In the words of Uncle Joey (Ranger Joe!), “Howdy ho, Junior Rangers!” I hope your morning is off to an energetic start.
My morning began on a positive note with a Pure Barre class. One of my favorite teachers took us through a killer workout and I left the class more than ready for a satisfying breakfast. My morning meal included a bowl of peanut butter cookie dough overnight oats (<— please make them if you haven’t) but I accidentally cleared all pictures from my SD card when I went to upload them this morning (gah!), so instead I shall share a photo of Friday’s mid-move pick-me-up treat:
Tas-T-O’s doughnuts!
I know this probably sounds ridiculous, but Tas-T-O’s may be the restaurant I will miss the most in Ocala. Their doughnuts are on another level of delicious. (Do you call a hole-in-the-wall place with a walk-up window a restaurant? Probably not?) Their apple fritters are, without a doubt, the best I’ve ever had and now I am salivating just thinking about them. Great.
I picked up half a dozen for me, Ryan and the two men who were helping us move on Friday and they were gone in a hot second. I managed to snag an apple fritter and felt a bit like Gollum as I ate it… My precious.
Since this blog post is apparently all about doughnuts now, here is USA Today’s list of the 10 tastiest doughnut shops in America:
- Blue Star Donuts, Portland, Ore.
- Glam Doll Donuts, Minneapolis, Minn.
- Donut Snob, Los Angeles, Calif.
- Donut Bar, San Diego, Calif.
- Federal Donuts, Philadelphia, Pa.
- Sugar Shack Donuts, Richmond, Va.
- Gourdough’s Speciality Doughnuts, Austin, Texas
- Doughnut Vault, Chicago, Ill.
- Brewnuts, Cleveland, Ohio
- World’s Fair Donuts, St. Louis, Mo.
Have you ever been to any of them? Do they deserve a spot on this list?
Keeping with the doughnut theme, here are a few healthier doughnut recipes for you to enjoy from the blogworld:
- Pumpkin Pecan Glazed Doughnuts <—Must make these this fall!!
- Vegan Chocolate Doughnuts
- Gingerbread Doughnuts <—Sounds perfect for Christmas morning!
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Doughnuts
- Whole Grain Strawberry Doughnuts <—Ryan loves strawberry doughnuts so I bookmarked these to make for him!
- Baked Coconut Doughnuts
- Gluten-Free Vanilla Cardamom Cake Doughnuts
I am in a bit of a hurry right now and want to make sure to sneak in a quick walk with Sadie before I have to head out for an appointment later this morning. I guess that means I should wash my hair today…
Questions of the Morning
- What kind of doughnuts are your favorite?
- What doughnut shop do you think deserves a spot on the top 10 tastiest doughnut shops list?
- Have you ever made a “healthified” doughnut recipe? What did you think?
- Charlotte friends: Where can I find the best doughnuts in the city?
I am not the biggest fan of cake doughnuts and almost always opt for yeast-raised doughnuts with lots o’ glaze. Apple fritters will forever hold the number one spot in my heart.
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
Mmmmmmm Doughnuts!! I don’t know why I love them so much but they are absolutely the one treat I can never say no to. Drug Reps bring them in to work all the time and I just can’t stop myself from diving in! My favorites are: Chocolate cake, blueberry cake, and even though they aren’t my absolute favorite taste-wise for some reason I will without a doubt go for a pink iced doughnut if there is one available EVERY TIME!
I haven’t ever tried to make “healthy” doughnuts because I figured if they tasted good I would eat the whole batch but it might be a fun thing to make to take elsewhere or for a special occasion breakfast. Thanks for putting all of the recipes together for the post, I’ll have to check them out!
Shout out to my hometown donut shop – Square Donuts! They originated in Terre Haute, IN and can also be found in Bloomington, IN (Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!) and also in Indianapolis. So many good choices: the original glazed square donut, the square donut with chocolate icing and my favorite…the Bavarian custard filled chocolate iced donut. They even sell them at some of the Rickers gas stations. One stop shopping-gas, coffee & donuts.
I live in Texas and will have to look for Gourdough’s Speciality Doughnuts the next time I’m in Austin. Pinned the strawberry donuts!
I love that your posts we can see your goofy sense of humor, reminds me of my sisters and me haha 🙂
In caada we have a fantastic donut shop Tim hortons! They have a fantastic one called honey nut curler.
You are such a tease to pair the first picture with that title! Damnit, those doughnuts look so beautiful!
The whole doughnut craze hasn’t hit Ireland yet unfortunately, my favourite are filled jam doughnuts though!
Good luck with the move 🙂
Sugar Shack is AMAZING. They opened it less than a block from my old apartment and that was dangerous
Now, I just want to eat donuts all day haha. I still don’t have a donut making pan. I need to get one asap. The alternative for me has been using a muffin tin, and baking shallow donuts in it, then cutting out the donut holes…forcing me to eat them. Such a bummer, right ;).
The Peter Pan Bakery in Brooklyn is amazing! I don’t even love donuts like I love cakes and cookies but I can’t turn one of their donuts down!
I live in Chicago and the amount of donut shops that have opened in the past few years is crazy! Doughnut Vault is very popular and they sell out quickly, but they are way too sweet for me! My vote for Chicago’s best donut goes to Stan’s Donuts!
