National Donut Day lands on Friday, June 2, 2023, and I suggest this baker’s dozen (see what I did there!) of great donuts to try in Columbus.
Pssst… looking for every donut shop in Columbus? Search the Complete Guide to Columbus Donut Shops!
1. DK Diner: Sour Cream Old Fashioned
DK consistently ranks as some of the city’s best donuts, and their sour cream old fashioned – wonderfully moist and cakey while being generously glazed – stands out on their menu.
Read more: What’s Better at DK Diner: The Breakfast or the Donuts?
2. Buckeye Donuts: Blueberry Cake
There are a lot of winners on Buckeye Donuts’ menu: the maple bacon longjohn, the signature buckeye donut – and you can’t beat a warm glazed yeast donut fresh out of the fryer. But one of their best sellers, and one of their most consistently executed, is the lovely blueberry cake.
Read more: The Best Way to Celebrate the Buckeyes is with Buckeye Donuts
3. Rose Dough Donuts: French Cruller
Rose Dough Donuts sprung on the scene earlier this year, crafting a variety of cake and yeast donuts and selling them from 1400 Food Lab. Not many donut shops attempt the French cruller, but the Rose Dough team nails it every time.
Read more: Rose Dough Donuts
4. Resch’s Bakery: Bow Ties
At 110-years-old, Resch’s certainly knows what they’re doing. The east side bakery cranks out breads and cakes and cookies, and of top-notch donuts. It’s hard to go wrong with their sticks, glazed cake donuts, apple fritters, but the glazed bow ties and twists are my jam.
Read more: Resch’s Bakery
5. Three Bites Bakery: Bombolini
Isabella Bonello’s new Three Bites Bakery features a wide range of stunning baked goods inspired by her Italian and Filipino heritage. Amongst the breads and croissants and cookies and rolls you’ll find bombolini: sugar-dusted, yeast-raised Italian donuts filled with a rich custard.
Read more: Filipino and Italian Flavors at Three Bites Bakery
6. Dodo Donuts: Anything!
The Dodo Donuts trailer first hit the streets a couple summers ago, and already they’ve become a mainstay of the community. Now they’re parked pretty-permanently on the patio at Land-Grant Brewing in Franklinton. They fry up a small base donut, then drizzle and top it with rotating flavors. I’ve loved the double chocolate and the PBJ.
Read more: the Dodo Donuts trailer
7. Schneider’s Bakery: Davy Crockett
Almost every neighborhood has an institution-level bakery to call its own, and Schneider’s fills that niche for Westerville. The Uptown shop opens early for hungry college students. First time there? Try the signature Davy Crocket: a cinnamon twist donut with maple glaze.
Read more: Schneider’s Bakery
8. Donna’s Delicious Dozen: It’s All About the Bacon
Maple and bacon are a well-documented winning combination, and Donna’s features a terrific version in It’s All About the Bacon. It’s one of many suggested flavor combos on their menu. You can round out your dozen by customizing your own donuts with all sorts of toppings.
Read more: Donna’s Delicious Dozen
9. Original Goodie Shop: Cinnamon Twist
The Original Goodie Shop, aka the Tremont Goodie Shop, is Upper Arlington’s long-standing neighborhood bakery. Like many more of these institutions, generations have followed their noses there to the smells of fresh donuts. If you stop in, be sure to pick up a cinnamon-dusted glazed twist.
Read more: The Original Goodie Shop
10. Lil Donut Factory: Longjohn
Lil Donut Factory is Hilliard’s go-to for great donuts, and the tiny corner shop often sells out quickly. It’s hard to pick a winner from their eclectic menu, but you can’t go wrong with their longjohns.
Read more: Lil Donut Factory
11. Destination Donuts: Red Raspberry Hibiscus
After a long hiatus, Destination Donuts finally opened its new storefront in Clintonville. Once again you can seek them out for beautifully crafted vegan donuts in rotating flavors, from their cakey nibblers to the giant yeast donuts. Keep an eye on the day’s flavors; I gravitate toward their fruit offerings like the sweet and lightly tart red raspberry hibiscus.
Read more: Indulge in the Sweetest Treats at Destination Donuts’ Clintonville Shop
12. Auddino’s: The Doughssant
Auddino’s doughssant – a fried croissant that’s heavily glazed – pre-dates The CronutTM by decades. Roy Auddino first started tossing croissants in the fryer back in the early 90s, and it’s been a staple of this family-run bakery ever since.
Read more: Auddino’s Italian Bakery
13. HoneyDip Donuts & Diner: Glazed Yeast Donut
HoneyDip is both a classic donut joint and a classic diner, which means they do the standards well. Trust them on their glazed yeast donuts… especially when they use them as the bread on a breakfast sandwich.
Read more: HoneyDip Donuts & Diner
Hungry for donuts now? Find them all in my
Complete Guide to Columbus Donut Shops!
