6 Hostess Donettes Flavors, Ranked Worst To Best

Mini donuts are a beloved childhood snack that many of us carried into adulthood — after all, they're tiny bites of deliciousness packed into portable servings you can easily eat in one or two mouthfuls. What's not to love? When it comes to mini donuts, Hostess Donettes are among one of the most well-known options, and they have several appealing flavors you can choose from. But, if you have to get only one (or two), how do you know which flavors will most satisfy that sweet-tooth craving?

Hostess has a lot of delicious snacks, but the good news is you don't have to make guesses with your hard-earned money. I took the opportunity to taste six unique Hostess Donette flavors and rank them from worst to best. To do this, I relied on my more than 15 years of experience in the food industry and decades of being a donut consumer to make my determinations. You can learn more about my methodology at the end of this article.

Now, ready to learn which donuts you should grab tonight so you have them for breakfast tomorrow or as a dessert post-supper this evening? Let's get into it.

Ranking the powdered Donettes in last place may cause some controversy, but I just feel like they pale in comparison to the other flavors — and for a couple of reasons. But, just in case you're not familiar with them, let's start with what powdered donuts are. Basically, they're your standard cake donut base, thoroughly coated with powdered sugar — and if I had to choose, I prefer Aldi's Bake Shop Powdered Donuts, which were included in my ranking of Aldi bakery items.

I think the powdered sugar is my primary problem with these donuts. It's not that they're bad because I didn't find any of the Hostess Donettes truly awful — rather, they're mediocre. Plus, that powdery sugar makes my mouth feel dehydrated, and it's not a feeling I'm fond of.

The sweetness is also a bit much for me, and it may be because that sugar I keep complaining about sticks around. I wouldn't personally buy these again for myself, but my children really like them, so I would get a bag for them.

The classic Hostess Donettes frosted in chocolate used to be one of my favorites — as a child, I couldn't get enough of them. And, even though they ranked in fifth place on this list, I still think they're great (and I definitely ate quite a few of them). These basic donuts are coated in a rich chocolate shell that melts in your mouth. One word of warning is that these are best eaten with a fork or surrounded by a napkin, if possible, because they quickly melt on your fingers.

The only reason these don't hold my favorite spot anymore is that they paled in comparison to other flavors, which I thought were much more interesting as an adult. That being said, I love that these aren't too sweet. The chocolate is rich but perfectly balanced by the cakey donut so it's not overwhelming. I know I'll buy these again in the future, but I'll be buying higher ranking options more often.

These Hostess Strawberry Donettes are a limited-edition item that needs to become a standard run option — I'm going to be so sad when these are gone, and my son is going to be even sadder. A strawberry donut is coated with strawberry icing for a sweet fruity taste that's surprisingly balanced rather than overwhelming. Like the chocolate, these have a coating that quickly melts on your fingers, so things do get pretty sticky.

If I'm so in love with these donuts, why didn't they rank higher? The simple truth is that these were closely tied with the third- and second-place Donettes in terms of taste and quality. So, I chose based on personal preference and had my children weigh in with their thoughts. At the end of that, the strawberry ones just barely came behind the other two flavors. That being said, I will definitely be purchasing these again before the limited run is over. I highly suggest you run out to grab yourself some, too.

This is an upgraded take on the classic frosted chocolate Donettes, featuring that same melty coating but with a matching chocolate donut base. You would think that these donuts would be too sweet, but you'd be wrong. I had the same idea at first, but the chocolate donut leans more toward bitter rather than sweet, which perfectly balances the sweet chocolate icing. I think this would be the perfect addition to a Triple Chocolate Donut Shake. I am planning on trying this recipe.

As mentioned before, these were super closely tied with the strawberry Donettes and our second-place option. The double chocolate flavor only ranked in the middle due to a combination of personal preference and the second-ranking donut having a slightly better balance with a more nostalgic feel. But I'll definitely be buying these again and actually prefer them over the classic chocolate option. Oh, and if you have problems finding this one (like I did), Target carries them!

Is there anything more classic and nostalgic than Hostess Old Fashioned Donettes? An almost cruller-like donut is covered with a simple sweet glaze. The flavor profile is starchy laced with buttery notes and moderate sugary tones that showcase why Hostess has the best store-bought donuts. Truly, this sweet treat proves that plain and simple is sometimes the best option, and the nostalgia is what skyrocketed it above the strawberry and double chocolate options it so closely matched with.

To me, these are the perfect option for breakfast. While they're sweet and decadent, they sit well on the stomach and pair nicely with a standard Southern breakfast. I like having a handful of these in lieu of pancakes or waffles alongside my eggs, bacon, sausage, and grits. When I'm in a rush, I'll grab a few of these and eat them by themselves on my way out the door. I'll definitely buy these again and highly recommend you try them if you haven't already.

The Hostess Honey Bun Donettes are really good and easily took the first place when compared side by side with other flavors. To me, it tastes like an upgraded version of the Old Fashioned Donettes. You have a slightly sweeter base donut coated in a glaze featuring notes of butter and sugar interspersed with sweet honey. If you haven't tried them already, you need to — once you do, you'll have zero doubts why this is the best Hostess mini donut flavor. I know I'll definitely be keeping them stocked in my pantry!

Looking to discover other guaranteed ways to cure your sweets craving? Check out our ranking of eight Dairy Queen Blizzard flavors. Or are you looking for more must-have snack items to stash in your pantry? You won't want to miss our ranking of Aldi's Lunch Buddies Snacks. No matter what food content you're looking for, we've got you covered!

I chose Hostess Donettes for inclusion on this list based on availability. All flavors available when I went to the store were picked up for this taste test. Donuts were assessed based on taste and texture as well as whether they were overwhelmingly sweet or nicely balanced.

To make my judgments, I relied on more than 15 years of food industry experience, during which time I cross-trained in hot foods and bakeries. Over the years, I have also made thousands of donuts myself. Although personal preference played a role in my decisions, I aimed to be as unbiased as possible.