Looking for a sweet treat? Stroll around Chicago with a deliciously messy donut. We’re here to get your fingers sticky with a selection of Chicago's best donut shops. From old-school to brand-new and from glazed to powdered, old fashioned and jelly-filled, these are the best donut shops in Chicago.
Multiple locations / Website
From old-fashioned and chocolate glazed to signature peanut butter pockets, this L.A.-born shop has found thriving success in Chicago with its delectable offerings, which also include an expansive variety of coffee drinks and an assortment of breakfast items.
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8251 S. Cottage Grove Ave. / Website
A South Side staple since 1994, this husband-and-wife-owned shop has gained raves (and appearances on Windy City Live, The Chew and more) for its consistently excellent deep-fried hand-cut glazed donuts. Insider tip: Go for the Big Dat, a monster donut that's equivalent to about five regulars and will most definitely feed a crowd.
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1623 N. Milwaukee Ave. / Website
One of the most talented chefs in the city (pastry or otherwise), Mindy Segal shuttered her long-standing Bucktown dinnertime fave Hot Chocolate to go back to her roots in sweets. The results deliciously show off Segal’s wide-ranging skills, from bagels and bialys to coffeecake and croissants—and, from Friday to Sunday, donuts, available in cinnamon sugar, salted caramel glazed, hot fudge glazed and powdered sugar mini hearts.
See Also: Chicago’s Best Bakeries
832 W. Randolph St. / Website
A walk-up window adjacent to West Loop hit Bar Siena has been transformed into one of the city's most popular donut shops thanks to Top Chef Fabio Viviani's famous Italian hole-less bomboloni, which are served with dipping sauces like salted caramel and vanilla creme anglaise.
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401 N. Franklin St. / Website
Open daily at 7:30 a.m. till they run out (and trust us, they will), the cult fave donuts at this iconic sweets spot from Hogsalt—owners of Gilt Bar and Bavette's around the corner—inspire lines on the daily for classic flavors plus scrumptious specials like masala chai cake and cookies & cream old fashioned.
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2054 W. Grand Ave. / Website
This fully vegan West Town fave opened in 2013 and has become beloved for its bowls, salads, sandwiches and more—but especially for its Liberation Donuts, which come in varieties like lemon poppyseed, spicy chocolate, strawberry shortcake and more.
See Also: Chicago's Best Ice Cream
Multiple locations / Website
Inspired by co-owner Karen Fox’s family history (her grandfather was a noted baker in the Wisconsin logging camps in the 1930s and passed along his recipe for donut-like "firecakes"), this small-batch outfit serves up classics like buttermilk old fashioned and chocolate glazed along with creative seasonal offerings, plus housemade ice cream and donut ice cream sandwiches.
Multiple locations / Website
A small-batch approach and top-notch ingredients won us over with fresh-from-the-oven donuts like candied maple bacon and old-fashioned. Vegans and those with gluten issues aren't left out, either, with a few of each available daily.
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945 W. Randolph St. / Website
Another cult fave, this wildly popular Portland, Ore.-based outfit has landed in Fulton Market with its first Chicago location. Expect a few classics, some over-the-top flavors (toppings like Captain Crunch cereal and Butterfinger candy are typical), plus a surprising number of vegan options.
Photography by: BomboBar photo by Tim McCoy; Do-Rite Donuts photo by Nick Murway
