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Held on the first Friday of June every year, National Doughnut Day was started by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the men and women who served doughnuts to the soldiers during World War I. In keeping with the tradition, several NYC doughnut chains give out free doughnuts. However, we’re much more interested in the small, independent donut shops serving mini donuts, giant donuts, and donuts with unique flavors. After extensive taste testing, we’ve compiled a list of NYC’s 14 best indie donut shops, from Chelsea Market to Bed-Stuy.
You can find the Doughnuttery‘s mini donuts at two locations. Madison Square Eats serves them up, but we went right to the source: the Doughnuttery in Chelsea Market. These uniquely sugared, mouth-watering morsels more then hold their own in a sea of baked goods at Chelsea Market. In addition to a variety of sugar toppings, they also offer doughnut dipping sauces like Beer Caramel and Dulce de Leche.
Underwest Donuts, a boutique donut shop opened in December 2014 inside the 24-hour West Side Highway Car Wash. To pay for their car wash, drivers have to first walk a long hallway. On one side they can see their car getting washed through, first up on the other side is the counter for Underwest Donuts. Owner Scott Levine comes from a background in fine dining, and the decadent donuts land somewhere between pastry and cake–prepare to recalibrate your entire conception of donuts.
The Doughnut Plant boasts no trans fats, eggs, preservatives or artificial flavorings. They have three different kinds of doughnuts to choose from: yeast doughnuts, cake doughnuts or filled doughnuts. Currently, they have four locations: Hotel Chelsea at 220 West 23rd Street; the Lower East Side at 379 Grand Street, between Essex and Norfolk; 245 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn; and the Falchi Building, 31-00 47th Avenue in Long Island City. In honor of National Doughnut Day, you can get a free mini Carnival Sprinkle Cake donut with any order while supplies last.
The Donut Pub is a real old-fashioned doughnut shop with an interior neon sign, marble counters and twirling stools. They opened their doors in 1964 at 203 West 14th Street, just West of Seventh Avenue, where you are greeted by a wall of donuts when you step inside.
A beloved neighborhood spot in Greenpoint, Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop sells some of the best old fashioned donuts in the city. Around for decades, the shop feels like a true vintage lunch counter. Patrons crowd around the counter on stools eating classic cake donuts, glazed donuts, or egg and cheese sandwiches. Waitresses even wear 1950s style green and pink uniforms. And unlike many other donut and pastry shops, Peter Pan’s donuts are cheap, averaging $1.
Dough is a big hit in Bed-Stuy and with a second location in Union Square. Elevating the art of the donut, Dough is known for their creative flavors, like the café au lait, chocolate and earl grey, and hibiscus (pictured above). Don’t be surprised to see the irresistible donuts by Dough all over Brooklyn—they’re sold at cafés including Toby’s Estate in Williamsburg, Spina in Greenpoint, and AP Café in Bushwick.
Located at 222 Montrose Avenue by the Montrose L stop, Dunwell Doughuts was a welcome addition to the vegan community, with their mission being to be the premiere vegan doughnut shop on planet Earth (their words – not ours). They bake twice a day and have over 200 flavors and you can even top-off your Dun-well Doughnut with ice cream.
Now, after five years in East Williamsburg, Dun-Well has opened a second shop in Manhattan located at 102 St. Mark’s Place between First Street and Avenue A, adding Brooklyn egg creams and expresso drinks to their vegan menu. They join a street full of popular shops, with The Dumpling Man two doors down, East Village Books and Cafe Magador across the street.
Mike and his wife have been making donuts since 1976. Now in its 30th year, Mike’s Donuts is run by their son, Gus, their son-in-law, John and grandson, Konstantine. Mike’s, located at 6822 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn has over 35 different donuts to choose from, baked on the premises twice a day.
The Doughnut Project at 10 Morton Street in the West Village began as a way to go beyond sprinkles and cream cheese frosting. In small batches they created The Maple Bacon bar, pineapple with habanero stripes, beet stuffed with ricotta and many more tasty treats.
Moe’s Dough opened its doors right down the block from the well-known Peter Pan Doughnut, where Moe’s owner, Mohamed Saleh, worked for many years. Be sure to try original creations like the Rainbow Cake doughnut, and the Samoa-cookie doughnut. Moe’s Doughs is located at 126 Nassau Avenue, between Eckford Street and McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint.
Located in Astoria, Queens Comfort has a spectacular array of donuts created for them by the Donut Diva. For over four years, this shop has been specializing in homemade cake donuts, hand-mixed, hand-rolled, hand-cut, “made fresh, with love.” Check them out at 3618 30th Avenue in Astoria.
The name Mah-Ze-Dahr comes from the Urdu word meaning ‘the essence,’ and the essence of this unique bakery is Umber Ahmad, who worked as an investment banker specializing in the global expansion of food brands. Encouraged by a client who sampled her treats, she began baking in a commercial kitchen.
The Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery has been an online delicacy until now, with a shop opening at 28 Greenwich Avenue, between Charles and 10th Streets in the West Village.
Next, check out the Top 10 Hidden Bars in NYC (2015 Edition).
Additional donut tasting and reporting by Managing Editor Laura Itzkowitz.
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