13 Best Donut Shops In Austin
Donuts are a synonym for comfort food, a beloved classic deeply tied to American culture. The origins of the donut can be traced back to Dutch immigrants in the 17th century who came to New Amsterdam — aka Manhattan — with their traditional olykoeks. Centuries later, a woman named Elizabeth Gregory developed a deep-fried pastry that she gave to her son, a ship captain, for him and his crew to enjoy on their journeys. She stuffed the center with nuts and aptly named her creation the doughnut.
New York was also home to the first donut machine, courtesy of Russian refugee Adolph Levitt in 1920. Slowly but surely, these machines became more sophisticated. By the 1950s, Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts were beginning to sprout up across the country.
Austin, Texas, home to excellent BBQ, breakfast tacos, and Asian food, also happens to be a paradise for donut lovers. A weekend morning ritual for many locals, donuts exist in that special place between tradition and innovation, allowing creative locals to find new and delicious ways to serve this beloved treat.
Lola's Donuts
Find the flower-covered shop on Manor Road, and you'll know you are at Lola's, a charming spot known for brioche donuts and crullers. Brioche donuts are made with fried French brioche dough, which yields a buttery, fluffy donut with a lower liquid and sugar content than other versions. It takes 48 hours to produce these goodies with housemade toppings and fillings. Winners include the dark chocolate brioche donut topped with pirouette wafers and the almond glaze.
As for Lola's crullers, they start with pâte à choux, the same dough used to make éclairs. This yeast-free dough is piped into rings and fried quickly in oil, resulting in a crispy cruller with a moist interior. Housemade additions also elevate these crullers, with highlights including lemon-lavender and churro crullers.
When you're craving these treats, make sure to get 'em while they're hot, as the shop is only open on Saturday and Sunday. Luckily, you can pre-order online — including vegan and gluten-free options — and you can customize your donuts for a birthday or special event.
Little Lucy's
This hot pink food truck made its Austin debut in 2013, doling out tiny donuts in a variety of delicious flavors. A decade later, you can find the truck on Rainey Street downtown, ready to satisfy your cravings from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. should a craving hit late at night.
Donuts at Little Lucy's are served in adorable little bags and boast equally cute, dog-inspired names, such as the schnauzer (pistachio, lavender, and vanilla), the Saint Bernard (bacon, maple, and rum), the best-selling poodle (blueberry and lemongrass), and Pekingese (peanut butter and banana). While some flavors come and go according to the season, the menu is wide enough to offer you plenty of versions to choose from, alongside dipping sauces like Nutella, caramel, and chocolate. Paired with coffee or Yoo-hoo, these baby donuts are a perfect pick-me-up. Little Lucy's also offers catering services, bringing mini donut bags to your event.
Shipley Do-Nuts
Shipley was founded in Houston in 1936 by Lawrence Shipley, Sr., responsible for developing the house's iconic "do-nut" recipe featuring a glaze that withstood the Texas heat without melting. His creation was so popular that it hit the retail market in the 1940s and remains an Austin staple to this day. With Lawrence Shipley III at the helm, Shipley Do-Nuts now boasts more than 330 shops around the country, most of which are in Texas. And, stay tuned: There are another 350 additional locations in the pipeline.
With more than 60 donut varieties on the menu, you can choose from cake donuts (in flavors like coconut, chocolate, and blueberry), filled donuts (such as cherry and white cream), and various sprinkled donuts. You can also munch on pastries like beignets, cinnamon rolls, apple fritters, and cinnamon twists. Shipley's original glazed donut remains the crown jewel of the menu. If you're looking for a savory treat, Shipley also serves kolaches with sausage, ham, cheese, and jalapeño options.
Bougie's Donuts
Set in a sleek, naturally-lit space in Southwest Austin, Bougies serves gourmet donuts made from scratch. The menu includes seasonal creations, such as lemon poppyseed and triple chocolate, as well as beloved classics like the strawberry Homer, a "Simpsons" homage with housemade strawberry icing and rainbow sprinkles. The lemon lavender, with housemade lemon icing, lemon zest, and lavender buds, and the chocolate bacon, made with chocolate icing and thick-cut Applewood bacon, are two more standouts.
