The city’s top 20 doughnuts
Our artery-exploring ranking of the city's best doughnuts
1 Lord Emma’sof the Country Rings KitChEn
This brunch hot spot makes the city’s best doughnuts. (In fact, Emma’s co-owner Rachel Pellett once competed on the reality series Donut Showdown and won.) We’re partial to her Crunchie-inspired creation, a chocolate-dipped doughnut topped with melt-in-your-mouth shards of sponge toffee. $3. 810 St. Clair Ave. W., 416-652-3662.
2 GLory Toast hoLe With DouGhnutSthe Most
Breakfast will never be the same after a bite of Glory Hole’s signature toast-and-butter creation. It’s topped with brownbutter frosting, a skiff of cinnamon and a smattering of sweet breadcrumbs. $3.50. 1596 Queen St. W., 647-352-4848.
5 Mini White but LiLy Mighty Diner
The petite doughnuts here range from classic (maple dip) to contemporary (vanilla chai). The chocolate dip, with an airy dough and just enough dark chocolate ganache to satisfy a sweet tooth, is our favourite. $4.50 for two. 678 Queen St. E., 416-901-7800.
6 Too SoreLLe Pretty anD to Co. Dunk
These gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free vegan doughnuts taste way less virtuous than they are—and the orange-blueberry looks like it belongs in an art gallery. $3.95. 176 Yonge St.; 1050 Rutherford Rd., Vaughan, 905-303-1073.
8 GimmeJeLLy MoDern S’more
This work of art—filled with house-made marshmallow cream, covered in a milk-chocolate ganache and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs—tastes like summer, minus the mosquitoes. $2.75. 376 College St.; 181 Bay St., 416-962-2053.
3 SpanishBar raval Affair
Doughnuts don’t spring to mind when we think of Catalan cuisine. Crema catalana, however, is one of its specialities, and Bar Raval honours the dessert with a ball of dough filled with lightly sweet custard. $4. 505 College St.
4 von Swirl Doughnuts Power
These yeasted rounds are among the puffiest in town. The crème brûlée is Von’s top seller, but our pick is the blueberry-lime streusel for its fine balance between classic construction and gonzo excess. $2.85. 713 Danforth Ave., 416-901-8663.
7 the Spin rollingDoctor Pin
This sprinkled strawberry confection has a frizzy cotton candy wig to send it soaring into the sweetness stratosphere. $3.25. 3429 Yonge St., 416-691-4554.
9 Cheese BoutiqueNut Job
One of these Nutella-filled bomba is the most joy you can buy in this city for under a buck. Each is a perfect three bites, and the house-made hazelnut deliciousness isn’t as sweet as the store-bought stuff. $0.85. 45 Ripley Ave., 416-762-6292.
10 Hole-yla CuBanaMoly
Happiness is a bowl of La Cubana’s deep-fried, sugar-dusted doughnut holes. They’re served with chantilly cream and caramel for dunking. $6 for six. 392 Roncesvalles Ave., 416-538-7500.
11 Cruller P.G. Intentions CluCks
The marquee says “fried chicken sandwiches,” but the delicate honey cruller deserves a shout-out. Hedonists can order their chicken on one from P.G.’s “secret” menu. $2.50. 610 College St., 647-925-2226.
12 MousseFat PashaTrap
Fat Pasha makes these Hanukkah treats year-round: the beignet-like bundles are dusted with cinnamon sugar, filled with whipped cream and served on a chocolate mousse bed. $10. 414 Dupont St., 647-342-0356.
13 Boozy Bruncher Beast
Brunch is always better with doughnuts and booze, so here’s a two-for-one: a brown-butter doughnut with a kick from frosting that’s had a few glugs of rye. $3.96. 96 Tecumseth St., 647-352-6000.
14 Freaky Fryday throuGh BeinG Cool
The vegan Reverse Boston Cream doughnut at TBC sports a light vanilla glaze and a milkshake-thick, tofu-based chocolate filling. $3.25. 1277 Bloor St. W., 416-998-3321.
15 littleI, DoughnutniCky’s CoFFeeRobot
The café’s Donut Robot spits tiny rings onto a conveyor belt that drops them into a vat of cinnamon sugar. $2.75 for six. 375 Queen St. W., 416-260-0500.
16 D’ohnut aPieCalyPse noW
Imagine Wonder Bread slathered in hot-pink icing, and that pretty much sums up Apiecalypse Now’s vegan, Simpsons-inspired dessert. $2.50. 735 Bloor St. W., 416-516-4555.
17 Pucker Up sanremo Bakery
You have to take a number at this perennially busy Italian bakery in Etobicoke—but their mouth-puckering lemon meringue doughnut is worth the wait. $1.80. 374 Royal York Rd., 416-255-2808.
18 janChenko’sPlum RewardsBakery
Go early in the morning to this Bloor West Village bakery, long known as Anna’s, and the plum-filled ponchiki are served, still warm, in a paper bag. $1. 2394 Bloor St. W., 416-769-8065.
19 Bovine CaPlansky’s Intervention
Leave it to deli king Zane Caplansky to make dessert meaty. His buttermilk balls are studded with nuggets of beef bacon. $4 for three. 156 Cumberland Ave., 416-967-7676.
20 tori’s Think BakeshoP Pink
This vanilla cake doughnut may look like other pink rings, but it’s healthier: organic, vegan, gluten-free and baked—and it’s still crave-worthy. $3. 2188 Queen St. E., 647-350-6500.