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The 25 most unique donuts in the U.S. and Canada

Apr 08, 2023

Throw out the rulebook because the donut (or doughnut, if you please) is getting a makeover in bakeries all over North America these days. It's our mission to see and taste as many as we can. Whether you’re looking for a particularly unique flavor, a bizarre shape, or maybe something you’ve never dreamt of before, when it comes to unique donuts, you’re about to enter a whole other world. That's why we came up with our list of unique donuts in the U.S. and Canada.

Donut Bar – San Diego, CA | Grilled Cheese Donut | You won't find a shortage of unique donuts here. Unicorns, french toast, and all manner of pop-tarts are available, but the melty cheese on a griddled donut is what really makes our mouths water.Blackhole Bakery – Kansas City, MO | Mochi Donut Holes | The mochi donut holes at Blackhole Bakery come in a wide variety of flavors. You can try peanut butter, sour plum, pumpkin spice, and Earl Grey among others.

Psycho Donuts – Campbell, CA | The Kooky Monster | In a shop full of crazy donuts, this monster topped with Oreo cookies and a sugary blue drizzle is the cream of the crop.

Vincent Van Doughnut – St. Louis, MO | The Samoa | We can't get enough girl scout cookies, so this creative super-sized version gets our merit badge.Kin Bakeshop – Santa Barbara, CA | Yuzu Lemon Creme | An incredible amount of Asian flavors are on display at Kin Bakeshop. Yuzu Lemon Creme with torched meringue and Goguma (Korean sweet potato) with black sesame seeds are favorites.

Donut Craft – Queens, NY | Mini-Mochi Variety Pack | We’ve seen our fair share of mochi donuts, but we absolutely love the colors and variety of flavors of these mini mochi packs at Donut Craft in Queens.

The Art of Donut – San Antonio, TX | Texas-sized Donuts | When you need donuts to feed a crowd, you usually order a dozen. At the Art of the Donut in San Antonio, you order one giant donut painted with a dozen different flavors. Then you slice it up and hand it out like cake.

Square Donut – Omaha, NE | The Square Dozen | Theodore Roosevelt would’ve been a fan of the square deal offered on a square dozen at Square Donut. Who doesn't love opening their box and seeing every available nook and cranny filled with donuts?

SuzyQ Doughnuts – Ottawa, ON, Canada | Munkki Donuts | For those who really like to monkey around with the traditional donut, you have to try the Munkki, or Finnish-style, donuts at SuzyQ Doughnuts in Ottawa packed with interesting spices like cardamom.Paula's Donuts – Buffalo, NY | Cannoli Donuts | What do you get when you stuff a donut with cannoli filling? Head to Paula's Donuts and find out.

The Salty – Miami, FL | Guava and Cheese | It might not be long before you find The Salty in your backyard as they’ve just begun an expansion initiative, but their guava and cheese donut will bring you straight to their roots in Miami with tropical guava and light cream cheese.

Dough Joe's – Winston-Salem, NC | Earl Grey Glazed | If you like to take an afternoon tea, why not do it in donut form? Every cake donut at Dough Joe's is made to order, and this beau-tea-ful creation is sure to perk you up.

Hook and Press Donuts – Santa Barbara, CA | The Everything Bagel Donut | Have you ever wanted a bagel with all your favorite toppings, but wished it was light and a bit fluffier? Well, Hook and Press Donuts has a cream cheese filled treat made just for you.

Chin Up Donuts – Scottsdale, AZ | Whoa Wasabi | This woman-owned donut shop in Scottsdale really brings the heat! Visit to check out the sweet and spicy wasabi donut, and the heat packed sriracha donut.

The Holy Donuts – Portland, ME | Maine Potato Donuts | The Holy Donuts will make you praise the almighty spud with their unique texture and density, as all their house donuts are made with locally grown Maine potatoes! Their dark chocolate and sea salt donut is a must try.

The DoughCone – Houston, TX | Ice-cream Filled Donut Cones | For the ultimate enthusiasts of donuts breaking out of their circular hole-filled shapes, this Asian and LGBTQ+ owned donut truck turns your favorite donut into an ice cream cone!

The Grove Donutz and Deli – Houston, TX | Creamsicle Donut | What's the perfect way to transport yourself back to your childhood? By diving into a neon-orange and white donut that tastes just like your favorite push pop.

Voodoo Doughnuts – Portland, OR | The Voodoo Donut | No list of unique donuts would be complete without the classic voodoo magic of Voodoo Donut, and their donut person run-through with a pretzel rod.

Holey Grail Donuts – Honolulu, HI | Taro Donuts | Here's an ingredient you won't find often in a donut stateside. The handmade and taro-based donuts cooked in coconut oil at Holey Grail Donuts are sure to make you say "mahalo" to your server.Cartems Donuts – Vancouver, BC, Canada | Rose Wine Donut | This red wine glazed and rose petal sprinkled donut from Cartems will be the perfect reason to toast the diversity of donuts everywhere.

Donut I Love You – Charlotte, NC | Are You Snickering? Gluten-Free Donut | Donut I Love You bridges the gap between simple handheld donuts and plated art with their "Are You Snickering?" creation covered in Snickers bars and Ghirardelli chocolate.

Cloudy Donut – Baltimore, MD | Cookie Monster Vegan Donut | The Cloudy Donut is a black-owned business in Baltimore that has vegans rejoicing! All their treats are vegan friendly, like the cookie monster, complete with Oreos and googly eyes.

DIPPED – Toronto, ON, Canada | The Chicago Mix | Do love getting a popcorn tin at the holidays? Well you have found your donut. This donut from DIPPED features a cheese glaze topped with crunchy Cheetos, caramel popcorn, and caramel drizzle.

Whoo's Donuts – Albuquerque, NM | Blue Corn Blueberry Lavender Donut | For that southwestern flair, it is going to be tough to top Whoo's Donuts in New Mexico. Including blueberry donuts made from blue corn, and apple fritters containing hatch chiles.Surfside Donuts and Coffee – Pismo Beach, CA | The Shaka Donut | Our last unique donut on the list reminds you to hang loose, by being specifically shaped like a hand giving someone the "hang loose" gesture. We wouldn't expect less from this surfing town.

Methodology: This is a list of unique donuts from the U.S. and Canada created by polling Yelp's Community Managers from across North America and asking for their individual recommendations from their areas. If the business has opened multiple locations, only the original is included.

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