National Donut Day is Friday, June 5th, the perfect day to overindulge on all those special offers and freebies and not have to worry about a totally worth-it baked goods hangover the next morning.
Admittedly, you can swipe yourself a free donut at many chain stores – Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ Donuts always hand out free donuts on this day – but we encourage you to take your donut game to new heights.
We’ve scoped out the ten best donut joints in the U.S. to patronize this Friday. Support a local business, find a new funky flavor you can tell your buds about, and yes, possibly get a free donut.
1. Dough (Brooklyn, NY)
Inspired by European and Latin American desserts, pastry chef Fany Gerson brings together organic ingredients sourced from around the globe for exotic donuts. We have our eye on the Tropical Chili, a tropical blend of mango, papaya, guava, and pineapple with a hint of chili powder. // www.doughbrooklyn.com
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Are any of you guys going to @baconfestchi this Saturday? We pretty much have been waiting all year for this 🐷 📷: @s3anc A photo posted by Glazed & Infused Doughnuts (@goglazed) on
2. Glazed & Infused (Chicago, IL)
Voted Best Doughnut in 2014 by Chicago Mag and Chicago Reader, Glazed & Infused is a required stop in Chi Town. Local star chef Graham Elliot is a fan of the Maple Bacon Long John, a raised donut covered in maple glaze and topped with a long strip of candied bacon. // www.goglazed.com
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3. Fōnuts (Los Angeles, CA)
We love a good fried donut, but after tasting the baked doughnuts at fōnuts, we consider ourselves changed men. Fōnuts adds a health factor to these normally trans fat-ridden treats without sacrificing flavor. Fōnuts also caters to those with dietary restrictions, with flavors like Chocolate Hazelnut (gluten-free) and Coconut Passion Fruit (gluten-free and vegan). // www.fonuts.com
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It’s Administrative Professionals’ Day and we’ve got you covered! A photo posted by @toppotdoughnuts on
4. Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts & Coffee (Seattle, WA)
If you happen to find yourself in the Pacific Northwest, Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts & Coffee makes some of the best donuts you can get. Top Pot offers more than forty types of donuts, from the classics to the shop’s famous Feather Boa (a cake donut topped with pink icing and coconut shavings). Located beneath the Monorail, Top Pot draws on a secret 1920s donut recipe and prides itself on maintaining a nostalgic space where guests can sit down and enjoy the seriously delicious sweets. // www.toppotdoughnuts.com
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5. Café du Monde (New Orleans, LA)
We couldn’t do an article on donuts without mentioning Café du Monde, one of the oldest establishments in the New Orleans French Quarter. Churning out addictive beignets since 1862, this place almost never closes (it’s open 24 hours a day and only shuts its doors on Christmas). // www.cafedumonde.com
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6. Voodoo Doughnut (Portland, OR)
With a namesake doughnut that’s shaped like a voodoo doll with a pretzel stick jabbing its chest, Voodoo Doughnuts is a cult favorite that specializes in wacky flavors and toppings. We’re talking a yeast donut topped with grape frosting and lavender sprinkles (Grape Ape) or a donut rolled into the shape of a blunt and dipped in maple frosting and red sprinkle “embers” (Maple Blazer Blunt). // www.voodoodoughnut.com
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Grapefruit Brûlée donuts are happening at all FedNuts locations #getfancy A photo posted by Federal Donuts (@federaldonuts) on
7. Federal Doughnuts (Philadelphia, PA)
Donuts + double-fried chicken = best business model ever. Down at Federal Donuts in Philly, every order of chicken comes with a donut done your way: glazed, seasoned, or just plain ‘ol naked if that’s what floats your boat. // www.federaldonuts.com
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8. Dynamo Donut & Coffee (San Francisco, CA)
Dynamo Donut & Coffee founder Sara Spearin puts seasonal, local, and organic ingredients at the top of her priorities list; as such, Dynamo Donut’s menu is always changing to reflect what’s fresh. A veteran of top San Francisco restaurants like Liberty Café and Postrio, Spearin’s doughnuts are nuanced, fluffy, and light. Try the Chocolate with Raspberry Black Pepper Glaze, a wheat-free doughnut with raspberry balsamic and black pepper glaze. // www.dynamodonut.com
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Because donuts. #SXSW #austin #austintx #foodie #foodporn #foodcoma #donuts #donutsarebae A photo posted by Gourdough’s (@gourdoughspublichouse) on
9. Gourdough’s (Austin, TX)
We think the donut is a swell creation on its own, but at Gordough’s, the donut is merely the base for the popular chain’s culinary wizardry. All donuts are fried-to-order and come covered with just about anything you can imagine. The Country Clucker, topped with fried chicken and a potato pancake, and Funky Monkey, covered in cream cheese icing, fresh grilled bananas, and brown sugar, just made us have a foodgasm. If donuts covered in delicious stuff don’t whet your appetite, you can try one of the donut sandwiches, which – you guessed it – uses those sweet, sweet donuts in place of bread. // www.gordoughs.com
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10. Doughnut Plant (Multiple locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn)
Before the cronut there was the crème brulee donut, the first of its kind invented by donut mastermind Mark Israel, who comes from three generations of bakers. And while it’s hard not to see a donut covered in a creative glaze and topped with pieces of fruit or rose petals these days, Mark Israel’s Doughnut Plant was the first donut shop to do so. Despite being over twenty years old, Doughnut Plant still innovates daily with flavors like Cashew & Orange Blossom Doughseed (a round filled doughnut). // www.doughnutplant.com
