There are a lot of places around the country that you could call “donut obsessed,” but here in the Northeast, we have verifiable evidence. According to a study by Rent.com, eight of the country’s top (i.e. most abundant) donut cities are in the Northeast. While we have unquestionable proof that we do, in fact, run on Dunkin’, we still love to support the little guys. Here are some of the best independent Northeast donut shops.
PVDonuts
Providence, R.I.
The line around the block may be a hint that PVDonuts is something special, but a taste will have you fully convinced. The menu changes every month, and always with fun and inventive flavors that are equal parts tasty and nostalgic, like their Wild Berry Pop Tart, Funfetti and Dunkaroos donuts. At Thanksgiving, PVDonuts makes a special Friendsgiving donut topped with cranberry glaze, stuffing and fried chicken.
Knead Doughnuts
Providence, R.I.
Knead gets top marks for their gourmet donuts. Their brown butter pecan and peanut butter and jelly-filled are among the best. Get your fix at locations throughout Providence.
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Oak Bluffs, Mass.
During the day it’s all business at this bakery on Martha’s Vineyard, but at night it’s a party in the back where people line up by the hundreds at the purple door for hot and fresh donuts. Don’t, under any circumstances, skip the big-as-your-face apple fritters. Open seasonally from April through October.
Blackbird Doughnuts
Boston, Mass.
Blackbird Doughnuts has grown to seven Massachusetts locations (including Fenway Park) for a reason. They’re really that good. In addition to the classics, they serve up creative flavors like Everything Bagel, a brioche donut filled with whipped cream cheese and topped with toasted garlic, onion, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Seasonal flavors include Summer Corn and Root Beer Float.
Cold Hollow Cider Mill
Waterbury Center, Vt.
Apple cider donuts are one of New England’s signature treats – and the ones that come from Cold Hollow Cider Mill are special. The secret? The fresh-pressed cider made on premises using a vintage 1920s machine. While you can get them hot out of the fryer all year round at the mill, you can also order them online and ship them straight to your house.
Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Peter Pan hasn’t changed much since it opened in the ’50s and like the true classic it is, it doesn’t have to rely on gimmicks or trendy flavors to stand out. Here it’s quality and freshness that earns the affection of regulars and newcomers alike. Order an egg cream or coffee with a red velvet, jelly or sour cream donut, pull up to the counter and enjoy the neighborhood atmosphere. Bet you can’t resist a fresh-from-the-fryer glazed for the road.
Cider Belly
Albany, N.Y.
Throw a rock in New York City and you can find a decent donut shop. The truly great ones, like what you’ll find at Cider Belly, are worth the extra effort to get to. This donut shop focuses on cider donuts but in interesting variations. Try the Sap Sucker with maple drizzle, the Venetian with cappuccino glaze or go all-in with a Double Down, a cider donut with cider glaze.
The Holy Donut
Portland, Maine
Maine potato donuts are a time-honored tradition, but nobody makes them like The Holy Donut, one of the earliest producers in the gourmet donut trend. Now, they make 2 million dense, moist donuts a year across their three locations around Portland, in flavors like original and dark chocolate potato, sweet potato and seasonal favorites like Maine blueberry. The savory bacon and cheddar-filled donut alone justifies the drive.
Neil’s Donuts and Bake Shop
Wallingford, Conn.
This old-fashioned bakery outside of New Haven serves up fresh bread, coffee cakes, muffins, coffee rolls, pastries, cookies and danish. Although, if you skip getting one of Neil’s 40 varieties of donuts, you’re missing out. Choose from cake donuts, glazed donuts and crullers in flavors like lemon chocolate, blueberry crumb and coconut cream. Or don’t choose and get them all. No judgement here!
Goody Good Donuts
Laconia, N.H.
Make sure you go to Goody Good with an empty stomach – if you choose wisely, you’ll end up with a treat that’s bigger than your hand that would get Homer Simpson’s stamp of approval, and Fred Flintstone’s too! This bakery serves nearly 30 flavors of donut, including the Bedrock, which is a honey donut rolled in Fruity Pebbles. Don’t sleep on the Arnold Palmer, either; the lemon and raspberry combo is a match made in a heavenly glazed shell.
Tell us about your favorite local donut shop in the comments.
This article has been updated and republished from a previous version.
