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A box of doughnuts from Cafe Dulce.
Cafe Dulce.
Cafe Dulce

Los Angeles’s 16 Most Delectable Doughnut Shops

From old-school to new fangled doughnut creations, but always delicious

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Cafe Dulce.
| Cafe Dulce

Visitors to Los Angeles often discover what Angelenos know at their cores: Doughnuts can be an ideal way to start the day. Southeast Asian immigrants are partially responsible for LA’s high concentration of doughnut shops, having brought these sweetly glazed treats to nearly every strip mall across the Southland. The city’s dynamic doughnut scene comprises not only these foundational mom-and-pop doughnut shops with their signature pink boxes, but unique flavors from operators like Blinkie’s Donuts in the Valley and Santa Monica’s DK Donuts. Given LA’s tremendous appetite for all that’s deep-fried and delightful, there’s room for fritters of all stripes. Here now are the 16 most delectable doughnut shops in Los Angeles.

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Blinkie's Donuts

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The family-operated Blinkie’s started in 2004. Peer inside the display case at the classic crullers, mango tajin doughnuts, and the cronut throwback, the crinkie. It’s a cross between a doughnut and a croissant.

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee

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In one of the six Southland locations, Sidecar bakes throughout the day, so warm fritters are likely available on every visit. The entire menu is worth trying, but the cakey huckleberry doughnut is the standout from the pack.

The Huckleberry from Sidecar Doughnuts in Santa Monica, California.
The huckleberry from Sidecar Doughnuts.
Sidecar Doughnuts [official photo]

DK's Donuts & Bakery

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The owners go a bit extra at DK’s Donuts & Bakery. Open in 1980 by Khmer refugees, the younger family members upped DK’s donut game in recent years with unique and traditional donuts, pastries, breakfast croissants, and flavored coffee, and were featured in the 2020 documentary Donut King. Their Instagram page is eye-candy exemplified, but that’s by design. It makes you crave a visit.

Moon Donuts

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The custard-filled doughnuts at Moon Donuts have a cult-like following in the South Bay. Swing into the shop on the corner of Prospect and Torrance early to make sure you get one before these beautifully made doughnuts sell out for the day.

Mochinut

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Mochinut is perfect for Los Angeles. It’s a shop that specializes in the following: Korean rice flour hot dogs, bubble tea, soft serve, and mochi donuts. The latter originated in Hawaii by combining traditional doughnuts with mochi.

Holey Grail Donuts

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This Tony Hawk-backed Hawaiian doughnut chain began in Hanalei, Kauai selling taro doughnuts out of a tiny trailer. Now a Pacific coast phenomenon, the 2018-born Holey Grail has two Los Angeles outposts in Larchmont and Santa Monica, with more on the way. The most popular item remains the original taro donut.

A selection of doughnuts from Holey Grail Donuts.
Holey Grail Donuts.
Holey Grail Donuts

Cafe Dulce

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This Little Tokyo shop bakes up racks and racks of doughnuts with fresh flavors including green tea, cinnamon toast crunch, and fruity pebble. Open since 2011, James Choi’s shop is well-known for its excellent coffee and bubble tea, too. The dinosaur egg doughnut, Choi’s take on a chewy Korean bakery roll, is worth trying.

Cafe Dolce Donuts
Fruity pebble doughnut from Cafe Dolce.
Cafe Dulce

Bub and Grandma's Restaurant

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Though a daytime spot for breakfast, lunch, focaccia, and baguettes, Bub & Grandma’s makes fantastic doughnuts. The flavors can change varying with cinnamon sugar, blueberry, strawberry, or cherry doughnut.

For doughnuts that really hit the spot: Bub and Grandma’s.
Doughnuts from Bub and Grandma’s.
Cathy Chaplin

Foster's Donuts

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This longtime La Crescenta donut shop towers over Foothill Boulevard as one of the area’s best morning destinations. Foster’s serves a wide array of plush, well-fried donuts and also somehow manages to be open 24/7. The glazed twists are fried perfection, while the maple bars are so light and easy to eat that one is never enough.

Amigos Donuts

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Generations of families have Amigos Donuts on their radar. That’s due to the friendly service, mango boba, cafe de olla, ham and cheese croissants, and classic doughnuts.

Big Jim's Donuts

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Open 24 hours every day, Big Jim’s developed regulars over the decades by making consistently great doughnuts. Big Jim’s resides on an iconic street corner, directly across the street from LA staple Pioneer Chicken. Order doughnuts, sandwiches, or even elote from this classic East LA spot.

Dale's Donuts

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A Compton staple, Dale’s Donuts houses another one of LA’s giant donuts on its rooftop. Owners split doughnut-making shifts into two. They’re open from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m., then 3:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Sweet Retreat Donuts

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Long Beach’s donut options are plentiful, but Sweet Retreat also keeps selections for those avoiding dairy, with both vegan raised and cake donuts. Sweet Retreat often experiments, so it’s worth returning to see what the bakers are up to.

Knead Donuts & Tea

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The Knead team’s thoughtful doughnuts are available for takeout. Menu standbys like the blueberry, plain glazed, Thai iced tea donut, and creme brûlée are something to behold. The shops — both in Cerritos and Long Beach — are closed on Mondays.

The Donut Hole

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A La Puente staple and a timeless LA icon, the huge donut arches born in 1963 also house, unsurprisingly, high-quality doughnuts. This shop is cash only, but worth it given the cheap candy-topped doughnuts (and breakfast sandwiches, too).

