The ultimate guide to the best doughnuts in Charlotte
Doughnuts were all the rage in Charlotte a couple of years ago, with super-popular pop-up shops and food trucks leading to brick-and-mortar stores that rose on seemingly every corner.
The craze has been put on the cooling rack recently (only to be replaced by rolled ice cream and cookie dough, apparently) but Charlotte still loves a good doughnut. (Who doesn’t, really?)
If you’re looking to go beyond Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme (which we also love), here’s a list of our favorite local doughnut shops. If we missed your favorite, let us know in the comments.
(1) Your Mom’s Donuts
11025 Monroe Road, Matthews; 217 North Hayne St., Monroe; 4205 Park Road, Charlotte (Park Road Shopping Center); 605-B Jetton St., Davidson (sharing a space with Carolina Craft Butchery)
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Your Mom’s Donuts (@yourmoms_donuts) on Oct 30, 2018 at 5:10am PDT
Price: $3.25-$3.75 each; $16.50 for a half dozen; $27 for a dozen. Mini-doughnuts are $2 each and cinnamon rolls are $3.75.
Need to know: If you want to get your hands on Your Mom’s signature square doughnuts, get there early — once the shop sells out, it closes. Owner Courtney Buckley is passionate about using local ingredients and even bought her own farm. Whatever Buckley is doing is working because Your Mom’s has added two new locations in just the past couple of months. You can find favorites like salted caramel and cinnamon sugar with cream cheese buttercream icing at the storefronts in Matthews, Park Road Shopping Center, Monroe and Davidson, and at the Davidson Farmers’ Market on Saturdays in season.
(2) Reigning Doughnuts
3120 N. Davidson St., Charlotte
Price: $1.20 each; $13 for a dozen (cards only, no cash).
Need to know: This tiny but mighty shop opened late last year as a walk-up window right behind Growlers Pourhouse in NoDa. And it’s owned by Jeff Tonidandel, who knows a thing or two about good food as the owner of Growlers, Crepe Cellar, and Haberdish. Flavors range from cinnnamon sugar and chocolate icing, to lemon icing with poppy seeds and hot sauce with crunchy skins.
(3) Duck Donuts
1710 Kenilworth Ave. Suite 220, Charlotte; 9931 Rose Commons Drive, Huntersville.
Price: $1.40 each; $7.50 for a half-dozen; $13.50 for a dozen.
Need to know: Named after the quaint Outer Banks town where you’ll find its flagship shop, Duck Donuts now has locations all over the country, including two in the Charlotte area. Choose from one of their featured doughnuts or seasonal assortments, or go hog-wild creating your own flavors.
(4) MJ Donuts
325 S Polk St., Pineville
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Noell FitExpert (@noellyanikfitness) on Jun 29, 2018 at 5:44am PDT
Price: $.95-$2 each, depending on what you get.
Need to know: This old-school, no-frills doughnut shop in Pineville gives you a side of doughnut holes when you order a dozen doughnuts. Do we really need to say more? We already called it the best doughnut shop in town in 2015.
(5) SUGAR Donuts
11914 Elm Lane, Charlotte
View this post on InstagramA post shared by SUGAR. Handmade Gourmet Donuts (@sugarhgdonuts) on Jun 9, 2017 at 4:59am PDT
Price: $2-$4 each, depending on the flavor; $15 for a half dozen; $28 for a dozen.
Need to know: SUGAR started as a food truck before Kathi Alexander and Cassmer Ward opened the retail location in Ballantyne in 2015. The menu changes weekly so check the website, and SUGAR also offers savory breakfast sandwiches for those missing a sweet tooth.
(6) Suarez Bakery
4245 Park Road, Charlotte
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Suárez Bakery (@suarezbakery) on Oct 20, 2018 at 4:02pm PDT
Price: $1.25-$4 each, depending on what you get. Doughnut holes start at $0.49 each.
Need to know: While not doughnut-specific, the Park Road Shopping Center favorite belongs on this list. The bakery offers about 10 doughnuts, ranging from the vegan Classic Glazed to the Cinnamon Twist to the popular message doughnuts — AND they offer doughnut cakes, like the one pictured above. Suarez also offers rotating special flavors on Saturday.
(7) Move That Dough Baking Co.
11212 Providence Road West, Charlotte; 12807 S. Tryon St., Charlotte
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Kacie Smagacz (@movethatdoughbakingco) on Nov 5, 2018 at 5:44am PST
Price: $3.50 each; $10 for three; $20 for a half-dozen; $35 for a dozen.
Need to know: Move That Dough doesn’t have a permanent storefront for its vegan, plant-based doughnuts but you can find them in various locations around town (like The People’s Market in Dilworth and Central Coffee in Plaza Midwood) or you can special order a batch by emailing Movethatdoughbakingco@gmail.com. Find details on flavors and locations on Move That Dough’s Instagram page.
(8) Pepperbox Doughnuts
No permanent location yet, but plans to open in South End’s Design Center of the Carolinas
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Pepperbox Doughnuts (@pepperbox_doughnuts) on Oct 16, 2018 at 11:34am PDT
Price: $3-$4 each
Need to know: Until Pepperbox opens its permanent location in South End, you can find these vegan-friendly doughnuts in locations like Tip Top Daily Market, Lenny Boy Brewing and Red Clay Ciderworks. (See the upcoming schedule here.) The menu rotates often, but crowd-pleasers include Rhubarb Vanilla Bean, Blackberry Candied Kiwi and Mexican Hot Chocolate.
(9) Whisk + Wood
In coffee shops and at events around the city
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Whisk & Wood Bakery (@whiskandwood) on Feb 4, 2016 at 4:49pm PST
Price: Varies
Need to know: Christina Layden has been delivering her cookies, scones, loaves, doughnuts and muffins to coffee shops around Charlotte since 2014. You’ll want to check Instagram to see where you can get your hands on Whisk + Wood, but common stops include Trade and Lore in NoDa, Hex Coffee, Not Just Coffee in Atherton Mill and Brakeman’s Coffee in Matthews.
Looking for something a little outside the beltline? Don’t miss:
- Downtown Donuts, Concord
- OMG Donuts & Bakery, Concord
- Sweet Dough, Fort Mill
- The Donut House, Indian Trail
Honorable mention
No doughnut list would be complete without mentioning the One Pound Doughnut at Stoke Charlotte Uptown, though you should probably share that with a friend (or three) and wash it down with a cocktail.
Photos: CharlotteFive file, Sugar, Suarez Bakery, Rise, Stoke
This story was originally published November 8, 2018 at 12:03 AM with the headline "The ultimate guide to the best doughnuts in Charlotte."