How Many Calories Are In Glazed Doughnuts? Nutrients And More

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Evidence BasedHow Many Calories Are in Glazed Doughnuts? Nutrients and More

Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, RDN, CDCES — Written by Anne Danahy, MS, RDN on November 13, 2020

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Without frosting, fillings, and sprinkles, a simple glazed doughnut may seem like a lighter, less unhealthy choice. But there’s a great deal of variation among brands, and some come with a higher calorie count than others.

A basic glazed doughnut and a good cup of coffee is a classic combination favored by many.

This article examines the calories in various brands of glazed doughnuts and whether they’re a decent choice.

Glazed doughnut calories

Not all glazed doughnuts are created equal.

Yeast doughnuts are made from a yeast dough that rises, so they’re taller and fluffier than other types.

Cake doughnuts use baking powder as a leavening agent and have a denser texture.

Meanwhile, old fashioned doughnuts have a cake-like texture that’s often bumpy and crispy on the outside. They’re made with sour cream or buttermilk.

Their different ingredients and production methods affect their calorie counts somewhat.

Here are the calorie counts of some popular brands of glazed doughnuts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12):

Generic plain glazed: 269 calories
Generic chocolate glazed: 312 calories
Generic maple-glazed: 310 calories
Dunkin Donuts Plain Glazed: 240 calories
Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Glazed: 360 calories
Krispy Kreme Original Glazed: 190 calories
Publix Plain Glazed: 340 calories
Safeway Plain Glazed: 250 calories
Shipley Do-Nuts Plain Glazed: 190 calories
Target Plain Glazed: 140 calories
Tim Hortons Honey Dip: 190 calories
Generic cake glazed: 192 calories
Generic sour cream/old fashioned glazed: 234 calories
Starbucks Old Fashioned Glazed: 480 calories
Generic cake glazed doughnut holes (1 piece): 60 calories
Generic yeast glazed doughnut holes (1 piece): 55 calories

Among the full-size doughnuts, Starbucks’ Old Fashioned glazed doughnut is highest in calories, but it’s also fairly large at 113 grams. Most of the others weigh 50–70 grams.

If you want a doughnut that doesn’t break your calorie bank, choose one or two small doughnut holes.

SUMMARY
Cake, yeast, or old fashioned glazed doughnuts are each made differently and vary somewhat in their calories counts. If you want a lower calorie glazed doughnut, choose one that’s on the smaller side.

Glazed doughnut nutrition

Whether they’re cake, yeast, or old fashioned style, glazed doughnuts are made with mostly the same ingredients:

flour
sugar
yeast or baking powder
eggs
milk, buttermilk, or sour cream
butter or shortening

After the batter is made, the doughnuts are shaped and fried in oil.

The average medium-size (64-gram) glazed doughnut contains (1):

Calories: 269
Protein: 4 grams
Fat: 15 grams
Carbs: 31 grams
Sugar: 15 grams
Folate: 65 mcg, or 16% of the Daily Value (DV)
Thiamine: 0.2mg, or 12% of the DV
Iron: 2.2mg, or 12% of the DV

If they’re made with enriched flour, doughnuts provide small amounts of folic acid, thiamine, and iron. Yet, overall, they’re not considered a good source of healthy nutrients (1).

Instead, they’re high in sugar, refined carbs, and fat. What’s more, they fall into the category of ultra-processed foods (13).

Ultra-processed foods are defined as foods with many ingredients. They commonly include high amounts of salt, sugar, fats, starches, and other ingredients that aren’t available at retail outlets (13).

Ultra-processed foods are tasty and easy to eat in large amounts, but they’re very low in nutrients (13).

SUMMARY
Glazed doughnuts have a fair amount of sugar, starch, and fat but are low in beneficial nutrients. They’re considered a non-nutritious, ultra-processed food.

Recommendations

Compared with doughnuts filled with jelly or custard, glazed doughnuts may be a healthier choice. Still, they’re far from a healthy breakfast or snack and should only be enjoyed in moderation.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sugar to no more than 10% of your total daily calories. For someone who eats a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s fewer than 200 calories or less than 50 grams of sugar per day (14).

If you down a few doughnuts with your sugar-sweetened coffee, you could easily hit that goal with breakfast.

Additionally, reaching for processed foods like doughnuts frequently is linked to weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes (15).

It’s fine to enjoy a glazed doughnut every once in a while, but for your health, it’s best not to make it a habit.

SUMMARY
Glazed doughnuts are not healthy, although you can certainly enjoy one every now and again. Eating too many of them may lead to weight gain and increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease over time.

The bottom line

Glazed doughnuts are a tasty treat but not something you should eat every day.

On average, 1 medium size doughnut provides 190–300 calories, although some are significantly higher in calories, depending on the size and ingredients used.

Eating too many foods that are high in sugar, starch, and fat may cause health problems, such as overweight, diabetes, and heart disease, down the road. A such, it’s best to only enjoy glazed doughnuts in moderation.

How we reviewed this article:

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Evidence Based

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by experts.

Our team of licensed nutritionists and dietitians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and to present both sides of the argument.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1, 2, 3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, RDN, CDCES — Written by Anne Danahy, MS, RDN on November 13, 2020

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