7 Gluten Free Donuts In New York City, Ranked
Finding your favorite foods done gluten-free can be incredibly tricky. In cities like New York, however, it's a bit easier. I've been living in the city for 10 years and have been gluten-free for about half of that time. As a result, I've made it my mission to find the best gluten-free versions of dishes like New York City pizza, pasta, bagels, cookies, and now, donuts!
There are a ton of dedicated gluten-free bakeries across New York City, but something I noticed is that finding gluten-free donuts in them wasn't as common as other baked goods. Before I wrote this article, I had only been to one place with gluten-free donuts available. So I decided to dive in and find as many places as I could with these elusive gems. Ultimately, I found seven locations where I was able to secure myself a gluten-free donut.
Most of these donut locales were found in downtown Manhattan, so if you're reading this and want to go on a gluten-free donut adventure yourself, I suggest heading there. Areas like the East Village, Chinatown, and West Village had great spots — plus, they're all essentially walking distance from each other. So, without further ado, let's get to ranking these gluten-free donuts that I found in New York City!
7. The Donut Pub
The Donut Pub is a regular donut shop — meaning it offers both regular and gluten-free options. The place attempts to be inclusive of dietary restrictions, with a selection of vegan donuts as well as gluten-free. As someone who is gluten-free, seeing this in a specialty bakeshop is rare. The Donut Pub has two locations in New York City: The West Village and Astor Place.
Let's get into the donut itself. There were a few different options available, including strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla frosted. I decided to go for the simplest option, vanilla frosted, that way I could compare it fairly to the other donuts that I taste-tested. It was incredibly small, so small that it looked like a pretend donut from a child's play kitchen. The base of the donut is more like a cake donut than a light, airy donut that you usually have with frosting on top. The texture was enjoyable, and hit a sweet spot, however, I felt like the frosting left a strange fake-sugary taste in my mouth minutes after eating.
Right off the bat, I will say that although I'm ranking The Donut Pub last in taste, it ranks number one in ambiance. This shop is absolutely adorable, resembling an old-school diner. You can sit at the counter and enjoy your donut along with a coffee, transporting you back to when people would simply hang out in their neighborhood diner.
Multiple locations
6. Posh Pop Bakeshop
For our first fully gluten-free bakery, we have Posh Pop Bakeshop. I have been here before, and I am a huge fan of its Funfetti cookies. I didn't remember seeing donuts at Posh Pop, and that's because there is a small selection, and they are also, well, small. When I visited, there was an apple cider donut and a pumpkin donut available in gluten-free. I decided to go for the apple cider.
The size and flavor of the donut reminded me of those boxes of donuts that you can buy in the bakery section of a grocery store. They taste pretty good, are a bit smaller, but they don't compare to a freshly-baked donut right out of the oven. The texture of this donut wasn't a full cake base, it had a bit more fluff to it. However, I will say as I chewed, it was a tad dry. The flavor itself was fantastic. It wasn't overly sweet, had a nice bread-like flavor, and the cinnamon sugar on top was just about perfect.
I think that I would reserve eating this donut for the fall, as I can imagine it would taste great on a chilly day with a warm cup of coffee, satisfying that apple cider donut craving. When compared to most other donuts, however, it just didn't stack up.
Multiple locations
5. Alimama Tea
I had a terribly hard time ranking the last five donuts, so know that from here on out, I would highly recommend each of these gluten-free donuts. Down in Chinatown, Alimama Tea is a tiny, modern, little tea shop that offers a variety of pastries. Not everything there is gluten-free, but most of the donuts that are offered here are. That's because they are mochi donuts, which are made from rice.
When I visited the shop, I was able to choose from about five different mochi donut flavors. To keep it simple, I went with the matcha mochi donut. This has a topping of white matcha glaze and toasted rice cracker, giving it a crunchy top to juxtapose the doughy base. The cake part of the donut was definitely dense, and was very sturdy in the way where it doesn't crumble as you take a bite. It had a very neutral flavor, which I personally enjoyed. It tasted like a true cake donut. Then, the matcha flavoring on top added just the perfect amount of pizazz. If you're looking for a donut that doesn't burst with sugar, I think this is a great option.
(212) 235-7288
89A Bayard St, New York, NY 10013
4. Vinny's Gluten-Free Kitchen
Vinny's Gluten-Free Kitchen is a gluten-free shop, and it's in the style of a classic New York City pizza shop. Many items are in a display case, ready to grab and go. Other more specific items have to be cooked fresh when you order them. My favorite thing to get here is the gluten-free chicken tenders — that was, until I tasted the gluten-free sourdough zeppole. Zeppole are an Italian doughnut, which can also be quite similar to a beignet.
