Heights Bakery is a no-frills mom-and-pop bakery on Central Avenue. The cake doughnuts are excellent, but don’t overlook the raised glazed ones, a specialty here. Local favorites include the moist, doughy apple fritters, chocolate-banana glazed doughnuts, and blueberry Bismarcks. Height’s Bakery is budget-friendly, too.

A classic bakery with a little artistic flair, Thirsty Whale’s doughnuts range from the reliable (vanilla sprinkle, glazed raised) to the unexpected (orange cream Old Fashioneds, Bismarcks stuffed with raspberry cream cheese and topped with salty pretzel crunch.) Or go for the “whale-sized” mega doughnuts, which are as big as frisbees.

Dahlia operates as a roving pop-up, so don’t drive out to Robbinsdale and expect to find a bakery here. To snag these artful, square-shaped doughnuts, keep an eye on Dahlia’s website or Instagram for upcoming pop-up dates. Flavors range from chocolate caramel to passionfruit vanilla bean. The creme brulee doughnut, stuffed with banana cream, is lacquered with a shimmering glaze.

A standout panaderia on Lake Street, San Miguel serves a tantalizing, rice pudding-stuffed doughnut. The chewy dough and rich pudding make for excellent combo: This doughnut is delicately sweet, a little heavy in the hand, and more filling than your average mid-day treat. Pair it with a fresh churro or concha to go.

This sweet spot in south Minneapolis bakes doughnuts all through the day. Bogart’s raised doughnuts are made with a rich brioche dough — try one topped with brown butter glaze, or stuffed full of Nutella. Bogarts serves classic cake doughnuts, too. If you’re on the hunt for something extra indulgent, make it a doughnut sundae with a swirl of soft-serve ice cream.

Mel-O-Glaze has been serving classic doughnuts in south Minneapolis for over 70 years. Most are generously topped with sprinkles, from the chocolate-chocolate, cherry, and buttermilk glazed cake doughnuts to the XXL raised doughnuts and long johns. Mel-O-Glaze also makes a gluten-free vanilla cake doughnut, plus treats for dogs and cats.

These signature square-shaped raised doughnuts feature offbeat toppings and clever names, from the Fruity Pebbles-topped Gay 90s to the Old Dirty Bastard, made with chocolate glaze and Oreo crumbles. Many of them are also available as cake doughnuts (half of which are vegan). Find the Donut Trap at local farmers markets during the summer and at a doughnut vending machine (closed Mondays and Tuesdays) between BlackStack Brewery and CanCan Wonderland, and in Rosedale Center.

Tucked into Dragon Star Oriental Foods in St. Paul, Soga Mochi Donut serves a unique hybrid treat. These mochi doughnuts are circular, shaped almost like beads on a bracelet — they’re made chewy and bouncy by the addition of glutinous rice flour, and aren’t too sweet (in the best way). Flavors like matcha, toasted coconut, yaro, and yuzu change week to week.

PJ Murphy’s, a nearly 100-year-old bakery in St. Paul, was renamed La Boulangerie Marguerite in 2020. Stop by for a dazzling mix of French and American-style pastries. Beyond classic raised and cake doughnuts, long johns, and Bismarks, La Boulangerie Marguerite serves decadent fried cinnamon rolls and morning buns made with a flaky croissant dough.

Mojo Monkey’s tiny shop serves unique, ever-changing flavors on the weekends. While this St. Paul shop’s inventive toppings are often a conversation starter, so is the art of its phenomenal dough — for baking nerds, at least. Don’t overlook the old fashioned doughnuts, which have a satisfying tang from sour cream in the batter. Or go for beignets, fritters, or Bismarks.

A mainstay of Cesar Chavez Avenue in St. Paul, Don Panchos Bakery serves some excellent raised doughnuts — from a pillowy, classic doughnut dusted with fine layer of sugar, to a chocolate glazed donut decorated with sprinkles. Stop by for dessert after lunch at El Burrito Mercado, and grab a slice of tres leches cake to take home.