People in Texas have been getting up before sunrise for a donut. It costs less than a buck. The donut is called the glazed croissant donut, and it has been vanishing from H-E-B bakery cases as fast as workers can glaze them. It didn’t take long for the love for the donut to spread across the whole state. But why? Why are people so obsessed with this donut? Let’s find out.
What set off the lines
In August, a few TikTok clips of the donut went viral. Or, more accurately, videos of the lack of the donut. One Houston content creator filmed an empty H-E-B rack, and then another clip showed a shopper lining up before dawn until they finally got one. It snowballed from there.
By early fall, people had begun tagging H-E-B’s account and bragging when they scored a box. It wasn’t planned marketing. Rather, it was simply how word of mouth spread quickly online. As soon as the videos reached feeds in Houston & San Antonio, lines began forming for real.
What, exactly, is the donut
So what is the donut? It’s a glazed croissant donut that looks a little like a flaky croissant, and a little like a classic ring donut. It’s fried and it’s shiny. When it’s stocked, you’ll find it stacked right in the bakery case next to the regular ones. It doesn’t come inside a fancy box or with special packaging.
As for the taste, the glazed croissant donut is layered inside like a croissant. This makes it lighter and crispier than the usual cake or yeast style of donut. You can grab just one, or a few if you’re lucky enough to get them before they’re gone.
The donut only costs 98 cents. That makes it cheaper than a cup of gas station coffee, which is likely one of the reasons that people have gone so crazy for it. H-E-B states that each donut has around 210 calories. Each one has 14 g total fat with 7 g saturated fat (35% DV), 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 210 mg sodium (about 9% DV), 46 g carbs, 23 g total sugars, and 20 g added sugars (shown as 40% DV). There are roughly 4 g of protein
The combination of a low price and standard calorie count for the donut makes it easy to grab a few of them.
Why the layers & glaze hit the sweet spot
People love this donut because it feels right when you bite into it. The texture is flaky but also soft, and it has a buttery taste that stays on your tongue for a second. It’s not greasy and it’s not dry. As for the glaze, it has a thin crack when you break it apart. H-E-B’s recipe uses enriched wheat flour & margarine made with palm oil, which gives it that layered pull inside.
Essentially, it’s a solid donut that does what it’s supposed to do. It tastes fresh and stays neat, which makes you want another one.
When people lined up and why it sold out
Shoppers worked out rather quickly how important timing was. Each H-E-B store bakes a set amount early in the morning, and that’s it. As soon as they’re gone for the day, customers will have to either drive to a different location or simply wait until tomorrow.
The best time? It appears to be right around opening, usually 6 or 7 a.m. By late morning, the majority of H-E-B’s shelves are bare. Some shoppers claim they’ve seen the trays empty in as little as 10 minutes. A few people even showed up a little bit before the store’s doors opened just to make sure they could get one fresh out of the fryer.
Where Texans found it
One of the reasons the donut is so hard to find is that not every H-E-B carries the donut yet. In San Antonio, a few eager shoppers found the donut at places like Stone Ridge Market and Olmos Park. Some found them on Bulverde Road. Over in Houston, viral clips showed people calling before driving across town to check if a location still had any left.
The short version is that if your store’s bakery opens early, you may have a shot. If not, better luck tomorrow. For something that costs less than a dollar, it’s turned out to be one of the toughest pastries to find in Texas right now.