Donuts or donuts?
Australians are no strangers to donuts. Did you know that Australia was the first country outside the USA to have a Krispy Kreme store selling their glazed donuts back in 2003?
The donut made a comeback thanks to the cronut craze in 2012, and in usual Aussie style, are available in creative and crazy flavour combinations. Check out this list for the best donuts you can get on this side of earth, along with options for vegans and coeliacs!
1. Grumpy Donuts
Yet another online outfit, Grumpy Donuts is the bomb, and I would go as far to say the best donuts in Sydney. You can currently get your hands on these donuts on Fridays at Orto Trading in Surry Hills or The Wedge Espresso in Glebe.
Otherwise, you have no choice but to order them online over at their website. They usually announce on their website and Instagram when orders open, but fastest fingers first, because these order spots are usually snapped up in seconds!
Check out their flavours like caramel potato chips, maple bacon bar (which is to die for) and blueberry crunch.
Address:
Orto Trading
38 Waterloo Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia
The Wedge Espresso
53/55 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe NSW 2037, Australia
Grumpy Donuts: Website
2. Glazed Donuts
It should come as no surprise that one of the best American-styled glazed donuts come from a pair born and raised in California. They used supply to various cafes such as Kingswood, Reuben Hill, Tap Espresso and Sensory Lab, but have since scaled back on production. They also occasionally do pop-ups at Bondi Farmers Market. The best way to keep track is to follow them on instagram at @glazed.doughnuts, but be sure not to check their feed out when you’re hungry!
Their donuts are all handcrafted, and super fluffy. Plus, they have the craziest and most delicious flavour combinations around. Think cotton candy donuts, cereal milk and sweet chilli crispy bacon!
Check out glazeddonuts.com.au.
3. Devon on Danks
Our favourite place for cronnies (the croissant-donut hybrid), Devon Cafe also does fantastic donut balls. They have three flavours available at any one time, and will include a traditional, modern and Asian-inspired flavour. Currently on the dinner dessert menu is also the kaya donut ball, which is amaze-balls.
Address: 76 Devonshire St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 8am – 4pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8am – 3.30pm. Dinners on Wednesdays to Sundays from 6pm to 10pm.
4. Foodcraft Espresso and Bakery
The latest craze to hit Sydney and perhaps the world is the “tella ball shake”, a donut filled with nutella on top of a nutella milkshake made of 3 scoops of nutella and vanilla ice cream. This off-the-menu item is also available in other donut flavours such as salted caramel, Nutella, vanilla bean and ricotta and strawberry jam. Queues are long since social media went berserk over these crazy shakes, but the nutella ball itself is delicious and noteworthy. In fact, these balls are sold to more than 50 cafes in Sydney and apparently a Nutella Balls Gelato Bar will be opened in the inner west soon!
Address: 33 Bridge Street, Erskineville
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Fridays 7am – 4pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8am – 4pm
5. Dobby’s Donuts
Even vegans and vegetarians can indulge in donuts with Dobby’s Donuts! With flavours like Chai & Toasted Almond, Lemon & Poppyseed with Lavender Dough Donuts, you will be spoiled for choice!
News is they are also working on a gluten-free option, so keep a lookout! Pick up is available at Lewisham, but their donuts are generally available at Gelato Blue and Suzy Spoon’s, both in Newtown. They have also recently started to stocking certain cafes in Liverpool and Newcastle. Check their page for more details!
Check out https://www.facebook.com/dobbysdonuts.
6. The Cook and Baker
Run by a Kiwi duo, this tiny patisserie dishes out a wide array of nostalgic baked goods like the pavlova (which some claim originated from New Zealand and not Australia), cinnamon scrolls, Afghan cookies – a classic Kiwi cookie, and a Kiwi donut, called the “Bro Nut”, with chocolate and salted caramel. Their vanilla custard and jam donut is also amazing, and they also cater mini versions of these gems!
Address: 238 Oxford St, Bondi Junction
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays 7am – 4pm
7. Flour and Stone
We first posted about Flour and Stone in our Top Twenty Croissants, and their donuts are definitely worth a mention too. Almost like a stuffed bomboloni, the usual offerings include vanilla, custard and raspberry and lemon ricotta, with all components made in-house. We love the rich brioche bun and how the raspberry preserve is not too sweet.
Be sure to head down early to the store on Thursdays to Saturdays, otherwise they run out pretty quickly. Flour and Stone also does the occasional stores at Eveleigh and Orange Grove markets on the weekends, and the donuts are available there too.
