A-Glazing flavors ahead.
Charlotte loves donuts, and donuts love Charlotte back, and there’s so many unique and delicious donut shops in the city that we couldn’t help but highlight them! From neighborhood-style shops, to bakeries that do donuts on the side, to full-fledged donut spots that create unique flavors like BBQ Pork and Bacon, there’s something for every palate. We also added one of the newest donut spots in town, Milkbread. Without further ado, here’s a dozen (12, not a Baker’s dozen) of the best donut shops in Charlotte.
1. Joe’s Doughs
Joe’s Dough’s starts with a vanilla cake base and then makes made-to-order donuts the way God intended: warm and fresh. From flavors like cinnamon sugar, lemon glaze, caramel drizzle, raspberry glaze, earl gray glaze and chocolate peppermint, you may have a hard time choosing. Your decision will be made even more difficult when you learn they also do donut sundaes. With a dozen only costing a measly $9, it’ll be quite difficult to leave without one. Don’t forget to check out the coffee too for the performing morning pairin!
Where: C, 114 Reynolda Village, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
2. Duck Donuts
Duck Donuts is making custom made-to-order craft donuts and coffees. Similar to Joe’s Dough’s, they also focus on cake donuts with some fan favorites being the Bacon in the Sun donut with maple icing, bacon bits, and salted caramel drizzle or their Blueberry Lemonade donut with blueberry icing and lemonade drizzle. What’s especially fun about Duck Donuts is the fact that they do specialty assortments for holidays, from Easter to Valentine’s Day to Christmas for a thematic treat.
Where: 3481 Burke Mill Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
3. Reigning Donuts
Check out Reigning Donut’s walk-up window in NoDa and leave with a box of goodies. Tucked away behind Growlers Pourhouse, Reigning Donut’s has flavors like Apple Pie (on Tuesdays), Salted Caramel and Almond, and Hot Sauce with Chicken Skins. Interesting. Grab a seat at the picnic table, enjoy your flavor of choice, then take the rest to go for a treat throughout the week.
Where: 3120 N Davidson St STE 100, Charlotte, NC 28205
4. Sugar Donuts
Sugar is a home-made and award winning donut shop that started out as a food truck. Just one year into serving Charlotte from their mobile store did they get their first brick-and-mortar for customers to enjoy freshly made and innovative donuts. Try a Donut of the Month (which will be changing soon for October), Caramel Espresso, Cookies and Cream, or Powdered Sugar, just to name a few. They’ve also got a ton of yummy sounding Gluten-Free and Vegan options like GF Maple Bacon or Vegan Strawberry Glaze.
Where: 11914 Elm Ln ste 120, Charlotte, NC 28277
5. Your Mom’s Donuts
Head on over and try Charlotte’s premier square gourmet donut, Your Mom’s Donuts. Stuffed and drizzled and topped with real and local flavors is their specialty, and you can choose from their wide range of flavors, from their standard lineup of Vanilla Bean to Dark or Milk Chocolate Ganache to Lemon Honey to Specialty Flavors like Toasted Coconut Lime and Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
Where: 4205 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209
6. Pepperbox Donuts
Pepperbox is doing yeast-raised, fluffy donuts with locally-sourced ingredients and farm-fresh fruit, and they’re definitely a crowd favorite. Because of this, their menu rotates seasonally, so even though your favorite flavor might be gone one season, don’t worry, because a new delicioulsy seasonal goodie will soon be on the horizon. Right now, you can get flavors like Blueberry Matcha Swirl, Tiramisu, and Dulce de Leche.
Where: 101 W Worthington Ave #150, Charlotte, NC 28203
7. Move That Dough Baking Co.
Move That Dough Baking Co. is Charlotte’s mobile and entirely Vegan Bakery with tons of sweet treats and a wide variety of Gluten-Free donuts. Think of her concept like a Food Truck, as her bakery serves from different shops every week and rotates its menu seasonally. Right now, they’ve got flavors like blueberry lemon, vanilla chocolate chip, and cinnamon roll. To keep up with where she’s serving up these vegan cuties, follow her on Instagram. Right now, Common Market is one of the shops she’s selling from.
8. OMG Donuts & Bakery
OMG Donuts & Bakery has got a ton of different types of donuts from stuffed to drizzled. They’ve got a variety of cream fillings like white vanilla, strawberry, and Bavarian cream. They’ve also got specialty flavors like Cookies and Cream filled and Fruit Pebbles.
Where: 10005 Weddington Rd Ext., Concord, NC 28027
9. MJ Donuts
When you’re looking for a classic option MJ’s Donuts is the spot. A small neighborhood-style shop, MJ’s is whipping up traditional and signature flavors like their Double Chocolate Cake, a dense cake donut, and their Cinnamon Crumb. Get there early, as they’re likely to sell out of their most popular flavors the longer you wait.
Where: 325 S Polk St, Pineville, NC 28134
10. The Donut House
The Donut House has got some unique flavors in their Dozens that you’ll come back for again and again. Modest, small, and at the end of the Indian Trail, The Donut House is a popular spot amongst families. Give their Old-Fashioned a try, a glazed and fluffy donut that’s got crunchy edges, or try a cereal or candy-topped donut for an extra dose of sweetness.
Where: 13803 E Independence Blvd, Indian Trail, NC 28079
11. Suaréz Bakery
Suaréz Bakery is not just a donut shop, but a full-fledged bakery serving up a variety of different baked goods, one of them being donuts. From inside Charlotte’s Park Road Shopping Center, you can explore the seasonal and limited-time Maple Bacon Donuts pictured above or their Churro Donut, described as sugary and caramel-y.
12. Milkbread
From the same people who brought Kindred to Davidson comes a new brunch concept, Milkbread. Despite having delicious savory options like Fried Chicken and biscuits, they’re also big on their donuts, made in a specially delicious way by using a Japanese inspired style of fluffy bread. They’ve got 3 different flavors: chocolate, original glaze, and mini cinnies. Try their mixed dozen and hail your new favorite Davidson donut spot.