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.
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Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis is awesome. Their Bavarian creme filled (glazed donut stuffed with vanilla pudding) is my guilty pleasure.
Sounds fabulous!
Strawberry and blueberry are my top two favorite flavors! Everyone thinks I am strange. Glad to know I’m not alone!
There’s a ‘gourmet’ donut place downtown called Jelly Modern. At first I was kind of skeptical – how can donuts be gourmet? But they were utterly delicious! I’ve been back a couple times now and each time they’ve been amazing.
My favorite doughnut is a white-iced yeast doughnut with sprinkles but only from Royal Donut in my hometown. I also LOVE glazed yeast doughnuts dunked in milk or coffee!
If you are ever on Anna Maria Island, Fla., you have to try Anna Maria Donuts. I’m not a huge cake doughnut person, but these are delicious. Its iced coffee is fantastic! You get to choose your toppings, and they make them right in front of you!
It might be my new mission in life to find the perfect doughnut! 😉
pumpkin donuts — must try!
Federal Donuts in Philadelphia = the best. They make them to order so they’re hot and fresh and have crazy flavors. They also sell fried chicken there… Weird, I know, but it works!
That strawberry looks incredible! My favorite here in Texas is Shipley’s. It used to be my Sunday morning ritual, but it’s been awhile since I’ve indulged 🙂 And I’ve never even attempted to make my own!
For a while there Ryan and I were getting donuts every Sunday, too! A fun tradition for sure!
I’m with you on yeast donuts with glaze! My husband LOVES blueberry cake donuts. I make his day if I get them for him in the mornings!
We were in Oregon in July and I made it a point to check out all the talked about donut places – Pip’s Original, Blue Star and VooDoo – Pip’s was the best and I have to say I was disappointed in Blue Star donuts, esp after being on that list!
I’ve never made a “healthy” donut, and I’m skeptical, but its definitely worth trying!
My husband is from Southern Ohio (we live in Boston). Every time we visit his family we go to Central Pastry, I’m obsessed with their pastries and donuts, its the first place we stop by when we are in town!
Not sure I can pick a favorite donut but that last time we went to Central Pastry I had an “ugly”. Its a cake donut fried and then topped with a glaze. It was heavenly!
When I was in high school one of my friends and I could eat a dozen doughnuts by ourselves!! I love, love, love a good warm glazed doughnut and a chocolate glazed. We have a place in eastern New Mexico and West Texas called Daylight Doughnuts that makes the best donuts! Krispy Kreme and Dunkin’ can’t even compare.
Is daylight donuts a chain? I feel like I’ve been to one in Raleigh!
I can’t believe that I live close to the #2 spot and I have never been there! I’ll have to change that asap. 🙂
If you ever make it out here to Durham (and you totally should!), check out Monuts Donuts! Their apple cider donuts are a-mazing!!
Yummm, I’m not usually a “I crave dougnuts” type of person, but now you’ve totally got me salivating as well! We basically only have good ol’ Dunks here in Boston, but I find their doughnuts waaay too sweet usually. My favorite are the fresh apple cider donuts they have at the farm where we go apple picking each fall – they hand them to you piping hot and they are BEYOND delicious.
Apple cider doughnuts are amaaaaazing.
Ditto on those apple cider donuts, but also, try Verna’s in Cambridge! Old school and very tasty.
I am from Chicago and Donut Vault looks great but they are only open for a brief time in the a.m, they sell out immediately and the line is similar to the cronut crazy line in NYC. I suggest Firecakes down the street (the butterscotch praline is the best I’ve ever had!) or try Glazed and confused, also delish!!
Butterscotch praline sounds fantastic!
We just tried Glazed and Infused in Chicago yesterday! Soooo good…in fact, there’s one leftover in the kitchen that I might just have to sneak a bite out of right now… 🙂
I live in Richmond and Sugar Shack is excellent! Everyone is always raving about them and they always have a line out the door! It’s right near VCU so a lot of college students go there too, but whenever co-workers bring them in they’re gone in a hot minute! They have everything from samoa donuts to your typical frosted, and they are glorious! …. Now I’m going to have to see about finding myself a treat this morning lol.