Address: 53 Riley St, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays 7am – 4pm, Saturday 8am – 4pm
8. The Pig and Pastry
If you’re in the inner west and craving some lovely baked items, hop down to The Pig and Pastry. All baked items are baked in-house, and coffee is by The Little Marionette over in Annandale. We love their donuts, which have amazing flavours like passionfruit & lavender, smoked rhubarb, hazelnut & custard.
Address: 1 Station St, Petersham 2049
Opening Hours: Wednesdays to Fridays 7.30am – 4pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8am – 4pm
9. Milk Bar by Cafe Ish
Craving for some milkshake and donuts? Milk Bar in Redfern serves up sweet deals for their amazing milkshakes and donuts, and you can even grab a $5 burger for a complete meal. If you are craving more carb-on-carb action, head to Milk Bar Pizza, located a few shops down, and get the Eton Mess Donut Pizza, which features the very same donuts on pizza! If you want to try your hand at making these donuts yourself, do keep your eyes peeled for DIY donut Workshops held by Chef Josh from Milk Bar, where he teaches you how to make a donut from scratch!
Address: 105 Regent St, Redfern NSW 2016
Opening Hours: Weekdays 11.30am – 6pm, Saturdays and Sundays 8am – 6pm
10. Woah Nelly
Want some donut delivery? Woah Nelly will deliver, if you order at least a week in advance! CBD deliveries are free on Fridays, and a box of 9 donuts is $45. You can choose from a selection of 12 flavours, or opt for a lucky dip. We love the colourful Homer Simpson donut (strawberry icing topped with colourful sprinkles) and salted caramel and pretzel.
Check out www.woahnellybakes.com.
11. Smalltown
Located all the way in Avalon, Smalltown is worth the trek, especially if you’re planning a day in the Northern Beaches. They serve an all-day brunch menu, and donuts are available all day long until sold out. Their housemade donuts are beautiful to look at, and to eat. Their signature vanilla donut is sprinkled with edible flower petals, and they have recently started to serve savoury donuts, like the one pictured above. Say yes to these crumbed bacon, gooey bechamel and rosemary donuts!
Address: 1, 21-23 Old Barrenjoey Rd, Avalon Beach NSW 2107
Opening Hours: Daily, 7.30am – 2pm
12. The Grounds of Alexandria
If you have not heard of the Grounds of Alexandria, you might have been living under a rock for a couple years. Besides serving delicious brunch food in a beautiful industrial setting, the Grounds also recently (by recent we mean more than a year ago) starting selling donut balls in the carts outside the actual cafe, alongside other carts selling pastries, drinks, fruits and nuts. The brioche donut balls are filled with nutella or jam, and are made fresh on the spot. Be warned however, that waiting times might be extremely long on the weekends!
Address: 7A, 2 Huntley St, Alexandria NSW 2015
Opening Hours: Weekdays 7am to 4pm, Weekends 7.30am to 4pm
13. Bertoni Casalinga
Family-owned Bertoni Casalinga is the place you would go to if you wanted Italian home cooking. Not surprisingly, they also do really delicious Italian donuts (ciambella), with none other than Nutella!
Address: 281 Darling Street, Balmain, but also at 5 other locations across Sydney.
Opening Hours: Weekdays 6am to 6.30pm, Weekends 6.30am to 6.30pm
14. Noshu
If you are on a gluten-free and/or sugar-free diet, there’s also a donut for you! Noshu sells “guilt-free” donuts, which are baked donuts with no added sugar, no gluten, no grains and are low carb as well, making them perfect for diabetics, paleos and dieters!
Noshu is available at certain stockists, like City Convenience Stores, Thr1ve and Soul Origin.
Bonus: Doughheads
Though not exactly in Sydney but in nearby Newy (Newcastle is less than 3 hours’ drive away), Doughheads are definitely worth a trip up north!
Their donut is described by owner Anna Farthing as a hybrid of a brioche and a choux pastry, and are all handcrafted and hand dipped. We love their selection of flavours, which includes a banoffee, salty nut (salted caramel and crushed peanuts), cookie dough, and Stikki Rikki (a peanut butter/choc/pretzel combo).
Address: Shop 3, 200-212 Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW 2300
Opening Hours: Wednesdays to Sundays, 9am to 4pm.
Everyday Is Donut Day
Donuts are possibly the most approved way to gain some calories, because honestly, who can resist them?! Let us know in the comments section below if we missed out on any awesome donuts!