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The Best Donuts in Toronto, 2022

I always appreciate it when I walk into a Zen monastery and I see a monk has taken their calligraphy brush and crafted a perfect circle in jet black ink on rice paper, now hanging on the wall. It reminds me of donuts. Donuts are the way. So during the many lockdowns of the past year, your Guide did diligent research to identify and rank the best donuts in Toronto. There is some subjectivity in the rankings. Your list of the best donuts in Toronto might differ from my list of the best donuts. I’m willing to debate it over donuts and arm wrestling.

Honourable Mentions

Glory Hole Doughnuts

This shop gets bonus points for the daring name. With two shops, one on Queen West and the other on Gerard, out by The Beaches, Glory Hole makes big, show-stopper donuts in creative flavours. Grab a box and take them to Trinity Bellwoods Park to share or just sit in Graffiti Alley and eat the box alone while appreciating the street art.

Locations:

1596 Queen St W and 1505 Gerrard St E.

Both open 9 to 6 on weekdays, and 10 to 5 on weekends.

gloryholedoughnuts.com

A donut covered in chocolate and swirls of marshmallow icing with graham cracker crumbs around the edge
A S'mores donut from Glory Hole Donuts

Isabella’s Mochi Donut Boutique

Mochi (rice dough) donuts are crisp on the outside and have a fluffy, chewy inside. It’s like savouring a cloud. These donuts will probably appeal most to people that enjoy mochi. Although, if you’ve never had mochi before, a maple glazed mochi donut from Isabella’s might be the perfect introduction. They’re not as overpoweringly sweet as some donuts can be (for some people that are not me). 

Locations:

2066 Queen St East open everyday 11 to 5

4 St Patrick St open everyday 11 to 6

607 Bloor St W open everyday 12 to 7

isabellasdonuts.com

 

An ube mochi donut with a hint of pandan in the cream
Maple-glazed mochi donut sitting on a table with a drawing of a happy person
A maple-glazed mochi donut from Isabella's Donuts

Bloomer’s

More than just excellent donuts. Bloomer’s has two locations that make a range of delicious vegan baked goods and meals, in addition to their wonderful vegan donut pillows of joy. The specialize in flavour combinations I can best describe as beautiful: rose pistachio, cranberry orange, London fog, peanut butter cup… The Bloor location is only a few blocks from our grand prize winner, Machino Donuts (also vegan), and they’re right by Christie Pits Park. Your Guide strongly encourages you to get donuts from both and do a taste test showdown in the park with your friends.

Locations:

873 Bloor St W

715 Queen St W

Both locations open everyday, 9 to 7

bloomersto.com

Chalkboard sign for Bloomer's that mentions they have donuts, cakes, bagels, cookies and so much more!
You can get an entire meal at Bloomer's
Display case full of Bloomer's vegan donuts. Rose pistachio and London Fog donuts are visible in the foreground
Simply gazing at the display case of Bloomer's vegan donuts is nourishing for the soul.

Runner-Ups

Harry & Heels California Donuts

I sometimes share my donuts and when I gave one of Harry & Heels’ to a friend, they described it as the “Platonic ideal of a donut”. You won’t see a lot of unusual flavours here. They’re about perfecting the classic donuts and they pull it off. These remind me of donuts my grandparents would pick up from a bakery when they came to visit. That bakery was eventually replaced by a Tim Horton’s. If there’s one donut at Harry & Heels you absolutely must try, it’s the blueberry jelly-filled. Like shoving your face in the most incredible blueberry pie you’ve ever tasted. Even the powdered sugar tastes special. There’s a light crispness to the outside of the dough. And the blueberry filling should be in a dictionary.

Location:

832 Dundas St W unit b

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 12 to 5. It’s located a block away from the tacos de birria of Fonda Balam, so if you want the most delicious picnic dinner ever, hit up both. You need to time it right, though, as Fonda Balam opens at 4pm, just an hour before Harry and Heels closes.

harryandheelsdonuts.com

The logo for Harry and Heels California Donuts, showing a caveman with his arms full of donuts, chased by another caveman.
Harry and Heels' logo features an illustration of your Guide
A variety of six of Toronto's best donuts in a box, with pink sprinkles, a yellow one, one covered in white icing with chocolate drizzles, a chocolate donut, a powdered jelly-stuffed, and a chocolate covered Boston cream
That's the blueberry jelly-filled in the top right corner—one of the best donuts in Toronto

COPS Coffee and Doughnuts

As we conducted our donut research, several people mentioned COPS as their favourite. But nobody told me they were MINI donuts. So when I ordered 18 donuts, six of each of their flavours, I believed I was getting a massive box of big donuts. When a small box arrived, I was momentarily skeptical, until I smelled what was inside. And then when I reached into grab one, and it was still warm and oh, so soft, I was sold. They’re fun and delicious. Each morsel is a flavour and texture journey of joy. Don’t be afraid to order 18. You can eat a box with a spoon. COPS has two consistent flavours: a cinnamon sugar and a sour cream glaze, and then there’ll be a weekly feature flavour. 

Locations:

4 Matilda Street

445 Adelaide Street W. (entrance on Morrison St)

Both locations open everyday of the week from 9am to 11pm

eatcops.com

A hand reaches into a box of 18 mini donuts
You can just use a spoon to eat COPS' donuts.

Grand Prize Best Donuts in Toronto

Machino Donuts

I remember the first time I had a donut from Machino that transported me to another world. I’d ordered a pack of six, baker’s choice, so I had no idea what was coming. One of the donuts was a mango lassi filled donut bigger than my fist. I didn’t expect much. Maybe a lot of cake with some mango-flavoured cream inside. But no. It was so much more. I bit into that and it was like biting into a croissant wrapped around the ripest, juiciest mango. It was like being on a mango planet washed in a shower of perfect sunshine. And every Machino donut I’ve had since then has been an equally otherworldly experience unique and perfect to the flavours of that particular donut.

It is definitely one of the most creative donut shops in Toronto. I’m so impressed by how the variety of new flavours Machino creates and how they nail the flavours every time, even with such range in styles. Impeccable fritters with sugary crunchy crevices, jellyfilled balloons of amazement, light and flaky cronuts, and toppings that layer together flavours and textures to make you believe you really are eating a S’more, or a Snickers bar, or a torched crème brulée. On top of all of this, they are VEGAN. They’ve made me believe other donut shops are actually holding themselves back by not going vegan.

The only other thing to add is that: because Machino Donuts is the best donut shop in Toronto, they do sell out most days. So buy early, and buy lots.

Location:

823 Bloor St W

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm (or sold out)

machinodonuts.com

A Smores donut with torched mini marshmallows on top of chocolate icing and marshmallow cream is bursting out of the side of the donut
A S'mores donut from Machino. Campfire sold separately.
The storefront for Machino Donuts, with bikes parked in front. It is a small shop and the sign spanning the width of the store, over the window and door says: VEGAN DONUTS
You'll only want vegan donuts after Machino Donuts
A Snickers fritter donut with caramel swirls, chocolate icing, and nuts sprinkled on top, with a park visible in the background
The Snickers fritter from Machino. Any of their creative fritter creations will be the best fritter-style donut you've ever tasted.

An important note:

Science is never finished. There are donut shops in Toronto I have not tried. And thankfully, there are more donut shops opening all of the time. If you do not see your donuts in this list and you believe they should be, please do get in-touch and I will be thrilled to try your donuts the next time I’m in Toronto.

In donuts we trust.

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