Yes you can easily freeze Krispy Kreme donuts of all types for up to 3 months as long as they are kept in an airtight container. Glazed yeast donuts will freeze the best, but cake donuts and filled donuts can also be frozen.

How to Freeze Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

When you see that hot and ready sign light up you might want to pop in and grab six, 12 or even 24 hot and fresh Krispy Kreme donuts. However, you might not be able to eat that many in the 2 days or so before they start to get stale.

So, if you have some extra donuts, and you don't want them to go to waste then you might want to pop them in the freezer to save them for later. The freezing instructions are similar to the process used when freezing lemon meringue pie, freezing rice krispie treats and freezing tiramisu.

Freezing glazed yeast Krispy Kreme donuts

Glazed yeast Krispy Kreme donuts are probably the ones you think of first when you think of Krispy Kreme. Also in this category are any that have icing on them in addition to glaze.

Grab a cookie tray and pop your donuts in a single layer on it.

three krispy kreme doughnuts on a cookie sheet

Pop them into the freezer to flash freeze them. This will take a few hours.
Once the donuts are frozen, remove them from the freezer.

krispy kreme glazed doughnut wrapped in plastic wrap

Wrap them individually in plastic wrap.
Then, place all your donuts into a freezer bag.
Squeeze all the air out of the bag and then zip it shut.

plastic wrapped krispy kreme doughnuts in a freezer bag

Label the bag with the date and then toss it into the freezer.

Freezing filled Krispy Kreme donuts

Filled donuts will also freeze well, but the filling it can suffer some texture quality issues.

These donuts are frozen in exactly the same way as the glazed or iced yeast donuts. The only difference is that they will take a little longer during the flash freezing process due to the fact that they have filling in them.

chocolate iced and filled krispy kreme doughnut wrapped in plastic wrap

Freezing cake Krispy Kreme donuts

Freezing cake donuts is identical to freezing the yeast donuts. The main difference here is that the cake donut is a little thicker and therefore less delicate and fragile than the yeast donut. While it still should go through all the same steps, if a little air gets into these packages it won't damage the donut as much.

blueberry cake krispy kreme doughnut wrapped in plastic wrap

Tips for successful freezing

Freeze fresh. If you know you'll be freezing your donuts, get them frozen as soon as you get them home. As long as they have cooled down.
Get the air out. Make sure that you get all the excess air out of your freezer bag or airtight container. Air will create freezer burn and can significantly damage icing and glaze.
Flash freezing is important. Due to the fact that these donuts have icing and glaze on them, if you don't flash freeze them they are very likely to stick together one frozen and create a big frozen mess.

three krispy kreme doughnuts on a cookie sheet with an empty freezer bag, aluminum foil and plastic wrap

Supplies/Equipment Needed:

How to Defrost Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

The best way to defrost krispy Kreme donuts is by placing them in the refrigerator overnight. However, if you forget to take them out overnight, you can freeze them on the counter at room temperature for a few hours.

Alternatively, Krispy Kreme itself recommends heating them in the microwave for 8 seconds on high if you would like them warmed.

defrosted krispy kreme doughnut torn in half on a plastic sheet

Freezing Krispy Kreme Doughnuts FAQ

How long can Krispy Kreme Doughnuts be frozen?

Krispy Kreme donuts can be frozen for upwards of three or four months without any real degradation and quality. However, they can stay in the freezer for even longer safely.

How long are krispy kreme doughnuts good for?

Krispy Kreme donuts only stay good for 2 to 3 days at room temperature without starting to become stale.

Can you refreeze krispy kreme doughnuts?

Well you can technically refreeze Krispy Kreme donuts, it's not recommended to refreeze any foods as the changing in temperature is not good for the food safety.

closeup of frozen glazed krispy kreme doughnut

Print Recipe

How to Freeze Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Prep Time5

Freezing5

Total Time5 5

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Freezing Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Equipment

airtight container
marker or pen
freezer bags
plastic wrap

Ingredients

Krispy Kreme Doughnuts yeast, cake or filled

Instructions

If the doughnuts are warm, give them a little time to cool off before getting started.
Flash freeze them by laying them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and popping them into the freezer for an hour or so. They just need any glaze, frosting or stickiness to be stiff.
Remove them from the freezer and tear off a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to cover an entire doughnut.
Note: if you will want more than one doughnut at a time when defrosting, you can wrap more than one together.
Place the doughnut in the center of the plastic wrap and secure the plastic around it so none of it is exposed
Repeat this for each doughnut.
Optional: if you want to give them a little extra protection, simply add an additional layer of plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil.
Once you have wrapped your doughnuts, go ahead and toss them into an airtight container or a freezer bag.
Place the lid on the top of the container. Or, press any air out of the freezer bag and zip it shut.
Write the date on the outside of the package and toss it into the freezer.

Notes

Yeast, Filled or Cake: this process works for all three kinds of doughnuts. Be aware that filled doughnuts take longer to freeze and defrost. Additionally, the filling can sometimes change texture upon defrosting.

Do it fresh: the doughnuts should be frozen as fresh as possible, as long as they are totally cooled when you get started.

Can You Freeze Krispy Kreme Doughnuts?

How to Freeze Krispy Kreme Doughnuts