Iconic North Carolina Donut Franchise Welcomes Back Pumpkin Spice Collection

Most of the time I'm able to resist the "pumpkin spice" hype.  It's not that I don't love it.  On the contrary, I REALLY like it.  It's just that the whole craze behind it is so annoying, that I cannot be a party to it.  That is about to change.  I have three real food weaknesses in my life:  fast food hamburgers, ice cream, and Krispy Kreme donuts.  And as God as my witness, I will have no willpower when it comes to Krispy Kreme's "pumpkin spice" collection this year.

Look, I get it.  It's still August.  It's hotter than six Hells.  Even though the kids are back in school and football in back on TV, "fall" seems like it's ten thousand miles away.  We're still smelling wet cut grass and suntan lotion.  The odors of outdoor firepits and pumpkin/holiday spices don't register.  That being said, there's no way you can't at least pay attention to this box from Krispy Kreme.

Krispy Kreme is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and has spread its undeniable message of donut greatness in more than 30 countries around the world.  Okay, that's enough.  Writing this has made my jones increase ten-fold.  I'm off to Krispy Kreme to enjoy their pumpkin spice donuts.  Oh yeah, and did I mention there's new pumpkin spice coffee to wash 'em down, too?!

Friday, June 2 is National Donut Day, and ahead of the celebration, Yelp released its second annual Top 100 US Donut Shops list. And apparently, NC has some delicious donuts. One North Carolina Donut shop was named the second-best in the entire country. The highly praised donuts come to us from Asheville. And 2nd best, that's some high praise. They weren't alone as 5 total North Carolina places made Yelp's list. This includes donuts from Asheville, Fayetteville, and Concord among others.

Did you know there are donut trends? There sure are! According to Yelp the biggest donut trends in 2023 are:

While my current favorite donut spot, The Salty, didn't make the cut, I'll be sure to check out a couple of these locations. I enjoy a good gourmet donut but I also can't turn down a hot now Krispy Kreme glazed donut. There just might not be anything better! The best donut I've had lately- a butterbeer one from the previously mentioned The Salty. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for my waistline) it was a limited-time offering. So how did Yelp come up with these ratings that ranked a North Carolina Donut Shop 2nd best in the country? According to Yelp, they "identified businesses in the donuts category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between January 1st, 2022 and March 31st, 2023."

Keep reading to see the top 10 donut shops in the US and the other North Carolina locations that were recognized.

Have you tried HOLE? I haven't but I typically visit Asheville at least once a year so I will definitely be adding this to my list for my next visit!

This is the second time Superior Bakery in Fayetteville has made the top 100 list, though that took a substantial jump this year.

Apparently, I'm not up on my donuts, while Raleigh is my second home, I've never tried Baker's Dozen either.