say so 🙂

Stop 6 – Central Pastry Shop – 1518 Central Ave, Middletown, OH 45044

When we pulled up it looked like it wasn’t that busy but as soon as we entered the shop people started filtering in – all loyal Donut Trail travelers too. The shop stood apart from the rest as a true Donut Trail beacon. Not only were they the most friendly, they were the most excited to have donut trailers. The owner explained the geocaching that happy people on the Donut Trail were using to check in to each destination and was truly delighted when she exclaimed, “People are having the time of their lives out here!” She also had these maps that were only up for 4 days and already had tons of pins from all over the world.

So. Many. Pins. People are loving the Donut Trail. You will too 🙂

How cute are the backdrop and my mom? In the bottom left is a Passport from in stores. I didn’t see them at all the shops so I would print one online and pick this pretty one up if you see it. Oh and that’s me at the top. Looking ready to have some more donuts lol.

Highlights – Onto the donut. It was delicious. Almost like a crumb cake donut – pretty sure it was named an “Ugly.” I am bad with names. Very bad with names. Good at remembering details and how it made me feel though 🙂 This donut had crunchy parts and soft parts but it wasn’t a strudel. It was different. Unlike the others. A true original and stand out in textures and in the world of donuts – which not only resonated with their baked goods but the energy of the shop.

My back hurts but I can’t tell if it’s from walking today or extra bad heartburn. Tell yo friends (and yourself if you haven’t!) to SUBSCRIBE for more posts about the Butler County Donut Trail and all things donuts (or doughnuts if you’re sophisticated). Get you some.

Donut Reviews

Mighty Fine Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin’ Donuts, Tim Hortons, Papa John’s – National Donut Day – Erie, PA

June 1, 2018June 1, 2018 mariesdonutdiaries

So it’s been a donutful day and I think I’m done consuming, for now, so here’s the rundown of how I celebrated National Donut Day in 2018. There are FIVE STOPS so keep reading 🙂 Comment below and tell me how you celebrated.

First stop this morning was Mighty Fine donuts. There was nowhere to park on the street side near the shop. Good sign. The place was packed with frantic customers. Everyone seemed happy to be celebrating National Donut Day. I ordered a chocolate cream filled donut, which is pretty much my all-time favorite donut ever, and I have some disappointing news. It’s not the donuts fault 😦 But for some reason that I’ve decided can only be explained by reasoning that some higher power is punishing me….my favorite donut has not been appealing since I got pregnant. It really is tragedy at its finest. I could give the excuse that I need one every day because the baby likes chocolate cream filled donuts from Mighty Fine, but written like a Shakespearian Play, tragedy has struck my house and the baby DOESN’T like them. BUT I still loved the fritter I had the other day from Mighty Fine and I know it’s just my pregnant body being picky so I’m excited for when I can pick back up where I left off worshipping these donuts after I give birth to a better set of taste buds.

Lots of traffic at 26th and Parade today.

The less photographed Mighty Fine sign. Couldn’t get a better pic cause too much traffic.

Again my weak photo skills don’t capture the bustle of the donut shop but It was full of donut lovers and people being rude 🙂 Thankfully the servers were nice and pleasant. Thank you for everything you do for me Mighty Fine 🙂 ❤

The Chocolate Cream Filled Donut from Mighty Fine. A fan favorite. Crowd pleaser. My baby hates it 😦 I’m crying.

Next, I headed up to Krispy Kreme. They offered a totally free donut so I figured, why not? Plus I haven’t had one in a millennium and I’ve heard so much hate spewed about them since I had one last so I had to see if they weren’t as good as I remember.

UM IT WAS BETTER THAN I REMEMBER. I think the baby has a thing for glazed donuts because every one I have had she has loved. They had a ton of variety in their display cases but I wanted the hot glazed. (Is that still free every time the hot light is on?) Oh, it was hot. It was better than I remember. Sinful. I wanted to go back in, buy a whole dozen, go home and finish them off. It was amazing. Most worthwhile stop of the day. So when you see that hot light bling you best get yourself a hot glazed donut.

This is the sign to look for. The HOT NOW sign ❤ ❤ ❤ Lit up like me before I was pregnant.

Felt like home. Those are all hot donuts. My fat mouth is watering.

I ruined the perfection with my thumb. GO GET ONE OF THESE TODAY 🙂 FREE

I didn’t want to eat another donut and especially not one I had to pay for from Tim Horton’s. BUT I wanted to see if they had the “Gold Timbits” in Erie. So I asked the girl at the counter for Gold Timbits. She was like “Whhhhaaa….I don’t think so.” That’s what her face said. She was a little less talkative than that. How did I know this was going to be embarrassing?

Next, I went to Dunkin’ ’cause I woke up extra early and wanted an iced latte. I got the cookie dough iced latte and it was v delicious. Love their ice cream flavor drinks in the summer ❤ Since I got a free donut I decided to try their glazed. No comparison to Krispy Kreme but despite the minimal glaze and my general indifference towards their donuts it was better than expected. A win. And it was FREE (with my purchase). *Side note – THE APP WOULDN’T LET ME ORDER. Usual DD Dramatics. Please get your sh!t together.

Would you look at that? A glazed donut….

So I didn’t know if I would get hungry again after all that consumption, but so strange – I DID! So I ordered a Hawaiian “low fat” pizza or something online from Papa John’s to get their free donuts they made especially for National Donut Day. I thought they were going to be just plain dough with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on them. They were bite-sized little guys so if you eat the whole box it’s like totes no big deal. So I popped one and it was filled! I think it was apple. So I tried another! It was filled! I think with apple? So I tried another! I think it was filled but this time I thought it might be caramel??? I don’t know but I like it. So I dissected one. And two and three and decided it is some sort of super sweet syrupy thing that could be either apple and/or caramel but I didn’t see any additional filling that distinctively had fruit so I’m saying they are caramel filled. AND THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE FOR DINNER TONIGHT! I love their pizza, really I do, and so does the baby apparently. And this one time only donut was more than just hype – it was probably the best donut hole I’ve had since I was little and donut holes were really actually donut holes. Not these bs overcharged wads of dough not holed from a donut for sale nowadays.

“That’s a really great photo.” – Me

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The dawning of a new donut. 2. Lobsta donut. 3. What is that? 4. Another one?

If you have brains you will get Papa John’s tonight. Please, someone, tell me what that filling is. LIKE THIS POST! Comment below too!!