Wikipedia

The Donut Man

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It’s all about the Donut Man’s seasonal strawberry and peach doughnuts that are sliced in half and stuffed to the brim with fruit. Other offerings, like the arm-length tiger tail, are very well made and more than worth dropping by on the way to Las Vegas or Big Bear. Or better yet, swing into the outlet inside Grand Central Market.

US-ECONOMY-INFLATION-POLITICS Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

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Blinkie's Donuts

The family-operated Blinkie’s started in 2004. Peer inside the display case at the classic crullers, mango tajin doughnuts, and the cronut throwback, the crinkie. It’s a cross between a doughnut and a croissant.

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee

In one of the six Southland locations, Sidecar bakes throughout the day, so warm fritters are likely available on every visit. The entire menu is worth trying, but the cakey huckleberry doughnut is the standout from the pack.

The Huckleberry from Sidecar Doughnuts in Santa Monica, California.
The huckleberry from Sidecar Doughnuts.
Sidecar Doughnuts [official photo]

DK's Donuts & Bakery

The owners go a bit extra at DK’s Donuts & Bakery. Open in 1980 by Khmer refugees, the younger family members upped DK’s donut game in recent years with unique and traditional donuts, pastries, breakfast croissants, and flavored coffee, and were featured in the 2020 documentary Donut King. Their Instagram page is eye-candy exemplified, but that’s by design. It makes you crave a visit.

Moon Donuts

The custard-filled doughnuts at Moon Donuts have a cult-like following in the South Bay. Swing into the shop on the corner of Prospect and Torrance early to make sure you get one before these beautifully made doughnuts sell out for the day.

Mochinut

Mochinut is perfect for Los Angeles. It’s a shop that specializes in the following: Korean rice flour hot dogs, bubble tea, soft serve, and mochi donuts. The latter originated in Hawaii by combining traditional doughnuts with mochi.

Holey Grail Donuts

This Tony Hawk-backed Hawaiian doughnut chain began in Hanalei, Kauai selling taro doughnuts out of a tiny trailer. Now a Pacific coast phenomenon, the 2018-born Holey Grail has two Los Angeles outposts in Larchmont and Santa Monica, with more on the way. The most popular item remains the original taro donut.

A selection of doughnuts from Holey Grail Donuts.
Holey Grail Donuts.
Holey Grail Donuts

Cafe Dulce

This Little Tokyo shop bakes up racks and racks of doughnuts with fresh flavors including green tea, cinnamon toast crunch, and fruity pebble. Open since 2011, James Choi’s shop is well-known for its excellent coffee and bubble tea, too. The dinosaur egg doughnut, Choi’s take on a chewy Korean bakery roll, is worth trying.

Cafe Dolce Donuts
Fruity pebble doughnut from Cafe Dolce.
Cafe Dulce

Bub and Grandma's Restaurant

Though a daytime spot for breakfast, lunch, focaccia, and baguettes, Bub & Grandma’s makes fantastic doughnuts. The flavors can change varying with cinnamon sugar, blueberry, strawberry, or cherry doughnut.

For doughnuts that really hit the spot: Bub and Grandma’s.
Doughnuts from Bub and Grandma’s.
Cathy Chaplin

Foster's Donuts

This longtime La Crescenta donut shop towers over Foothill Boulevard as one of the area’s best morning destinations. Foster’s serves a wide array of plush, well-fried donuts and also somehow manages to be open 24/7. The glazed twists are fried perfection, while the maple bars are so light and easy to eat that one is never enough.

Amigos Donuts

Generations of families have Amigos Donuts on their radar. That’s due to the friendly service, mango boba, cafe de olla, ham and cheese croissants, and classic doughnuts.

Big Jim's Donuts

Open 24 hours every day, Big Jim’s developed regulars over the decades by making consistently great doughnuts. Big Jim’s resides on an iconic street corner, directly across the street from LA staple Pioneer Chicken. Order doughnuts, sandwiches, or even elote from this classic East LA spot.

Dale's Donuts

A Compton staple, Dale’s Donuts houses another one of LA’s giant donuts on its rooftop. Owners split doughnut-making shifts into two. They’re open from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m., then 3:30 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Sweet Retreat Donuts

Long Beach’s donut options are plentiful, but Sweet Retreat also keeps selections for those avoiding dairy, with both vegan raised and cake donuts. Sweet Retreat often experiments, so it’s worth returning to see what the bakers are up to.

Knead Donuts & Tea

The Knead team’s thoughtful doughnuts are available for takeout. Menu standbys like the blueberry, plain glazed, Thai iced tea donut, and creme brûlée are something to behold. The shops — both in Cerritos and Long Beach — are closed on Mondays.

The Donut Hole

A La Puente staple and a timeless LA icon, the huge donut arches born in 1963 also house, unsurprisingly, high-quality doughnuts. This shop is cash only, but worth it given the cheap candy-topped doughnuts (and breakfast sandwiches, too).

Wikipedia

Related Maps

The Donut Man

It’s all about the Donut Man’s seasonal strawberry and peach doughnuts that are sliced in half and stuffed to the brim with fruit. Other offerings, like the arm-length tiger tail, are very well made and more than worth dropping by on the way to Las Vegas or Big Bear. Or better yet, swing into the outlet inside Grand Central Market.

US-ECONOMY-INFLATION-POLITICS Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Related Maps