Hostess HoneyBun Donettes Review: They Aren't Groundbreaking, But They Are Good

Sometimes a regular-sized donut is just too much donut, and that's where mini-donuts come into yummy play. Honey buns, meanwhile, are more of a doughy pastry but also enjoy a good glazing like many donuts do. Hostess' snack roster includes mini donuts with the adorable name Donettes, which have been around since 1940, and its own take on the honey bun, the aptly named HoneyBun. In 2023, Hostess made its very first mash-up treat when it frosted Twinkies with Ding Dong chocolate, and a year later, it's trying to work similar magic by combing the talents of its Donettes and HoneyBuns.

In a press release (via PR Newswire), Chris Balach, vice president, marketing, Sweet Baked Snacks at The J.M. Smucker Co., said, "We know that snack lovers are increasingly seeking new flavor combinations, and the melding of distinct tastes and textures offers a unique snacking experience." He added, "The Hostess brand continues to lead in delivering mouthwatering innovations like HoneyBun Donettes that satisfy consumers' cravings and bring joy not only to their breakfast routine, but throughout their day."

So is this latest Hostess mash-up the stuff of sweet dreams we never want to wake up from, or a Frankenstein's monster to fear? I delicately opened a bag of these HoneyBun Donettes to find out. This chew and review is based on taste, texture, incentives, and overall lovability.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

These HoneyBun Donettes are the same size as any other kind of Donettes flavor, clocking in at 2 inches wide and a hair under an inch tall. In certain lights, they look drab brown, and in others, a diffused white, like the surface of the moon dotting a night sky. The glaze around the exterior not only looks rough but has a texture to match its appearance. A simple squeeze reveals that these little guys are actually rather thick and steadily firm. They don't have any special smell to them, unless you consider the standard smell of a donut outwardly special. 

The first bite of the HoneyBun Donettes is a double dose of vanilla delectability. The icing is super strong with sweet vanilla flavoring, and the interior yellow cake flavor is a bit milder in its delivery. Honey is one of the listed ingredients, but it didn't make its presence known whatsoever. Each of these mini donuts can be downed within three to four bites. After those several bites, you can get a sense that these aren't just standard Donettes but something a little bit different, which opens the door, and mouth, to downing a few more for further investigation, and happy digestion.

While Donettes' small stature already makes them hard to dunk in coffee, don't even bother trying with these HoneyBun ones — all the good vanilla flavoring disappears in the process. The real secret here is microwaving them for 10 to 15 seconds. They become super soft, and the vanilla icing comes alive in its newfound fluidity.

Hostess' HoneyBun Donettes are made of sugar, enriched flour, water, palm oil, soybean oil, and 2% or less of nonfat dry milk, glycerin, defatted soy flour, natural and artificial flavor, dried honey, egg yolk, modified food starch, wheat starch, corn starch, sodium acid pyrophosphate, baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, salt, dextrose, agar, soy lecithin, dextrin, mono and diglycerides, guar gum, cellulose gum, enzymes, annatto and turmeric color, karaya gum, and citric acid. They contain egg, milk, soy, and wheat.

A serving size is three donuts, and there are about five servings per 10.5-ounce bag. One serving contains 240 calories, 12 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 10 milligrams of cholesterol, 210 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of protein, and 32 grams of total carbohydrates, with less than 1 gram being dietary fiber and 17 being total sugars.

The HoneyBun Donettes hit nationwide grocery stores, convenience stores, and online retailers in early March and are a permanent addition to the Donettes lineup. To find availability in your area, be sure to take advantage of Hostess' Treat Locator on its website.  

The HoneyBun Donettes are available to purchase in two sizes: 10.5-ounce standard bags, which contain about 15 donuts, or a 3-ounce, single-serve option, which includes 6. At Walmart, the larger bag retails for $2.48. Based on the best-by date on the bag I sampled, they will stay fresh enough to eat for up to two months.

Whether or not you're a fan of Hostess' HoneyBuns won't make a bit of difference for your enjoyment of these tasty mini-donut versions. Sure, the HoneyBun Donettes won't be knocking Old Fashioned, Powdered, Chocolate Frosted, or Double Chocolate off the Mount Rushmore of Donettes flavors, but who would be against the availability of another sweet flavor option for the munching?

I hope more inter-Hostess collaborations involving Donettes are in the works. How about a Duffin, where the Donettes meet the soft sensation of its line of Mini Muffins? Or what about digging into the archives and resurrecting a discontinued Hostess gem, like the Pecan Rollers CinnaMinis or Pudding Pies, for a truly unique filling?