9 Iconic Donuts for National Donut Day

What’s on your to-do list for today? Eat a donut – because it’s National Donut Day!! From the humble glazed to the artisan lavender lemon, a donut will bring a ray of sunshine to your day.

Happy Donut Day! Every culture has their version of a donut – bombolone, loukoumades, beignets and America celebrates National Donut Day on the first Friday of June every year. Growing up, buying a dozen donuts from Dunkin’ Donuts was the greatest treat I could be given on a Sunday. I would carefully choose a selection of flavors then strategically stretch them out to last the whole week. Even if I was eating a stale donut by the end of the week, I had no greater joy.

There is always a special place in my heart for these sweet, floury rings, and no matter where I travel, I am always on the hunt for a good donut. I introduce to you – 8 donuts that have stolen my heart <3

1. Giant Donuts from Bob’s Donuts, San Francisco, California

   
   Featured in my SF Bakery Crawl, these giant donuts are about the size and heft of a small puppy. And if you’re worried that a giant donut would be dry or doughy…. think again. These are soft, fluffy, and perfectly moist throughout every bite.

2. Kawaii Donuts from floresta, Osaka, Japan

   
   No place in the world does cute like Japan does cute. Depending on the day, this charming Osaka bakery sells a variety of animal donuts ranging from tabby cats to seals. The icing is made with white chocolate and the donuts have a unique cake and sesame texture. Maybe you’ll feel bad biting into the adorable kitty’s head… until you realize how tasty the donut is!

3. Square Donuts from Craftsman & Wolves, San Francisco, California

   Get some hipster square donuts from one of SF’s hipster coffee shops. The yeast donuts are light and not too sweet and go wonderfully with one of their coffee drinks. Come by after 4pm for half price off baked goods!

4. Creative Donuts from Voodoo Donuts, Austin, Texas

   Voodoo donuts are known for their crazy flavors, toppings, and shapes, including a voodoo doll donut stuffed with red jam. The bright pink store has lines that go out the door, and true fans can even buy Voodoo donut T-shirts.

5. Locally Sourced Donuts from Koe Donuts, Kyoto, Japan

   I was strolling through Kyoto and was immediately captivated by the rows of rows of perfect, beautiful donuts on display at Koe. These delicate donuts are made from local ingredients, and the flour is made in-house each morning. Housed in a gorgeous bakery, these donuts are a trend in Japan right now and come in a range of creative flavors.

6. Artisan Donuts from Blue Star Donuts, Portland, Oregon

   The Pacific Northwest loves a good donut and cup of coffee, and Blue Star takes these donuts to the next level. Featured in my food guide to Portland, these donuts are not your average $1 fare. Don’t worry, your taste buds will thank you for spending $4 on a donut.

7. Bombolone from Mr. Holmes Bakehouse, San Francisco, California

   With flavors like salted caramel and matcha, Mr. Holmes Bakehouse makes a classic Italian donut with a twist. These are round little balls of joy and calories that you ca eat in two bites. Snap a picture by the neon “I got baked in San Francisco” sign and feel like a true tourist.

8. The Most Extra Donuts from Gourdough’s, Austin, Texas

   
   Gourdough’s takes your simple fried yeast donut and takes it up 100000x. These donuts are fried to order and then slathered with a rich variety of toppings. As sauces drip from your fingers, you can just feel the sugar coursing through your veins. Eating one of these doughnuts is quite simply a spiritual experience.

9. Donut Ice Cream Sandwich from Milkbomb, San Francisco, California

   
   You know what’s better than a donut? A donut with a giant scoop of ice cream. I was worried that this would be sweetness overload, but the creaminess of the ice cream actually balances out the sharp glaze of the donut. If you’re feeling extra fancy you can top your sandwich with a flambéed marshmallow.