In NYC, everyone goes crazy for Brooklyn-based Dun-Well Doughnuts (dunwelldoughnuts.com). They have over 200 flavors, including “peanut butter and jelly” and “Cadbury cream egg”. Here’s the best part: they are VEGAN… perfect for me, since I recently committed to a vegan diet. I can not wait to get my hands on one.
I have friends that swear by Donut Bar, but I’ve never been myself because the lines are usually around the block and they close when they sell out. It’s too competitive for me. Haha.
Portland peeps??? I’ve never been, but I’ve only ever heard about Voodoo Donuts. What is this #1 donut shop that I’ve never heard of before???
My donut of choice is filled: jelly, lemon, custard… mmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I’ve tried a healthier baked donut then a baked donut that was not so healthy (lots of sugar and butter). The not so healthy baked donut was fabulous! The healthy baked donut was good, but reminded me more of a muffin than donut. I just didn’t get the donut feeling.
As for donuts in Charlotte, we really have a bunch of chains here and not a lot of specialty donut shops. I love Krispy Kreme’s when they are hot out of the oven! I’ve heard good things about MJ Donuts in Pineville, but have never been there myself. If you get some good suggestions, I want to know!
One place that the list missed is Voo Doo Doughnuts! They are in Denver and I believe they are also in Oregon. Their flavors/names are insane..in a good way! 😉
It’s so funny because I don’t ‘crave’ donuts but if someone brings them into work, or have them at a social gathering, I’m ALL over them! My fav is a toasted coconut donut! My mom used to make mini cinnamon and sugar donuts that were TO-DIE-FOR!!!
I am all for health-ifying foods..but sometimes a gal just needs a delicious treats, we can get our healthy foods some where else! 🙂
I live down the street from Gourdough’s here in Austin!! I love love love those donuts! And I love their restaurant – Gourdough’s Public House – even more. Its a must try!
being from cle/ I was glad to see brewnuts. I am surprise as they are pretty new- but delicious
Donuts are my favorite! Yum! The Pumpkin Pecan sounds delicious.
I think the best donuts are from Paula’s Donuts in Buffalo, NY! I think they are definitely worth the trip up here 🙂
DONUTS!!! we love them 😉 we will have to bake you some !!
and thank you so much for sharing our recipes! xoxo
I have never been a huge donut fan mainly because of their bad nutritional wrap, but don’t get me wrong if they were healthy I would be eating them every day! Thanks for sharing the healthy options. I don’t eat gluten so I love that you included a few of those options here!
Voodoo Doughnuts should be on the list! Their original location is in Portland, but I’ve only been to their Denver location. Love them! 🙂 I’m on a clean eating month right now… Otherwise, I’d go buy some this weekend.
Blue Star donuts are amaaaazing! We went to Portland earlier this year and I haven’t had a donut since because I know nothing will live up to them. My favourite was the Blueberry Basil Bourbon donut. YUM!
Omg all the donuts! Oh lord it’s 930 and I need one!
The Donut Bar in San Diego is amazing! It definitely deserves a spot on the list. I’m talking red velvet, bacon nutella, cake batter, apple pie style donuts….yum!
Oh my! These look so much better than my yogurt!
The had/have a Tas-T-Os back in my hometown (Niceville, FL-near Destin). We used to have them alot when I was a kid. Soooooooo good!
These days I typically dont eat donuts but for them I would have to make an exception!
My favorites were the Apple Fritter and the Tiger Tail, oh and the donut holes!!!
You have to visit Brewnuts if you ever come to Cleveland! It is run by a super cool couple, and they make delicious donuts with various craft beers. Super cool people and super tasty donuts – hard to beat that!
What a great post – and that pic – SO BEAUTIFUL!
As one of the two-some behind Brewnuts here in the CLE – thanks for sharing the USA Today list and thanks to Beth and Dianna for the shout outs!
Great blog – we’ll be back to “visit” 😉
My favorite donuts are apple donuts. They have a fest in a little town called Long Grove, Il… and they make the most fantastic apple donuts. Although I am not a huge donut lover, I do also love a chocolate long john every once and a while.
I can count on one hand how many times I’ve been to Krispy Kreme and I literally get sick from the donuts. The sugar? The oil? The dough? I have no idea but I cannot stomach them! Every single Thursday I take my 9 yr old son to see his trauma therapist and we stop by this tiny little apple orchard for .80 donuts. They are the best I’ve ever had. So grateful for simple little routines that he looks forward to, yummy donuts in small batches and the memories we are making each week!
I love Round Rock Donuts in Texas!! They are delicious!! The glaze has an orange hue and they melt in your mouth right out of the fryer!! Mmmmmm!!
I don’t know of any good donut places in Charlotte but Sunflour Bakery in Elizabeth neighborhood has amazing homemade fruit filled pop tarts! Go early!!
I lived off of Gordough’s for a solid week when i was in college at UT Austin!!! Definitely not the healthiest option… but one that always made justifiable sense 😀
They have a doughnut with fried chicken and bacon with maple syrup glaze.. hello artery blockage.. but oh MY HEAVEN! <3
When it comes to fast food, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, I think of the image of the Dounut cake appearing. I was skeptical about Dounut’s nutrition before reading your article. Thanks to this post, I learned a lot of interesting information, especially many different types of Dounut cakes, they are very fancy and attractive, I want to taste them all.