A recent survey of 1,000 Americans showed that 91% of people either love or like donuts. Makes you wonder what is up with that other 4% that said they don’t like them. How can anyone not love the doughy goodness of a donut that is filled with toppings and fillings that make your mouth happy?
Glazed donuts are the favorite among those surveyed with Boston Cream and Chocolate Frosted rounding out the top 3 favorites.
An annual contest sponsored by the Underground Donut Tour digs a bit deeper to find America’s favorite donut shop. America’s Greatest Donut is an annual contest where donut lovers from all over the country submit their favorite donut shops.
This list features winners from the 2023 contest. The 2024 contest is now open and ready for submissions for the best donut in your town! But for now, take a look at the current winners and add these to your list of places to visit if you love donuts like we do.
1. Greatest Yeast Donut – Rise’n Roll
Rise’n Roll Bakery has many locations throughout Indiana. Their cinnamon caramel donut was voted greatest yeast donut in America. Traditional donuts use baking powder, while yeast donuts use only yeast to leaven the dough – making it feel a bit lighter. This donut also took top honors in the contest for the overall fan favorite!
Rise’n Roll’s cinnamon caramel donut is a top secret recipe, but delicious caramel and cinnamon sugar coating make it a fan favorite. Stay tuned, because this amazing donut shop also won in some other categories below.
2. Greatest Vegan Donut
The cereal milk crunch donut is a vegan creation that wins for the best vegan donut. The cereal milk glaze features oat milk and the crunch topping is a childhood favorite, cornflakes.
The Doughnut Project was located in the West Village in Manhattan, NY. Sadly a Facebook post shows it closed in February 2024 after 10 years in business.
3. Greatest Unique Toppings Donut
Crunch Delight from Rise’n Roll takes the top spot for the greatest unique toppings on a donut category. This unique donut features one amazing donut that is topped with caramel frosting and their famous toffee crunch candy.
4. Greatest Unique Flavors Donut
Rise’n Roll rises again with their Mocha Donut beating out the competition for the greatest unique flavor in a donut. Rich chocolate goodness with a touch of mocha are what breakfast dreams are made of.
5. Greatest Plain Glazed Donut
Most of us who love donuts, know and love Krispy Kreme. They are the chosen one for America’s best plain glazed donut. These warm, light and sweet doughnuts (and yes, this is an optional spelling) – are a fan favorite for a reason, they are amazing.
Krispy Kreme stores can be found in 41 states, so there is sure to be one near you. They were also voted the #1 favorite donut chain in America!
6. Greatest Old Fashioned Donut
Your everyday classic donut with a touch of sweet glaze. The Old Fashioned donut is one of America’s favorites and Rise’n Roll wins this category with their version of the fan favorite.
7. Greatest Mochi Donut
I had never heard of a mochi donut either if you are questioning this one like I did. But, clearly donut lovers find the Toasted Coconut donut from Bear Donut the best Mochi donut in America. Mochi donuts are made with a sweet rice flour which makes the texture a bit unique, but customers seem to love them!
Axi said on Facebook “NY’s finest mocci donuts!”
8. Greatest Maple Glazed Donut
Whomever decided bacon belongs on a donut has my vote. The bacon maple bar donut takes the cake for the greatest maple glazed donut. A traditional donut in a bar shape with a layer of maple icing and crispy bacon on top. Delicious!
Voodoo Doughnuts has locations in several states and features some creative and imaginative donut concepts. Their Cap’n Crunch donut, grape ape and Voodoo bubble each feature some uniqueness that will satisfy any sweet tooth.
Fun fact: Voodoo Doughnuts is ranked the #5 most favorite donut chain in the U.S.
9. Greatest Jelly Filled Donut
Rise’n Roll wins again in the jelly filled donut category with their lemon filled donut. They also call them Paczki at the bakery. Their delicious homemade donut filled with a sweet – yet tangy lemon filling then topped with powdered sugar is sure to be a hit.
10. Greatest Gluten Free Donut
Donut lovers will be happy to know that there are amazing gluten-free donut options available. Kane’s Donuts in Massachusetts is the winner for the best gluten free donut. Their chocolate glazed is a fan favorite with a rich-cake like donut and a honey glaze topping.
Don’t be afraid to try some other gluten-free flavors like Lemon Poppyseed or Blueberry Past!
11. Greatest Fruit Flavored Donut
D&D’s Place donut shop in Chicago is a local favorite. These donuts are said to truly melt in your mouth. This Blueberry Glazed donut features their traditional donut topped with a freshly made blueberry compote. This pairing makes it the winner in the greatest fruit flavored donut category.
12. Greatest Fruit Filled Donut
Stan’s Donuts in Illinois takes the winning spot for the greatest fruit filled donut. They won last year for their Blueberry Cream Cheese Pocket. A pocket of fresh blueberry compote with a cream cheese filling is a unique flavor combo that people loved.
Sadly it was discontinued even though customers were clearly disappointed. In an announcement on Instagram, one fan commented “Are you kidding me? This is an injustice lol”!
13. Greatest Fritter Donut
Imagine a giant donut – with no hole – that is light, airy and filled with fresh apples and cinnamon. The pecans can be left out, but real fritter lovers would not want to miss out on those crunchy bits of goodness. Another winner from D&D’s place in the the great city of Chicago for greatest fritter donut.
14. Greatest Croissant Donut
Part croissant + part donut= cronut. Donut Star Cafe took home the prize for their Glazed Cronut in the greatest croissant donut category. The light fluffy layers of a flaky pastry covered in a sweet glaze create a more elegant donut version.
This Utah based bakery features Maple Glazed and Chocolate Cronuts as well and customer reviews seem to imply these are a must have dessert.
15. Greatest Cream Filled Donut
Clearly Rise’n Roll makes one great donut, because they also take the prize for greatest cream filled donut. Their chocolate Bavarian (aka Boston cream) is filled with sweet cream goodness and topped with a layer of chocolate.
“Oh these are so good I tried your bakery for the first time a month ago, oh my goodness so delicious” was just one customer review on Facebook.
16. Greatest Cinnamon Sugar Donut
Rise’n Roll takes another spot in the contest for the best cinnamon sugar donut! Similar to their yeast donut, but without the yeast – and no caramel but all the cinnamon you can you need to fill that craving.
17. Greatest Chocolate Glazed Donut
Among the hustle and bustle of Chicago is a small unassuming donut shop called D&D’s Place. Their award winning donuts took the spot in this contest for the greatest chocolate glazed donut as well as a few other categories. With amazing Yelp reviews on a great selection of donuts, looks like a must stop donut shop!
18. Greatest Chocolate Donut
Donut King wins in the greatest chocolate donut category with their chocolate coconut creation. This Florida based donut shop currently has three locations and features a variety of donuts, both traditional and not so traditional.
Fruity Pebbles donuts anyone? Or how about a Butterfinger donut? They offer these unique creations and so much more!
19. Greatest Cake Donut
Rise’n Roll proves they are winners again with their Red Velvet donut. The traditional flavors of a red velvet cake all wrapped up in an adorable donut with the perfect drizzled icing to top it off.
We cannot wait to see who wins the 2024 competition!
Is Your Donut Shop The Best? Greatest Donuts Wants To Know
The Underground Donut Tour is back on the hunt for America’s Greatest Donuts and Donut Shops! It’s time to crown the crème de la crème of donuts and the Underground Donut Tour needs your help to make it happen.
For the third year running, the search is on for those mouthwatering treats that make our taste buds sing and our hearts skip a beat. If you’ve got a favorite donut or a go-to donut shop that you think deserves the spotlight, now’s your chance to shine a sugary light on them!
