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Based on the sheer amount of different types of donuts, there’s something for everyone. And you don’t have to shell out the big bucks at your local donut chain, nor do you have to settle for store-bought packaged donuts. You can save money without sacrificing quality by picking up fresh donuts from a grocery store bakery. While not all grocery store bakeries make good donuts, the best grocery store bakery donuts we’ve sampled could rival even the most popular donut chains.
In a ranking of 12 different grocery store bakery donuts, Meijer’s white iced cinnamon donut came in first place, blowing away the competition by a long shot. Meijer is a regional grocery chain with locations in the Midwest that started and continues to be family-owned despite expanding to hundreds of supercenter locations over its nearly century-long tenure. When we took the donut out of its assorted box, we were expecting a cream-filled donut as the shape was round with no hole and covered in a thick layer of white icing. However, the white icing concealed a swirled, coiled iced cinnamon bun. We couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised, and each bite just got better and better. This donut combines the best features of a store-bought honey bun and a freshly baked cinnamon roll. It’s iced like a donut with soft, supple, yeasty dough that gets gooey and more cinnamony as you get to the center like a cinnamon roll.
Meijer’s customers love the cinnamon donuts
Megan Hageman/Tasting Table
Meijer’s customers are as delighted with the cinnamon donuts as we were. Many customers claimed they were the best donut options in the store’s vast repertoire, consisting of fan favorites like the plain glazed, cake donuts, and chocolate donuts. One customer went as far as to say that they’re the “best baked good in the store,” while another customer said they “taste just like the ones I get at work on Friday from a donut shop.” Customers describe them as “soft and yeasty tasting with just enough cinnamon and sweetness to more than satisfy my cinnamon roll craving.” Still, others liken them more to honey buns than cinnamon buns for their sweeter, softer bite and subtler cinnamon spice. Whichever way you slice it, Meijer’s cinnamon donuts are a hit with donut lovers across the board. Meijer’s isn’t just known for a stellar bakery section, but it’s also known to have some of the best steaks around. So, you can have a breakfast feast with steak and eggs as the first course and donuts for dessert!
If you aren’t lucky enough to live in the Midwest near a Meijer’s, then you might have to recreate this hybrid cinnamon-honey bun donut yourself. Luckily, we have a cinnamon roll doughnut recipe from a famous NYC chef that’s bound to impress. You could slather this recipe for cream cheese icing over them to one-up the thin layer of white icing on Meijer’s cinnamon roll donuts.
