Welcome to our guide to the best donuts in Portland, Oregon. We’re going to cut straight to the chase and let you know that Portland is one of the best donut cities in the entire country if not the very best. If you’ve never been to Portland, it will only take you a day or two to see that PDX is swarming with donut shops left and right. Some are better than others, and that’s what we’re here for.
The elephant in the room (Voodoo)
We can’t make an honest list on the best donuts in Portland without knowing we’re going to take a little bit of flack. Voodoo Doughnut, a Portland original, is the most iconic and popular donut shop in all of town. We love the crazy and wacky toppings on every donut, the unique and quirky ambiance, and pleasant pink boxes in which they package all takeout orders. It’s a Portland institution but if we’re being honest, we aren’t in love with these donuts. Don’t get us wrong- they’re decent, but not amazing. A great place to take the kids or to check off a bucket list item, but not your best option when it comes to the taste and quality of the donuts themselves. Rant over.
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6. Coco Donuts
Coco Donuts are delicious. With locations in several Portland neighborhoods including PSU campus, Brooklyn/Sellwood, Williams, Broadway, Downtown, and Uptown (the original location), you can always count on this local donut shop for delicious, handcrafted donuts. If you can only try two donuts here, get the buttermilk and the cake crumb donut. The maple bar, lavender glazed, and apple fritter are also solid choices.
Coco Donuts
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5. Annie’s Donut Shop
Annie’s Donut shop is the perfect no-frills stop for your donut fix and for sure serves some of the best donuts in Portland. Open from 5 a.m. daily and even until 10 p.m. on weekdays, Annie’s makes fantastic classic donuts. From maple bars to glazed cinnamon twists to sprinkled cake donuts, you’re going to love anything and everything here. We love their quaint, old school location with booth seating inside.
Annie’s Donut Shop
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4. Doe Donuts
Previously mentioned in our post on the best vegan restaurants in Portland, Doe Donuts serves not only some of the best donuts in Portland but unquestionably the best vegan donuts in Portland. Sink your teeth into any of their homemade donuts and you’ll see why vegans and non-vegans alike love these donuts. They have a year-round menu as well as seasonal favorites. Our favorite year-round donuts include the salted vanilla bean (so simple yet so sublime) and the doe! donut (house-made strawberry milk and sprinkles).
Doe Donuts
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3. Donut Nook
Donut Nook isn’t technically in Portland, but it is in Vancouver, just a 10-15 minute drive over the bridge from all the hustle and bustle of the big city. We love coming to Nook for their incredibly delicious old school donuts and especially for their out-of-this-world buttermilk bars. They’ve been in operation since the 1970’s and it shows in every delicious, buttery bite. If you’re not in a hurry, spend a minute or two here to enjoy your donut in their totally awesome and very retro ambiance that feels like time travel.
Donut Nook
2. Blue Star Donuts
Blue Star Donuts is a name you’ve likely heard of before, and that’s because they indeed serve some of the very best donuts in Portland. You’re coming here for an elevated, artisanal donut experience. Picture homemade brioche donuts topped with the utmost fresh and delicious toppings and you’re practically eating a donut from Blue Star. There are eight locations in Portland, so find the brick and mortar nearest you and arrive with a decent appetite. You won’t find a bad donut at here but unanimous all-stars are the buttermilk old fashioned, passion fruit cocoa nib, and Valrhona chocolate crunch donuts.
Blue Star Donuts – Southeast Division
$ Donuts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
3325 SE Division St Suite 1, Portland, OR 97202
(971) 347-3126
1. Pip’s Original Doughnuts & Chai
Picking a number one on a list of the best donuts in Portland is like picking a favorite child- it’s hard. But if we can only recommend one donut spot in PDX it would be Pip’s Original Doughnuts & Chai. Three words: made to order. You’ll never have fresher donuts in all of Portland and furthermore, the flavors offered for each mini donut are totally and completely swoon-worthy. The donuts here are miniature so make sure to delight in ordering multiple flavors from the menu. We recommend visiting with a friend and sharing an order of twelve- two of each including the rotating seasonal flavor. But should you decide to only try a flavor or two, go with the candied bacon maple and the “dirty wu”.