Are Doughnuts Healthy?
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Are Doughnuts Healthy?

Are Doughnuts Healthy?
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By
Andra Picincu, CN, CPT
Updated on July 31, 2025
by
Craving doughnuts? You may want to think twice before eating one. There are approximately 200 calories and 11 grams (g) of sugar in a standard medium-size chocolate-covered doughnut, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

 Some varieties contain far more. For example, the popular Winchell's Fancy Horseshoe, boasts 700 calories and 27 g of sugar per serving.

 There are many reasons to enjoy doughnuts in moderation so they don’t crowd out other nutritious foods.

Doughnuts Are Loaded With Sugar

From children to grownups, everyone loves doughnuts. They're fluffy, sweet, and inexpensive. But they can be incredibly high in calories and sugar and low in other important nutrients.

Take Dunkin' Donuts Chocolate Frosted Cake Donut, for example. This sweet treat provides about 20 g of sugar and 360 calories per serving.

 At Tim Hortons, one Old Fashioned Glazed doughnut carries 330 calories and 22 g of sugar.

 And if you're a fan of Krispy Kreme, keep in mind that the classic Chocolate Iced Doughnut With Kreme Filling comes packed with 350 calories and 23 g of sugar.

 According to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025, added sugars should not exceed more than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake.

 That means if you’re on a 2,000-calorie a day diet, you’d want to have no more than 200 calories (or about 50 g) of added sugar.
Eating just one doughnut is unlikely to cause any harm. However, unless that doughnut is the only source of sugar in your diet, you may go overboard. According to a study published in January 2023 in Nutrients, about 3 in 10 adults in the United States get more than 15 percent of their daily calories from added sugar, most of which comes from sugar sweetened beverages.

A review published in February 2023 in Nutrients suggests a high-sugar diet can contribute to a cascade of health issues, including hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and hormonal imbalances.

 In the long-run, this type of eating pattern may contribute to various conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, and certain cancers.

Eating Too Many Doughnuts May Increase Cancer Risk

Of course, doughnuts don’t cause cancer. However, due to their high sugar and calorie content, frequently eating doughnuts may increase your risk of conditions like obesity that, in turn, may make you more vulnerable to the disease. According to a review published in January 2023 in Cancers, about 21 percent of all cancer cases are related to obesity and poor nutrition.

Unfortunately, sugar isn't the only potentially harmful ingredient in doughnuts. These treats also contain synthetic flavors, additives, preservatives, and trans fats which have also been linked with various health issues, including an increased risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Dunkin' Donuts, for instance, decided to remove artificial dyes from their recipes in 2018.

 However, there are still more than 30 ingredients in a simple glazed doughnut. Besides milk, eggs, yeast, water, and other traditional ingredients, their doughnuts contain soybean oil, artificial flavors, and much more.

Eating Doughnuts for Breakfast

Doughnuts might be a breakfast staple, but they aren’t the most nutritious way to start your day.

According to Cleveland Clinic, some people with type 2 diabetes experience the so-called Somogyi effect or the dawn phenomenon.

 Both conditions cause their blood sugar levels to be high in the morning.
Doughnuts are rich in simple carbs that can cause blood sugar to rapidly rise.

 If your blood sugar levels are already high when you wake up, eating doughnuts will further elevate them, which may cause hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). Hyperglycemia is a serious condition affecting people with diabetes.

 If untreated, it can have several potentially dangerous long-term health effects, including loss of consciousness, heart problems, and nerve damage, according to Mayo Clinic.
According to the American Diabetes Association, a healthy breakfast should include whole grains, healthy fats, lean proteins, and fiber.

How to Enjoy Doughnuts Without Risking Your Health

At the end of the day, it all comes down to your overall diet and eating habits. If you have a generally balanced, healthy diet, indulging in doughnuts once in a while won't make any difference.

Just remember that there are healthier options to choose from. Fruits like berries, grapes, cherries, and mangos may help satisfy your sweet tooth while providing important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

 Plus, you can always make doughnuts at home using stevia, honey, whole wheat or almond flour, dark chocolate, and other nutritious ingredients.

The Takeaway

  • It’s okay to indulge in doughnuts occasionally, but bear in mind they are high in calories, added sugar, and unhealthy fats.
  • In the long-term, a high-sugar diet may contribute to serious health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity-related cancers.
  • Choosing healthier alternatives, such as fruit, or making homemade doughnuts with more nutritious ingredients can help satisfy your sweet tooth without the health risks.
  • Maintaining a balanced diet is key to maintaining overall health, especially if you have a preexisting condition.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Doughnuts, Cake-Type, Plain, Chocolate-Coated or Frosted. U.S. Department of Agriculture. April 1, 2019.
  2. Nutrition. Winchell’s Donut House.
  3. Nutrition Guide. Dunkin’ Donuts. August 5, 2025.
  4. Tim Hortons Nutrition Information. Dunkin’ Donuts. June 2025.
  5. Chocolate Iced Doughnut With Kreme™ Filling. Krispy Kreme.
  6. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020–2025. U.S. Department of Agriculture. December 2020.
  7. Lee SH et al. High Added Sugars Intake among US Adults: Characteristics, Eating Occasions, and Top Sources, 2015-2018. Nutrients. January 4, 2023.
  8. Gillespie KM et al. The Impact of Free Sugar on Human Health—A Narrative Review. Nutrients. February 10, 2023.
  9. Pati S et al. Obesity and Cancer: A Current Overview of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Outcomes, and Management. Cancers. January 12, 2023.
  10. Babalola OO et al. Obesity and Cancer: A Current Overview of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Outcomes, and Management. Aspects of Molecular Medicine. March 12, 2025.
  11. Hayes K. Dunkin’ Donuts Ditching Dyes. Ammerican Association of Retired Persons. January 12, 2018.
  12. Allergen and Ingredient Table. Dunkin’ Donuts. August 5, 2025.
  13. Somogyi Effect. Cleveland Clinic. January 31, 2023.
  14. Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  15. Hyperglycemia and Diabetes. Mayo Clinic. April 30, 2025.
  16. Eating for Diabetes Management. American Diabetes Association.
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Kayli Anderson, RDN

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Kayli Anderson has over a decade of experience in nutrition, culinary education, and lifestyle medicine. She believes that eating well should be simple, pleasurable, and sustainable. Anderson has worked with clients from all walks of life, but she currently specializes in nutrition therapy and lifestyle medicine for women. She’s the founder of PlantBasedMavens.com, a hub for women to get evidence-based, practical, and woman-centered guidance on nutrition and cooking, hormone health, fertility, pregnancy, movement, mental well-being, nontoxic living, and more.

Anderson is board-certified in lifestyle medicine and serves as lead faculty of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) "Food as Medicine" course. She is past chair of the ACLM's registered dietitian member interest group, secretary of the women's health member interest group, and nutrition faculty for many of ACLM's other course offerings. She is the coauthor of the Plant-Based Nutrition Quick Start Guide and works with many of the leading organizations in nutrition and lifestyle medicine to develop nutrition content, recipes, and educational programs.

Anderson frequently speaks on the topics of women’s health and plant-based nutrition and has coauthored two lifestyle medicine textbooks, including the first one on women’s health, Improving Women's Health Across the Lifespan.

She received a master's degree in nutrition and physical performance and is certified as an exercise physiologist and intuitive eating counselor. She's a student of herbal medicine and women's integrative and functional medicine. She lives with her husband in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, where you’ll find her out on a trail or in her garden.

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Andra Picincu, CN, CPT

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