Philly is full of enticing options for donuts. Whether you’re looking for traditional glazed or unexpected flavors, yeasted or cake, or frosted, filled, or decorated, there’s something for every taste.
We’ve eaten our way around the city, trying out the extensive fried dough choices Philadelphia has to offer. We had a vegan selection at Dottie’s, adventurous flavors at Federal Donuts, Amish specialties at Beiler’s, and cream-filled delights at Holmesburg Bakery. Here’s a look at some of our favorites.
Beiler’s Donuts
No matter what time you visit Beiler’s Doughnuts, there’s likely to be a crowd. They’re just that good. A city staple for decades, they have up to 40 varieties of homemade Pennsylvania Dutch donuts from Monday through Saturday. We can’t go to Reading Terminal Market, without grabbing at least a few.
Beiler’s has classics like plain glazed and strawberry-filled plus creative Fruity Pebbles and peanut butter and jelly. We’re partial to the apple fritters and the apple cider donuts that are available year-round.
Federal Donuts and Chicken
The donuts at Federal Donuts fall into three groups—classics like old fashioned glazed, hot sugared donuts straight from the fryer, and fancies that run the gamut from raspberry mascarpone to pumpkin pie and Irish potato. They’re all among the pantheon of must-eats in the city. Try one with Federal’s other specialty, their epic twice-fried chicken. Anything you choose here is almost guaranteed to be a home run.
There are six locations around the city plus a truck that pop ups at special events and breweries making the fresh sugar-coated donuts. They have recently opened in Willow Grove and are expanding throughout the suburbs in the coming year.
Dottie’s Donuts
Proving that vegan pastries can be creative and super delicious, Dottie’s Donuts regularly sells out of their fantastical creations. There are standard delights like vanilla sprinkle donuts and apple fritters alongside daily specialties like raspberry white chocolate and blueberry poptart. If you’ve ever wanted to try one topped with cookie dough or infused with tea, you’re in luck at Dottie’s. We’re big fans of the cinnamon sugar.
And, yes, it’s all vegan. Even the Boston cream.
Go early to get the best selection. There are four locations to choose from, and they’re open every day.
Frangelli’s Bakery
Frangelli’s Bakery is a South Philly staple. Their yeast and cake donuts–especially the ones that are hand filled to order–are winners.
What Frangelli’s is most known for are two unique creations—ice cream donuts and the Franolli. Ice cream donuts are a choice of your favorite ice cream sandwiched in between two halves, a spin on the Sicilian specialty of brioche con gelato. The Franolli is what draws people (us included!) here. It’s a hole-less donut filled with thick, fresh cannoli cream and chocolate chips. They’re also available in chocolate, and occasionally in special flavors like pistachio or pumpkin. If you’re a cannoli lover, this one’s for you.
Hands on the Earth Orchard
Apple cider donuts aren’t just for fall. At the Saturday Rittenhouse Square market, you can see these perfectly fresh, sugary donuts straight from the fryer at the Hands on the Earth Orchard stand, typically in winter through early spring. They usually begin just after Thanksgiving and are absolutely worth a special trip.
Suraya
Lebanese restaurant Suraya is well-known for being one of the best places in the city for mezze, but it is also popular for its selection of French-inspired pastries. The lone donut on the menu is a true standout. The light, rose-flavored cruller is topped with crushed pistachios. It’s available on its own or as part of a pastry basket on the weekends.
Okie Dokie Donuts
Pastry chef Carol Ha has perfected gluten free donuts at her South Philly shop Okie Dokie Donuts. With choices like lychee, ambrosia, and orange cardamom, there is no shying away from flavor here. The shop regularly collaborates with other local businesses to produce specialty donuts like Mango Cider, which uses a cider from Hale and True, or the Donutella Versace breakfast sandwich that uses sausage from Porco’s Porchetteria. We’re not gluten free, but we still give these a thumbs up.
Tiffany’s Bakery
Tiffany’s Bakery makes a unique kind of donut that they call the “doyo” (dough-yo). Instead of being deep-fried, the cakes are steamed, creating a moist pastry that’s surprisingly light. As a bonus, Tiffany’s donuts have 50% less fat than a traditional one.
We were more than a little skeptical before trying these. When it comes to donuts, touting their relative healthiness doesn’t say “delicious” to us. But we were blown away by how good these are. They come in more than a dozen flavors ranging from cinnamon sugar to vanilla glazed to red velvet.
Holmesburg Bakery
A family-owned business, Holmesburg Bakery has served delicious pastries for over 120 years. They’re particularly well-known for their cream-stuffed donuts. Whether you opt for the ones covered in powdered sugar or regular sugar, bring your sweet tooth for these treats.