Copycat Krispy Kreme Candy Bag Doughnut Recipe

If you’ve ever sunk your teeth into a Krispy Kreme doughnut and thought, “Wow, this is already a sugar hug,” then imagine what happens when that glazed cloud gets topped with chocolate buttercream, a caramel swirl, and a full-on Halloween candy avalanche.

This Copycat Krispy Kreme Candy Bag Doughnut is Krispy Kreme’s Halloween party on a plate. It’s part glazed doughnut, part chocolate bar, and part sugar chaos. The kind of thing you’d beg your mom for in the grocery line, then try to hide in your jacket sleeve so you didn’t have to share.

One October, I remember walking home from school in crunchy leaves, clutching a pillowcase bursting with candy after trick-or-treating. The best part wasn’t the candy itself, it was the mix. Gummy bears stuck to peanut butter cups, lollies jammed into Twix wrappers. A mess. A masterpiece. That chaotic candy joy is exactly what this doughnut captures.

You’ll start with a fluffy homemade doughnut, glaze it in that signature see-through sugar shell, then pile on chocolatey buttercream, caramel ribbons, and chopped-up mini candies. It’s nostalgic. It’s a little ridiculous. And honestly, it might be the best thing to come out of your kitchen this Halloween.

How to Make Copycat Krispy Kreme Candy Bag Doughnut

Start with a soft, pillowy yeast dough, cut into rings and fried just pale enough to keep that signature Krispy Kreme bite. While they’re still warm, dip each one in a glossy vanilla glaze that cracks ever so slightly when you bite in. Then comes the magic: pipe on a swirl of chocolate buttercream that tastes like melted candy bars, drizzle with warm caramel, and shower with a chaotic mix of chopped mini candies, whatever you’d find at the bottom of a Halloween haul. Let it set just enough to hold, then sink your teeth in. It’s nostalgia in doughnut form. No costume required.

Nutrition (per decorated doughnut, approx.)

Calories: 420
Fat: 20 g
Carbs: 55 g
Sugar: 38 g
Protein: 5 g

Ingredients (Makes 12 doughnuts)

Doughnuts

• 2 ¾ cups (340 g) bread flour
• ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• ¾ tsp salt
• ⅔ cup (160 ml) warm water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) warm whole milk
• 2 tbsp softened butter
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Oil for frying (canola or sunflower)

Vanilla Glaze

• 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp butter (melted)
• 2 tbsp corn syrup
• 4–5 tbsp warm whole milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Chocolate Buttercream

• ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, soft
• 1 ¼ cups (150 g) powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder
• ¼ cup (60 g) melted milk chocolate
• 1 tbsp corn syrup
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Caramel Swirl

• 15 soft caramel candies (like Werther’s or Kraft)
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp butter
• Pinch of salt

“Candy Bag” Topping

• ¾ cup total of chopped mini candies: M&M’s, mini Reese’s, Snickers, Twix, malt balls, crisp pearls, or Halloween sprinkles.

Tools

• Stand mixer with dough hook
• Doughnut cutter or 8 cm round + 2.5 cm round cutter
• Piping bag with round tip
• Slotted spoon or spider
• Candy thermometer
• Wire cooling rack

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Dough

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together warm water, warm milk, egg, butter, and vanilla. Pour wet into dry and mix using a dough hook until a soft dough forms. Knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and stretchy.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled.

Step 2: Cut & Proof

Roll dough to 10–11 mm thick. Cut into doughnut shapes. Place on parchment-lined trays and cover loosely with a towel. Let rise 30–40 minutes, until they look puffed and feel airy to the touch.

Step 3: Fry to Perfection

Heat oil to 175–177°C (350–355°F). Fry 2–3 doughnuts at a time for 45–55 seconds per side until pale golden. Drain on paper towels, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Step 4: Glaze Like a Pro

Whisk all glaze ingredients until smooth and pourable. Dip warm doughnuts in the glaze, flip to coat, then lift and let the excess drip off. Set back on the rack to let the glaze firm up slightly.

Step 5: Make the Toppings

Buttercream: Beat the butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder, then beat again. Pour in melted milk chocolate, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt. Beat until glossy and smooth.

Caramel: In a saucepan, melt caramels with cream and butter over low heat until smooth. Stir in salt. Keep warm until ready to drizzle.

