Low-Fat Doughnuts Really Do Exist

April 23, 2014— -- If you could eat doughnuts without the guilt, would you?

Turns out, you can, almost. And there's still a pinch of guilt, but only about one-fourth of the guilt you would experience after eating a typical doughnut.

Holey Donuts, the online-only doughnut shop, is about to open its first retail location in New York City. The store opens next month, but ABC News staffers got to sample a variety of the low-fat doughnuts fresh from the still-unopened store in a very unofficial, unscientific taste test. Could they be as good as the real thing?

In a word, yes. Or in another word, "amazing." And still another, "fine."

Every reaction to the doughnuts was a positive one, but enthusiasm varied considerably. One thing that was agreed upon by all: the doughnuts were far more dough-y than a typical doughnut. Comparisons were made to a bagel and store-bought French bread. "You know, the dough-y kind . . . not the crusty one," one sampler said.

Another point made by several tasters: The doughnuts are sweet, but not too sweet. "Sweet enough," as one photo editor on the informal panel put it.

Indeed. The company claims a "huge" online fan base for the treats it touts as "great-tasting donuts without the fat, calories and guilt."

The company said its "exclusive, yet secret cooking process" results in a doughnut with a fraction of the fat of regular doughnuts: 3 to 5 grams of fat compared with 15 to 40 grams in others. The doughnuts contain no artificial sweeteners.

The store’s model will be an environmentally friendly green business with the concept of “nothing on display, nothing to throw away." Instead of keeping shelves full of product, doughnuts will be ordered from a photo menu board. Customers will watch the doughnuts as they are being filled, frosted and boxed after placing their order. The store will also carry a line of natural juices from RAAW. There will also be green tea and the brand's own fair trade "Simple Coffee."

The store is in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village at 101 Seventh Ave. South. It opens May 4 and each doughnut will cost $3.85. Until then, cupcake ATM anyone?