Looking for the perfect donut to start your day? With the help of some great suggestions from friends and followers, I’m happy to share my list of some of my favorite spots in Denver to get morning pastries.
I do have a personal bias towards raised donuts — there’s something so satisfying about getting a little resistance as your teeth cut through the outside layer and then bite down into the delicate springiness of the rest of the donut. My husband is a fan of a good cake, a solid semi-spongy vehicle for gingerly dipping into a cup of coffee.
Please note that this list of donut joints only includes places I’ve personally dined at. I will update this list as I get to try more places. If you have a hot tip on a place I should consider as part of this public service project, please drop your recommendations in the comments.
Also for all y’all who are up in arms that I’m not spelling it “doughut” I’m using the “donut” spelling because most of the places listed below use the shortened form rather than the original spelling. 😉
Gourmet AF
Pandemic Donuts
The place to get refined cake donuts (and some local coffee)
RiNo
During the 2020 Covid shutdown, pastry chef Gabrielle Gabe Henning and coffee expert Michael Milton both lost their jobs in the service industry. When life gave them lemons, they made lemonade and used to time to incubate and create their own business, the aptly named Pandemic Donuts, out of their kitchen. Since then they’ve upgraded to the commercial kitchen in Queen City Coffee in RiNo, where they sell their donuts a la cart seven days a week.
They also have partnered with other local high quality coffee shops (like Sapor Coffee – Fridays and Saturdays only) to expand their reach to customers and they run a stand at City Park Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. (Check the Pandemic Donuts Instagram for the latest details on where they are selling.)
A favorite in my household is their Key Lime Cake donut. The texture is slightly fluffy, but still crumbles. When my husband bit into his first of the Key Lime said, “Feels like quality.” Expect subtle flavoring that is (thankfully) not too cloyingly sweet.
Hometown Heroes
Baked N’ Denver (FKA – Wake ‘n’ Bake)
The place for tons of flavors and a beautiful cake donut
South Broadway/Platt Park
Baked N’ Denver (formerly known as Wake ‘n’ Bake) took over a former Winchell’s location. This place offers an excellent variety of flavors, and has cake donuts that are nearly perfect consistency.
Given the quality and variety, Baked N’ Denver is priced pretty reasonably as well.
Their raised donuts are a bit on the sweet side and can sometimes be a bit too airy (not enough bite/chew/flavor to the actual donut). However, I really loved the classic jelly donut. The filling had a bright, tart cherry flavor and I didn’t mind the airiness since it had some filling so it had a nice balance.
Their cake donuts are denser, with a moist and perfect cake consistency. A bonus is there is lots of variety of flavors to choose from and great for early birds as the store is open starting at 4am. The Blueberry flavor was the favorite, also I tried orange and coffee.
Brands from elsewhere making it big in Denver
Voodoo Doughnut
When you’re looking for a donut after a night on the town
Locations on Colfax (between Cheeseman and City Parks) and Speer/Baker
Voodoo Doughnut does their hometown of Portland proud by keeping it weird with their colorful and wacky donut concoctions. With two location in Denver, they answers the call of all your late-night donut emergencies (they are open 5am-3am).
If you’re looking for subtly, go someplace else. Voodoo is famously known for their off-the-wall combinations, and visit to either of their Denver locations is kinda like being a kid from detention hall raiding the candy store.
RIP
Let’s take a moment to mourn the loss of some worth donut spots.
- Donut Burst (For no-frills excellent classic raised or cake donut in Lakewood, CO)
- Berkeley Donuts. This was the place to get raised donuts with grown-up flavors. They used to have a Lemongrass Ginger donut made with Colorado Cider Company’s Grasshop-Ah “glazed with ginger sugar and lime zest” that had a beautiful citrus taste with a soft finish
Third Culture (Closed in 2022)
Satisfy your mochi donut cravings
Locations in RiNo and Aurora
Third Culture Bakery, a California-based mini-chain specializing in butter mochi donuts and muffins that currently has two locations in the Denver metro area. Their butter mochi donuts are a hit with locals, as ton of people mentioned to me that this was their favorite donut spot in the Mile High City.
The flavors draw from those popular in Asia with yuzu, ube, and matcha-forward items featured on the menu.
Their Mango Passion Fruit is my personal favorite – tangy and not too sweet. Expect to pay $3-4 per donut.
IN-DEPTH REVIEW: Third Culture in Aurora
Have a donut shop to suggest?
Is one of your favorite spots missing from this list? Please leave your recommendations for donut shops to try in the Denver area in the comment section below!