I’m a huge fan of those twisty, yeasty doughnuts, either glazed or dipped in cinnamon sugar. When those are fresh, they’re the best things in the entire world.
As far as I know, there isn’t a mom and pop doughnuts shop in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but we have a Krispy Kreme, and we’re getting a Dunkin, but they’re just not the same.
I know exactly what you are talking about with the twisty donuts and they are so delicious!
I just had Doughnut Vault in Chicago – Amazinggggg. And I am not a doughnut fan. They have a store and truck. Usually the store closes by 9 a.m. each day because once they sell out they close. There is always a line around the block. There truck is also really cute. It looks like a small beach vault on wheels. They have a pistachio one I really want to try.
Ummm how have I not been to the one in St. Louis?! Also in St. Louis a “Strange Donuts” just opened up where they have…. strange… Flavored donuts haha I’ve heard mixed things about it. Fritters are definitely my favorite! Are they like triple fried?!? So good!
There’s a place here in Pittsburgh called Peace, Love & Little Donuts. I’ve been meaning to try it for YEARS but every time I go down to the shopping district where it’s located, I’m going for breakfast at a nearby restaurant. I’ll have to make it a priority to try soon. I’ve heard amazing things about it! I tend to either like the icing + sprinkles donuts or the custard filled ones.
haha that Gollum part! 🙂
Happy to see Austin made the list! I’ve never tried that place (even though I live about 5 minutes from it), but my favorite in the area are Round Rock Donuts (about 20 minutes north of Austin). They have a little bit of an “orange” color, which might turn people off, but they are AMAZING. They were even featured on the Food Channel and Man vs. Food!
Pumpkin anything has my heart so a Pumpkin Donut would be fab!
Thanks for sharing the healthy donut recipes, I will definitely be making donuts in the near future =).
Tim Hortons’ pumpkin donuts are in stores now! yay pumpkin season 🙂
Chocolate long johns with diabetes inducing sugar cream filling not that gross pudding/bavarian cream stuff. LOL
I have to give a nod to Gibson’s Donuts in Memphis as well. They have a version of a long john but the cream is a big dollop on top instead of inside. Tis quite heavenly! (If you’re in the area hit up Muddy’s Bake Shop as well)
I don’t eat donuts often, but when I do it’s always an apple fritter. You just cannot go wrong with them.
Omg those pumpkin pecan glazed donuts sound amazing!! Those may have to be a fall treat in our house! 😀
Sugar Shack Donuts in Richmond are so delicious! You must try them if you’re in the area. However now that you live in NC, if you travel to the Outer Banks you need to try Duck Donuts; made to order and you pick your toppings/glazes, etc. They are fantastic!
Oh man, I love long johns. Chocolate icing and creme filling. These things are to die for! More like dessert than breakfast for sure 🙂
Those are my dad’s favorite, too. 🙂 so good!
Where the heck is voodoo doughnuts on this list!?
Also, the Donut Hole in Destin, FL is faaabulous.
I used to be a big fan of chocolate doughnuts and custard doughnuts but lately it’s been all about the traditional cinnamon-sugar coated doughnut for me. And doughnut holes! Even though I now know they don’t always come from the holes in the doughnuts, I love them! Perfect bite-sized treats!
Love anything Pumpkin flavored! One of the best parts of Fall. 🙂
I’ve never tried making donuts, but it’s something I want to do!
Wow! Y’all really love your doughnuts lol! I’m actually good with the original Krispy Kreme. 🙂
Simple but so delicious.
I have yet to find a good doughnut in Boston, so if you run into any lists with Boston doughnuts – let me know!
