Best Donut Shop by State – JD Flannel Donuts and Coffee San Juan Capistrano

The gourmet confections are dressed up in Valrhona chocolate, Maldon sea salt, real vanilla bean, and other premium ingredients.

Employees roll and cut small batches of dough by hand throughout the day, so customers get the freshest, warmest donuts possible.

Longtime friends and founders John Miller and Dave Rhode tested recipes in a backyard turkey fryer before launching their business in 2019.

Arrive early to snag a wildly popular Brown Butter Sea Salt donut that John says is the “perfect blend of a sweet, buttery glaze and a touch of savory.”

Gluten-free varieties (including vegan) are cooked in a separate fryer.

Don’t miss the That Brown Butter Sea Salt or the Triple Chocolate.

Their donuts are quite large and all gorgeous to look at.

Colorado Nok’s Donuts Lafayette

Everything is natural—even the sprinkles—at this Boulder-area shop. 

“We wanted to do something different: donuts and icings made fresh daily entirely from all-natural ingredients,” says Pornchanok “Nok” Liu, who owns the shop with spouse Michael Liu.

So these treats have no artificial flavoring, colors, sweeteners, or additives—they even make their own natural baking powder from scratch.

Choose from classic cake or “crispy on the outside and moist on the inside” mochi and vegan donuts, both gluten-free.

They “actually taste like [the] real flavor,” according to Yelp Elites, who rave about the fruit (blueberry, raspberry, and passion fruit, to name a few) and lemon-frosted donuts (“you can tell [they’re] made with real lemon juice”).

Watch Nok’s bakers handcraft their natural creations fresh each day in the open kitchen.

Best Donut Shop by State – Hawaii Island Glazed Aiea Oahu

Island-inspired donuts earn high ratings for this Pearl Harbor-area newcomer.

Married owners Daniel and Rachel Lee specialize in tropical glazes—including pineapple, passion fruit (aka lilikoi), guava, chocolate macadamia nut, and lychee.

They have so [many] flavors, it’s hard to choose.

The yeasty donuts are soft and moist with a cloud-like texture,” drawing comparisons to the popular Krispy Kreme chain.

Although they make 18,000 to 20,000 donuts per month, fans advise “going early because they sell out fast.

Massachusetts Ruby Donut Ayer

This strip-mall spot made it into Yelp’s Top 100 Donuts Shops 2022 list because of the “magic handling” that creates a wide range of classic donuts with a crunchy texture on the outside and soft inside.

Yelpers recommend the “cakey, not too sweet” Chocolate Glazed, the Twist, “plump beauties have a nice fluffiness and pull to them,” and the Raspberry Fritter that’s delicious.

New Jersey Uncle Dood’s Donuts Toms River

Uncle Dood’s is a fun shop near the Jersey Shore where donuts are named Bed Rockin’ (Flintstones-themed topped with Fruity Pebbles) and Vermont Swine (with maple icing and bacon bits).

But it’s the freshness and flavors that keep fans coming back. Donuts are made all day long and topped to order and they melt in your mouth.

Regulars recommend ordering the box of 9 because you get to try more flavors and it’s very reasonable.

Best Donut Shop by State – New York Peaceful Provisions Beacon

Call ahead before taking a trip for small-batch, scratch-made vegan donuts at this Dutchess County shop.

They’re only open a few days a week, and close when they sell out for the day.

Lucky customers score popular varieties like NY Cream, filled with vanilla pudding and topped with chocolate icing, or Strawberry Jam, oozing with locally made preserves.

(The menu changes weekly.) They all start with fermented wheat and barley dough, resulting in great texture and wonderful flavors, especially the vibrant fruit flavors.

Oregon Pip’s Original Doughnuts & Chai Portland

Pip’s bite-sized, made-to-order donuts have made multiple appearances on Yelp’s best donut shop lists. 

Inspired by the flavors of churros and Belgian waffles, the treats have a “strong caramel flavor [without being] overly sweet,” says Nate Snell, who founded the shop with his wife, Jamie.

Their highly curated, 6-item menu features mashups like candied bacon and maple or raw honey and sea salt, along with seasonal specials like Tropical Hibiscus.

There’s also an assortment of gourmet beverages, including 5 celebrity-named flavors of house-crafted chai.

Rhode Island Glaze’n Daze Donuts Johnston

Owner Kimlong Hang studied the techniques of expert donut makers before developing her own varieties, many of which combine classic recipes with gourmet toppings.

Crowd favorites include Strawberry Krunch, inspired by the Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake ice cream bar, and Maple Almond, topped with maple buttercream and chopped almonds.

Donuts are fresh, fluffy, and affordable.

Best Donut Shop by State – Virginia Carol Lee Donuts Blacksburg

Generations of customers (and former students) have fond memories of visiting this shop in a former gas station across from Virginia Tech, saying “the quality and charm has not changed a bit” since it opened in 1968.

Choose from flavors like “iconic” Blueberry, Strawberry Icing, and Double Chocolate, but don’t dally—“the later you come, the [fewer] options you’re gonna have.”

Washington Happy Donuts Puyallup

Rest assured, the reviews don’t lie about this highly rated donut shop with fast and friendly service, easy-on-the-wallet prices, and a selection of fried treats to please every donut aficionado.

Standouts include the raised glaze, donut holes, bear claws, apple fritters, and maple bars topped with real bacon. Insider tip: Set your alarm (the shop opens at 4 am)—and they sell out fast.