1. Home
  2. /
  3. Sweets
  4. /
  5. Donuts
  6. /
  7. The Best Donuts in...

The Best Donuts in America

THESE ARE THE MOST A-DOUGH-ABLE DONUTS FROM THE USA’S BEST DOUGHNUT SHOPS

Doughnut Plant 1
Doughnut Plant

Mmm…donuts. Just like Homer Simpson, we can’t resist this classic ringed dough dunked in pink icing and showered with colorful sprinkles. We also don’t see ourselves resisting any kind of sweet bread really. Whether for breakfast, dessert, or dinner, we donut know what we would do without the best doughnuts in America.

Doughnuts are beautiful rings of sweetened dough that are baked or fried. They are typically topped with irresistible icing, glaze, chocolate, or sugar. These beloved treats are so delightful there are two days devoted to them. National Donut Day is on the first Friday of every June and National Doughnut Day is on November 5. Either way you spell it, they are delicious.

Whether you like your doughnuts plain, dunked in hot coffee, or as an over-the-top dessert, we got you covered and smothered in sugar, spice, and everything nice.

What is the Best Donut Shop in America?

It depends on who you ask. The #1 donut shop in the USA is subjective. 

According to Yelp, it’s Rocklin Donuts & Cinnamon in California. 

Some might also say their go-to is Krispy Kreme, which sells up to 1.6 billion a year, or they run on Dunkin’ Donuts, which sells 2.9 billion, but we prefer the mom-and-pop shops.

According to us, it depends on the day. It could be a freshly fried yeast doughnut filled with jelly one day, a classic old-fashioned glazed cake doughnut the next day, and a toothsome Boston cream doughnut the other days.

There are 10 billion doughnuts made annually in America, so chances are there’s at least a dozen doughnut shops that you can call your favorite too.

What Are the Best Donuts in the U.S.?

The best donuts in the USA are the ones made hot and fresh and delivered straight to your door. Plus, getting perfectly packaged doughnuts on your doorstep means there’s zero chance singer Ariana Grande has licked them (yeah, that really happened at a California donut shop back in 2015).

Stan's Donuts

Stan’s Donuts: Chicago, IL

Founded in Los Angeles in 1963 by Stan Berman, these famous doughnuts are now made in Chicago by restaurateur Rich Labriola. Order a dozen Stan’s Donuts in flavors like Double Chocolate Old Fashioned, Red Velvet, and the signature Lemon Pistachio.

Dough Doughnuts

Dough Doughnuts: New York, NY

Brooklyn’s small-batch doughnut shop makes some mighty fine doughnuts. These brioche doughnuts are fluffy, fried, and HUGE. Donut worry about which flavors to pick. Try all of Dough Doughnuts‘ fun flavors like Blueberry Lemon with Oat Crumble, Dulce de Leche with Almond Streusel, and Vanilla Glazed with Vanilla Crumbs.

Doughnut Plant

Doughnut Plant: New York, NY

There’s a hole lot of reasons to love Doughnut Plant‘s hand-crafted doughnuts. The New York City doughnut shop transforms rounds of sweet cake dough into kosher doughnuts you won’t soon forget. Try a sample of their phenomenal flavors like Brooklyn Blackout, Carrot Cake, Tres Leches, and Wild Blueberry.

Kane's Donuts

Kane’s Donuts: Saugus, MA

Each of legendary Kane’s Donuts is cut by hand, kettle cooked, and made with local ingredients. We dare you to try to eat just one of their Honey-Dip brioche donuts drenched in honey glaze or their classic Boston Cream. Plus, Kane’s Donuts has special diets covered too with gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free doughnuts.

Primo's Donuts Cake Donuts Sampler

Primo’s Donuts: Los Angeles

Since 1956, Primo Donuts has been delighting doughnut lovers in Los Angeles. Their a-glazing doughnut flavors include Cherry Glazed Cake, Chocolate Glazed Cake Sprinkles, Cinnamon Sugar Cake, Orange Glazed Cake, and Vanilla Glazed Cake Sprinkles.

Firecakes Donuts

Firecakes Donuts: Chicago, IL

We can’t help but get all fired up for Chicago’s Firecakes Donuts. Their recipe for old-school fried doughnuts dates back to the 1930s when Billy Hobbs would fry his “firecakes” in a large cast-iron pot over an open fire. Get glazy like us for their Orange Poppyseed, Sicilian Pistachio, Valrhona Chocolate, and Wildflower Honey Glazed Old Fashioned Donuts.

Grindstone Donuts

Grindstone Donuts: Sag Harbor, NY

The seaside community of Sag Harbor, New York, is home to some of the world’s best doughnuts. Each day, Grindstone Donuts fries up its famous buttery, golden-crusted brioche donuts in small batches. Each is topped with homemade glazes like strawberry and lemon poppy glaze.

Federal Donuts

Federal Donuts: Philadelphia, PA

James Beard Award-winning restaurateurs Steven Cook and Mike Solomonov opened Federal Donuts in Philadelphia in 2011, and the city hasn’t been the same since. Doughnut lovers line up daily for the duo’s Classic Donuts, Hot Sugar Coated Donuts, and Fancy Donuts hand dipped in glaze.

Mochi Mochi Donut

Mochi Mochi Donut: Brooklyn, NY

We love Mochi Mochi Donut so very mochi. These Korean-style donuts are fluffy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and bursting with flavor. Kyung Rim Choi’s Mochi Mochi Donut in New York City fries up the cutest and most colorful doughnuts. Their East-meets-West flavors include Black Sesame, Cereal, Churro, Matcha Green Tea, Milk Tea, Passionfruit, and Ube Sweet Potato.

If you’re a doughnut lover, there’s no shortage of other varieties of doughnuts out there to discover. Some are international styles, some are beloved regional gems, and others simply tweak the standard doughnut recipe. These include:

  • Beignets: French-style doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar
  • Bomboloni: Sugar-dusted Italian doughnuts
  • Cronut: half-croissant, half-doughnut created by Dominique Ansel
  • Crullers: Deep fried European round or stick pastry that is twisted or braided
  • Drop donuts: resembling donut holes, timbits, or balls, these are balls of dough dropped into the frier that produce mini donuts.
  • Filled donuts: Round, deep fried donuts filled with chocolate, cream, custard, or jelly
  • Fritter: Deep fried dough that is often glazed and includes fruit like apple.
  • Kolaches: Czech sweet bread filled with fruit, cheese, meat, or cream cheese
  • Malasada: Fried yeast Portuguese donut
  • Paczki: (pronounced “poonch-key”) Polish doughnuts filled with custard or jelly
  • Ring Donuts: Yeasted dough or brioche with a whole in the middle

Don’t be jelly. Order the Best Donuts in the USA shipping nationwide on Goldbelly!