Been to Gourdough’s in Austin… definitely indulgent, but sometimes you need to just stick to the classics! 🙂 That pumpkin pecan sounds amaaazing <3
I lived in Austin when I was in college and Gordough’s is the place diets go to die- in the best possible way. All the donuts are the size of your face and then topped with ridiculous toppings- all served from a food truck. My favorite was The Puddin. It was basically like a banana pudding doughnut with cream cheese filling, banana cream cheese icing, and nilla wafers. Yeah. It’s a religious experience. Especially when served with whole milk.
It gets better- they just opened a restaurant and their burgers are not served with buns, but donuts.
I’ve tried to go to the Doughnut Vault in Chicago but they’re always sold out in less than an hour it’s crazy! There’s one called Glazed and Infused downtown that’s amazing too. It’s funny because growing up I didn’t care too much for doughnuts (except vanilla long johns yummm) but now I love them! Not for breakfast usually, but they make a great dessert!
Sugar Shack!! Come visit me in Richmond and I’ll take you there. 🙂
There’s a small little place where I went to college called Ralph’s Donut Shop. The palce has been open for over 50 years and has a religious following (a few people have had wedding pictures taken there) for good reason! Their butter twists are absolutely the best donut I have ever had.
Federal donuts is amazing!!! They usually sell out early but are sooo worth it! It’s a weird combo but they also serve fried chicken which is insanely amazing and so out of this world! I’m hungry now thinking about them 🙂
Ohhhh yeah totally hitting up Donut Bar this weekend! My favorite is vanilla frosting with sprinkles.
Ok now I have to go buy a donut pan because these all look phenomenal!! Ive never been to any of those spots but that seems like a good bucket list idea to get to them all 😉
I’m from Minnesota, and although I haven’t had a Glam Doll donut, I’ve heard my friends go absolutely nuts over them, so they must be amazing.
One fave donut shop that isn’t on this list but WAS on a few “favorite donut” shows on Food Network/Travel Channel etc., is “The Doughnut Plant” in New York City. I was there in 2012 and holy COW were they AMAZING! So, so, so, so unbelievably good. I had the peanut butter and jelly doughnut (homemade peanut butter made into a nutty glaze, square shaped yeast doughnut with a hole in the middle and the entire square shape was filled with homemade blackberry jam – we lost our MINDS with how good these were.) You must go the next time you’re in New York. MUST. They make a gazillion other unique flavors too. I had to take two subways to get there (from where I was staying), and it was worth it.
A glazed pumpkin donut sounds soooo good!
You must visit Donut King in Huntersville!! It’s AMAZING but you have to get there early because they close once they sell out. They have all kinds of crazy flavors and traditional ones, too.
Now that you live in NC, it’s a requirement (apparently, sarcastically) to fall in love with the sugary air that is Hot Krispy Kreme’s Now. Seek and destroy these if you haven’t already. Then give some consideration to coming to Raleigh for the Krispy Kreme challenge, where you run 2.4 miles from NC State’s campus to the KK on Peace street, eat a dozen ‘nuts, and run back to the finish line all under one hour. It’s a disgusting blast.
Personally, I prefer the cakey style of Dunkin Donuts.
Yes, Federal Donuts in Philly is UH-MAY-ZING. Also, if you love donuts, there is a bar/restaurant in the Fishtown section of Philly called Johnny Brendas. They sell whiskey donuts during brunch on the weekends. They are great.
Holy pumpkin pecan donuts! That is all – I’m going to spend the next 10 minutes daydreaming about that! Thanks for the food porn 🙂
Our first Dunkin’ Doughnuts just opened yesterday in LA, and I’ve been meaning to drive over and finally try it! My absolute favorites are Voodoo doughnuts, though. 🙂
Always, Anita
Glam Doll Donuts is so good! I wish I could share a photo of their doughnuts in this comment box. They have the coolest specialty doughnuts, especially around the holidays. Think eggnog donuts.
I’m a big fan of cake doughnuts. They’re just heartier and more satisfying to me!
The pumpkin ones look incredible!!! I love a good jam doughnut but chocolate always wins!