Step 6: Decorate

Pipe a big dollop of chocolate buttercream onto each glazed doughnut. Drizzle with caramel. Immediately scatter chopped candies over the top, gently pressing a few into the frosting.

They should look like Halloween exploded in the best way possible.

Tips & Tricks

• Fry in small batches to keep your oil temp steady.
• Glaze while warm for that signature Krispy Kreme shine.
• Pipe and decorate while everything is still tacky, so your toppings stick.
• Don’t skip the caramel. It holds the candy in place and adds the golden “swirl” Krispy Kreme is known for.
• Use a piping bag for cleaner, taller buttercream crowns.

What to serve with

These doughnuts are the star of any Halloween spread, but if you want to build a full-on spooky brunch or party tray, here’s what plays well with them:

Sweet & Festive

• Pumpkin cold brew: That bitter chill pairs beautifully with the sugary doughnut top.
• Cinnamon-apple slices: Sliced apples tossed with cinnamon and a bit of honey cool the palate between bites.
• Mini chocolate milk shooters: Serve cold, in tiny glasses, with crushed cookies around the rim. It’s a sip-and-bite combo that screams October sleepover.

Savory to Balance the Sweet

• Cheddar-jalapeño mini muffins: Salty, a little spicy, and easy to grab. Helps ground all that sugar.
• Sausage pinwheels: Serve warm. Their meaty heartiness gives the meal some teeth.
• Buttered popcorn: A bowl on the side offers that crunchy, salty contrast your mouth secretly craves after the fourth bite.

Variations

Monster Mash Version

Use bright green buttercream instead of chocolate, swirl purple caramel (just add gel food coloring), and top with candy eyeballs, sprinkles, and gummy worms.

Caramel Apple Twist

Swap chocolate buttercream for cinnamon-vanilla, and use chopped green apple candies and caramel drizzle. It gives total caramel apple vibes in doughnut form.

Candy Corn Crown

Pipe vanilla buttercream, then stack candy corn in a ring around the top. Yes, it’s divisive. But some people love it.

No-Fry Shortcut

Use plain yeast doughnuts from your local bakery. Glaze and decorate them yourself. Nobody will know, and you still get that Krispy Kreme joy.

Ingredient Substitutes

Flour

Original: Bread flour
Swap: All-purpose flour (for softer texture), or mix 50/50 with cake flour for something ultra-tender.

Milk

Original: Whole milk
Swap: Oat milk (for mild sweetness), buttermilk (adds tang), or evaporated milk (for richness).

Chocolate Buttercream

Original: Milk chocolate + cocoa
Swap: Use dark chocolate for a richer, less sweet version. Or white chocolate plus orange food coloring for a “candy corn” theme.

Caramel

Original: Melted caramel candies
Swap: Store-bought caramel sauce (use a thick one), dulce de leche (more creamy), or even peanut butter drizzle for a nutty spin.

Candy Mix

Original: Halloween minis
Swap: Anything fun-sized works. Gummy bears? Sure. Chopped KitKats? Even better. Even cereal like Cocoa Pebbles or crushed Oreos can add great crunch.

Honest Review

After a couple rounds of tweaking, changing fry time, tweaking that buttercream, and taste-testing way too much candy for one adult human, I can say this version lands remarkably close to the Krispy Kreme Halloween original. The doughnut texture is spot-on: light, tender, with that barely-there chew you only get from yeast rings fried just right. Glazing them warm made a huge difference. It gives that signature Krispy Kreme melt-in-your-mouth sugar shell.

Now for the toppings. The chocolate buttercream? Tastes like a softened candy bar, not a bakery frosting. The caramel swirl adds the perfect sticky-sweet contrast. And the candy blend… well, that’s the fun part. Once I started pressing mini M&M’s and crushed Twix into the top, I got it, it really does look and taste like someone dumped a kid’s Halloween haul on a doughnut. In the best way.

Is it exactly Krispy Kreme? Probably not 100%. I’m guessing they use stabilizers and whipped emulsifiers to keep their frostings perfect for hours. Mine needed to be eaten within a day. But flavor-wise and visually? This doughnut scratches the same nostalgic, slightly chaotic Halloween itch. It’s playful, indulgent, and honestly just fun to make.

If you want something that’s part craft project, part dessert, and all sugar-soaked joy, you’ll be glad you made these. Just maybe don’t plan on making them alone… or you’ll end up eating three without realizing it. Learned that the delicious way.