In New York City, doughnuts have come a long way. Don’t get me wrong; there are still plenty of people standing in line every morning to grab a cup of coffee and a cruller at one of the city’s many Dunkin’ Donuts locations. But alongside the corporate sprawl, there are a lot of small bakeries refining and tweaking your old favorites – it’s a veritable doughnut renaissance. If you are a NYC resident (or just visiting), it’s past time you get out there and reap the benefits. Below is a list of the five best doughnuts in NYC.
Doughnut Plant
Location: Doughnut Plant has five locations, including:
- Lower East Side at 379 Grand St
- Midtown at 89 East 42nd St
- Long Island City at 3100 37th Ave
- Greenpoint at 198 Bedford Ave
- Prospect Heights at 245 Flatbush Ave
Price: $4.50 – $5.45
This is the place to go if you’re interested in trying something new. Known for their peanut butter and jelly doughnut (peanut butter dough filled with jelly), their blackout cake (a chocolate doughnut filled with rich, chocolate pudding), and their not-to-be-missed tres leches, Doughnut Plant has something for everyone. If none of those interest you, they have a rotating selection of seasonal doughnuts.
Dominique Ansel Bakery
Location: Resides in SoHo at 189 Spring St at Thompson St
Price: $20 for a pack of two
This is it, folks. This is the place to go for the original Cronut (a doughnut so revolutionary its name is trademarked). If you don’t know, the Cronut is a doughnut/croissant hybrid created by French pastry chef Dominique Ansel. To keep people coming back, each month brings a new flavor of Cronut. Their newest monthly flavor is Sweet Potato Ganache with Brown Sugar Ganache.
Dough
Locations: Dough has five locations across the city, including:
- Clinton Hill at 448 Lafayette Ave
- Astoria at 21-70 21st St
- Flatiron at 14 West 19th St
- Midtown at 10 Rockefeller Center
- Midtown at 230 Park Ave
Price: $5.45 – $5.95
Brooklyn catches a lot of flack for offering products with buzzwords like “artisanal,” “fresh,” and “seasonal.” That said, Dough offers doughnuts that can only be described as artisanal, seasonal, and–above all else–fresh. There are eight varieties available daily: cinnamon sugar, plain, chocolate with cacao nibs, salted caramel, dulce de leche, cafe au lait, lemon poppy, and coconut. And every season brings in a new crop of fresh, delicious flavors.
Orwashers Bakery
Locations: Visit Orwashers at one of the following two locations:
- Upper East Side at 308 East 78th St
- Upper West Side 440 Amsterdam Ave
Price: $3.00 – $5.000
You go to Orwashers for the filling. When you think of jelly filling, you probably don’t think chunks of fresh fruit. Orwashers wants to change that. They make their jams in-house with real fruit. After ordering the staff fills the doughnut in front of you. In our opinion, Orwashers doughnuts are more hand pie than doughnut. As pie and doughnut lovers, we think these are definitely worth a stop on the Upper East Side.
Super Nice Coffee and Bakery
Locations: Super Nice has two locations:
- East Harlem at 156 East 117th St
- Upper West Side at 196 West 108th St
Price: $4.50
Super Nice Coffee and Bakery has some of the fluffiest doughnuts around, combined with unique flavor profiles. Stop by this pick-up window to try intriguing options like fruity pebbles, loganberry, or mango chili. They also offer cake donuts and vegan options!
Editor’s Note: We updated this article to enhance readability and doughnut prices.
