Welcome to Donut Week! We’re counting down to National Donut Day with DIY ideas, recipes and an annual donut giveaway later this week, but first—let’s cover the basics. Consider this a primer on donuts and a guide to some of Los Angeles’s best spots. After sampling treats from a dozen LA donut shops, we picked standout flavors to try at each location and put together a handy map to plan your own donut tour. So: Donut 101 meets LA’s top donuts. Ready?
Donuts have a long, often debated history. There are several great write-ups on their origins if you want a deeper dive, but here we’ll jump to today’s variety: dozens—and dozens—of donut styles. We compiled a glossary of the types we found, covering differences in shape, dough, glaze, frosting and toppings. First up: the classic debate.
Raised vs. cake. Raised donuts use a yeast-leavened dough, producing lighter, airier pastries that typically form the basis for glazed rings, jelly-filled donuts, long johns and apple fritters. Cake donuts are made from a batter leavened with baking powder or baking soda; they’re denser, crumblier, and include favorites like old-fashioned, buttermilk and blueberry cake donuts. Both types are fried.
So, are you Team Cake or Team Raised?
I’m team cake—especially a glazed devil’s food cake donut. I love the dense, crumbly texture. That said, I’ll happily eat any donut you set in front of me.
In recent years the donut scene has exploded with “fancy” creations: cereal-topped, red velvet, peanut butter-filled, baked options, and hybrids like the wonut (waffle-donut) and cronuts (croissant donut). They sit alongside the timeless classics.
Los Angeles is full of independent, family-owned donut shops—every few blocks there’s another hidden gem—and we love that. We visited 12 LA shops to sample their offerings, asked about their best-sellers, and added our favorites. If you’re visiting LA or live here, this is our guide to where to get your donut fix.
Primo’s Donuts
Best Sellers: Buttermilk and Glazed Twist
Our Fave: The buttermilk donut impressed everyone—definitely a standout.
DK’s Donuts
Best Sellers: Ube Donuts and Wow-nut (Waffle Donut)
Our Fave: The ube donut, made from purple yam, was exceptional. The blueberry cake is also a solid pick.
Stan’s Donuts
Best Sellers: Peanut Butter Donuts and Jelly Donuts
Our Fave: The peanut butter donut was a team favorite—rich and satisfying. Donut holes are always a hit here, too.
Randy’s Donuts
Best Sellers: Apple Fritter and Crumb Cake
Our Fave: The apple fritter is a classic favorite—perfect for a quick airport run treat.
Bob’s Donuts
Best Sellers: Glazed and Beignets
Our Fave: Bob’s sells a glazed devil’s food cake donut that might be my favorite in the city.
Fonuts
Best Sellers: Strawberry Buttermilk and Blueberry Earl Grey
Our Fave: Fonuts are baked, not fried, and offer vegan and gluten-free options. The strawberry buttermilk and gluten-free chocolate with sprinkles are both delightful—rich yet surprisingly light.
SK’s Donuts
Best Sellers: Croissant Donut and Red Velvet
Our Fave: The red velvet donut is hard to beat. Their croissant donuts come in many flavors; the plain croissant is a favorite for a flaky treat.
Kettleglazed
Best Sellers: Croissant Donut and Boston Creme
Our Fave: The s’mores donut is fantastic, and the shop itself is one of the prettiest stops on the list.
California Donuts
Best Sellers: Strawberry-frosted Simpson’s DOH-nut and Maple Bacon
Our Fave: Samantha adores their croissant donut, while I’m a fan of the peanut butter cup donut. Their playful seasonal specialties, like a Girl Scout cookie-inspired donut, are worth seeking out.
Spudnuts
Spudnuts use potato flour, creating a unique texture. Try a raised Spudnut to taste the difference from a traditional donut.
Café Dulcé
Best Sellers: Green Tea Donut and Donut Holes
Our Fave: The Fruity Pebbles donut holes were impressively light. Note: Café Dulcé usually starts putting donuts out around 10am and may not have full selections until noon.
Donut Friend
Best Sellers: DIY Donuts
Our Fave: Donut Friend lets you build your own donut—choose base, filling, glaze and topping. It’s a fun, customizable experience, though their pre-made options are great too.
We included a printable map to plan a tasting route—download and take it with you for an easy donut crawl.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
There you have it: a guide to one of the best breakfast—or dessert—foods on the planet. What’s your favorite donut?
Follow along on Instagram and share your donut adventures this week with the hashtag #donutsdeserveaweek!