You Can Get These Mustard Donuts For Free, But Your Taste Buds Might Pay

You’ve eaten ice cream doughnuts and berry doughnuts, but have you tried mustard doughnuts? I know, you’re thinking: Do I want to try mustard doughnuts? TBH, I’m not sure if there’s a right or wrong answer, but you have the chance to score these new breakfast pastries for free if that helps sway you. Once you know how to get free French’s Mustard Donuts from NYC-based Dough Doughnuts, your curiosity might just get the best of you. The two brands created a savory and sweet mustard-flavored doughnut to celebrate National Mustard Day on Aug 6, and here’s how to get your hands on it at no cost.

Swap out your breakfast sandwich for a breakfast doughnut for on Aug 6. French’s is bringing free Mustard Donuts to Dough Doughnuts shops for New Yorkers, and the brands are shipping the unique donuts across the country for fans nationwide. Here’s what you can expect if you get your hands on the treat. It starts with Dough’s Classic Glazed Donut that’s made with its signature brioche recipe, plus vanilla and a dash of salt. Then, the fluffy glazed donut gets a makeover with a “sweet and savory yellow mustard coating that is topped with a yellow mustard cake crumble,” according to an Aug. 2 press release. (Previously, French’s whipped up mustard ice cream, mustard beer, and mustard buns for the condiment’s big day.)

With a powerhouse like Dough behind the confection, there’s a good chance this wild combo just might work, but it is a mustard-flavored donut. I’ve not tried the doughnut yet, but I’m thinking this will be like the cilantro of breakfast duos — you’ll either love it or hate it.

The doughnut pops off with a neon yellow color that’s so Minions-esque (so you can at least do it for the ‘Gram). Steve Klein, the owner of Dough Doughnuts, called it the “perfect bite” in an Aug. 2 press release: “The iconic tanginess of French’s Classic Yellow Mustard complements the sweet glaze and fluffy texture of the doughnut for the perfect bite.”

The French’s Mustard Donuts will be up for grabs for free on National Mustard Day on Saturday, Aug. 6, while supplies last, so you can see how “perfect” the bite is. New Yorkers can get the French’s Mustard Donut at Dough Doughnuts locations in Flatiron, Brooklyn, Astoria, Rockefeller Center, Urbanspace Vanderbilt, and Smorgasburg in Williamsburg. The shops will be transformed to fit the mustard theme with yellow decor, pop art, and French’s Mustard Donut-inspired swag.

Not in NYC? Nationwide orders for a free box of two French’s Mustard Donuts begins on Aug. 6 at 9 a.m. ET on Dough Doughnuts’ website. Availability is limited, so you’ll want to set a reminder (or five). If you miss the bites, French’s shared a recipe for the Mustard Donut so you can try your hand at making one at home.

If you’re still bamboozled by how the sweet-salty flavor combination works (salted caramel, anyone?), pastry chef Malika Ameen explained it to Eater in a May 2018 interview. “Salt is a flavor enhancer, and when it's correctly combined with something sweet, it creates flavor layering,” Ameen said. The result is a sensory response from your taste receptors. She said salt minimizes sweetness and sharpens flavors, while sugar balances it out by softening the taste. Although the Mustard Donut is more of a tangy-sweet combo, here’s hoping the same reasoning applies.