McDonald Krispy Kreme Menu: What You Missed & What’s Next

🍩 Introduction – My First Taste of the McDonald Krispy Kreme Menu

McDonald Krispy Kreme menu — just saying it still makes me smile. The first time I stumbled across it, I wasn’t even hungry. I was grabbing a coffee at McDonald’s when I noticed something very different behind the glass: a perfectly glazed doughnut. Not just any doughnut—a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed. My eyes widened. Was this real?

It felt like a crossover episode in the fast food universe. I ordered the doughnut, paired it with a McCafé vanilla latte, and sat by the window like I was unwrapping a gift. That first bite? Pure nostalgia. The soft, airy texture, the warm glaze, the slight crunch at the edges—it took me back to road trips and birthday mornings. I couldn’t believe two of my favorite brands had actually teamed up.

For a few sweet months, the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu became my go-to morning combo, especially during long commutes or quick coffee breaks. It was affordable, familiar, and somehow luxurious. But like all good things, it didn’t last. And now, as the partnership officially draws to a close, I can’t help but wonder: What went wrong? What was really on that menu? And what’s next for both McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme?

Let’s take a closer look at this short-lived but unforgettable menu collaboration—from how it started, what it offered, and why it’s already headed for the history books. 🍩☕📉

Table of Contents

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The Backstory: How McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme Teamed Up

The McDonald Krispy Kreme menu wasn’t just a random rollout—it was the result of a calculated experiment between two iconic American brands. Think of it as a test drive for a sweet alliance that had the potential to reshape fast food breakfast menus across the country.

🗓️ The Timeline: From Test to Expansion

• October 2022: McDonald’s begins a limited test in 9 locations in Kentucky
• Early 2023: The test expands to 160 restaurants, mainly in the Louisville area
• Late 2024: More than 2,400 McDonald’s restaurants nationwide offer Krispy Kreme doughnuts
• June 2025: McDonald’s and Krispy Kreme jointly announce the end of the partnership, effective July 2, 2025

📰 According to a joint press release, the companies cited operational complexity and cost challenges as reasons for ending the partnership, despite strong customer demand.

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🔍 Why Team Up in the First Place?

The collaboration made sense—for a while. Here’s why:

• McDonald’s wanted to strengthen its breakfast offering beyond muffins and hash browns
• Krispy Kreme saw an opportunity to boost sales and reach through McDonald’s 13,000+ U.S. locations
• The menu test aligned with consumer trends favoring convenient, familiar, and indulgent treats
• It was a low-risk, high-visibility test for both brands to study co-branding impact

🤝 It wasn’t just about selling doughnuts—it was about selling the idea of joy, comfort, and nostalgia in a fast-food setting.

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🧩 Behind the Scenes: Logistics & Distribution

• Krispy Kreme used its hub-and-spoke model, delivering fresh doughnuts daily to McDonald’s
• McDonald’s didn’t bake in-house—the doughnuts arrived pre-made and packaged, ensuring consistency
• This minimized labor but increased supply chain and margin pressure on both sides

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The concept was ambitious. Two industry giants teamed up to combine speed with sweetness. And for a moment, it looked like it might just work. But as we’ll see next, it wasn’t just about what they hoped—it was about what they served.

What Was on the McDonald Krispy Kreme Menu?

If you were lucky enough to live near one of the test locations, you got to experience the sweet simplicity of the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu—a collaboration that brought America’s most iconic doughnuts to one of its most beloved fast food chains.

So, what exactly could customers order from the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu?

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🍩 The Doughnut Lineup

McDonald’s didn’t overload the offering; instead, the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu focused on 3 core doughnut favorites, delivered fresh daily:

• Original Glazed® Doughnut – the melt-in-your-mouth classic Krispy Kreme is known for
• Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles – fluffy doughnut topped with rich chocolate icing and colorful sprinkles
• Raspberry Filled – sugar-dusted doughnut filled with sweet raspberry jelly

🍽️ These were served as-is or paired with coffee, making them the perfect addition to the McCafé lineup.