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66 Thoughts on “Northeast Donut Shops Are a ‘Hole’ Lot of Delicious”
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Original Heavenly Donuts in Methuen, Massachusetts. Several more over the years in local area. Offered Baker’s Dozen. Many varieties, my favorite the cake plain. Nice cinnamon, nutmeg back taste. Dense enough to hold up to a good dunk in hot coffee in the morning.
I appreciate the comments with their suggestions. I, too, was disappointed with the few donut shops featured in this AAA piece. The Doughnut Plant in Brooklyn and Manhattan, NYC should be on the list. They are a must go-to when I go to Brooklyn. I have had the Cider Belly donuts in Albany, NY – and they are very good!
If you visit the Outer Cape, The Hole In One in Eastham, MA is a must!
MassHole in Somerville, MA wasn’t mentioned?!!?? TRY THEM
Basic Batch Donuts, Milford, MA sooooo amazing! They even made a donut cake for me on request, basically a huge donut, just what I wanted.
Union Square Donuts and Mass Hole Donuts (donut holes only, but really good), both in Somerville, MA
If you have never been to Waterbury, it’s time to take a trip to Brooklyn baking company. The best donuts anywhere. their jelly in their jelly donuts is not overly sweet or tart. It’s the perfect marriage and i hate jelly donuts anywhere else but I love them here. And it’s hard to find a donut shop in the area that carries Bavarian cream each and every day. They also have a revolving assortment of specialty donuts that they change to keep it interesting. their other pastries are good too. You NEED to try there if you haven’t.
Are you familiar with DUCK DONUTS from the outer banks? It will be arriving in Massachusetts soon. Those are my favorite. Warm Delicious and Made to Order. WOW
You missed the Fractured Prune in Maryland ,out of this world ,30 diffraction toppings and 20+ Doughnuts
Ziggy and Son in Salem MA and Peabody MA best donuts around. Great Whoopie Pies on Wednesday and lots of pastry and other goodies too.
glad to see one of my favorite donut shops mentioned here.
RI Guys Donuts, Kingston, Rhode Island — sooooooo good!
Ruby Donut Shop in Ayer MA has a phenomenal and unique variety of very generous and delightfully delicious donuts and a friendly staff
Absolutely the Best
Mrs. Murphy’s in Southwick, MA. You will never enjoy a better donut.
Agreed!
Eighty 8 Donuts in Portland, ME is my favorite. Gourmet and perfect size. Two bites! Check them out if you have not!
The Doughnut Project on Morton St in Greenwich Village, NYC is amazing. Their doughnuts are inspired by meals they’ve had and cocktails. They sometimes have collaborations with restaurants/shops/alcohol brands. Every weekend brings to new special doughnuts. Check them out on Instagram, incredible!!!
Congdon’s donuts in Wells is the absolute best. Oh, and try their bakery or breakfast as well. No sure how they didn’t make the list!
They bring out samples when the line outside gets long… Worth the wait!
Kane’s donuts – Boston MA
Donut Dip – Springfield MA
Congden Donuts – Wells ME
You should explore a bit more before you make your list – More research required!
Lane’s rocks Donna’s in Tewksbury also very good
Donut Dip for SURE! Freshly baked donuts, endless toppings and fillings; along with late hours! Now, only open in West Springfield, MA.
Donut Dip, by far. Riverdale Rd. West Springfield, MA
Kane’s. Made in Saugus MA. Worth walking in when they open at 3:30 am. True donut fans know what I am talking about.
Agreed. My district manager used to bring Kane donuts when she visited. So good!
those are all great!
Jacqueline: You make an excellent point: so many of these surveys ignore western MA. It’s a good thing I don’t go by West Springfield often as I can’t resist their sugared raised crullers…amazing!!
Dottie’s Donuts, Woodbury, CT for cinnamon sugar and The Bakery, Southbury, CT for kettle doughnuts
Bill L is 100% correct. How neither of those made the list is a travesty of donut justice. Also missing is Donut Dip in Springfield, any Kanes shop, Congdons in Wells Maine and Captain Baker Donut Shop in West Dennis. AAA writers…do better.
My favorite donut shop is Allie’s in North Kingston, RI. The best donuts around but unfortunately too far for me to drive all the time. My second best and a lot closer is the Market Basket store in South Attleboro, MA. The donuts are inexpensive and very large, not for the diet conscious. But the best of all is I can trust that all the ingredients are real, not the artificial stuff the chains and many donut shops use because they are cheaper. I know the people there and the company insists on real ingredients and fillings.
