You Can Experience a Range of Thanksgiving Flavors in a Doughnut Flight

Making a holiday dinner from scratch takes a lot of time and energy to prep and cook, especially if you’re responsible for everything from the gravy to the pumpkin pie. But now, thanks to a collab from McCormick and Dough Doughnuts, it’s possible to experience the whole range of Thanksgiving flavors in a doughnut flight. This limited-edition doughnut selection features three different flavors—It’s All Gravy, Cranberry Craze and Pumpkin to Talk About—that’ll walk you through the different courses of your holiday feast. I was lucky enough to try the three flavors so I could give you the scoop on this unconventional holiday tasting experience.

Honestly, I was skeptical about how these doughnuts would taste; I wasn’t convinced that a gravy-flavored doughnut, in particular, could ever really capture the flavors of a Thanksgiving meal. However, I’m glad to say I was wrong—every single one of these doughnuts was incredible and somehow surprisingly reminiscent of the flavors of the holiday. Let’s go through each of them.

It’s All Gravy

This was (understandably, I think) the doughnut I had the least faith in. I doubted it would even taste like a doughnut at all. After all, how are you supposed to capture perhaps the most savory dish on the table in a format that’s decidedly sweet? But upon taking the first bite, I realized that I’ve been missing out on gravy doughnuts my whole life. The dough is actually infused with McCormick brown gravy and topped with a gravy glaze, ground sage and black pepper stuffing crumbles with garlic powder sprinkled on top. The maple cheesecake filling is a sweet addition to what you might otherwise assume is a savory-only flavor profile.

This doughnut carefully walks the line between savory and sweet with finesse. It’s salty, creamy and well-balanced with palpable notes of sage, a flavor that is deeply reminiscent of the holidays, at least to me. It’s a strange, unconventional flavor combo, but this actually ended up being my favorite doughnut of the bunch.

Cranberry Craze

You might automatically assume that a cranberry-flavored doughnut is going to lean sweet, not salty, but think about it: Most people serve cranberry sauce with the main course, not with dessert. The Cranberry Craze doughnut reflects that reality with its almost-but-not-quite-savory flavor profile. The cranberry jam filling gets a savory twist from the addition of rosemary leaves, and a rosemary purée glaze helps the salty doughnut crumbles stick to the exterior of the dessert. That tartness and slight saltiness break up the other, heavier doughnut flavors in the box.

Pumpkin to Talk About

The last doughnut in the collection is the Pumpkin to Talk About, and this is the one that’s probably the most reminiscent of the standard sweet doughnuts you’re used to. As the name suggests, it’s attempting to mimic the flavor of pumpkin pie, and it certainly does; the pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg and cinnamon give the creamy filling that signature pumpkin pie flavor you know and love. It also features a pumpkin glaze and is covered with pecan streusel crumbles. On top, you’ll find a meringue dollop dusted with more cinnamon.

Although this doughnut is less of a novelty compared to the other two in the collection, it’s still an accurate representation of Thanksgiving dessert—and a delicious one at that. The filling has the exact consistency you would expect from a classic pumpkin pie.

Sure, you can spend hours making dish after dish of Thanksgiving classics, or you can just buy a box of doughnuts and experience the best flavors of the season through dessert alone. If I were a guest at your house for the holiday, I genuinely don’t think I’d be disappointed with the latter.

Samantha Maxwell is a food writer and editor based in Boston. Follow her on Twitter at @samseating.