by Angela Lasch
June 1, 2026
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love donuts. There is no specific memory; they have just always been my favorite. Cookies and cake I could pass on, but never a donut! It’s something about the smell, gooey filling, and chocolate all over my fingers that I cannot resist! My favorite is raspberry-filled, and my close second is old-fashioned chocolate. Yum!
As an intro to summer, we thought we’d take a more lighthearted approach to our blog series and introduce a new, fun summer food each month. Since National Donut Day is June 5, donuts seemed like the perfect introduction to our new series. Because who doesn’t love a fresh, hot donut!
June 5 is National Donut Day. And since we are homeschoolers, we need to research the origins of these national days. I have to admit I was quite surprised that the history of donuts goes all the way back to World War I, when the Salvation Army would pass out complimentary donuts and coffee to the soldiers. The Salvation Army is credited with introducing donuts to the American Army in World War I and World War II. You can find out more about the history at The Salvation Army USA website, including the Salvation Army WWI Donut recipe!
And the best part is that National Donut Day comes with freebies! Krispy Kreme offers a free donut of your choice (excludes limited-edition flavors) with no purchase necessary, and Dunkin’ gives you a free classic donut with the purchase of any beverage at participating locations. Be sure to check your local shops, as offers can vary by location.
Here is a list of fun, easy things to do at home to make learning about donuts more engaging.
Kitchen science: make donuts at home and talk about how yeast works as a living organism (a fun biology tie-in).
Math: double or halve a donut recipe to practice fractions.
History and service: a quick lesson on WWI and the Donut Lassies, paired with baking or buying donuts for a neighbor, a first responder, a shut-in, or Team CHEA, LOL!
Geography and culture: explore donut-style pastries around the world (beignets, malasadas, churros, or sufganiyot - one of my favorites!).
I’ve already mentioned how much I LOVE donuts. But I asked some of Team CHEA for their favorite flavors, and here are some of their responses:
Portia: My favorite donut is plain cake, which I take home, place in the microwave for 15 seconds, lather with butter, and enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate!
Katie: I'm allergic to sugar, so I don't eat donuts, but if I did, I'd pick a maple bacon bar.
Melisa: I'm sensitive to gluten, so I don't eat many donuts either. However, I'd enjoy gluten-free or organic glazed donuts because it's simple, sweet, and fluffy!
Cathie: Unfortunately, I also do not partake in donuts these days due to gluten and sugar (ugh!!), but... My favorite donut is an apple fritter! Doughy yet crispy, cinnamon-y and sweet all at the same time!
Natalie: Donuts always remind me of serving at church with my dad every Sunday because we never got donuts any other time. God bless that usher who always brought the team donuts! My favorite has always been the chocolate cake donut with chocolate icing. Now I want one!
Dena: So many to choose from! A raspberry jelly donut can be wonderful - sweet and soft with a bit of tang from the raspberry. Chocolate old-fashioned was my go-to for a long time, but now I prefer the chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, but only when it has coconut on it - chocolate and coconut is always a winning combination. (I think I've been watching too many cooking shows because I was also going to say the coconut gives it a bit of texture!) And after giving all this thought to donuts, I have a feeling I won't be resisting the temptation for one at church tomorrow morning - esp. if they have the chocolate with coconut, which they often do!
Monica: I have 2 favorites. When I get a donut, I get both. Raspberry jelly-filled donut, I love that it is glazed, but then the first bit is a gush of jelly, then it’s a chocolate glaze donut, it’s the chocolate for me.
As you can see, here at CHEA, we have strong opinions about donuts. What about you? What donut would you grab on National Donut Day? Share it in the comments and check back on July 21 when we scoop into ice cream!
Go ahead and treat yourself to a donut!
“Also, that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil, this is God’s gift to man.” Ecclesiastes 3:13
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Angela Lasch is the Executive Director of CHEA. She and her husband homeschooled their three sons. She now enjoys being "Nana" to two granddaughters. Grateful for her own homeschool journey and the sacrificial giving of countless families who made it possible, Angela now dedicates herself to encouraging, supporting, and protecting homeschool families throughout California. She also never turns down a good donut.
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