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Krispy Kreme Is Now At McDonald’s & Offering Free Doughnuts To Celebrate

Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s may not be a typical combo, but the companies are joining forces. Krispy Kreme doughnuts will arrive at select McDonald’s locations in the Chicago area on October 15 as part of a phased rollout to have the sweet treats in all McDonald’s stores by the end of 2026. If you don’t live in Chicago, don’t worry – show a McDonald’s receipt at your local Krispy Kreme store now until October 14 to get a free glazed doughnut. Who knows, maybe a Krispy Kreme doughnut and some Chicken McNuggets will become your new favorite meal. 

What doughnuts are available at McDonald’s?

Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s announced their partnership this past March after a successful test of selling Krispy Kreme doughnuts at 160 McDonald’s restaurants in the Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky areas. The pilot restaurants will continue to serve Krispy Kreme items as the rest of the nation catches up. 

“Our fans’ love for Krispy Kreme runs deep, and we can’t wait to make it even easier for them to satisfy their sweet tooth at McDonald’s restaurants across the country,” Tariq Hassan, McDonald’s USA’s chief marketing and customer experience officer, said in a press release

Hassan mentions this partnership is “a chance to unlock new business opportunities in the breakfast category and throughout the day.” Offering Krispy Kreme in McDonald’s stores nationwide is a way for the company to access consumers who may not have a Krispy Kreme store nearby, a concern voiced by many Krispy Kreme lovers. 

“The top request we receive from consumers, every day, is, ‘please bring Krispy Kreme to my town,’” Josh Charlesworth, Krispy Kreme president and CEO, said in the press release. “Partnering with McDonald’s on a national scale will provide our fans and doughnut lovers unprecedented daily access to fresh doughnuts and the joy that is Krispy Kreme.”

Krispy Kreme will offer three doughnuts in McDonald’s stores: the Original Glazed Doughnut, the Chocolate Iced with Sprinkles Doughnut, and the Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled Doughnut. The doughnuts will be available all day while supplies last. 

When will Krispy Kreme be at my local McDonald’s?

While Krispy Kreme has not announced specific dates for when its doughnuts will be appearing in McDonald’s locations outside of Chicago, the company expects to serve fresh doughnuts daily in about 1,000 McDonald’s restaurants by the end of this year and in a total of 12,000 participating U.S. McDonald’s stores by the end of 2026. 

Show either a paper or digital McDonald’s receipt from now until October 14 at your closest Krispy Kreme, and you can get a taste of the collaboration with a free Original Glazed doughnut. 

Amanda Sinofsky is a contributing writer for the Spoon University National Writers Program. She is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism pursuing a double major in Journalism and English with a Media Studies focus. She is from a New Jersey suburb 25 minutes outside of Philadelphia. At UMD, she is a copy editor for The Diamondback, the university's student-run newspaper, and is the music & arts editor for The Campus Trainer, an online lifestyle magazine at the university. In her free time, Amanda is a part of a student-run dance company and enjoys reading, listening to music (anything Taylor Swift), and spending time with her friends.