Have you ever been out to eat and after looking at the menu said, “wow I want to try one of everything”? Well we here at Spoon NCSU got the chance to do exactly that at Rise Donuts in Raleigh, NC.
Having 15 different donuts placed in front of me with the freedom to try every single one was the happiest moment of my life (even considering I had to wake up at 8 am for them).
After tasting each of the donuts and accumulating significant sugar highs, we give you our ranking of all the magnificent donut flavors Rise has to offer.
Photo by Lauren Kruchten
Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting & Pecans
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
This donut tasted just like carrot cake, which we liked, however we weren’t too keen on the cream cheese frosting, putting this donut in last place. It was way too sweet for most of us to handle, and for me that’s saying something because usually I’m the one to just eat the frosting off of a cupcake and throw the rest away.
Ranking: 15
Key Lime Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
Seeing that most of us aren’t huge fans of key lime pie, we didn’t enjoy this donut as much as the others. The tartness of the lime filling didn’t mix well with the cakey donut, however, we admit the graham cracker topping was a nice touch.
Ranking: 14
Cranberry-Orange Icing
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
We were unsure of this donut from the very beginning. While cranberry and orange might seem like they would mesh well together, the citrus flavors took away from yumminess of the donut instead of adding to it.
Ranking: 13
Banana Cake with Nutella
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
This donut was probably the biggest let down for us. It’s made with real bananas in the donut batter and topped with Nutella and slivered almonds. Most of us agreed this donut would be better without the Nutella. However, if you’re a fan of banana bread this is the one for you.
Ranking: 12
Salted Caramel
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
While I’m not typically a fan of salty and sweet mixed together, I actually really enjoyed this donut. The caramel icing balanced perfectly with the sprinkles of salt on the top, making my tastebuds very happy.
Ranking: 11
M&M with Vanilla Icing
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
Some of us thought this donut was too sweet, but I couldn’t disagree more. As a huge fan of chocolate and vanilla icing this donut was an instant satisfaction for my sweet touth. Not to mention it’s by far the most colorful donut out of all of them.
Ranking: 10
Cinnamon Twist
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
Sugar, sugar how you get so fine? But really, just take a minute to appreciate the sparkles of sugar on this donut. Not only did this donut look amazing, but it tasted excellent too. With the perfect ratio of cinnamon sugar to braided donut, this one will literally warm your soul.
Ranking: 9
Plain Glazed
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
The plain glazed is a staple of any donut shop. But it takes a great donut place to make a great glazed donut. Unlike at other places, the glaze on this donut didn’t crack and fall off, and it provided the perfect amount of sticky sweetness.
Ranking: 8
Chocolate Icing
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
This donut is another donut shop staple that Rise made even better. There was just enough icing on top so that it didn’t overshadow the donut, but would still satisfy any chocolate lover‘s dreams.
Ranking: 7
Raspberry Jelly Tossed in Granulated Sugar
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
Breaking apart this donut resulted in an oozing of warm, gooey raspberry jelly that made us drool with desire. Although when one typically thinks of a donut they picture the classic round “O” shape with a hole in the middle, I find that the best types of donuts are the ones filled will yummy surprises inside and completely covered in sugar.
Ranking: 6
Old Fashioned with Lemon Icing
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. As a non-lover of anything lemon, this old-fashioned donut was actually one of my favorites. The lemon flavor was the perfect sweetness, without any sour or bitter aftertaste, and the donut itself was crispy on the outside, but warm and fluffy on the inside.
Ranking: 5
Apple Fritter
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
If an apple a day really keeps the doctor away, I’ll take one of these donuts everyday for the rest of my life. The apple fritter was covered in a sweet glaze and stuffed with real chopped apples, making it definitely count as one of your servings of fruit for the day.
Ranking: 4
Maple Bacon Bar
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
Upon first laying eyes on this donut I actually had to do a double-take. Yes, that is a crispy strip of bacon placed on top of the donut, you aren’t dreaming. The combined taste of bacon and maple syrup in this donut left us feeling like we just ate a hearty and satisfying Sunday morning brunch.
Ranking: 3
PB & Strawberry Jam
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
As a child, PB&J sandwiches were my favorite packed school lunch, and even today I find myself consuming more peanut butter than I probably do water. Therefore, I was extremely excited to find that this donut existed. Inside the donut there was a layer of real peanut butter, and it was topped off with even more peanut butter, raspberry jam, and a sprinkle of peanuts. A definite favorite among all of us.
Ranking: 2
Crème Brûlée
Photo by Yun Seo Jang
A crème brûlée donut, I know, I couldn’t believe it either. This donut is a literal piece of heaven, brought down to Earth by the wonderful people at Rise to be enjoyed by the masses. It was filled with a sweet cream and topped with a legit caramelized sugar crust that made us all swoon. If I could marry a donut, I think this one would be it.
Ranking: 1