Best Donuts in Dallas: 8 Top Donut Shops

When in Dallas, you may not think of eating anything other than Texas BBQ. However, Dallas is quickly gaining a more eclectic food scene (for example, welcome Eataly Dallas!) that even includes delicious local craft donut shops.

Until just a few years ago, Dallas had limited local donut and bakery options. Now, you can enjoy many options of the best creative and craft high quality donuts in North Texas. This guide will walk you through some of the best donuts in Dallas to start your day off on a deliciously sweet note.

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8. Mustang Donuts

Mustang Donuts has been open for almost 30 years, so you know they’re doing something right. Sitting at the edge of SMU campus, this place has a steady stream of students coming in every morning for a hot donut. These donuts aren’t fancy, but they’re inexpensive and always hit the spot. As a local, if you’re going to a picnic party at a park in Dallas, chances are someone will bring a dozen from Mustang. Fun fact, if you answer their daily trivia question correctly, you get a free donut. And the likelihood of them throwing in some donut holes with your purchase is almost 100%. 

7. Earnest Donuts

Earnest Donuts is family owned and only has one location in Lewisville. This family friendly bakery starts working at 1 am to have everything ready each morning. These fresh craft donuts sell out fast, often before noon. Their glazed original cronut is one of their most popular items and they even offer a bite-sized version (both are fantastic). Large and in charge, the flaky layers are buttery and perfect. Their strawberry cheesecake cronut is next-level giant, almost impossible to take a bite without getting the cheesecake frosting all over your face. Other popular options are their original glazed, S’mores donuts and Earl Grey Donut.

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6. Hypnotic Donuts

Neighboring the Dallas Arboretum, you can find a delicious and creative variety of flavors at Hypnotic Donuts. They also serve chicken biscuits and recently added corn dogs to their small shop– but back to the donuts. Their blueberry fritter is one of our favorites, a big, hand-rolled, hand-cut, with fresh blueberries in the dough and covered in the most beautiful purple glaze. “Espresso Yo’self” is another favorite, a chocolate cake donut with espresso glaze and caramel drizzle. Even non-coffee lovers will enjoy this small but mighty donut. Want something a little different? Their “Top O’ the Morning”, is a dark chocolate-filled yeast donut topped with smooth whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings. The filling is thick, rich and unforgettable. Come early to avoid the lines and to make sure you get your flavor of choice before they sell out.

5. Detour Donuts and Coffee

Frisco is a neighboring town to Dallas proper that is growing fast and has a great food scene, and Detour Donuts is the best donut shop in the area. They offer a handful of staple donuts such as their ever-so-popular creme brûlée donut. It’s filled with delicious light custard and topped with a torched sugar glaze– you can almost crack it open with a spoon. What sets Detour apart is that their menu changes all the time, introducing new fun and creative gourmet donuts that often align with the seasons. Pictured is their creme brûlée donut and pumpkin mascarpone fall flavor. Bakers are in every morning at 4 am and make all the donuts from scratch at this small shop that’s only been open for three years. It is a small business, yet houses delicious fancy donuts.

4. Urban Donut

In the heart of Uptown, Urban Donut has fun flavors that will bring you back to your childhood. To add to the fun, many of their staples are named after Dallas neighborhoods and famous streets/avenues. Choose from some of their most popular donuts: “Cerealously” (fruity pebbles), “Urban Circus” (inspired by frosted animal crackers), “Highland Park” (essentially a Girl Scouts Samoa Donut), or “McKinney Avenue” (cookies and cream). Their maple glazed donut is also worth mentioning. If you are more of the creative type, you can design your own donut here. Unique and with a true urban feel, as soon as you walk in you’ll notice exposed brick walls and chalk boards with the instructions of how to build your own donut. The earlier you come, the fresher the donuts- but they are also open until later in the afternoon which sets this shop apart. Among Dallas donuts, these are some of the best you’ll find closest to Downtown.

3. Max’s Donut Shop

Max’s has been around since 1981 and this shop knows how to make amazing donuts. You won’t find fancy, crazy flavors here but these simple flavored donuts are some of the best in the greater-Dallas area. These donuts have a very homemade feel, not overly fussy when it comes to appearance, yet perfect when it comes to the flavor. Their original glazed donut is the best of all donut shops: large with the perfect glaze and wonderful texture (not too light and not too dense), always fresh and just under 60 cents. Their maple bar is perfection, made three times the size of a normal bar, with a generous layer of sweet maple glaze on top. The chocolate glazed donuts are hands down the best chocolate glazed donuts in the Dallas area. Other noteworthy flavors include the old-fashioned cake donut, blueberry cake, and apple fritter. Locals truly love this place which explains why it’s been around for so long. Max’s is worth the trip up to Allen. Be warned– they are usually completely sold out of their original glazed by 11am.

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2. The Salty

Originated in Florida The Salty, located in the Bishop Arts District, debuted this first brick and mortar outside of the Sunshine State in Dallas. They have a limited handful of store fronts and they’re unquestionably one of the best spots for a donut in Dallas. One of our favorite donuts here is the horchata donut. The brioche dough is soaked in homemade horchata for 24 hours, and the bottom is crusted with premium french chocolate, and finally topped with a sweet cinnamon merengue. Every single donut at The Salty is just a detailed and artistic as the horchata donut. Other popular and mouth-watering flavors are dulce de leche churro donut, the brown butter and salt donut, and the Texas chocolate sheet cake donut.

1. Carte Blanche

Bakery by day and fine dining by night, Carte Blanche opened in June 2021. Located in lower Greenville, Carte Blanche is owned and operated by Michelin Starred Chef Casey La Rue, alongside his wife and renowned baker Amy La Rue. From Wednesday to Sunday, the bakery is open in the morning, offering the very best Dallas donuts and pastries. Carte Blanche doesn’t offer a vast variety of donuts daily, but rather weekly offerings of high-end, new flavors that generously sized, fresh and delicious. Their crullers are out of this world, and should never (zero exaggeration) be skipped. The texture of this cruller will almost remind you of a cronut, yet softer and even more appetizing– a true revelation. The orange glazed, salted maple, vanilla bean and chocolate brioche donuts are other excellent choices. Carte Blanche is hands down our favorite spot for the best donuts in Dallas, sending your taste buds straight to heaven.