Dunkin’ unveils spicy new ghost-pepper doughnut

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Dayton-area Dunkin' (formerly Dunkin' Donuts) shops are unveiling the national chain’s new Spicy Ghost Pepper doughnut today, Wednesday, Oct. 14.

In a release, Dunkin' officials called the new offering “one of the most surprising treats ever to rise from (our) kitchens” and said it “delivers the heat with every bite.”

The doughnut looks traditional, with its strawberry-flavored icing and red granulated sugar atop a classic yeast donut ring, but the icing contains a blend of cayenne and ghost pepper alongside the strawberry flavoring.

“The Spicy Ghost Pepper Donut will be on the menu for only a few hot minutes, available beginning today for a limited time at participating Dunkin' restaurants nationwide until December,” the release said.

A spokeswoman for Dunkin’s southwest Ohio franchisee confirmed the new ghost-pepper doughnut is available at Dayton-area locations.

Dunkin' is also encouraging fans to show their own spicy side by surprising their friends with the Spicy Ghost Pepper Donut and capturing and posting the reactions on social media using #DunkinSpicySide.

Dunkin' also is offering Halloween DIY Dunkin' Donut Decorating Kits consisting of plain yeast or cake donuts, with pre-packaged icing in orange, white, and black varieties, along with three sprinkle blends. The Halloween DIY Dunkin' Donut Decorating Kits are available for purchase in two sizes, small (4-count donuts) and large (9-count donuts).

Dunkin’s “frightfully delicious” Spider Donut also has returned to the chain’s menu for a limited time, the release said.

Pat Gilligan, president and CEO of Dunkin’s southwest Ohio franchisee, Gilligan Company LLC, has resuscitated the brand formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts in the Dayton-area market in recent years. Dunkin' Donuts' footprint in the Miami Valley had shrunk to just one store in Miami Twp. that was (and still is) co-branded with Baskin Robbins Ice Cream and remains under separate franchise ownership.

Since Gilligan became a franchisee in 2013, new Dunkin' shops have opened in Kettering, Centerville, Sugarcreek Twp., Fairborn, Washington Twp., Springfield, Riverside, and most recently, Dayton and Beavercreek.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

About the Author