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🥤 Pairings with McCafé Beverages

Many customers enjoyed combining the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu items with:

• Hot or iced McCafé lattes
• Vanilla iced coffee
• Hot chocolate
• Espresso shots for dunking

☕ This pairing turned basic breakfast runs into mini indulgences.

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📦 Limited-Time Bundles & Promotions

During seasonal promotions, select locations offered doughnut bundles—like:

• Buy 1, Get 1 for $1
• $2 breakfast pairing with small coffee
• Free Krispy Kreme Fridays (limited-time promotion at some pilot stores)

These deals made the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu not just tasty, but an affordable luxury.

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📝 Why It Worked (Briefly)

• Convenience: No extra trip to a Krispy Kreme store
• Freshness: Doughnuts were delivered daily to each participating McDonald’s
• Simplicity: Just three high-demand options = easier prep, consistent quality

✅ The McDonald Krispy Kreme menu offered a sweet, low-effort win for customers—but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to make the model sustainable long-term.

Where Was It Available?

When the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu first made headlines, many fans asked the same thing: Where can I get it? Unfortunately, not everyone could just walk into their neighborhood McDonald’s and grab a glazed doughnut—this was a test run, not a nationwide rollout.

📍 The Phased Rollout

The partnership between McDonald’s USA and Krispy Kreme started small and grew cautiously:

• 🟡 October 2022 – Initial pilot launched in 9 McDonald’s locations in Lexington, Kentucky.
• 🟠 March 2023 – Expanded to 160+ restaurants, still within a limited radius.
• 🔴 By 2024–2025 – Offered in around 2,400 locations, mostly in test markets and select high-traffic areas.

📝 While it felt like a big deal online, the rollout still represented less than 20% of McDonald’s ~13,500 U.S. stores.

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🚚 How Distribution Worked

The Krispy Kreme doughnuts weren’t made inside McDonald’s kitchens. Instead:

• Doughnuts were delivered fresh daily from Krispy Kreme’s regional production hubs.
• This model aligned with Krispy Kreme’s goal of expanding “fresh points of access” (e.g., grocery stores, gas stations, and now fast food).

✅ The system ensured quality but also added operational complexity and logistics costs, especially at scale.

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❌ Why You Might Have Missed It

If you never saw a Krispy Kreme doughnut at your local McDonald’s, you weren’t alone:

• Only select regions participated in the program.
• Availability was often limited to breakfast hours or until items sold out.
• Not all participating McDonald’s locations promoted it heavily, making it easy to overlook.

🗺️ No official “menu locator” was released, so most people found it by word of mouth or local news coverage.

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In short, the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu wasn’t meant for everyone—at least not yet. And ironically, just as it began to gain traction, the plug was pulled. So, what happened?

Why the Partnership Is Ending?

The end of the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu partnership came as a surprise to many fans—but behind the scenes, the reasons were more practical than personal. On June 24, 2025, both brands announced that they had mutually agreed to end their collaboration, effective July 2, 2025.

So why did this sweet partnership go sour? Let’s break it down 👇

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📉 1. The Economics Didn’t Work

Despite initial success and strong consumer interest in the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu, the economics simply didn’t add up—especially for Krispy Kreme.

• The doughnuts were distributed fresh daily to over 2,400 McDonald’s locations during the expansion phase.
• Krispy Kreme noted that efforts to align delivery and labor costs with unit demand were unsuccessful.
• That meant the partnership, although popular, was not sustainable or profitable long-term.

💬 “This needed to be a profitable business model for Krispy Kreme as well.” – Krispy Kreme CEO

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🔄 2. Scale vs. Strategy

• McDonald’s has an ultra-efficient, cost-driven operation, and the logistical needs of fresh doughnut delivery didn’t integrate seamlessly with that model.
• The McDonald Krispy Kreme menu also had to compete for space and speed during breakfast rush hours, which are vital for McDonald’s core business.

⚖️ The partnership made sense in theory, but was challenging in execution.

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🔧 3. It Was Always a Test

From the beginning, McDonald’s treated the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu as a pilot program—a temporary offering to evaluate customer interest and operational feasibility.

