Donuts have been around since the 1600s and have seen the evolution of New York since its very beginning. From cops in their cars to the elevated cronut, donuts are an essential part of NYC food culture until (and perhaps especially) today. So with this in mind, we wanted to share our top picks for the best donuts in NYC. The each have a unique flair and charm, so go ahead and taste them all!
We rely on them when we’re happy or drowning in sorrow. We eat them for breakfast on the go, a late afternoon snacks on rainy days, or for the perfect end to a delicious meal. The donut is metamorphic, constantly changing in shape, size, and flavor. However, it always stays consistent in its capability to please us. Luckily, New York has no shortage of these amazing doughy delights.
The Doughnut Project, West Village
The Doughnut Project has introduced a whole new concept of what it means to combine sweet and savory. Their star product, a bone marrow chocolate pastry cream donut, is the perfect example. It’s a special that is only served on Saturdays. so mark your calendar. Beet-with-ricotta and everything donuts are also intriguing choices with guaranteed delicious flavors.
For those who prefer more traditional flavors, they also offer classics such as chocolate ganache and black forest creme brulee. Vegan options include coconut, maple, and even boozy donuts with vodka or prosecco infused into the mix!
Insider’s tip: Looking for even more vegan donuts and pastries? Check out our picks for the best vegan bakeries in NYC!
Doughnut Plant, Multiple Locations
Doughnut Plant has square donuts, sourdough donuts, glazed donuts, and donuts filled with Marcona almonds – and that’s just the start. With multiple locations spread across the city, this donut shop is known for its vegan and gluten-free options, which are just as delicious as the original ones. We recommend their peanut butter and blackberry jam options. Or maybe go for the sweeter tres leches and let the juicy Mexican mix melt in your mouth as you bite in.
The most popular option here is the square-shaped donut, packed with homemade jam and cream. Peanut-butter-and-banana is a favorite choice as well. Doughnut Plant’s cakey donuts are also a must. Their carrot-cake donut, filled with fluffy cream cheese, makes our shortlist of the best donuts in NYC. 
Doughnut Plant has been serving their artisanal donuts since 1994. Photo credit: Jessica and Lon Binder
Dun-Well Doughnuts, East Williamsburg
Dun-Well is an all-vegan donut shop. It opened over 10 years ago and is still a sensation among locals and tourists who visit Brooklyn. The flavors here are close to the classics but have a special house touch. You’ll find French toast donuts, caramel pecan, chocolate cherry walnut, and the classic black & white, a New York staple. Aside from their original location, you can also find them at Whole Foods and in many affiliate bakeries in Manhattan and Queens.
Daily Provisions, Multiple Locations
Daily Provisions started as a small pastry shop on Union Square. Today, it has spread across the city, serving breakfast sandwiches, coffee, donuts, and even ice cream. It is a favorite among locals, who know they’ll find impeccable service and intriguing flavors. However, the main spectacle here is their crullers, twisted ring-shaped donuts.
There are only three flavors on the menu: cinnamon, maple, and passionfruit coconut. Each one has a very unique flavor profile; try them all to make sure you’ve had the whole experience.
Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop, Greenpoint
Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop is a classic NYC donut spot. For over seven decades, it has been one of the city’s most famous and beloved donut shops, and it still makes it to the list of the best of the best. It still sports the same 1950s decor since the day it opened, and even the uniforms are the same. Not only will you enjoy delicious donuts here, you can do some time traveling as well.
Visiting this donut shop is like taking a gastronomic tour of the evolution of New York. Almost everything is still handmade, showing how attentive the staff is. Favorite flavors include red velvet, toasted coconut, and the simple and classic old-fashioned powdered sugar ones.
The Donut Pub, West Village
The Donut Pub is another classic venue in the donut world. Since 1964, this shop has been open 24/7, offering donuts for a dollar and change.
Here you can also find cronuts and creative alternatives such as Oreo donuts. But the tastiest options are their traditional offerings, like the honey dip or the toasted or untoasted coconut. We definitely recommend trying one of these classic treats for one of the best donuts in NYC.
Supermoon Bakehouse, Lower East Side
Supermoon Bakehouse is one of the most famous bakeries in the city today. It is modern art in the form of pastries. The provocative neon sign at the door is the first thing you will notice: “Bite Me, NYC.”
Yet, this spot is inviting enough that lines of foodies wait patiently to try one of the best donuts in NYC. The donut flavors change weekly, so there’s always something new to try. There are also cruffins, the merge between a croissant and a muffin which have revolutionized the gastronomic world, second only to the cronut.
Here you will find flavors like matcha and blueberry jam, Ferrero Rocher, lemon, and pistachio. The presentation is also unique, with thick layers of filling and artsy decor on top of the pastry.
Fan Fan Doughnuts, Clinton Hill
Fan Fan Doughnuts look like a love child of a long john and an eclair. Picture a pillow-like, elongated fluff, and you will begin to understand what we’re talking about. There are a bunch of different flavors to try at Fan Fan, which serves up some of the best donuts in NYC. Guava & Cheese is one of the most popular. Here, cream cheese takes over the core of the donut while a tangy guava glaze lays on top of it. Graham crackers are also part of the mix. It is an immaculate combination of sweet and savory.
Sullivan Street Bakery, Chelsea
Sullivan Street Bakery has brought the Italian bomboloni to New York. This is a light, airy and chewy pastry famous in the land of pizza and pasta. An Italian version of the donut, bomboloni is the perfect breakfast delicacy to have with an espresso. It doesn’t have a hole in the middle, but the fried dough is packed with tasty fillings and powdered with sugar.
There are three delicious filling options: vanilla custard, chocolate ganache, and tart raspberry jam. Since bomboloni are usually smaller than traditional donuts, you can order a couple and savor different flavors.
You know how to find the best donuts in NYC — now it’s time to put your skills to the test and spend a day eating like a local! Join us for our Greenwich Village food tour for a foodie adventure you won’t soon forget!
Camila has lived in New York for over six years. Writing about food, drinks, and travel, she has moved around the city gathering tales, flavors, and restaurant recommendations for her fellow explorers. A lover of bars and baos, Camila can introduce you to the most famous and best-kept secrets of New York!