America's Most Outrageous Doughnuts And Where To Find Them

Doughnuts are one of those perfect foods. You mix up some dough, drop it in a deep fryer, and — voila! — there it is. They also happen to be extremely versatile, and are essentially a blank canvas. Thankfully, we're living in an era when culinary creativity is at an all-time high, and these are some of the most outrageous doughnut flavors out there today. 

Voodoo Doughnut, Various Locations: The Memphis Mafia

Portland's Voodoo Doughnut, which also has locations in Eugene, Denver, Austin, and Taipei, was one of the first shops to put crazy and creative doughnuts on its menu when it opened nearly 15 years ago. While its famous maple bacon bar is still a top seller, one of its most outrageous (and truly delicious) creations is the Memphis Mafia: a banana fritter topped with a drizzle of chocolate and peanut butter, chocolate chips and peanuts.

Find more on Voodoo Doughnut here.

Gourdough’s, Austin: Porkey’s

Gourdough's has been keeping Austin (doughnuts) weird for years, and there are more than 30 doughnuts, all of varying insanity, on its menu. The most off-the-wall one, however, is the Porkey's. This doughnut is topped with a spear of cream cheese, bright and spicy jalapeño jelly, and as much Canadian bacon as it'll hold. It works, and it's delicious.

Find more on Gourdough's here.

Rebel Donut, Albuquerque: Dough Boy

Albuquerque's Rebel Doughnut made headlines during the Breaking Bad days for its "Blue Sky" doughnut (which looked like it was topped with blue meth), and nowadays it's still going where few doughnut shops have gone before: Its Dough Boy doughnut is studded with chocolate chips, drizzled with ample chocolate sauce, and topped with a hefty scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough.

Find more on Rebel Doughnut here.

Psycho Donuts, San Jose: Frying Dutchman

In keeping with World War I-themed names, the Frying Dutchman made by San Jose's popular Psycho Doughnuts is a "tac-o-nut" (which is just what it sounds like), made with chocolate, filled with apple pie filling, and topped with cheesecake icing, buttermilk streusel, and a drizzle of cinnamon glaze.

Find more on Psycho Donuts here.

Peter Pan Donut and Pastry Shop, New York City: Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwich

One of New York's most sought-after summertime treats, this melty, messy, absolutely wonderful dessert is up there with the most delicious foods on earth. Occasionally during the summer, the folks at this classic Greenpoint doughnut shop will slice a doughnut of your choosing in half (we suggest the cake doughnuts) and scoop in your choice of Haagen-Dazs ice cream flavors, which have included chocolate, pistachio, banana, cookies and cream,  and cherry. If this isn't a match made in heaven, we don't know what is. 

Dough, New York: Matcha

Speaking of Dough, it has some insane creations of its own. Boozy flavors like gin and tonic and mojito are very cool, but we're most impressed by the matcha-sugar one, a yeast doughnut rolled in pure matcha (essentially powdered green tea), cane sugar, and a pinch of salt.

Find more on Dough here.

Doughnut Plant, New York: Crème Brûlée

The Doughnut Plant is one of New York's most popular doughnut shops, and its most famous (and outrageous flavor has to be the dense and delicious crème brûlée. Filled with rich vanilla custard and topped with a layer of brûléed sugar, this is the doughnut that put Doughnut Plant on the map, and just might be better than the dessert that inspired it.

Find more on Doughnut Plant here.

Dynamo Donut + Coffee, San Francisco: Monte Cristo

San Francisco's Dynamo Donut sells a rotating variety of doughnuts, and if you get lucky you may just encounter the Monte Cristo. A take on the popular French open-faced sandwich, this contains ham and Gruyère, and is filled with house-made strawberry preserves.

Find more on Dynamo Donut here.

Dun-Well Doughnuts, Brooklyn: Samoa

Dun-Well Doughnuts has a rabid following in Brooklyn, and even though all of its creations are vegan you most likely won't even know the difference. Its creations are delicious and inspired, perhaps none more so than the Samoa. Modeled after the Girl Scout cookie of the same name, this one is also topped with creamy coconut caramel and a drizzle of chocolate. Yes, please.

Find more on Dun-Well Doughnuts here.

Kamehameha Bakery, Honolulu: Poi

Poi is a Hawaiian staple, made by mashing cooked taro root until it's an extremely thick liquid. It's mild in flavor, very starchy, and very purple. While poi can be used as an ingredient in bread, only one bakery in Hawaii is turning it into doughnuts: Kamehameha Bakery in Honolulu, and for that we commend it.

Find more on Kamehameha Bakery here.