How The Doughnut Bacon Cheeseburger Got Its Name From An R&B Legend

A doughnut bacon cheeseburger is just about as decadent as it sounds. It's a hamburger covered in American cheese and bacon, and then placed between two halves of a glazed doughnut, creating a sweet and savory treat sure to leave a lasting memory. You'll find variations of this burger on menus throughout America; some with two whole doughnuts in place of the hamburger buns and some with additions like lettuce and tomato. The traditional recipe uses lightly griddled or toasted Krispy Kreme doughnuts which bring the unique flavor to the doughnut bacon cheeseburger — also known as the Luther Burger.

Just like R&B legend Luther Vandross for which it is named, the Luther Burger (sometimes called the Luther Vandross Burger) is a trendsetter. It transcends culinary divides with its combination of breakfast and dinner foods, and checks off boxes in several cuisines. It's enough to catch the attention of hamburger lovers and doughnut lovers alike. And while there are quite a few variations to try, each is marked with the iconic combination of glazed doughnut, bacon, and cheese. The Luther Burger could pack nearly 1,500 calories and almost 90 grams of fat per serving depending on how many burgers and bacon slices are sandwiched inside the doughnut. But while the Luther Burger certainly bears the name of the iconic R&B singer, there is still some mystery surrounding its origin.

It's commonly thought that the Luther Burger was invented by Luther Vandross who wrote multiple Grammy-winning hit songs during the height of his career in the '80s and '90s. As the story goes, Vandross was allegedly short on hamburger buns one day and used a doughnut instead. Out of that moment of creativity came a burger as legendary as the singer himself. The tale has been so well accepted that the burger took on the Vandross name without question. But it's unclear as to whether Vandross invented the Luther Burger, or if he was just a huge fan. With the origin of the doughnut bacon cheeseburger up in the air, there's another star claiming credit for its invention.

Southern culinary royalty, Paula Deen, has also staked bragging rights for inventing the doughnut bacon cheeseburger. She told the story on air with Jay Leno in 2013, claiming she impulsively swapped hamburger buns for a glazed doughnut in a 2008 episode of her hit TV show "Paula's Home Cooking." The result was the Lady's Brunch Burger, a hamburger patty topped with a fried egg and crispy bacon, cradled between two glazed doughnuts. But Deen's sons debunked the claim just months after it was made, pointing out that the burger was actually a twist on a Minor League baseball recipe, which had resulted from a food challenge within the league and was sold to the public in 2006.

While the inventor of the Luther Burger is up for debate, the combination of salty, sweet, and savory flavors is undeniably perfect. Maybe smash burgers are just really thin beef patties, but they shine at the center of this sandwich. You can double up your smash burgers for extra juicy meat if you're making a Luther Burger at home. Bacon slices lend salty, umami flavor and a couple of slices of American Cheese add a creamy, satisfying element. The glazed doughnuts add sugar and fried bread to the mix, creating an absolutely mouthwatering burger.

The fat, salt, and sugar combination in the Luther Burger is what keeps enthusiasts coming back for more. Of course, bacon tastes good on everything because of its own combination of these elements, but adding it to the sweet, fried doughnut lights up your taste buds and triggers the release of dopamine in the body — so you could feel a little happier with every bite. Beef offers some filling protein to balance out the rest of the flavors, creating a legendary Luther Burger experience you'll never forget.