Calories in a Donut: Glazed, Chocolate, Filled and More

A fresh donut with coffee is hard to resist. They come glazed, frosted, filled, sprinkled – and the calories vary a lot between them. So how many calories does a donut really have, and which one is the “lightest” choice?

The short answer: a medium glazed donut (60 g) has about 253 calories. Cake donuts have about 190–200, frosted donuts 200–300, and filled donuts 270–350. A donut is mostly refined flour, sugar and frying oil, with about 12–15 g of sugar and little protein or fiber.

Calories in donuts by type

Values are from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA FoodData Central):

Donut	Weight	Calories
Donut hole, glazed	about 12 g	about 50 kcal
Mini donut (frosted)	18 g	81 kcal
Cake donut, plain, sugared	45 g	192 kcal
Cake donut, chocolate frosted	43 g	194 kcal
Glazed yeast donut, medium	60 g	253 kcal
Glazed yeast donut, large	75 g	316 kcal
Chocolate frosted cake donut, large	67 g	303 kcal
Jelly or cream filled donut	80⁠–⁠90 g	about 270⁠–⁠350 kcal
Honey bun	85 g	358 kcal

Tip: coffee shop and bakery donuts are often bigger than USDA’s “medium” donut. Specialty donuts with candy, cookies or bacon on top can reach 400–500 calories.

Donut nutrition facts

Nutrient	Glazed donut, per 100 g	Per medium glazed donut (60 g)
Calories	421 kcal	253 kcal
Carbohydrates	47.9 g	28.7 g
– of which sugars	22.8 g	13.7 g
Fiber	2.1 g	1.3 g
Protein	6.1 g	3.7 g
Fat	22.7 g	13.6 g
– of which saturated	9.5 g	5.7 g
Sodium	316 mg	190 mg

A donut is deep-fried dough with sugar on top. About half its calories come from fat, and a medium glazed donut has more than a quarter of the saturated fat you should eat in a day. With only about 4 g of protein and 1 g of fiber, it won’t keep you full – you’ll likely be hungry again by mid-morning.

Donut breakfasts and combos

Combo	Calories
Glazed donut + black coffee	about 255 kcal
Glazed donut + latte (12 oz, whole milk)	about 430 kcal
2 donuts + sweetened iced coffee	about 700⁠–⁠800 kcal
Half dozen glazed donut holes	about 250⁠–⁠300 kcal
Breakfast sandwich on a glazed donut	about 500⁠–⁠700 kcal

Can you eat a donut and lose weight?

Yes, as an occasional treat. No single food makes you gain weight. But donuts are easy to eat, high in sugar and fat, and don’t fill you up – so one often becomes two.

How to enjoy one smartly:

• Pick a smaller or simpler donut: cake or glazed instead of filled or specialty.
• Have one, not two – and skip the sugary coffee drink.
• Eat it after a meal with protein, not on an empty stomach.
• Plan for it and keep the rest of the day lighter.
• For everyday breakfasts, choose eggs, Greek yogurt or oatmeal instead.

Remember that you lose weight only when you eat fewer calories than you burn. Read more about the calorie deficit and find your number with our calorie calculator. For filling breakfast ideas, see our high protein breakfast guide.

Count the calories in your treats without guesswork. With NutriSmart, you snap a photo of what you eat, and the app counts your calories, protein, carbs and fat and shows how much you have left for the day. For packaged donuts, scan the barcode to see the additives and a health score out of 100.Get the app free

You can also read how many calories are in a croissant and in a bagel.

The bottom line

A medium glazed donut has about 253 calories, a cake donut about 190–200, a frosted one 200–300 and a filled one 270–350. Donuts are mostly refined flour, sugar and frying fat, with little protein or fiber. Enjoy one as an occasional treat, pick a simpler donut and keep your everyday breakfasts higher in protein.