Since moving to Toronto, I’ve crossed most of downtown and into Leslieville in search of the city’s best donuts. I admit I haven’t been to all the donut shops Toronto has to offer, but I’ve been to a lot (not all included here). Here’s a list of great places, in no particular order, with amazing donuts to suit pretty much anyone’s tastes!
1. Bloomer's
I was so surprised to learn that the donuts at Bloomer’s are vegan. I got the pecan butter tart and I highly recommend it. The cream in the centre was incredible, no dairy needed. Bloomer’s has two locations downtown, one on Queen St. W and one of Bloor St. W. This is a must try!
2. Cops Donuts
Cops Donuts are all the nostalgia of childhoods at the fair but elevated to perfectly suit your adult palate. I tried the two original flavours and loved them both – who doesn’t appreciate a freshly prepared, hot mini donut? Go with a buddy so you can sample all three flavours, you won’t regret it!
3. Harry and Heels Donuts
When you just want a great donut without all the wild flavour combinations, I would say Harry and Heels is your spot. Specializing in California-style donuts, there was nothing fancy about the donuts, but needless to say my tastebuds were impressed. I ordered the Hawaiian and loved the cream filling (almost like frosting).
4. Machino Donuts
Another fabulous find for vegans, Machino Donuts is also great value. Offering gourmet donuts at a pretty reasonable price, you can get your goods and head over to Christie Pitt’s Park to enjoy your haul. I got the chai cronut and would absolutely recommend!
5. The Donuterie
For a fantastic filled donut, check out The Donuterie located in Leslieville. I ordered the London Fog donut and the Earl Grey flavour was spot on – not too overpowering, but easy to identify the notes of bergamot. A little out of the way for those living downtown, but worth the visit!
6. Unholy Donuts
Despite what my terrible photo might suggest, Unholy Donuts has some of the most instagrammable donuts in the city. (Mine had a little mishap on the way home and I had to put it back together). This one was the carrot cake donut, and it looked much nicer at the shop, I promise. The brioche donuts are tasty and the shop is housed in an adorable pink building. What’s not to love?
7. Isabella's Mochi Donuts
If you are looking for something completely different from the standard donut, try Isabella’s Mochi Donuts. They absolutely have a mochi texture and the one I tried, the milk tea boba donut, was delicious. There are several locations around the city and you can even find a stand at Nordstrom’s at the Eaton’s Centre.
8. Dipped Donuts
Located in Kensington Market, Dipped Donuts is a great option for gourmet donuts. I tried the maple spiced pecan. As you can see from the photo it was so soft and fresh my thumb went straight into the dough when I tried to photograph it!
9. Lukumum
Greek donuts? Located in Greek Town on Danforth, Lukumum is great if you want a little taste of Greece. Made fresh to order, I got the traditional with cinnamon and honey – though I think next time I would go for cinnamon and sugar as the honey soaked into the dough pretty quickly. They have tons of other toppings to choose from if you want to experiment!
10. Congo Coffee & Beignets
Oops, no photo here – which says something in itself. My friend brought some beignets over for tea from Congo Coffee & Beignets and we polished them off pretty quickly. Located in Cabbagetown, these donuts are not your typical fluffy fried dough, but rather a heavier, cakey donut. They were delicious, so if you like cake donuts, you should definitely give this place a try!
I hope you’ll find something on this list to get you out to try some local donut shops around Toronto. Did I miss any amazing places? Let me know, I’m sure I can stand to eat another donut or two.
So, I will stop eating now and starve myself until I hit Toronto in June…..and then make up for it at these donut shops. They all sound terrific!