National Doughnut Day was on November 5, and it inspired me to decide once and for all which doughnut shop is the best in Frederick, Maryland.

Dunkin Donuts 3.3 Miles from Linganore

We teens are huge fans of Dunkin Donuts. It’s close by, and it has our essentials: iced coffee and doughnuts. 

I’m qualified to be an expert. I have tried 32 of the different doughnut flavors.

Dunkin (shortened from the original name) has over 70 different types of doughnuts, not including seasonal specials. 

This season I have tried the Apple Cider doughnut, Pumpkin doughnut, along with the Fall Festival doughnut.

Looking for more ways to get free food? Any time you make a purchase at Dunkin’, your receipt comes with instructions that lead you to an online satisfaction survey. After completion a code will be sent to the users phone, which means you’re eligible for a free doughnut with your next purchase of a medium beverage.

I know this works. I’ve done this eight times.

One tip I learned that makes me lean more towards crowning Krispy Kreme is that Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t make their pastries in their stores. So, if you stop by a DD at the end of the day, they usually won’t have a doughnut in sight, and won’t get more until the next morning. 

Krispy Kreme 9.5 Miles from Linganore

When you’re driving down a highway and you pass Krispy Kreme sign, my eyes check if the red “Hot” light is on.  I always detour when I see the donuts are being made.

In most Krispy Kreme shops, you can actually see the doughnuts being glazed. It’s honestly one of the most satisfying activities to watch.

Let’s face the facts. Krispy Kreme doughnuts taste a lot better than Dunkin’ Donuts. They are made fresher; you can eat them warm; and there are so many varieties of their doughnuts that you could never go wrong with.

Throughout the year, Krispy Kreme offers tons of promotions that allow customers to get free doughnuts.

 In March: Daylight Savings 

I don’t know a single person who enjoys losing an hour of sleep during Daylight Savings. But on the bright side, you could also be gaining a free doughnut. 

November 5 and June 1: National Doughnut Days

Honestly, it would be a disgrace to doughnut-eaters worldwide if Krispy Kreme didn’t celebrate National Doughnut Day with a free doughnut. 

September 19: Talk Like A Pirate Day

You probably never thought you’d be celebrating National Talk Like A Pirate Day, but  if you come into a Krispy Kreme talking like a pirate on Talk Like A Pirate Day, you will get a free glazed doughnut. Come dressed like one and get a whole dozen for free. 

September 29: National Coffee Day  

It would be a crime against doughnut lovers everywhere to give away a free coffee without a free doughnut as well. At Krispy Kreme, you can get both your morning requirement for free to celebrate National Coffee Day properly.

October 31: Halloween 

Get your sugar rush started early by showing up at a Krispy Kreme wearing your costume and receive a free doughnut. 

November 8: Election Day 

Even if your candidate doesn’t win, Krispy Kreme has a way to ensure that you’ll at least be a winner on election day by getting a free doughnut. 

When You Download the Krispy Kreme App:

By downloading the Krispy Kreme Rewards App, you automatically get a free doughnut, plus you can earn points to get more free stuff in the future. 

When It’s Your Birthday Month:

 During the entire month of your birthday, you’ll receive free doughnut coupons on a regular basis, which is honestly all I could ask for in order to help better celebrate me. 

When You Join Friends of Krispy Kreme E-Club:

Another quick and easy way to get your hands on a free doughnut is by joining the Friends of Krispy Kreme E-Club. The E-Club is a way for you to get all the latest info on Krispy Kreme news like local events, new products and even, wait for it, more free doughnuts. Now this is a club that I want to be a part of.

The only thing better than doughnuts are free doughnuts, and basically, thanks to Krispy Kreme, free doughnuts are at your fingertips all year long. 

Krispy Kreme has kept their iconic Original Glazed doughnut recipe a secret for more than 80 years and people keep coming back for more. In my opinion, they’ve got the doughnut making process down.

Fractured Prune 10.7 Miles from Linganore

Then there is Fractured Prune the world famous and very limited doughnut shop less than 30 minutes away. 

The Fractured Prune is known for hand-dipped doughnuts made-to-order with a choice of glazes, toppings and sugar.

The chain has 155,648 different combinations available at stores offering 19 glazes and 13 toppings.

Specialty doughnuts include banana cream pie, blueberry hill, morning buzz and strawberry shortcake.

I especially liked the maple glazed with crumble bacon on top.

The doughnuts are very good, but the hours are horrible.

On the weekdays they are open from 6:30 a.m to 2p.m. and on the weekends are open from 8a.m to 4p.m.

First and foremost, no one can top Krispy’s classic glazed doughnut – and especially not Dunkin’.  

Based on the frozen packaged doughnuts, bad hours and many opportunities for free doughnuts. I have come to the conclusion that Krispy Kreme is most definitely the best doughnut shop in Frederick.