6 Restaurant Chains With the Best Deep-Fried Donuts

Donuts, also spelled as doughnuts, are an international favorite. The pastry is made from leavened fried dough with lots of sugar, frosting, glaze, and sprinkles. No, donuts aren’t very good for you, but many find them a delicacy. Where can you get the best deep-fried donuts? Here are 6 restaurant chains with the best, according to customers.

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme / Facebook

Krispy Kreme is famous for hot glazed donuts fried fresh all day. Per multiple fans, “only if you get them hot off the conveyor belt,” a Redditor says, are they the best. “This is the correct answer. There is only one peak donut to rule all donuts and this is it,” another agrees.

Federal Donuts

Federal Donuts

I am not a huge fan of donuts, but I can never resist a donut from the Philadelphia chain Federal Donuts, opened in 2011 by five trailblazers, including James Beard Award-winning restaurateurs Chef Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook. The dense and delicious donuts come in the most innovative flavors, with both hot (made-to-order!) and cold options, and the chain also serves delicious hand-battered fried chicken. “Stopped in this morning on my to work after I heard they soft opened and BABY the Cinnamon donuts are AMAZING! So soft and warm they just melt in your mouth. And that chicken sandwich 😩 is 100x better than Chic Fil-A the first time you had it! They could really put them out of business! I might go back tomorrow,” writes a Google reviewer.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

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Duck Donuts

Duck Donuts / Facebook

“Duck donuts are awesome,” a Redditor suggests. Our reviewer, Megan Hageman, taste-tested Duck Donuts and was a fan, maintainting that it is “All it’s quacked up to be. It’s not your typical doughnut. Instead, it’s more of a vanilla cupcake and doughnut mash-up with a moist interior and lightly crisped outer coating. It’s sweet all by itself. However, it ascends to another level when submerged in its icing bath–which, by the way, reminds me of the vanilla glaze you find packaged alongside frozen toaster strudels. If cake doughnuts are your end-all, be-all, then these glazed doughnuts will likely top your list. And I certainly think they should be viewed as a feather in the chain’s cap. But, there were a few offerings that dazzled me even more,” she wrote.

Daylight Donuts

Daylight Donuts

Daylight Donuts is beloved for its classic fried cake and yeast donuts that are made fresh. “Daylight Donuts are the bomb bay IMO,” one person says. “I didn’t think anything could top Krispy Kreme. I really didn’t. But, holy heaven, these Daylight rounds sure give the multinational chain a run for its money. Its two glazed offerings are similar. I compared them side-by-side—quite literally, with Daylight in one hand and Krispy Kreme in the other—and found both to be equally delectable in dough and icing. The only area where Daylight’s glazed pulls ahead is when it comes to texture. It boasts more body and fluff, giving it some extra oomph and giving you, the customer, more to love. For these reasons, the shop won my heart and the title of glazed doughnut gold medalist,” Hageman raved about them.

I Tried the Glazed Donuts From 5 Popular Chains & the Best Had Extra Body and Fluff

Dunkin

Facebook / Dunkin Donuts

While Dunkin’ isn’t considered the best donut chain, they are an honorable mention as it is the biggest purveyor of the baked goods worldwide. Many customers recommend ordering the Muchkins over the OG donuts. “I can’t say no to their donut holes,” one Redditor says.

Shipley’s

Shipley

Texas-based Shipley’s was mentioned in multiple Reddit feeds. “Shipleys is the best. Their glazed donuts are so warm and soft. I will die on this hill,” writes a Redditor. “A regular glazed donut from Shipley is magic. Especially if they’re fresh and warm. The use of potato flour in the donut is game changing texture wise and no one does it like Shipley,” says another. “Ayeee Shipley’s gang. They’re top tier and 9 times out of ten the glazed are fresh and warm. Eating one right now,” yet another agrees.