The order comes with five large zeppole, which are about the size and shape of golf balls. At first, I was surprised at how physically heavy each piece was. They are quite dense and covered in a generous amount of powdered sugar. They are made completely fresh here, so when you get served, they will be piping hot. After my first bite, I was absolutely in love. The dough is thick and chewy, yet it somehow melts in your mouth as each bite goes by. The taste is very similar to funnel cake, which I haven't had since I was a child. Eating these felt very nostalgic. I'm a little nervous that I know how good these are now, because I'm not sure I'll be able to resist stopping by to get some every time I'm in midtown Manhattan.
vinnyspastakitchen.getsauce.com
(917) 675-7587
658 9th Ave, New York, NY 10036
3. Mommy Pai's
In the Nolita-area of New York City, which is close to Soho and Chinatown, you'll find Mommy Pai's. This spot is a window service Thai shop that offers famous gluten-free chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, noodles, and more. I have been here before, and absolutely love the chicken tenders, however, I didn't realize that it also has desserts. One of the desserts are Taro Tapioca Donuts, which are made from tapioca flour.
The order comes with about seven small donut holes. They are much lighter and smaller than the ones from Vinny's Gluten-Free Kitchen, and are a completely different flavor as well. These are the closest gluten-free option to Dunkin' Munchkins that I have found since becoming gluten-free. On the outside, they have a slightly crispy outer layer that is covered in sugar. On the inside, they are incredibly fluffy and doughy, with the perfect balance of textures that makes them feel like a true donut. If I was given a container of about 50 of these, I would have a hard time not eating them all.
203 Mott St, New York, NY 10012
2. Modern Bread and Bagel
Modern Bread and Bagel is my absolute, number one, gluten-free bakery in all of New York City. If I am ever craving a gluten-free dessert, I know that I can depend on it to provide something positively delicious. I've been coming here for donuts for years and have always been such a fan. The flavors that are offered vary from season to season or even day to day. For this taste test, I decided to get the classic glazed donut.
The glazed donut from Modern Bread and Bagel is truly the closest thing that I will ever get to a Krispy Kreme donut again without eating gluten. These donuts are large — I mean so large that I wouldn't be opposed to sharing one with someone else. The first thing to note about what makes this gluten-free donut so perfect is the outer layer. It is coated in a generous layer of glaze, and it feels gooey and messy in your hands — which in my opinion is not a bad thing. If I'm going to get a glazed donut, I want the full experience. Then, when you bite into it, you are met with a thick dough that is a mixture of a cake-like donut and an airy yeast-raised donut. It is ridiculously satisfying to chew, and it melts in your mouth as you do so. Whenever I eat one of these donuts, I truly feel like I'm cloud nine.
Multiple locations
1. Win Son Bakery
In the East Village of Manhattan, Win Son Bakery holds court on second avenue. People will line up outside for an order here. It's not just a bakery, either, there is also a full menu where you can order both breakfast and lunch. It's not a dedicated gluten-free space, however there are tons of options for us gluten-free folks. One of the items that you can get here is a mochi donut, which they will make fresh for you when you order it.
When I say that I was in complete shock when I bit into this donut, I am not exaggerating. First and foremost, I actually can't believe that it's gluten-free. I even double checked with the staff, and they confirmed that yes, it's absolutely gluten-free. The base is mochi, which is why it tastes so delectably doughy. The exterior is incredibly moist, with a light layering of sugar on top. There is also a slight salty flavor, which ultimately makes the sweet dough flavor pop even more. As I kept eating, I thought that it actually tasted similar to a cinnamon roll. Nothing beats that indulgent, gooey, doughy texture and taste, except for the mochi donut at Win Son Bakery. Trust me, if you're in New York City, you need to try this.
(646) 869-0150
23 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Methodology
To rank gluten-free donuts in New York City, I first researched which establishments sold them. I curated my list and went to each location within one day, tasting one right after the other. I made sure to order the most "basic" donut flavor that each place offered, that way I wasn't trying to compare crazy flavors. When tasting, I simply noted my overall enjoyment of the texture and taste of each one. Since not all donuts are meant to taste exactly the same, and I personally like everything from cake to yeast donuts.
I kept my rankings simple. When I was finished with my gluten-free donut crawl of Manhattan, I went through and ranked which donuts I would want to physically go back to get more. The donuts that are higher on my list are ones that I wouldn't necessarily make the effort to go get again, and the ones lower on my list are ones that I would 100% make an effort to go back to, and would also highly recommend others visit as well.