THE MORE YOU UNDERSTAND HER WORLD, THE MORE POSSIBILITIES YOU SEE.

CONNECTICUT DOUGHNUTS COME IN THE MOST TRADITIONAL TO THE MORE AVANT-GARDE, UNEXPECTED GOURMET FLAVORS.

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Who doesn’t love a great doughnut? Connecticut has welcomed a bunch of new and creative shops in the past several months, so we’re revisiting some of the state’s best.

We’ve picked a “baker’s dozen” Nutmeg State doughnut shops (with a few extra honorable mentions), ranging from the most traditional, timeless styles to the more avant-garde with unexpected gourmet flavors.

Neil’s Donuts

Wallingford and Middletown neilsdonuts.com

Neil’s expanded to Middletown in October, adding a sibling to its original Wallingford location, which opened in 2001. Five months later, the shop’s doughnuts were named Connecticut’s best by Food & Wine magazine, with writer David Landsel praising its old-fashioneds, cream-filled varieties and seasonal pumpkin and apple flavors.

Deviant Craft Coffee & Donuts

27 Coogan Blvd. (Olde Mistick Village), Mystic

860-415-5045, deviantdonuts.com

Deviant’s doughnuts are elaborate, creative and innovative, highly sought after and perfectly poised for Instagram photos. The intricate doughnuts often follow themed weeks, with recent pink, red and heartadorned Valentine’s varieties; an all-vegan menu in early March; a “wanderlust” lineup with internationally inspired recipes and a Harry Potter menu, with “Hedwig” and “butterbeer” flavors.

Also in Mystic: Check out Young Buns, scratch doughnuts from the owners of Sift Bake Shop, with a signature Mystic Cream: yeast doughnut with vanilla bean pastry cream, pistachios, sea salt and chocolate ganache. [youngbunsdoughnuts.com.]

At Nana’s Bakery & Pizza, sourdough doughnuts are fried to order, and there’s even a savory cacio e pepe version. [nanasct.com]

Donut Crazy

Multiple locations (Branford, New Haven, Shelton, Stratford,

A plate of donuts at the Lakeside Diner on Long Ridge Road in Stamford. — Dru Nadler / Contributed photo

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CONTACTS

EDITOR TinaMarie Craven TinaMarie.Craven@hearstmediact.com LISTINGS CALENDAR

Patricia LaPietra go@ctpost.com

West Hartford, Westport) donutcrazy.com

“Crafted with love, covered in crazy” is Donut Crazy’s motto, and the menu offers daily flavors like glazed, powdered cake, chocolate sprinkle and Boston cream coupled with monthly rotating “crazies.” March’s specials include banana chocolate chip, salted caramel pretzel, mint chocolate brownie and cannoli.

Rise Doughnuts

@ The Schoolhouse at Cannondale (34 Cannon Road, Wilton) instagram.com/risedoughnut The weekly craft doughnut pop-up at The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, available Friday evenings and Saturday and Sunday mornings, has a cult following for its treats, with recent flavors like brown butter vanilla glaze, dark chocolate sea salt, cinnamon sugar, passion fruit, and roasted blackberry glaze.

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Beach Donut Shop

344 E. Main St., Clinton 860-664-5058, Beach Donut

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A shoreline favorite, Beach Donut features handcrafted doughnuts in dozens of flavors, with old-fashioned cake crullers, sour cream, jelly, glazed, chocolate

and strawberry frosted with sprinkles and cinnamon among the favorites.

Dottie’s Diner

787 Main St. S., Woodbury

Idlewild Photo Co. Hot sourdough doughnuts at Nana’s Bakery & Pizza in Mystic are fried to order. A caramel sauce gets its advertised umami flavor from koji, a type of mold used to ferment food.

Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Julie Louizos, right, is photographed with her father, Peter Demetropoulos, left, who is holding her son, Panos, 16 months, and husband, Saki, in front of Whitney Donut & Sandwich Shop in Hamden in August 2020, its 40th year. Julie took over the establishment from her parents.