Sometimes you can’t decide between one pastry or another. Sometimes, you just want to be gluttonous and eat more than one. Whatever your motivation, there’s a growing family of hybrid pastries that make their singular counterparts look simple and plain in comparison. From the Cronut in New York City to the Doughscuit of the Midwest to the Cruffin in Los Angeles, the hybrid pastry trend has captured the attention of eaters across the country. These six pastries are so tempting, people are willing to line up for hours just for a taste (and the requisite Instagram pic). See for yourself if they live up to the hype!
Hybrid Pastries
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The Cronut
This is the pastry that started it all in May of 2013. The Cronut was the Frankenstein’s monster of the Dominque Ansel Bakery in New York City. The croissant-cum-doughnut became so insanely popular (“the most virally talked about dessert item in history” according to its FAQ page) that its creator had to trademark it. The bakery changes the flavor on a monthly basis with no repetitions. Bygone combos have included: blackberry brown sugar and toffee, sakura rooibos tea, and rose guava.
Photo: @dominiqueansel on Instagram.
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The Doughscuit
The Doughscuit is said to be the 2013 invention of Enoch Simpson, chef and owner of the now defunct restaurant Endgrain in Chicago. It crosses the savory density of a biscuit with the airy sweetness of a yeast doughnut. German chocolate, apple cider glazed, strawberry glazed with a vanilla crème center are a few flavors past. While Simpson may have naming rights to the Doughscuit, Chef Chris Uhrich of Mucci’s Italian in St. Paul, Minnesota, has perfected it. His mouthwatering flavors include crème brûlée, caramel popcorn, fried chicken, and the Homer Simpson (vanilla and strawberry cream glazes with sprinkles).
Photo: @muccisitalian on Instagram.
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The Cruffin
Cruffins are croissants baked in muffin form, rolled in sugar, and filled with an assortment of sweet cream in flavors like matcha, lavender milk chocolate, double cherry, and white chocolate mango. The conical pastries were created by Mr. Homes Bakehouse and are available at the bakery’s San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seoul locations.
Photo: @mrholmesbakehouse on Instagram.
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The Duffin
It’s been said that a muffin is just a naked cupcake. Well, someone looked at a muffin and thought it was just a depressed doughnut. At least, that’s the tale we’d tell about the origins of the Duffin. It’s unclear who created it, but Bea’s of Bloomsbury in London seems to be the most outspoken owner. In 2013, Starbucks introduced its own version of the muffin-shaped, jam-filled doughnut, and the comments section on its press release quickly filled up with Brits laying claim to the pastries. Regardless, the Duffin seems somewhat redundant. Either you want a muffin or a you want a doughnut, and both of these pastries are infinitely more delicious in their own incarnations.
Photo: @timbow1982 on Instagram.
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The Dagel
Perhaps the most controversial of hybrid pastries is the Everything Doughnut from New York City’s The Doughnut Project. Created last year, this yeast doughnut incorporates the toppings of an Everything Bagel (pepitas, roasted poppy seeds, black and white sesame seeds, garlic, and sea salt) with a cream cheese glaze. This sweet-and-savory pastry is something of a celebrity, revered in the pages of Maxim and InStyle magazines as well as on sites like Gothamist and Delish.
Photo: @thedoughnutproject on Instagram.
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The Cragel
Perhaps best known for its rainbow bagel, The Bagel Store in Brooklyn is also home to the Cragel, a croissant-bagel mash-up. Though reporters have deemed the texture and flavor of this hybrid pastry as similar to a Danish, the glazed bagel looks closer to the horn-like shape of a croissant than the fruit-filled Danish. Cragel flavors are predominantly savory, from spinach Parmesan to jalapeno and cheddar cheese.
Photo: @thebagelstore on Instagram.
