The Twin Cities' best doughnuts, according to Axios readers

Axios

09-05-2025

Kyle here. I recently asked Axios readers to share your favorite doughnuts in the Twin Cities — the suggestions … do- nut disappoint.
The big picture: Taken together, your recommendations are a guide to the metro's most beloved doughnuts.
I tried more than 30 creations from the places you suggested just to make sure. (Tough assignment, I know.)
Taking the cake: More readers name-drop Minneapolis skyway favorite Cardigan Donuts (8 votes) than any other spot.
Right behind it are Bogart's (7), Minnetonka's YoYo (7), Golden Valley's Funner Brothers (6), and Minneapolis mainstays Mel-O-Glaze (5) and Glam Doll (4).
The fluffy middle: Prestige doughnut-makers get a lot of reader love, but so do simpler bakeries where a dozen generally costs less than $20:
Donut Hut (7 votes) is a big deal in Little Canada. Megan M. is one of several readers to warn us it regularly sells out fast.
Jeff D. says the buttercream at Northeast's Sarah Jane's Bakery is "otherworldly."
Bloomington's Sunrise serves "classic, simple doughnuts … with excellent execution," Zach D. tells us.
The gooey intrigue: As I suspected, nearly a dozen readers swore the metro's best doughnuts are at grocery stores or gas stations.
Kowalski's, Lunds & Byerlys and Almsted's Market in Crystal all got multiple votes.
What we're all (secretly?) saying: "I frickin' love me a good Holiday crème filled long john!" writes Katie M.
Best bites: My faves from your recs
Here are the 10 reader-recommended baked treats I can't stop thinking about.
What I did: I visited 15 bakeries — every doughnut spot in the metro that at least two readers recommended, minus the big chain grocers and gas stations.
At each place, I bought at least one specialty treat — not always a doughnut — and one staple variety like a plain glazed or a chocolate-frosted cake doughnut.
What I found …
Cardigan's old fashioned doughnut (Minneapolis): "There is only one correct doughnut answer," as Ashley J. recommends. Creamy consistency, pleasant almond finish, strong church basement vibes. $2.85
Bogart's brown butter (Minneapolis & St. Louis Park): Rich toffee notes and fluffy pastry. The fresher the better, so get to the bakeries in St. Louis Park or Minneapolis early. $3.50
The Heights Bakery 's raised glazed (Columbia Heights): A springy, brioche-like crumb that manages to be moist without being oily. $1.60
Plus: The blueberry Bismarck is worth trying just for the fresh-tasting fruit filling.
Funner Brothers' giant doughnut hole (Golden Valley): Frying a ball of dough this massive to get a soft golden exterior and a delicate interior without a hint of doughiness feels like a real achievement. $1.50
Dufner's chocolate with sprinkles (Plymouth): Well-raised dough, golden crust and frosting that balances sweet and bitter cocoa. $1.89
Puffy Cream Donuts Plus ' chocolate Bismarck (Eagan): Rena R. is right to dub them "drive-worthy doughnuts." Finished with powdered sugar, this creation's heart is its silky, whipped filling. $2.59
Donut Star's almond buttercream bar (Burnsville & Lakeville): As decadent as a slice of cake, but light enough for the breakfast nook. $2.50
Donut Hut's chocolate with nuts (Little Canada): The best of the cake doughnuts I tried. Vanilla notes in the dough, savory notes in the nuts. $1.95
Honorable mention: The chocolate-and-nuts from Sunrise Donuts.
Mel-O-Glaze's apple fritter (Minneapolis): I came into this taste test thinking Mel-O-Glaze was overrated for drowning interesting flavors in sugar.
But gosh darnit, their apple fritter was just as Kent K. describes — "big, apple-y and wonderful" — and the glaze wasn't overpowering. Credit where it's due! $3
Baker's Wife 's American tea cake (Minneapolis): Not a doughnut, but the treat I could've kept eating all day. A croissant-like roll frosted with sugar — but not a " cronut." $4.25
Their doughnuts aren't to be missed either, which Jesslyn F. loves because they're sold "at old school bakery prices!"
The fine print: More sweet spots
I focused on spots that at least two readers recommended — which means some worthy places got snubbed from my taste test.