Doughnuts are having a moment—and that’s totally fine by us. Whether you like them dusted with sugar, oozing with chocolate custard or stuffed with cream, there’s something for everyone in this doughnut lovin’ city of ours. We’ve rounded up the top places to get the best doughnuts in Auckland. Dough-not delay, try one today.
Doe Donuts
Grey Lynn and Online
Innovative, drool-worthy flavours are the order of the day at Doe Donuts. With everything on the menu from carrot cake to lemon meringue and fairy bread, you just can't go wrong with their moreish rotating flavours. We should mention that we're more than a little partial to their tiramisu and their chocolate creme with a generous slab of honeycomb sticking out of the top, but basically, anything you plump for will be outstanding—no wonder they sell out on the daily.
Mama's Donuts
Botany and Hillcrest
Like many of the best things in life, Mama's Donuts are made the old-fashioned way and that means by hand and with a whole lotta love. Created by two mums—with 12 kids between them, no less—these beauties have the kiddie seal-of-approval, so you just know they're gonna be good. Smash into the classics like their OG glazed, sugar cinnamon and chocolate custard options—check out one of their rotating Flavours of the Month—or get amongst some of their melt-in-the-mouth Doboys aka glazed donut holes.
Wen & Yen
Rosedale
Wen & Yen are shaking up the doughnut scene with their delightfully fluffy creations, pumped full of homemade fillings and sauces. Hit up their bricks-and-mortar store in Rosedale or find them doing the rounds at local markets and get fed on gorgeous flavours like Nutella, Boston cream and Snickers. And the best part? No doughnut-lover gets left behind, because they also cater for the vegan and gluten-free fans amongst you.
Charlie Mia
Kingsland
Drop everything! Soft, spongey, gluten-free doughnuts are now a reality and they come in a whole bunch of delicious flavours like vanilla coconut and raspberry coulis, caramel and salted maple and lemon meringue at Kingsland's new darling Charlie Mia. Choose from filled, holey or dainty doughnut holes that just so happen to be refined sugar-free and vegan too, so you can feel good about indulging.
Doughnut Haus
RANUI AND Online
The tasty sourdough treats at Doughnut Haus are 100% vegan and in our opinion, just as delish as their cookie counterparts (Doughnut Haus' sister company is of course Kookie Haus). Choose from 12 next-level flavours, including Ferrero rocher, blueberry cheesecake, s'mores, apple pie and our current fave, summer berry glaze.
Grownup Donuts
AUCKLAND cbd, Henderson, Wairau Valley and online
Grownup Donuts are sure to put a smile on your dial with their signature doughy treats, which are some of the best in the west (and beyond). These market darlings offer an ever-changing array of flavours (around 45, we're told!), all equally delicious—think vanilla cream with butterscotch, raspberry cheesecake, and espresso with dark chocolate cream. Hell, yes.
Bluebells Cakery
Hillsborough, Kingsland and online
When it comes to doughnuts, Bluebells Cakery keeps things old school. Think long, doughy delights filled with cream and dusted with sugar. The classic cream doughnut will remind you of trips to the bakery on your way home from school. They taste just as good as they did when you were eight years old—if not better. Grab a traditional raspberry jam doughnut or stay on trend with salted caramel. They’re available from their Hillsborough café from Friday to Sunday or at their Kingsland café on Friday and Saturday.
Deputy Donuts
Online
Push your health kick back to next week, because you’re gonna want to sink your teeth into these hand-rolled artisan clouds of sugar-coated goodness. Made from scratch, Deputy Donuts will have you forgetting all about #cleaneating when you taste the love injected into these curd, cream, and jam filled delights. From salted caramel and raspberry vanilla, to lemon meringue and honeycomb flavours, you’ll be lucky to choose just one—don’t say we didn’t warn you. Make an appointment to pop in and see them or place an order online for delivery. Happy munching.
The Mustard Kitchen
Morningside
Perched on a corner in Morningside, The Mustard Kitchen has a reputation for the best pies in Auckland. But today we’re talking doughnuts and the café is equally pro at baking these. They have four options: cinnamon sugar, chocolate ganache-filled or jam with cream (available in both long or round form). The latter is brimming with fresh, fluffy cream and dusted with icing sugar. Have napkins at the ready coz things are bound to get messy.
The Pie Piper And Doornuts
K' Road
Famous for delivering doughnuts to doorsteps all around town, The Pie Piper And Doornuts is among the best. Head into their physical store on K'Road for chance to witness them whipping up scrumptious creations in their kitchen, it's everything a sugar addict and doughnut-loving Aucklander dreamed of. You’ll be treated to their vast and whacky selection of doughnuts, like the Blueberry Berliner that’s wrapped in golden crumbled awesomeness or the wild Rocky Road and oh-so much s’more.
Hello Friends + Allies
Epsom
When it comes to doughnuts, Hello Friends + Allies has an exceptional cream-to-dough ratio. These scrumptious morsels are absolutely bursting with silky cream. They’re also filled with a generous dollop of jam and coated in icing sugar. Eat with caution—there’s a high chance you’ll end up with cream on your face and icing sugar on your nose.
Rude Boy Deli
Auckland Cbd
If you're looking for some finger-lickin' sugary and creamy goodness, we can heartily recommend the offerings at Sale Street stalwart Rude Boy Deli. Think long luscious buns generously filled with cream and lashings of raspberry jam oozing from the top. We can confirm, they’re as amazing as they sound.
Little & Friday
Newmarket and Ponsonby
The number one spot is, of course, reserved for Little & Friday’s signature doughnuts. These decadent morsels are the cream of the crop—literally. We’re talking giant doughnuts encrusted with icing sugar and oozing with creamy fillings. We often find ourselves tossing up between our two faves—order the classic cream doughnut with crème diplomat and raspberry coulis or try the delectable banana and caramel combo?
Scratch Bakers
Auckland Cbd
For an inner-city doughnut fix, look no further than the creative folk at Scratch Bakers. They’re known for creating a doughnut-of-the-week, with previous creations including almond butter with raspberry, hokey pokey with macadamia brittle crunch as well as peanut butter jelly. Is your mouth watering yet?
Little Sister Cafe
Henderson
These guys take the cake (or should we say doughnut?) for the best cream to dough ratio. Seriously, the doughnuts at Little Sister Cafe are absolutely bursting with cream. They’re also filled with a generous dollop (or two) of jam and coated in icing sugar. Keep your Tinder dates away because there’s a high chance you’ll end up with cream on your face and icing sugar on your nose. Don’t say we didn’t warn you—you’re going to find some of the best doughnuts in Auckland.
The Baker’s Cottage
Kingsland
Last but not least on our hunt for the best doughnuts in Auckland, when you’re short on dough (the monetary kind) and want some dough (the doughnut kind), head to this humble Kingsland bakery. The Baker’s Cottage serves up all the Kiwi classics on the cheap. Your standard cream doughnut will set you back just $3.80—leaving you with change for a sausage roll and a lolly slice.
If you can't get enough of those sweet treats, you need to check out Auckland's best cheesecakes, stat.
Image credit: Doe Donuts by Wono Kim, Mama's Donuts, Wen & Yen, Doughnut Haus, Grownup Donuts, Deputy Donuts, Pie Piper And Doornuts, Little & Friday, Little Sister Cafe, The Baker's Cottage.