I haven’t been to Allie’s in a very long time but my favorite was their fig squares which were large enough to be a meal.
With our two dogs in line we waited like everyone else for the door to open. The dogs had been here before so knew the routine, QUIET. The smell alone is gorgeous and the donuts glorious. The dogs, Honey and Jasmine were waited on as any other customer, and when we all got our picks, around the corner to benches we went and loved it all
Kane’s Donuts – Saugus, Ma. has the BEST donuts and coffee rolls around !!
Dottie’s in Woodbury CT has had the No 1 Cinnamon Sugar donut on every national mist for years. Hand made with a slight crunch they are pure donuts without all the flare. No pineapple pizza here!
Dotties also has the best bread pudding, made from yesterday’s unsold donuts!
The best donuts I’ve ever had are from a little place in Norwich, CT called Dixie Donuts. No gimmicks, no crazy flavors, just amazingly fresh and delicious handmade donuts. They’re only open until 12:30 pm though 🙁
Blazing Fresh Donuts has won “Best on the CT Shoreline” during both its 2 years of operation! Made-to-order donuts can’t be beat!!!
Montclair Bread n NJ has amazing donuts.
“Baked in Brooklyn” rules the Sunset Park neighborhood. Their cinnamon rolls weigh in at 16 oz (one pound), and I think they provide an entire weekend’s caloric requirement.
(The fact that I know so many good donut joints may indicate a problem…)
Everybody’s favorite shop is going to be someplace within “donut distance”, so no surprise that “other” is the runaway winner.
For NYC, it’s Doughnut Project in the West Village. (At least, for those of use within donut distance of the West Village … you’d need a couple of weeks here to visit all the contenders!)
Hands down – if you like fresh cream donuts, that is, which can be very hard to find especially at a reasonable price – Leddy’s in Fall River, Ma.
Congdons Donuts in Wells Maine~ the best!
Definitely! Congdons rocks!
Congdons donuts & Restaurant rte 1,in Wells Maine are awesome! Fresh baked every morning from scratch at 4:30 am. Everyone loves the place and family owned for years! ????????❤️
Best in the area great taste and large. Apple fritters big as your head. Many varieties my favorite maple glazed when available.
Neil’s Donuts is amazingly delicious! Good coffee, huge coffee rolls, great poppy seed danish, and the donuts are just wow! Chocolate frosted, Boston creme, maple frosted, apple cinnamon filled are wonderful, and their kruellers are the best.
another great place to buy donuts is “Jumbo Donuts” in Uxbridge,MASS.
Brooklyn Bakery in Waterbury CT, the have the finest glazes donuts in the land!
Where can you get an old fashioned cake donut that’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside just like the ones from my childhood.
Dotties, Woodbury Ct
Just what your looking for in a cake donut.
Coffee ‘An in Westport, CT or Speedy Donuts in Norwalk, CT
Beignets in Denville NJ makes fresh dough daily and serves hot, made-to-order donuts and beignets. There are many options – maple bacon, s’mores, caramel bacon & more! Or, make your own – they’re all fantastic!
This is great to hear! I’m in Jersey a lot and it is not a big deal to go to denville from my daughter’s house. Sounds like the kind of place my grandkids and I would love!
We love Allie’s Donuts in North Kingstown, Rhode Island!
We do too! We always get our birthday donut cakes from Allie’s. 😉 Delicious!
Neil’s is awesome.
Seriously????!!!! How could you not include Kane’s Donuts in Saugus?
I wondered the same!
Not legitimate without Kane’s Donuts in Saugus MA
Any Good Donut Shops On Long Island
Doughology is a great little spot. They have locations in Lynbrook and Babylon, and one in New Jersey. You have to try the rainbow cookie doughnut!
The “Hole in One” doughnut shop is a must in Eastham,Mass.They also have a shop in Orleans,Mass.A great variety of specialty doughnuts,and cake-like doughnuts .Family owned operated,and baking in the wee hours of the morning. Just Fabulous!
Nothing beats a freshly-made doughnut! Thank you 🙂
The cider donuts from Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury VT are very good, but I like the ones from the Red Apple Farm in Phillipston MA even more. They have more apple cider taste.
Thanks for the suggestion!
The Apple fritters at the Back Door are ecstasy. They are a thing unto itself. Not like a donut or anything else. When I can’t get them I fantasize about them