• While the test was extended multiple times, the announcement confirms it was never meant to be permanent unless it could scale profitably.
• Both brands expressed satisfaction with their collaboration and emphasized that it met internal expectations—but long-term alignment wasn’t there.

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📣 4. What They Said Officially

“While the partnership met our expectations… it needed to be a profitable business model for Krispy Kreme.”
— McDonald’s USA Chief Marketing Officer

“Ultimately, efforts to bring our costs in line with unit demand were unsuccessful.”
— Josh Charlesworth, CEO of Krispy Kreme

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❗ Summary: Why the McDonald Krispy Kreme Menu Is Ending

• ✔️ Successful in terms of brand awareness and customer experience
• ❌ Not viable due to cost, scale, and logistics
• 🔄 Both companies are shifting strategies for the future

So while fans mourn the disappearance of glazed joy from their morning coffee runs, the reality is: the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu was a bold experiment that simply didn’t fit the operational puzzle of two massive companies.

Consumer Reactions and Online Buzz

As soon as the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu hit select stores, the internet lit up with excitement, skepticism, and lots of hungry curiosity. From Twitter threads to TikTok taste tests, food bloggers and everyday fans didn’t waste time sharing their hot takes—and glazed opinions.

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🧵 Social Media Buzz

On platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, the reactions came fast:

• “Just got an Original Glazed at McDonald’s. My life is complete. 🍩☕”
• “McDonald’s x Krispy Kreme?? This is the collab of the year.”
• “Why is my McDonald’s the only one NOT selling Krispy Kreme?? 😩”

✅ Viral posts helped spread awareness fast, but also stirred FOMO among users outside pilot zones.

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📱 TikTok Takes & Review Culture

TikTok food creators jumped on the opportunity to review the crossover, with videos showing:

• Unboxings of the McCafé doughnut-and-coffee combo
• Side-by-side comparisons of Krispy Kreme at McDonald’s vs. retail stores
• Honest reviews: Some said “just like the store,” others complained about staleness or presentation

🎥 A few creators noted that the doughnuts were “less fresh” than from a Krispy Kreme shop—likely due to daily delivery rather than on-site baking.

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💬 Reddit Threads & Food Forums

Food communities on Reddit (like r/fastfood and r/foodnews) debated:

• Whether McDonald’s should focus on core menu instead of brand partnerships
• The impact on menu speed and kitchen workflow
• The novelty vs. long-term appeal of Krispy Kreme in a drive-thru

🔍 Some Redditors praised the pricing, while others called it a “gimmick that wasn’t built to last.”

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📊 The Verdict? Sweet but Split

• Most casual customers loved the convenience and brand recognition
• Hardcore Krispy Kreme fans preferred the store-fresh version
• McDonald’s loyalists were divided: some embraced the addition, others wanted more savory breakfast options instead

🍩 The McDonald Krispy Kreme menu wasn’t universally adored—but it definitely made waves.

What This Means for Fast Food Collaborations

The short-lived yet impactful McDonald Krispy Kreme menu isn’t just a sweet footnote in fast food history—it’s a case study in modern brand collaboration. When two iconic names come together, expectations run high. But what happens when the hype doesn’t align with long-term strategy?

🤝 The Power of Collaboration

Co-branded menus like the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu aim to:

• Combine brand equity for a bigger buzz
• Cross-pollinate audiences (coffee lovers meet doughnut fans)
• Boost limited-time excitement to drive foot traffic
• Create “share-worthy” moments on social media

🍩 The idea was delicious on paper—and even more so on the tray.

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🔍 Why Most Fast Food Collaborations Have Short Lifespans

While customers loved seeing Krispy Kreme doughnuts at their local McDonald’s, business tells a different story:

• Limited scalability due to supply logistics
• Difficulty maintaining freshness across 2400+ McDonald’s locations
• Menu space is valuable real estate—can every product pull its weight?
• High demand in theory doesn’t always mean high revenue in practice

The McDonald Krispy Kreme menu showed that even great products may not be sustainable long term—especially if margins are thin or operations are stretched.

