The Truth About Krispy Kreme's Hot Light

This morning Delish revealed the tragic truth about Krispy Kreme's hot light—that neon sign that lights up when the bakers pull those deliciously habit-forming doughnuts out of the oven. The Hot Light is infamous—there's even an app that lets users know when fresh donuts are available at a nearby location. According to rumor, if you're lucky enough to see that light spring to life, you get a free treat. Turns out it's not true.

Krispy Kreme's communication department shot down the tall tale in an email, writing, "The Hot Light signals that donuts are hot and fresh coming off the line, not a free donut. Some shops sometimes offer samples, but that isn't dependent on the Hot Light being on."

This isn't the first time Krispy Kreme has been the subject of strange mythology. Here are three more rumors about Krispy Kreme:

What’s really in the filling?

Back in 2016, a disgruntled Krispy Kreme customer named Jason Saidian filed a lawsuit against the chain for "false and misleading business practices." He charged that there was no real maple syrup, raspberries, or blueberries in their glazed raspberry filled, glazed blueberry cake, and maple iced glazed donuts. The lawsuit sought a whopping $5 million dollars in damages for customers who were fooled into thinking Krispy Kreme contained premium ingredients. Saidian said at the time that he would have never purchased the doughnuts if he knew they contained no real fruit.

The complaint also contained one section in which it details the health benefits of blueberries, which includes ability to "limit the development and severity of certain cancers and vascular diseases...and neurodegenerative diseases of aging," as though Krispy Kreme alone is depriving customers of life-saving blueberries.

Saidian also claims he purchased a raspberry doughnut in 2015 because raspberries "are a rich source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium and dietary fiber ... and help fight against cancer, heart and circulatory disease, and age-related decline."

If Saidian is going to the bakery to get his daily serving of fruit, he may want to reassess his diet, but that's another matter altogether.

Here's the thing: The Krispy Kreme website has been upfront about the nutritional value of it's products. The original glazed donut for instance, contains 10 grams of sugar, 190 calories, and 11 grams of fat. They also don't even advertise that their doughnuts contain any real fruit.

In March of this year, a federal judge denied Krispy Kreme's attorneys' request that the lawsuit be dismissed.

Who Picked the Name of that Promotion?

In 2015, a Facebook post began circulating around the internet posted by a Krispy Kreme UK location in Hull. It's an otherwise tasteful poster advertising a series of promotions aimed at students during their winter break from school called "Half Term Activities."

If you look closely at the post, you'll see that the activity of February 18th is called KKK Wednesday.

As the post began to receive uproar, many people began to wonder if the whole thing was a hoax, but Snopes verified that it was a real—and very misguided—acronym for Krispy Kreme Klub.

Eventually the Hull Krispy Kreme offered an apology and removed the post from its social media channels, writing "We are truly sorry for any offence this completely unintentional oversight may have caused."

Where Can You Find the Elusive Doughnut Burger?

It sometimes known as the Luther Burger, after it's biggest fan, the R&B singer Luther Vandross. It may have first appeared in a bar in Georgia called mulligans. And there are many versions made with Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

White Sox short top Alexei Ramirez is rumored to enjoy a version that just consists of mayo slathered between two glazed original Krispy Kremes (apparently it is delicious). A shop in Ansonia, Connecticut called Valley Eatery makes their very own variation of the classic with American cheese and bacon. Back in 2010, the Machine Shed introduced a Krispy Kreme burger—bacon (with optional chocolate coating), a beef patty, and a fried egg wedged between two doughnuts—that contained a truly magnificent 500 calories.

If you don't live near a restaurant brave enough to serve unholy fusion of dinner and dessert, it's probably easy enough to make at home. Just remember: This is not a meal for the faint of heart.