20 Best Donut Shops In Los Angeles, Ranked

Of all the treats, desserts, and snacks available around the world, surely there are none more fun and frivolous than the doughnut. Fried balls of dough have existed for centuries across many different cultures, but the doughnut as we know it today — round, holey, and covered with thick frosting — is strictly American.

A simple glazed doughnut isn't too hard to make for yourself at home, but half the fun of eating doughnuts is choosing one from rows and rows of colorful rings behind a glass case. There are thousands of tasty doughnut stores across the country, with some so over-the-top it's hard to believe they're even edible. Los Angeles has its very own doughnut culture from venerated classics that have stood the test of time to charming newcomers, there is a doughnut shop in town for every kind of appetite. We ranked the best shops so you can spend less time hunting and more time eating.

When you think of Danny Trejo, you don't necessarily think doughnut. The venerated actor has had a long career in Hollywood playing tough guys and seedy characters of all kinds. These days, he has turned his attention towards more tasty pursuits, with a collection of taco restaurants and a doughnut shop. Some of the more inventive flavors tend to sell out early in the day. They aren't the most sophisticated doughnuts in town in terms of artistry or innovation (which is why this shop is so low on the list), but it's made up for that with charming decor and a large dose of local pride.

There's a fairly standard mix of cake and raised doughnuts, with fun flavors like "Da Berry Bomb," that's filled with berry jam and topped with a berry glaze, and the "Lowrider,' a cinnamon-sugar raised doughnut. There is also a fair selection of vegan doughnuts because it's L.A. Expect themed options on holidays and big sports events.

Los Angeles can give you the impression that everyone that lives here is on a special diet or avoids carbs like the plague. The truth is there are scores of bread fanatics that will seek out the best of the best, and Bub and Grandma's has established itself as this city's go-to place for the best loaves of bread, period. Up until recently, the products were only available at farmer's markets, through the wholesale restaurant, and grocery store customers. Earlier this year, however, Bub and Grandma's opened its own brick-and-mortar store in Glassell Park. Along with this new establishment has come a whole new menu of delicious sandwiches and pastries, along with its famous bread.

Among the daily pastry options are a few yeast-raised doughnuts made by the same skillful bakers that make the famous loaves of sourdough. Though this isn't strictly a doughnut shop, Bub and Grandma's is definitely worth a trip if you have doughnuts on the brain.

You can't take a doughnut tour of Los Angeles without including Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts, an LA institution since 1947. Patrons of the Original Farmer's Market have been sidling up to the counter and ordering a fluffy jelly doughnut or maple bar for decades — long before the recent craze of specialty and artisanal doughnuts. Other than the classic glazed and filled options, longtime fans of this establishment love the gooey cinnamon roll, New Orleans-style beignets, and ever-popular jelly filled.

Come early for the early bird special, which is a cup of coffee and any doughnut for just $2.95. If you miss it, don't worry — the shop stays open until 9 p.m. Once you've filled your belly, you'll be full of energy and ready to wander the Farmer's Market, searching for culinary delights of all kinds. It's the perfect excuse to wake up early and venture outside.

Down near Koreatown is California Donuts, the 24-hour doughnut shop that's been in operation since 1982. The doughnuts are made fresh every day and there's a little bit of everything available. The doughnut flavors include all the classics, as well as some new and interesting options, like strawberry matcha swirl and lemon-berry crumble. In addition to cool flavors, the bakers at California Donuts get creative with the decorations and whip up everything from pandas to unicorns.

While the majority of the things filling the glass cases are doughnuts, you'll also find a few muffins, croissants, and bagels, along with a full menu of hot and cold coffee drinks. One of this shop's specialties is custom orders for special events and holidays, so preorder a batch for your next celebration. The only real downside to this bakery is the parking situation, which can be a bit of a bear at certain times of the day.

This next shop is really out of the box — the doughnut box, that is. Mochinut serves up mochi doughnuts, the hot new trend to come to hit Los Angeles. Hailing from South Korea, Mochinut offers mochi doughnuts, along with Korea-style hot dogs, boba tea, and soft-serve ice cream. There are also cool combinations, and you can get a mochi doughnut or scoop of boba pearls on your soft serve.