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📉 What This Signals to the Industry

The end of the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu partnership reflects broader truths about fast food brand collaborations:

• 🚫 Short-term hype ≠ long-term profit
• 🤔 Customer excitement must match operational feasibility
• 💼 Brand synergy is only powerful if the backend makes sense

Fast food brands are now more cautious—choosing smaller-scale rollouts, better-aligned brand fits, or moving toward digital-first promotions rather than full menu integrations.

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In the end, the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu reminded us that even dream combos face real-world limitations. The taste was memorable—but so was the lesson.

Business Lessons Behind the Menu Move

The end of the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu collaboration didn’t just mark the conclusion of a fast-food novelty—it offered valuable insight into what makes (or breaks) co-branded partnerships in the competitive world of quick service restaurants (QSR). While the pairing seemed like a marketing dream, its short-lived reality reveals important business takeaways for brands, franchisees, and even consumers.

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💰 1. Profitability Over Popularity

• No matter how exciting a menu item is, it must be sustainable.
• Krispy Kreme executives noted the model wasn’t profitable due to supply chain and unit economics.
• Delivering fresh doughnuts daily to thousands of McDonald’s locations became too costly to justify long-term.

✅ Lesson: Operational feasibility must match customer demand, or the cost outweighs the buzz.

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🧠 2. Menu Real Estate Matters

• The McDonald’s breakfast menu is already packed with core items like Egg McMuffins, Hotcakes, and McGriddles.
• Adding outside products puts pressure on prep time, equipment use, and service flow.
• Some franchisees were reportedly hesitant due to the logistical complexity of storing and serving fresh doughnuts.

⚠️ Lesson: Even high-performing products must earn their place on the menu without disrupting operations.

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🤝 3. Franchisee Buy-In Is Essential

• McDonald’s operates 95% of U.S. locations through independent franchisees.
• Without strong franchisee support, even great product ideas face resistance.
• Reports suggested the rollout wasn’t always enthusiastically embraced on the operational side.

💼 Lesson: In franchise-based systems, alignment across stakeholders is critical for rollout success.

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📦 4. Distribution Can Make or Break a Rollout

• Krispy Kreme’s logistics model required daily deliveries from its network of fresh shops to McDonald’s stores.
• Variability in demand across locations made this model difficult to scale efficiently.
• Missed deliveries or product waste could tarnish the customer experience.

📉 Lesson: If the backend can’t scale smoothly, the front-end offering won’t last—no matter how iconic the product.

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🕹️ 5. Collaborations Must Serve the Bigger Strategy

• For Krispy Kreme: expanding exposure in high-volume outlets
• For McDonald’s: strengthening its breakfast segment
• Once the synergy no longer aligned with either brand’s long-term strategy, the collaboration naturally sunset.

🔄 Lesson: Brand partnerships must fuel long-term vision—not just short-term excitement.

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The McDonald Krispy Kreme menu may have been short-lived, but its impact will linger in boardrooms and marketing meetings for years to come. It’s a powerful reminder that in fast food, innovation is important—but execution is everything.

FAQs – People Also Ask

These are the top questions people are searching about the McDonald Krispy Kreme menu. From availability to future speculation, here’s everything you need to know:

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Final Thoughts – A Sweet Moment in Fast Food History

The McDonald Krispy Kreme menu may have been short-lived, but it left a flavorful mark on the fast food world. For fans like me, it wasn’t just about the doughnuts—it was about the unexpected joy of seeing two iconic brands come together over coffee and glaze.

Whether it’s a warm Original Glazed in a drive-thru bag or a chocolate iced doughnut next to your McCafé latte, that little indulgence made our mornings just a bit brighter. And while the partnership is ending, it reminds us how much customers crave variety and excitement—something food creators are tapping into across platforms.

👉 If you enjoy exploring iconic food moments like this, you’ll also love our look at famous Cuban desserts that fuse tradition and tropical sweetness.

And for more ideas on delicious treats, check out this curated list of doughnut-inspired desserts on AllRecipes’ best donut recipes to continue your sweet journey. 🍩

What’s next for Krispy Kreme? What might fill its place on the McDonald’s breakfast menu? One thing’s for sure—the menu may change, but the craving for a sweet morning ritual never goes out of style.