Don't Call Dunkin' Donuts' 'Croissant Donut' a Cronut

Starting next week, you'll be able to nosh on a croissant-donut hybrid if you live near a Dunkin' Donuts—but don't call the delectable dessert a Cronut. The chain says that starting Nov. 3, it will churn out a limited run of its "Croissant Donut," which some are already comparing to the now-trademarked Cronut treat first made famous by New York City's Dominique Ansel Bakery, the AP reports. The new offering will have the same glaze as Dunkin's Glazed Donut, won't have filling (for now), and will sell for $2.49—more than twice what the chain's regular donuts go for, making it more profitable for a company that's seen flagging sales, the AP notes. DD won't cop to any Cronut copycat crime, though.

"Are we copying a specific bakery in New York? The answer is no," Dunkin's president of global marketing and innovation says. So what's the difference between the actual Cronut—which comes with a caveat on Dominique Ansel's website that the "creation is not to be mistaken as simply croissant dough that has been fried"—and DD's version? Dunkin's executive chef tells the AP, "I've tried the product that you mention. As the executive chef of Dunkin', I like ours better." Others might agree: The owner of a rival NYC bakery tells the New Yorker that Dominique Ansel makes a "lousy croissant" anyway. (Election time's coming—if you like Dunkin' Donuts, you might be a Republican.)