Autumn inspires us to do all sorts of activities, like apple picking, leaf peeping and corn mazes. But if you grew up somewhere that hosted an annual fall carnival, that may have been your top seasonal highlight—and if so, you'll want to check out Krispy Kreme’s latest limited-time collection, which honors the flavors of a fall fairground. (You have until October 5 to try it, BTW.) To see if they taste as good as they look, I tasted four new varieties to bring you the following ranking, reviews and original photos. Read on for details.
Krispy Kreme’s Fall Fair Doughnuts Are Next-Level Nostalgic (& Delicious—I Know, I Tried Them)
Meet me at the Ferris wheel
•
Published Sep 22, 2025
Krispy Kreme
4. KREME Puff
- What It Is: unglazed ring doughnut swirled with rich Kreme™, dusted with sweet powdered coating and topped with a Doughnut Dot
I like the tang of the cream (it’s sort of cream cheesy but very slight) and its fluffy consistency. The doughnut hole in the middle is cute, but overall, this is super sweet—even with the plain donut on the bottom—so I find it unnecessary.
3. Cotton Candy
- What It Is: glazed doughnut dipped in blue icing, coated with cotton candy-flavored sugar and topped with strawberry-flavored icing and cotton candy-flavored buttercreme
Yeah, it’s very artificial tasting...but so is cotton candy, right? The strawberry icing and cotton candy buttercream pair delectably well together, and the latter really tastes like cotton candy instead of vaguely sweet and bubble gum-y. For what it is, it’s pretty perfect, albeit a touch cloying.
2. Blue Ribbon Apple Pie
- What It Is: unglazed shell doughnut filled with apple cinnamon filling, dipped in caramel-flavored icing, sprinkled with cinnamon cookie crumbs and drizzled with white icing
This autumn staple definitely gives pie. I like that it offers multiple varied textures that make for an interesting bite, between the crisp cookie bits, tender fruit and fluffy doughnut. I wish the apples in the filling had a bit more tartness, though.
1. Caramel Churro
- What It Is: cinnamon sugar doughnut drizzled with caramel-flavored icing
Simple, sweet and just salty enough, this Krispy Kreme doughnut won my ranking with ease. It’s not a major commitment like the alternatives with a ton of frosting and toppings, and I’d argue that this one actually has farm stand or fair vibes, sort of like a gussied-up cider doughnut.
