America's Best Donuts

When it comes to American comfort food, nothing seems to satisfy a sweet craving quite like a freshly made donut. Sure, cupcakes have not-so-subtly swept the nation and churros had a brief spike in popularity a few years ago, but donuts remain a unique savory-sweet confection that tugs at our heartstrings like none other. And with National Donut Day coming up this weekend, here is a collection of the best places to grab a dozen or so. 

Click here for America's Best Donuts 

Our list includes some truly classic establishments that have become American institutions, like Randy's Donuts in Los Angeles and Café Du Monde in New Orleans, but it also encompasses some new-wave doughnut shops, such as Federal Donuts in Philadelphia and VooDoo Donut in Portland, Ore. A recurring theme across this list was the presence of vegan bakeries, such as Mighty-O Donuts in Seattle, Pepples Donuts in San Francisco, and Ronald's Doughnuts in Las Vegas.

Regardless of whether you're in the mood for a glazed cruller, an old-fashioned cider doughnut, or one topped with frosting and Fruit Loops, these shops are sure to have exactly what you're looking for. Here are five significant, non-Dunkin'/Tim Horton's spots for doughnuts in or near each of The Daily Meal's featured cities — plus a collection of other notable doughnut shops deserving of mention.

Is your favorite doughnut shop missing? Leave a comment below or share your thoughts by writing a review for us.

Plus, if your sweet craving isn't satisfied just yet, check out these donut-related stories from The Daily Meal:

London's Best Doughnut Shops

In honor of the 21st annual National Doughnut Week (May 12 to 19), a fundraiser for The Children's Trust in the U.K., The Daily Meal has found London's best doughnut shops.

Brooklyn's Best New Doughnuts

Dun-Well opened just a few months ago in East Williamsburg, the creation of Christopher Hollowell and Daniel Dunbar, who claim on their site that "it's the premiere vegan doughnut shop on planet Earth."

10 Wild Dunkin' Donuts Flavors Around the World

Sure, we've all heard about Dunkin' Donuts' crazy dried pork doughnut in China, but it seems like there's a slew of strangely flavored doughnuts abroad, running the gamut from sweet to savory.

Originally published 12/20/11