If you want the best donuts in NYC, start with Doughnut Plant for gourmet flavors, Kora for Filipino-inspired treats, and Peter Pan Donut for old-school classics. New York has close to 400 donut shops, so picking the right one can feel overwhelming. This guide breaks down the top spots, prices, and what to order, using the latest 2025–2026 updates.

What Makes NYC Donuts Special

NYC’s donut story goes back further than most people think. In 1673, a Dutch woman named Anna Joralemon opened what is considered America’s first donut shop in the city, selling fried “olykoek” or oil cakes.

Since then, the city has built one of the most diverse donut scenes in the country. You’ll find century-old classics next to brand-new vegan bakeries, all within a short subway ride.

Today’s NYC donut scene mixes old-school shops like Peter Pan (open since 1953) with modern names like Kora and Randy’s Donuts. This blend of history and innovation is what makes the search for the best donuts in NYC so fun.

Top 10 Donut Shops in NYC

Here are the shops that show up again and again in trusted 2025–2026 guides and reviews.

Shop	Neighborhood	Signature Item	Price Range	Hours
Doughnut Plant	Lower East Side, UES, LIC	Tres Leches, Blackout	$$	~7am–9pm daily
Peter Pan Donut	Greenpoint, Brooklyn	Red Velvet	$	4:30am–6pm daily
Kora	Sunnyside, Queens	Ube Fried Brioche	$$	Wed–Sun 7:30am–4pm
The Donut Pub	Chelsea, Manhattan	Crullers	$	24/7
Cloudy Donut Co.	Brooklyn Heights, Nolita	Vegan flavors	$$	Fri–Sun only
Randy’s Donuts	Greenwich Village	Classic glazed	$$	Varies
Dun-Well Doughnuts	Bushwick, Brooklyn	Pistachio, vegan	$$	8am–6pm
Daily Provisions	Multiple locations	Maple Cruller	$$	7am–9pm
The Doughnut Project	West Village	Seasonal flavors	$$	8am–6pm
Supermoon Bakehouse	East Village, Soho, Bushwick	Viral pastries	$$	Varies

Doughnut Plant is famous for its square, filled donuts, a shape founder Mark Isreal introduced in 1994. Peter Pan Donut, meanwhile, has stayed a Greenpoint favorite for over 70 years, run for decades by the Siafakas family.

Best Donuts by Category

Different shops win in different ways, so here’s a quick cheat sheet for what to order and where.

• Best Overall: Ube Fried Brioche at Kora
• Best Classic: Red Velvet at Peter Pan
• Best Gourmet: Tres Leches at Doughnut Plant
• Best Vegan: Rotating flavors at Cloudy Donut
• Best Cruller: Maple Cruller at Daily Provisions
• Best Late-Night: The Donut Pub, open 24/7
• Best for Tourists: Square filled donuts at Doughnut Plant
• Best Instagram-Worthy: The purple ube donut at Kora

If you only have time for one stop, pick the category that matters most to you and head there first.

Best Donuts by Borough

You don’t need to cross the whole city to find great donuts — each borough has its own standouts.

Manhattan: Doughnut Plant (Lower East Side and Upper East Side), The Donut Pub (Chelsea), The Doughnut Project (West Village), Cloudy Donut (Nolita), Randy’s Donuts (Greenwich Village).

Brooklyn: Peter Pan Donut (Greenpoint), Dun-Well Doughnuts (Bushwick), Brooklyn Doughnutry (Bedford-Stuyvesant), Cloudy Donut (Brooklyn Heights), Supermoon Bakehouse (Bushwick).

Queens: Kora (Sunnyside), Doughnut Plant (Long Island City), Fan Fan Doughnuts (Chinatown, Manhattan side note: this one’s actually in Chinatown, not Queens, so treat it as a bonus stop).

Bronx: Pandora Bakery makes and supplies donuts to many NYC street carts, producing thousands by hand each day.

Dietary-Specific Options

Good news: you don’t have to skip donuts if you’re vegan, gluten-free, or keeping kosher.

Vegan donuts: Cloudy Donut Co. is fully vegan, with weekend-only shops in Brooklyn Heights and Nolita. Doughnut Plant also makes a vegan “sourdoughnut,” and Dun-Well Doughnuts offers vegan choices too.

Gluten-free donuts: Dun-Well Doughnuts has gluten-free options, and Doughnut Plant offers them at select locations. It’s smart to call ahead since availability can change.

Kosher donuts: Options are limited across the city. If this matters to you, it’s best to check directly with local kosher bakeries rather than relying on general donut guides.

What to Order: Signature Flavors Explained

Not sure what to pick once you’re in line? Here’s a quick guide to the flavors everyone talks about.