The full-service coffee bar is a highlight of Bougies, offering excellent beverages like cold brew, café au lait, and caffè Americano. Other reasons to love this spot? You'll find gluten-free donuts, such as chocolate Homer and glazed, as well as vegan versions of classic birthday cake and blueberry flavors. Whatever your choice is, get here early in the day if you can. Donuts are served from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. — or until they run out.
Donut Taco Palace
As its name promises, this spot offers two of Austin's favorite morning items: donuts and breakfast tacos. Founded in 2005, the kingdom currently boasts two locations: The aptly named Donut Taco Palace I, in East Oak Hill, and Donut Taco Palace II, on West Slaughter Lane. Once upon a time, there was a third location in Highland, but it has since closed its doors.
Donut options range from old-fashioned cakes (in flavors like maple or chocolate) to buttermilk cakes (in plain or chocolate), plus twist donuts available in flavors like cinnamon-sugar and chocolate icing. On holidays, you can feast on special-themed donuts — think snowmen for Christmas or hearts for Valentine's Day.
Breakfast tacos are the other big draw for Donut Taco Palace and are offered in several varieties. Options include sausage and egg, bacon and egg, chicken fajitas, and pastor barbacoa. The house-special breakfast is a taco-donut combo, which sells for $6.50. You can also find kolaches with fillings like plain sausage or bacon with cheese.
Voodoo Doughnut
Launched in Portland in 2003, Voodoo Doughnut started as a small shop where old-school donuts met quirky innovations. The shop quickly drew attention, and a second location opened in 2008. Two decades after its creation, there are 18 locations across the country, with two of them located in Austin: Burnet Road and 6th Street.
More than 50 flavors make up Voodoo's menu. Those with a taste for classic flavors will love cake donuts like cinnamon sugar, the peanut (with chocolate frosting and crushed peanuts), and the double chocolate. If your palate needs more excitement, look no further than the ring of fire (a devil's food cake donut with cayenne pepper, cinnamon sugar, and a dried chili pepper) or the old dirty bastard (with chocolate frosting, cream-filled chocolate cookies, and peanut butter drizzle). Voodoo also serves cannoli and fritters as well as an impressive 25 vegan options. The team further displays their creativity with tribute donuts, which are made when a celebrity or public figure passes away. Although they are not for sale, they are a great way to celebrate the life of icons like Bob Barker or Tony Bennett.
Andy K's Donuts
The story of Andy K's takes us back to 2011, when Andy K himself (Andy Krupinski) met and fell in love with Nicole Wilson. After years of working in the restaurant biz, the duo launched Andy K's Donuts in 2019. Their made-from-scratch donuts are available at local coffee shops like The Meteor on Congress Avenue, Palomino Coffee on East 12th Street, and Flat Track Coffee on East César Chávez Street. You can also place a donut order for delivery on the website.
Andy K's keeps things interesting by changing the donut menu every month. In September 2023, options included a glazed old-fashioned cake donut, a banana pudding yeast-raised donut with Nilla wafer crumble, and a Mandarin orange vegan cake donut. Past creations have included a mango chamoy fritter as a tribute to the popular Mexican condiment and a blueberry açaí yeast-raised donut inspired by acai bowls.
Master Donuts
Donuts, kolaches, and breakfast sandwiches make for great mornings at Master Donuts, located in East Riverside. Since 2014, this shop has been serving freshly made goodies. Among its offerings, you can find buttermilk donuts (including cinnamon and chocolate), cake donuts (like plain, blueberry, or chocolate), and donuts with toppings (such as coconut, sprinkles, and Fruity Pebbles). You can also satisfy your sweet tooth with éclairs, apple fritters, and Danishes. Master Donuts especially excels in custom donuts for special occasions that you can order by filling out a form on the website. The incredible results range from donuts that spell out "happy birthday" to adorable, dinosaur-shaped donuts, to dirty creations for bachelorette parties.
If you're looking for substantial breakfast items, Master Donuts has you covered. Choose between homemade kolaches (with fillings like sausage and cheese or cajun pork sausage and rice), breakfast tacos, and breakfast sandwiches served on croissants or biscuits.
The Salty
The Salty's birthplace is the hip Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, Florida. Founded by Amanda Pizarro and her husband Andy Rodriguez, the shop started as a pop-up, using a retro camper to sell donuts in a parking lot. Word of mouth helped The Salty grow until the couple opened a brick-and-mortar store in the same neighborhood. Today, The Salty also has homes in Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina. In Austin, you can find it on South Congress, with cool interiors and a lovely outdoor area.
The constantly changing menu is created with seasonal ingredients. One of the highlights is the horchata donut, a brioche base soaked in homemade horchata with Valrhona caramel chocolate and a torched cinnamon meringue. The churro + dulce de leche star is another standout menu item that is not to be missed. If you're looking for vegan options, try the popular ube piña colada, a vegan "brioche" boasting ube's unmistakable purple hue filled with pineapple jam and topped with coconut streusel. You can also feast on homemade pop tarts, donut holes, and kolaches, including a version made with brisket from the iconic Terry Black's BBQ. And, you can wash it all down with a variety of specialty coffee offerings.
Angel Donuts & Treats
Proudly started in Austin, Angel Donuts & Treats opened in 2012. The shop, located in The Trails at 620 shopping center, boasts a hip aesthetic and offers a combination of old-school pastries, breakfast tacos, beignets, and creative donuts — many of which are vegan. The full menu is impressive enough to make anyone drool. You can find items like red velvet or salted caramel old-fashioned cake donuts, vegan maple iced or Fruity Pebble donuts, and green tea or taro mochi donuts.
As if that didn't make choosing hard enough, you can also find donut ice cream sandwiches, gluten-free muffins and cookies, and housemade French macarons. And, did we mention the kolaches? For pairing, you can find a wide variety of bubble tea, coffee drinks, and even Italian soda and Vietnamese iced coffee. Some items sell out quickly, so it's always a good idea to contact the shop and place your order ahead of time.
Round Rock Donuts
When it comes to Texas culinary icons, Round Rock is high on the list. Established in 1926 under the original name Lone Star Bakery, Round Rock is legendary thanks to its yellow donuts. The recipe hails from the shop's very beginnings and was developed by owner Reinhold R. Moehring. It includes yeast-raised dough and a bright yellow color, which comes courtesy of the fresh eggs in the batter. In 1965, after changing ownership a few times, Round Rock Donuts was named the best in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine. In 2022, a second location (Cedar Park) joined the original one in Round Rock.
Aside from the iconic yellow donuts, you can feast on flavors such as strawberry iced with sprinkles and maple iced, as well as éclairs, muffins, apple fritters, and kolaches. If you're in the mood for sharing, try the Texas-sized donut, available in glazed, chocolate, or half-and-half.
OMG Squee
The cute name and the pink storefront should be more than enough to make anyone curious about this dessert shop. The story behind OMG Squee takes us back to 2017 when self-taught baker Sarah Lim and her partner Michael DeAnda started selling macarons at local pop-ups and markets. A couple of years later they opened up their shop in East Austin, where they offer 100% gluten-free Asian-American treats that you may have seen featured on the sixth season of "Queer Eye."
The menu changes frequently and can include mochi donut creations such as blue jasmine (with jasmine milk tea and blue butterfly pea tea), matcha, s'mores, apple cider butter pecan, and ube Oreo. The shop also offers soft-serve ice cream, which you can find in flavors like Mexican chocolate, banana milk, or miso caramel. Other delights include taiyaki sundaes (those adorable Japanese fish-shaped pastries filled with soft serve), jiggly cheesecake, and macarons. Housemade boba tea (including non-dairy options) makes for perfect pairings.
Gourdough's
With two trailers in Austin — one on South 1st Street and another on Menchaca Road — Gourdough's is known for its massive donuts. These donuts are so big that you need to eat them with a fork and knife. Not for the faint of heart, creations at Gourdough's are as big on flavor as they are in size. Highlights include the flying pig (with maple icing and bacon), the heavenly hash (with chocolate icing, marshmallow cream, chocolate chips, and brownie bites), and the funky monkey (with cream cheese icing, grilled bananas, and brown sugar).
If you're craving something savory, you can't go wrong with the dirty plucker (with honey butter, maple icing, and fried chicken on top) or the McGourdough, an excellent breakfast option featuring maple sausage, scrambled eggs, and cheese between two donut buns. These masterpieces are best eaten while enjoying the fresh air as you sit by outside by one of the trailers. Even better: Gourdough's catering service allows you to have the trailer brought directly to your event.