The doughnuts are at once crispy and chewy, and you'll want a second one after the first. Flavors are both exotic and familiar. Look for options like black sesame, mango, matcha, banana milk, churro, and yuzu. Most mochi doughnuts are made in a signature shape — eight balls of rice flour-based dough pressed into a ring — and Mochinut doughnuts are no different. There are locations scattered all around Southern California, from the Westfield Mall to Arcadia, so you probably won't have to go far to get your hands on some.

Blue Star Donuts' tagline is "donuts for grownups." This next doughnut shop prides itself on providing its customers a top-notch experience from the moment they step in the door. Founded in Portland, Oregon, this bakery has since expanded to include a location in Los Angeles in the Venice Beach neighborhood. The focus is doughnuts and coffee — so don't expect much else. This singular focus allows the pastry chefs to spend all their energy on creating the most perfect pastries possible.

Unique flavors are the specialty here, and certain flavors are only available in specific areas. Los Angeles-exclusive flavors include matcha lime crumble and strawberry mojito. Company-wide favorites like chocolate bergamot or blueberry bourbon basil have led to scores of devoted fans. The yeast-raised doughnuts are made with a "signature 18-hour brioche" and the buttermilk cake doughnuts are made the old-fashioned way. Don't live nearby? Don't worry — shipping is offered nationwide through Goldbelly.

There's a new kind of doughnut on the scene that's making headlines as fast as it's making fans. The mochi doughnut is a totally different kind of doughnut from the cake and raised doughnuts we are used to in America. Invented in Japan, the mochi doughnut is made with rice flour and has a totally unique texture that's at once gummy, chewy, and ultra-crispy. Over at Dot & Dough, the bakers are frying up fresh batches of mochi doughnuts daily. There are the iconic ring of balls like most mochi doughnuts, as well as filled mochi doughnuts and filled malasadas, Portuguese-filled yeast-raised doughnuts.

The flavors are incredible, like banana chocolate and rainbow taro. There are locations in Covina, Carson, Eastvale, Stanton, and Monterey Park, with even more opening soon all around Southern California. The various locations have an ever-changing assortment of deals and discounts, so check the social media page before heading over.

A strong contender for one of the best doughnut shops in town, Holey Grail is bringing a whole new doughnut experience to Los Angeles. With a completely unique recipe made using taro root, the doughnuts at Holey Grail are fried to order — a tradition that stretches back to its first truck on the island of Kauai. Now, it has expanded to multiple brick-and-mortar locations in Hawaii and Los Angeles.

In LA, you can find Holey Grail at its food truck at the Culver City Platform daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., where it's been serving up ultra high-quality flavors like the "Island Chocolate," which is covered in single-estate chocolate grown on Kauai, or the "Hot Single," glazed with local honey and flaky sea salt. There's a full suite of coffee and drink options, as well, like the draft latte, crafted with delicious house-made cashew and coconut milk.

It used to be that to get a bite of one of the famous doughnuts from The Donut Man, you had to drive all the way out to Glendora. These days, there's an outpost set up in downtown Los Angeles at the Grand Central Market. A classic American Dream story, Jim and Miyoko Nakano opened The Donut Man in 1972 (originally a franchisee of Foster's Donuts). Since then, it's become famous for the fresh fruit doughnuts that change seasonally. The owners believe in strict adherence to seasonality and quality.

While the strawberry is probably the most well-known fruit-filled doughnut here, it has others that revolve around the seasons. In winter, you can expect blueberry, pumpkin, and apple spice doughnuts. At the peak of the summer and for a few short weeks in July, it has peach-filled doughnuts, featuring fresh slices of peach tossed in a gooey sugar syrup. The products are just so fresh and tasty that we had to put this shop in the top three.

The very top spot of our Los Angeles doughnut roundup has to go to Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee, for its use of peak-of-the-season produce, impeccably balanced flavors, and top-tier freshness (doughnuts are hand-made every hour). We would expect a healthy mix of cake and yeast donuts at any reputable doughnut shop, and Sidecar is no different. With locations in Torrance, Manhattan Beach, Costa Mesa, and Santa Monica, Sidecar is a true Southern California community joint and its core values include giving back to the community that brought it so much success.

The flavors themselves are a revelation. Popular favorites include a huckleberry cake donut and "butter and salt," made with browned butter, buttermilk, vanilla bean, and French sea salt. It's not all about the sweet doughnuts, either. Sidecar is famous for its inventive flavor called the basil egg benedict, a Malasada-style doughnut that's stuffed with a poached egg, ham, and a house-made basil hollandaise. It's a wild taste experience and totally out of this world.