Krispy Kreme Peanut Butter Kreme

Product name: Krispy Kreme Peanut Butter Kreme
Purchase details: £1.75 for a 91g doughnut (Krispy Kreme Doughnuts)
Calories: 380 per doughnut
Country of origin: UK

For several years I’ve wondered why there wasn’t a peanut butter Krispy Kreme so I was delighted when this Peanut Butter Kreme variety was launched as part of the Choco Mania range of ‘double-chocolatey doughnuts’.

Along with the nutritional information, Krispy Kreme's website gave the long description of a ‘chocolate dough shell’ that contained ‘an indulgent peanut butter kreme’ and was ‘coated in a smooth peanut butter icing, hand decorated with crunchy nuts and finished with a drizzle of dark chocolate icing’. I was left wondering what it didn’t have! 

I must apologise for the photographs of my doughnut as it had got a bit smudged in its paper bag on my way home. However, in-store, it looked the same as the website image. Despite being darker than a normal Krispy Kreme doughnut, the chocolate shell was still a relatively pale shade of brown, and the two types of icing completed the look. I was surprised, though, at how pale the peanut butter centre was – it looked almost the same colour as standard cream!

The base of the doughnut was quite dry to the touch but, inside, it was its usual squidgy self. Again, the dough was a darker shade than most Krispy Kremes and, whilst still attractive, I actually didn’t think it looked quite as nice!

The kreme filling wasn’t as evenly distributed, or perhaps even as plentiful, as the Vanilla Cappuccino, but it certainly wasn’t lacking. I was a little disappointed at the absence of a peanut butter smell too – there was perhaps a very slight nuttiness when holding the kreme right next to the nose but, aside from that, the aroma was simply the standard sweet Krispy Kreme one. That said, I love that smell!

Me being me, I couldn’t resist trying some of the topping first. The nuts were hard and crispy with a lovely, sugary caramelised flavour. I enjoyed the deep chocolatey taste from the drizzle too – like it’s appearance, this reminded me of chocolate fudge cake icing.

The dough itself had a sugary and slightly oily flavour. It seemed to have an extra depth to it, compared to the Original Glazed, but I wouldn’t say it tasted of chocolate. I also found it really hard to detect any flavour from the icing which was a shame since this was also supposed to contain peanut butter. Thankfully, though, the dark chocolate drizzle did manage to add a chocolatey element, and the crunch from the nuts added a great texture too. However, at this stage, there seemed to be a significant lack of a nutty taste.

The kreme itself, like usual, was beautifully smooth and creamy and this went well with the dough which felt a little drier than normal. I could taste a peanut butter flavour in the kreme but it certainly wasn’t rich. There was a milkiness to it as well so the combination made me think more along the lines of General Mills Reese's Puffs. However, it did taste more sugary than the cereal.

You might be shocked to discover that, despite it being peanut butter, this Krispy Kreme was not my favourite variety! In all honesty, I don’t think it lived up to its potential in terms of a rich and nutty flavour. However, it was still absolutely delicious, and it’s definitely fair to say that a Krispy Kreme that’s not my favourite is still a heck of a lot better than most other doughnuts, and I really hope that this is a variety that sticks around!

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 8/10
Taste: 8/10
Texture: 8.5/10
Overall score: 8.13/10