Duck…Duck…DOUGHNUTS! One of the Hottest Trends of 2018

Duck…Duck…DOUGHNUTS! One of the Hottest Trends of 2018

What started as a local boardwalk eatery now claims to be the fastest-growing doughnut shop in the U.S. “Duck Donuts” first opened in Duck, North Carolina in 2007. In just 10 years this franchise has opened over 167 stores, predominately along the East Coast. Dozens more stores across the nation are prepared for a grand opening. One of the newer “Duck Donuts” locations opened in Allentown, PA, close to the 123ce staff, and they are thrilled. What makes this shop successful is the warm, fresh, made-to-order doughnuts along with non-traditional topping options. One example is their featured maple bacon doughnut.

Unique and wildly creative doughnut toppings have been trending in the culinary world for some time now. However, 2018 comes with new fillings to flavor doughnuts. Most recently, The National Restaurant Association surveyed nearly 700 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation – on which food, cuisine, beverages and culinary themes will be “hot” trends on restaurant menus in the New Year. From this list was the trending “Doughnuts with non-traditional filling.”

Non-Traditional Doughnut Filling

A non-traditional filling is essentially any kind of filling except for: fruit-based jellies, Boston cream, custard, peanut butter, etc. Some doughnut shops have gotten as creative as using liqueur, Earl Grey or Chai cream, and even chili! “Duck Donuts” is not the only doughnut shop that had a jump start to this new filling craze. Here are some of the most non-traditional doughnut fillings that are being talked about already:

Yuzu Curd, “Dough” New York, New York

Eggnog Cream, “Dough” New York, New York

Snickers Doughtnut, “Cafe Dulce” Los Angeles, California

Assorted doughnuts: Ube, Taro, and Cheesecake “Donut Papi” Australia

“Chefs strive to strike the right balance between offering consumers what they want to eat now and guiding them toward new and exciting culinary frontiers,” said ACF National President Stafford T. DeCambra, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC, reported in the NRA’s release of their survey. “ACF chefs dedicate countless hours to continuing education and professional development to stay at the forefront of culinary innovation, allowing them to respond to and redefine diners’ expectations in an ever-changing food service landscape.”

Interested in the culinary art of a Pastry Chef? View our certifications page to see what the ACF requires in order to qualify for various baking and pastry professions: https://123ce.com/acf-certification/#baking-pastry-professionals

For the full list of the “What’s Hot in 2018” culinary list, visit the ACF article here: http://www.restaurant.org/Restaurant/media/Restaurant/SiteImages/News%20and%20Research/Whats%20Hot/Whats_Hot_Culinary_Forecast_2018.pdf