Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Taste-Testing The Fake Cronut: The Fauxnut
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 25, 2013
Modified Jun 26, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 25, 2013
Modified Jun 26, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Photo by Tien Mao/Gothamist
While Dominique Ansel has trademarked the Cronut™, he cannot stop people from making their own cronut-like pastries, slapping a $5 pricetag on them, and calling them something else. Mille-Feuille Bakery (located near Washington Square Park just blocks from Ansel himself) isn't the first, and they're certainly not the last to do this... but they are and always will be the first place the Gothamist staff ever tasted a cronut-esque thing. We tried their Vanilla Bean and Raspberry "french donuts" this afternoon—unsurprisingly, they were really quite good. Here are some staff reactions on the French Donut, and veering off topic, the Cronut Craze in general:
- "It tasted like the overwrought decadence of a dying materialist culture—I think this is the taste Gatsby had in his mouth in the pool. Also very greasy." — Jake Dobkin
- "To people who haven't eaten a Cronut™ yet (and I'm guessing that's most of this place's market) this fauxnut is like the Shrödinger's Cat of pastries. You don't know if it's nothing like a cronut, or an exact replica. Only until you open the box (wait in line for 15 hours) will you know for sure. It's essentially a tasty jelly donut and I appreciate the flakiness of the pastry, but I also think $5 is a cruel price to pay for an imitation." — Chris Robbins
- "Tastes like a jelly donut. Totally unsure what the fuss is all about." — Josh Steele
- "Like the best funnel cake at the county fair and a jelly donut had a baby in my mouth." — Allison Davis
We tracked down two dedicated pastry connoisseurs who have managed to try BOTH the Cronut™ and this fauxnut, and we were told that the main thing that sets the two apart is that the original Cronut™ is flakier and crispier, whereas the fauxnut is greasier and chewier. And both are delicious, in the way that both croissants and doughnuts are enjoyable things to eat sometimes. But note: Neither are worth pressing your bare skin to the dirty New York City sidewalk for.
UPDATE: Olivier at Mille-Feuille would like to point out that French Donuts (and Cronuts, too) have a shelf life, and should be eaten right away. We waited a few hours before eating ours—but we devoured them none-the-less.
Tagged
bakery
cronut
fauxnut
mille-feuille
pastry
original
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .