Great Connecticut Donuts

Sometimes nothing hits like a perfect classic donut, whether it's an old-fashioned style, glazed goodness, or a sprinkle-topped frosted treat. Here's where you can find some of Connecticut's top traditional donuts. 

Beach Donut Shop, Clinton:  This shoreline favorite specializes in classic yeast and cake styles, with more than 40 handcrafted flavors. Year-round options include glazed, frosted and jelly varieties, with seasonal flavors like cinnamon apple, pumpkin, and red velvet.

Brooklyn Baking Company, Waterbury: This beloved shop made it to Yelp’s "Top 100 U.S. Donut Shops" list in 2023, with an abundance of five-star reviews. Yelpers note the donuts are "fresh, light, and delicious" and "melt in your mouth." 

Coffee An', Westport: The coffee shop aims to be "your one-stop morning spot with fresh donuts, coffee, breakfast and lunch," with a small but mighty list of donut flavors (old-fashioned, glazed, chocolate glazed, powdered, Boston cream, marble and coconut twists, jelly, cinnamon sugar, chocolate frosted.)

Flanders Donut & Bake Shop, East Lyme: A family tradition since 1972, Flanders prides itself on the quality of its ingredients and the integrity of its recipes, handed down through the generations. The shop offers raised yeast donuts, old-fashioned cake style and filled varieties, ranging from classic glazed and powdered sugar treats to gourmet key lime, chocolate banana cream and carrot cake flavors.

Gerry's Donuts, Ellington: Get there early and bring cash! Flavors sell quickly each morning at this old-school neighborhood shop, around since 1983. Choose from yeast, cake and filled donuts, with favorites like Boston cream, butter crunch, coconut, and cherry cake.

Lakeside Diner, Stamford: Old-fashioned plain and cinnamon sugar donuts are made fresh daily at this beloved diner, a favorite in Fairfield County for decades. They're also available as a "Lakeside Sunday," with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, strawberries, sprinkles, and whipped cream.

Luke's Donut Shop, Avon: Luke's donuts are "old school handmade every morning just like you remember,"  with frosted, glazed, sprinkle-topped, and chocolate-dipped classics in the case every day.

Neil's Donuts, Middletown and Wallingford: Neil's has been hailed by Food & Wine and Tasting Table as Connecticut's best donut shop, featuring all the classic yeast, cake and filled flavors you'd expect alongside specialty treats like Samoa, Reese's peanut butter crumb, and maple bacon. 

Uncle Leo's & Rosny Gourmet, multiple locations: Uncle Leo's specializes in old-fashioned hand-cut donuts, with classic flavors and specialties topped with goodies like Oreos, Fruity Pebbles cereal and bacon.

Whitney Donut & Sandwich Shop, Hamden: Donuts have been freshly made daily since 1980, with traditional sugar raised, cream-filled, honey dip, jelly, and frosted varieties. 

Have you ever tried donuts inspired by cocktails like berry sangria or Puerto Rican coquito? How about brioche bomboloni filled with banana pudding and dulce de leche? Or even a sourdough variety that isn't sweet at all - modeled after a popular Italian pasta dish? These Connecticut shops offer creative and non-traditional donut options.

Deviant Donuts, Mystic: Deviant’s creative flavors follow the seasons and trends, with fun themes representing holidays, travel destinations, snacks, cocktails, and more. Staples include classics like Boston cream, Samoa, double chocolate and vanilla sprinkle, with rotating filled and holed brioche flavors, fritters, vegan, and gluten-sensitive varieties. 

Grounds Donut House, Danbury: Grounds' gourmet donuts, from "signature flavors to unique and wild ones," feature new rotating options each week. Recent flavors include sticky toffee, funfetti milkshake, chocolate chip pancakes, key lime pie, red velvet, and churro cheesecake. 

Julien's Farm Store, Granby: The garden gourmet-style farm store and bakery, which just opened a second location in the center of Granby, counts fresh donuts among its handmade goodies. Past creations have included donuts filled with Nutella, passion fruit curd, sweet corn cream with honeycomb crunch, glazed crullers and seasonal fruit options. Chef Julien Tessier was named Pastry Chef of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association in 2025.

Magical Fantasia, Bridgeport: Chinnie Lala’s “luxury bomboloni” doughnuts start with brioche dough and are filled and topped with creams, jams, and curds. Best sellers and popular items include pistachio praline, Nutella with chocolate cream, s’mores, banana pudding and strawberry banana cheesecake, along with fruit compotes, pie fillings, and preserves. 

Mochi donuts: A cross between American donuts and Japanese mochi, these light, chewy and crispy pastries are made with glutinous rice flour for a unique and delightful treat. Try them at shops like Cha Papi in West Hartford, The Mochi Donut in Plainville, and Retreat Sweets in Westport.

Nana's Bakery & Pizza, Mystic: It’s all about fermentation at Nana’s in Mystic, which makes its scratch breads, pizza dough and baked goods from a sourdough base. This includes its unique, made to order “sourdoughnuts,” in classic flavors like cinnamon sugar, vanilla or dark chocolate glazed, and a savory cacio e pepe version.  

Rise Doughnuts, Wilton: Rise offers a blend of classic and creative. There are just a few core doughnuts on the menu: vanilla brown butter, cinnamon sugar, chocolate buttercream, plus rotating selections like Aztec cinnamon, apple fritters and “Wilton crème.”  The sourdough-based doughnuts are a favorite of actress Blake Lively, who made a surprise appearance at the shop last March. 

Did you really experience Connecticut in the fall if you didn't have a perfect cider donut? With bright, sweet apple flavor and generous showers of sugar and cinnamon, cider donuts are one of New England's best seasonal treats. Visit these orchards, cider mills, and local shops to try your new favorite.

Connecticut Magazine published a list of top spots for apple cider donuts, as chosen by its contributing food experts. Read more about their picks here. 

• Silverman's Farm, Easton
• Rogers Orchards, two locations in Southington (Sunnymount Farm and Shuttle Meadow Farm)
• Beardsley Cider Mill and Orchard, Shelton
• Blue Jay Orchards, Bethel
• B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill, Mystic
• Holmberg Orchards, Gales Ferry
• Bishops Orchards, Guilford
• Lakeside Diner, Stamford
• Stew Leonard's, Danbury, Newington and Norwalk