The Best Glazed Donut From A Chain Beats A Hot Krispy Kreme

A glazed donut can easily bring to mind the displays found at Krispy Kreme, but after sampling glazed donuts from 7 different chains, our writer found that one business is giving the known chain some competition. Originating in California, Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee managed to claim the top position in the ranking, beating out Krispy Kreme on a familiar favorite.

At Sidecar, doughnuts are made from scratch with fresh ingredients and fried in small batches throughout the day. The recipes don't contain any preservatives and the made-daily doughnuts are served warm. Though the doughnut served may not look perfect on your Instagram feed, biting into one of these pastries delivers on all accounts. We found that the vanilla bean glazed donut was sweet enough to pair perfectly with a cup of coffee. Lovers of vanilla will savor the real vanilla beans and European-style butter used to make these doughnuts, and a thick glaze turns this morning treat into something worth waking up for. Though these aren't exactly cheap –the vanilla bean glazed doughnut costs $4.25 — we thought they were worth every cent. 

Sidecar has written that these vanilla bean glazed have been customer favorites since the store began. The glaze has become a signature, and when used to top this classic brioche raised doughnut, the result is impossible to deny. We certainly aren't the only ones raving about these sweet morsels. "So I have a few must haves whenever I go: Butter and Salt, Choc-o-lot and Vanilla Bean," wrote a fan on TripAdvisor. "Try all the others too, but make sure one of each of these are in your box!"

If the vanilla bean glazed doughnut gets you to the store, other signature flavors like huckleberry have avid fans, but seasonal specials like vegan strawberry matcha, strawberry sweetheart malasadas, and Dubai chocolate malasadas (a Hawaiian favorite take on the pastry) have regular visitors eagerly watching menus and announcements. "I feel like I can't follow them anymore because their stuff looks amazing and it's so far away," wrote one fan on Instagram. For those lucky enough to live by a store, custom boxes of six donuts cost $29, and there are curated boxes featuring six best-sellers to eliminate decision fatigue. A box of a dozen costs $58. While you can try to make homemade donuts like this and save some coins, Sidecar has it nailed.