Donuts
Glaze or Icing? The Difference Is Heat, and You Can See It in Our Case
2 October 2026 · 5 min read
Stand at our case and you are looking at two different finishes, not two different donuts. Glaze is thin, clear and goes on hot. Icing is thick, opaque and goes on cool. That single difference — the temperature of the donut when the sugar hits it — decides how it looks, what it costs, and whether it survives the drive home.
The short answer
| Glaze | Icing | |
|---|---|---|
| Goes on when | The donut is still hot | The donut has cooled |
| Looks like | Clear, glossy, slightly crackled | Opaque, matte to satin, a layer you can see the edge of |
| Holds sprinkles | No — they slide | Yes, that is what icing is for |
| On our board | Traditional Glazed, $1.50 | Assorted, $2.25 · iced specialty bars, $2.75 |
| By the dozen | $15.00 | $22.50 assorted · $27.50 specialty |
| Travels | Turns tacky, keeps its shape | Keeps its colour, smudges on contact |
Why heat is the whole difference
A glaze is mostly sugar and water, thin enough to run straight off a spoon. Put it on a donut that just came out of the fryer and it goes slightly into the surface instead of only onto it, then sets as the donut cools into a thin clear shell. That is the faint crackle you get on the first bite of a fresh traditional glazed.
Icing is the same sugar with less water in it, often with milk or butter, thick enough to hold a shape. It cannot go on hot — it would melt and run — so it goes on cool and stays sitting on top as a layer. Because it is a layer, it holds things: sprinkles, drizzle, a second colour. Glaze holds nothing, which is why you will never see a sprinkled glazed donut anywhere, here or otherwise.
What that means at our counter
- Traditional Glazed — $1.50 each, $15.00 a dozen. The cheapest thing we make and the one most sensitive to time. Raised yeast dough, clear glaze, best inside a few hours.
- Assorted — $2.25 each, $22.50 a dozen. Where most of the iced donuts live. Chocolate iced, maple, the ones with sprinkles.
- Iced specialty bars — $2.75 each, $27.50 a dozen. A chocolate Long John is the clearest example: a flat bar is mostly top surface, so icing has somewhere to sit and stay.
- Cake donuts — $2.50 each, $25.00 a dozen. Glazed rather than iced, usually lighter than a raised glaze. The old fashioned has the most surface of any of them because of the cracks, so it carries the most glaze per bite.
- Custom decorated — $3.00 each. Icing, by definition. You cannot write on a glaze. Custom is the one item the dozen deal does not cover.
Which to buy for the situation you are actually in
- Eating it in the car in the next ten minutes — glazed. It is at its peak and it is $1.50.
- Driving it somewhere — iced, lying flat with room around each one. A glaze goes tacky and will stick to a lid; icing will not, as long as nothing presses on it.
- Buying for a room of people — assorted, $22.50 a dozen, so you have both finishes. A uniform box is the thing people are quietly disappointed by.
- Buying for the afternoon — a cake donut over a raised glazed. Cake keeps for hours; raised glazed does not.
- It needs to say something — custom, which means icing, at $3.00 each with a day's notice where you can give it.
Where to get either
Three shops, all open at 5:00am, everything fried that morning:
- Spanish Fork — 1306 E Center St.
- Ogden — 554 Washington Blvd.
- St. George — 922 E Brigham Rd.
Closing times differ by shop and by day — take them from the location pages. Half off after 2:00pm Monday through Thursday runs at Spanish Fork and St. George; Ogden does not run it. Every item we make, with what it actually is, is on the Utah Donut Index. Nothing we make is gluten free, and all of our donuts contain dairy, wheat and egg — the allergen page is the honest version of that answer.
Common questions
What is the difference between glaze and icing on a donut?
Temperature and thickness. Glaze is a thin sugar syrup that goes on while the donut is still hot, so it soaks slightly into the surface and sets to a clear, faintly crackly shell. Icing is thicker and goes on once the donut has cooled, so it sits on top as an opaque layer — which is why icing can hold sprinkles and glaze cannot.
Is a glazed donut cheaper than an iced one?
At The Donut Run, yes. A Traditional Glazed is $1.50 each or $15.00 a dozen. Assorted donuts, which is where the iced ones sit, are $2.25 each or $22.50 a dozen. Iced bars from the specialty board, like a chocolate Long John, are $2.75 each or $27.50 a dozen.
Which lasts longer, glazed or iced?
Iced holds its look longer; glazed holds its texture less long. A glaze turns tacky as the donut cools and sweats, and a raised glazed donut is at its best within hours of frying. Icing stays put but will smudge against a box lid or another donut, so iced donuts travel better lying flat with room around them.
Why does glaze go clear and icing go opaque?
Glaze is mostly sugar and water, thin enough to run off, and what stays behind is a transparent film. Icing carries more sugar and less water, often with milk or butter, so it stays thick and light-blocking. Same sugar, different ratio and different temperature going on.
Which should I pick for a box for other people?
Mix them. A box of all glazed looks plain and a box of all iced reads as sweet before anyone takes a bite. An assorted dozen at $22.50 gets you both finishes, and every dozen here is buy ten, get two free.
Where can I buy them?
All three shops — Spanish Fork at 1306 E Center St, Ogden at 554 Washington Blvd, St. George at 922 E Brigham Rd — open at 5:00am and fry everything that morning. Closing times differ by shop and by day, so take them from the location page. Half off after 2:00pm Monday through Thursday runs at Spanish Fork and St. George; Ogden does not run it.