A History of Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins

In the 1970s, Dunkin' Donuts figured out how to market and sell the hole in the doughnut.

Dunkin' Donuts (now just Dunkin’), a renowned name in the world of coffee and baked goods, has delighted customers with its array of delectable treats for decades. Among its iconic offerings, Munchkins hold a special place in the hearts and taste buds of doughnut enthusiasts. These bite-sized balls of goodness have become a beloved snack, perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffee or as a delightful treat on their own. Let's take a look into the history of Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins and explore their journey from creation to becoming a favorite indulgence for millions.

Doughnuts have existed for a long time. The modern doughnut, with the hole in the center, seems to have been popularized in the 19th century by Elizabeth Gregory and her Sea Captain son, Hanson Crockett Gregory. As the story goes, while Hanson was at sea and frying up some dough, he came up with a way to lighten his mother’s doughnut recipe, and have it cook up more evenly, by cutting a hole in the center.

This story is probably apocryphal, since I have read several other stories about how that hole got there. What I do know is that Elizabeth Gregory made some tasty fried dough cakes and her son figured out to pop out the center and made history.

Before we get to the origin of the Munchkin, we should talk about Doughnut Holes as a treat. Something resembling a Munchkin has existed long before they came to be sold at Dunkin’ Donuts. It is basically just a smaller amount of fried dough. What Dunkin’ Donuts did was market them in a way no one had before.

Origin of the Munchkin

The story of Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins begins in the early 1970s. I have read a bunch of stories about how they came about, with various people credited with their invention. The one thread these stories have in common is an attempt to prevent waste. The company would, when making doughnuts, cut out the center. This dough wouldn’t be thrown away. Instead, it was re-rolled and used to make more doughnuts. The problem was, the doughnuts made from this method were less tender.

By reusing the dough to make smaller doughnuts, they could both make a better product and cater to some customers' preferences for smaller portions. The introduction of Munchkins marked a new era for Dunkin' Donuts. These bite-sized delights would gain popularity among customers, who eventually embraced the idea of enjoying their favorite doughnut flavors in a more compact and shareable form. Where you could eat multiple Munchkins, each a different flavor, and still just have eaten the equivalent of a single full-sized doughnut.

But it wasn’t an instant success.

They would try this concept more than once. The first time, they called them Donut Holes and sold them for 19 cents a bag. The issue with them was a typical one for restaurants with a good idea. Sure, the new products sold, but that was because people liked the variety and low price, but they were taking away from the sale of their traditional doughnut. So they stopped sales and went back to the drawing board.

What they needed was a new target audience for these Holes. It was Bob Kamersham who came up with a marketing idea that he could test. They would pick a handful of stores and in half of them they would sell the Dunkin’ Donuts Donut Holes. In the other half, they would sell the same product, but they would call them Munchkins and brand them with a Wizard of Oz “Munchkin” character.

The test was very conclusive. In the stores they sold them as Donut Holes, sales for doughnuts fell, but not in the stores where they were called Munchkins. There people bought both, doughnuts for the adults and a bag of Munchkins for the kids. Although I am sure some of those adults grabbed a few of the Munchkins for themselves.

Dunkin’ Donuts had figured it out. They needed to target children, and they leaned into it, making displays and boxes that would be appealing to young doughnut eaters. After a full Munchkin rollout, the company was making $300 million yearly, and ten percent of that was from this new product. It is a brilliant example of how marketing can change the perception of a product.

Expansion and Evolution

As Munchkins continued to captivate customers' taste buds, Dunkin' Donuts recognized the need to expand the range of flavors and options. At this point they had grown beyond targeting kids, they had a generation that had grown up eating them by now, but they always kept it fun to appeal to the young at heart. This meant things like promotion around Halloween and Christmas that helped to build a strong association with the holiday seasons.

As Dunkin' Donuts rebranded itself to Dunkin' in 2018, they didn’t drop their doughnuts from stores and Munchkins are still going strong today. What started as an attempt to more efficiently use dough has turned into a memorable brand in its own right. Often imitated, they continue to show up at homes and workplaces to the delight of people who have come to love this sweet treat.