• Tres Leches (Doughnut Plant): A soft donut soaked in a milky, custard-like glaze.
• Ube Fried Brioche (Kora): A purple, slightly sweet donut made with ube, a Filipino purple yam.
• Blackout (Doughnut Plant): A rich chocolate donut inspired by the classic Brooklyn Blackout Cake.
• Red Velvet (Peter Pan): A classic red velvet cake donut with cream cheese notes.
• Maple Cruller (Daily Provisions): A light, twisted pastry glazed with real maple.
• Crème Brûlée (Doughnut Plant): Said to be the world’s first crème brûlée donut, with a crackly caramelized top.

Trying two or three of these on one visit is a great way to compare NYC’s different donut styles.

Where to Find 24-Hour Donuts in NYC

The Donut Pub in Chelsea is the go-to for round-the-clock donuts. It’s been open 24/7 and is known for reliable crullers any time of day or night.

Some Dunkin’ locations, including one on Broadway, also stay open 24 hours if you need a quick, familiar option late at night.

How Much Do Donuts Cost in NYC?

Most specialty donuts in NYC cost between $3 and $6 each. Old-school spots like Peter Pan tend to be more affordable, around $2 to $4 per donut.

Gourmet shops like Doughnut Plant and Kora sit at the higher end, usually $5 to $7 each. If you’re planning for a group, budgeting around $5 per person is a safe estimate at most specialty shops.

Best Time to Visit (Avoid Sell-Outs)

Popular shops like Kora and Supermoon Bakehouse make donuts in small batches and can sell out early. Visiting before 11 a.m. gives you the best shot at getting your first-choice flavor.

Weekend-only spots like Cloudy Donut only operate Friday through Sunday, so always double-check hours on Google Maps or Instagram before you go.

Neighborhood Donut Crawl Ideas

Pairing nearby shops makes for an easy, walkable donut tour. A few combinations worth trying:

1. Lower East Side + West Village: Doughnut Plant, then The Doughnut Project.
2. Greenpoint + Bushwick: Peter Pan Donut, then Dun-Well Doughnuts.
3. Sunnyside + Long Island City: Kora, then Doughnut Plant’s LIC location.

Each of these routes takes under an hour by subway and lets you compare styles side by side.

Latest Openings and Updates (2025–2026)

The NYC donut scene keeps changing, and a few recent updates are worth knowing before you plan a trip.

• Doughnut Plant is opening a new Upper East Side location at 1285 1st Ave in 2026.
• Randy’s Donuts opened its first Greenwich Village shop at 185 Bleecker St in December 2025.
• Kora was named Queens’ Best Bakery 2025 by the Queens Chamber of Commerce, growing from a home kitchen to a Sunnyside storefront.
• Cloudy Donut Co. continues running weekend-only vegan shops in Brooklyn Heights and Nolita.
• Peter Pan Donut’s longtime owner, Donna Siafakas, passed away in July 2026, but the shop remains open, still NYC’s oldest continuously running donut shop since 1953.
• Duck Donuts closed its Selden, NY location in 2026, part of a wider round of closures outside the city.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few small missteps can turn a donut trip into a disappointment. Watch out for these:

• Going to generic chain shops instead of iconic local spots
• Arriving too late in the day and missing sold-out favorites
• Assuming every shop is the same, when styles actually vary a lot
• Skipping weekend-only shops on a weekday visit
• Ordering a plain glazed donut instead of the shop’s signature item
• Forgetting that gourmet donuts cost more than chain prices

Expert Tips for the Best Experience

A little planning goes a long way when chasing the best donuts in NYC.

1. Start with Doughnut Plant for the classic NYC gourmet donut experience.
2. Visit Peter Pan before 10 a.m. for the freshest donuts and shortest lines.
3. Pair Kora’s ube donut with their ube latte for a full flavor pairing.
4. Try The Donut Pub late at night for a quieter, classic 24/7 experience.
5. Order ahead for groups, since shops like Doughnut Plant and The Donut Pub accept bulk orders.
6. Follow shops on Instagram for flavor drops and sell-out alerts.
7. Bring cash, since some old-school spots like Peter Pan may prefer it.

FAQs

What is the #1 donut shop in NYC? Doughnut Plant is frequently ranked as the top gourmet donut shop, known for its Tres Leches and Blackout flavors. Kora is also highly rated, especially for its ube donut.

Are there vegan donuts in NYC? Yes. Cloudy Donut Co. is fully vegan and operates weekend-only shops in Brooklyn Heights and Nolita. Doughnut Plant also offers a vegan sourdoughnut.

Where can I get 24-hour donuts in NYC? The Donut Pub in Chelsea is open 24/7. Some Dunkin’ locations also stay open around the clock.

What is the oldest donut shop in NYC? Peter Pan Donut & Pastry Shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn has run continuously since 1953.

Where can I find Filipino donuts in NYC? Kora in Sunnyside, Queens specializes in Filipino-inspired flavors like ube fried brioche and leche flan donuts.

How much do donuts cost in NYC? Most donuts cost $3 to $6 each. Old-school shops run cheaper, while gourmet shops charge $5 to $7.

Which donut shops deliver in NYC? Treat Day NYC offers delivery from select bakeries. Some shops may also be available through Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub.