8 Donut Chain Chocolate Donuts, Ranked - Tasting Table

Chocolate donuts combine rich, complex chocolate flavor with heavy fried dough. Many chains offer their own versions, so eight chocolate donuts from major national chains were tried and ranked. Donuts were evaluated across forms, including chocolate-flavored dough, unflavored dough with chocolate frosting or toppings, and combinations. Rankings were based on taste, texture, and how well each donut delivered chocolate flavor. Duck Donuts cake donuts were made-to-order and topped like sundae options. The chocolate frosting tasted flavorful and balanced but had a gritty texture that melted quickly. The cake donut base was also distinct from raised donuts used by other chains, creating a weaker overall start despite some potential.

"It's hard to imagine anything more indulgent than a chocolate donut. This dessert combines one of the richest and most complicated sweet flavors with heavy fried dough. When they're good, they're balanced in flavor, hot, and fresh, with a chewy texture that melts in your mouth and pairs perfectly with a strong cup of coffee."

"Since a "chocolate donut" can be many things, I decided to consider them in all their forms: donuts with chocolate-flavored dough, unflavored donuts with chocolate frosting or other chocolate-flavored toppings, and combinations of the two. These donuts are ranked based on taste, texture, and delivery on their chocolate flavor, so let's see which chain delivers in these areas, and which ones don't."

"Duck Donuts specializes in made-to-order cake donuts. Staff members fry and top your donut right in front of your eyes, and you can choose your own toppings like it's an ice cream sundae. For this ranking, though, we're sticking to the menu, beginning with the chocolate iced and the chocolate confetti donuts. I've decided to lump these together because they're both typical cake donuts topped with chocolate frosting, with the only difference being the rainbow sprinkles on top of the confetti."

"The chocolate part of these donuts is just okay; the frosting is flavorful and balanced, but has a bit of a gritty texture. Once bitten into, the grit melts quickly enough, but it's still a bad start. The bigger problem lies with the donuts themselves, which are simple cake donuts, distinct from the raised donuts offered by other chains. On the plus side, they have potential; mine had a nice crumbly te"

Read at Tasting Table