National Donut Day

National Donut Day

Donut kill our vibe because we’re jazzed to celebrate National Donut Day! We’re not here to settle the donut vs doughnut spelling debate, but the term doughnut does appear to be the older version of the word. However, we’re all about saving keystrokes, so we’ll be using the more modern version (donut). Now let’s take an in-depth look into America’s guilty-pleasure breakfast!

Donut History

The forefathers of our modern donut are generally considered to be the Dutch olykoek. These ‘oily cakes’ were brought to the new world via Dutch settlers in New York. These donuts resemble our modern donuts in texture, but the ring shape hadn’t quite popped up on the scene quite yet. An American named Hanson Gregory claimed to have invented the ring-shaped donut while aboard a trader ship in 1847. While we may never know the full truth about donut history, we’re sure glad it’s here.

What do you call a cute donut?
A-dough-able.

Donut Facts

• National Donut Day is the first Friday of June every year.
• The U.S. produces more than 10 billion donuts per year.
• While Canada does produce fewer donuts and has a lower population than the U.S., it takes home the title for most donut shops per capita in the world.
• The 1933 Chicago World’s Fair declared donuts to be the ‘hit food of the century.’
• The Salvation Army brought donuts to soldiers serving in World War I. The Salvation Army then created ‘Doughnut Day’, the precursor to National Donut Day, to celebrate their members who served donuts to the doughboys.
• Everyone knows that Homer Simpson loves donuts, but why? Simpsons creator Matt Groening said that he named Homer after his father, with whom he shared an uncontrollable love of donuts.
• A single bushel of wheat can produce 456 donuts.
• One acre of Kansas wheat can produce 21,888 donuts.
• The entirety of the 2021 Kansas wheat crop could yield more than 150 billion individual donuts if it was used entirely in donut production.

What’s a basketball player’s favorite restaurant?

Dunkin’ Donuts

Easiest Ever Donut Recipe

What’s the best thing to put into a donut?

Your teeth!

Loved our donut deep dive? Make sure to check out our deep dives on animal crackers, pizza and grilled cheese sandwiches. Wanting more great recipes? Be sure to check out our friends at the National Festival of Breads!