From classics to croissant-like layered takes to a chewy mochi variety, the specialties at these spots, listed in alphabetical order, are your best bets for diving straight into the sweet doughnut hole of happiness. Bonus: One of them is giving away free doughnuts on June 7!
Baked N' Denver
1301 South Broadway303-777-9361
bakedndenver.comVeteran doughnut baker Juan Lopez bought a Winchell's franchise in 2019 with the understanding that he'd be converting it into an independent bakery the next year. In July 2020, he officially launched the business as Wake & Bake (later changed to Baked N' Denver) with his own recipes, turning out a variety of classic workingman's doughnuts morning, noon and night, along with breakfast sandwiches, kolaches and coffee drinks. You'll find a few nods to modern trends (some Oreo crumbles here, some bacon there), but old favorites like the buttermilk bars, raised maple doughnuts and cinnamon crumb cake doughnuts are so good, they taste like a revelation.
Dochi's mochi doughnuts are light and chewy.
Dochi / Facebook
Dochi
2449 Larimer Street720-484-4359
dochicompany.comDochi opened in Denver in May 2021, making it the sixth location from the company, which started in Orlando in 2018. The doughnuts, in flavors like Oreo matcha and "Ube Bae," are made with rice flour, which results in a light, airy texture. They look a bit different than typical doughnuts, too — more flower-like, with sections that are easy to pull apart and share (though you can totally keep them all for yourself).
The Donut House has four locations.
The Donut House
The Donut House
Multiple locationsinstagram.com/thedonuthousecoloradoThis is the place to go on June 7 for your free doughnut fix! With locations on South Colorado Boulevard as well as in Aurora, Castle Rock and Parker, this local mini-chain was founded in 2009 and serves up excellent versions of standard cake and raised doughnuts in a variety of flavors, as well as several filled doughnut options and the star: flaky Cro Nuts and Cro Holes.
Pandemic Donuts
2962 Welton Street248-672-5506
pandemicdonuts.comMaybe naming your doughnut business after a worldwide disease is a little irreverent, but Pandemic Donuts was born of the difficult times created by COVID-19 and the ensuing restaurant restrictions. Gabrielle Henning and Michael Milton were laid off from their restaurant-industry jobs when the pandemic hit in March 2020, and turned to doughnuts cooked up in their cottage-industry kitchen to make ends meet. The doughnuts, so light and airy that you can eat several, were so good that the two couldn't keep up with demand. Now they have their own brick-and-mortar bakery inside Queen City Collective Coffee in Five Points, and the doughnuts are flying out the door. You can also find the sweet treats every Saturday through the summer at the City Park Farmers Market on Saturdays and South Pearl Street Farmers Market on Sundays.
Parlor Doughnuts
95 Lincoln Street303-862-8904
parlordoughnuts.com
This Illinois-born brand (and our 2023 pick for Best Doughnuts) debuted in Denver in 2021, just days after the birth of operators Sean and Kailyn Harshbarger's son. While influenced by Dominique Ansel's laminated doughnut approach, Parlor's take is larger, and the toppings are far less precious. Instead of a simple, precise ring, icing spills off the sides, and add-ons like sprinkles, strawberries and cookie crumbles are strewn on top. Flavors include blueberry, raspberry pistachio, French toast, churro and turtle cheesecake. While the outsides are crispy and flaky, the insides are airy and buttery. A second, grab-and-go location is now open at 5001 South Parker Road in Aurora.
Yummy's Donuts
7625 West Hampden Avenue, Lakewood303-986-0483
yummysdonuthouse.comThis classic, no-frills shop has been open since 2010, but its owner, Nawras Baradan, has been perfecting his doughnut game for much longer. After immigrating to the U.S. from Syria in 1984, he got a master's degree in business; in 1994, he purchased a Winchell's franchise before striking out on his own. Highlights here include the blueberry cake doughnuts and the excellent apple fritters.
As with all of our best food and drink lists (and the entire Best of Denver outside of the Readers' Choice poll), these picks come from editorial staffers, and are entirely independent from advertising or any other commercial consideration. Have a place you'd like to recommend? Email us at [email protected].
