Canada is known for many things - having a beautiful natural landscape, a nationwide passion for hockey, and producing high-quality maple syrup. Admittedly, most people don’t think about donuts when they think about Canada. But, we’re here to prove that Canada’s donut game is strong and can exceed any donut lover’s expectations. Here are the top eight donut shops in Canada that will leave you coming back for more.
1. Glory Hole Doughnuts (Toronto, Ontario)
Glory Hole is Toronto’s favorite donut shop offering both creative, artisanal creations and traditional flavors. The bakery has done so well that it now has two convenient locations. You can visit the West End location in Parkdale or the East End location in Gerrard.
The menu changes every season to allow for new, fantastic inventions. The current fall and winter seasonal menu includes great winners like the Chai Latte, Milk and Cookies, and Ferrero Rocher. Glory Hole likes to mark its donuts as “filled” or “unfilled.” And, considering its slogan is “what creams are made of,” we insist that you try at least one filled donut when visiting here. Vegans and plant-based folks will be happy to know that Glory Hole always has a handful of vegan donut options on the menu.
2. Cartems (Vancouver, BC)
When a Vancouverite has someone visiting the city for the first time, it’s basically a prerequisite to take them to Cartems. This Vancouver staple has been around for over 10 years and currently has two locations. Cartems is all about using fresh ingredients to produce donuts from scratch. In fact, if you come towards the end of the business day, you might find that the day’s supply of donuts has run out. So - get there early!
Cartems makes yeast and cake donuts, introducing new seasonal flavors and keeping some classics around all year long. The earl grey donut is the best-selling flavor and a must-try. Some other notable flavors are Mango Coconut, Lemon Orange, and Rose Wine.
In typical Vancouver fashion, this donut store has options for people with dietary restrictions. There are vegan and gluten-free donuts available, and any donuts that contain nuts are clearly marked.
3. Jelly Modern (Calgary, Alberta)
Jelly Modern claims that it’s Canada’s original gourmet doughnut bakery cafe. We’ll be honest, we can’t confirm that statement, but we love their passion to “create the best donut anyone in Canada has ever tasted.” This Calgary donut shop takes the classic donut and elevates it to be a beautiful artisan treat. All donuts are made in-house, using organic and local ingredients, and the bakery strives to be as eco-friendly as possible.
Our two current must-try flavors from here are the hand-dipped Madagascar bourbon vanilla and the hand-stuffed s’mores donuts. In fact, why choose between the two? Just get both!
4. Trou de Beigne (Montreal, Quebec)
Montreal is known for good food and Trou de Beigne lives up to expectations with the best donuts in the city. This modern donut shop hand-rolls, fries, and glazes its donuts every morning.
The shop likes to experiment with new flavors every season, so there’s always something new to try. We love the Apple Crumble, Espresso, and Crumb Coffee Cake donuts. And, good news for vegans, there are always a few plant-based donut flavors available!
5. Lee’s Donuts (Vancouver, BC)
Lee’s Donuts has been perfecting gourmet donuts before it was ever a mainstream trend. This small stall located on Vancouver’s Granville Island first opened in 1979. The shop makes simple but delicious handmade donuts made from scratch. In fact, this is Seth Rogan’s favorite donut shop in Vancouver. He claims that the raspberry jelly donut is “the perfect food” in the first episode of the Netflix series Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
Lee’s menu has three categories: yeast, vanilla cake, and chocolate cake. The most popular donut on the menu is the Honey Dip. Some close contenders you have to try are the Jelly filled, Bavarian, Dutch Crumb, and the German Chocolate.
6. Donut Monster (Hamilton, Ontario)
This small donut shop started in 2018 and has seen immediate success since its opening. You can come to Donut Monster for creative yeast-raised donuts, delicious coffee, and decadent milkshakes (available as regular or vegan). The donuts are made from scratch every day and tend to sell out before the day is over.
The menu at Donut Monster is constantly changing, but you have to try the classic Apple Fritter and a seasonal favorite like the Raspberry Peanut Butter Toast.
7. Suzy Q Doughnuts (Ottawa, Ontario)
Suzy Q Doughnuts started as an experiment. The owners went to local farmers' markets and sold their version of Finnish donut known as munkki. After seeing a strong desire for their creations, Suzy Q Doughnuts decided to open up a brick-and-mortar location.
Today, the store focuses on creating creative, delicious donuts that still pay homage to the munkki. Our recommendations here include the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Sugar Munkki Twist, and the Maple Bacon.
8. Fortune Doughnut (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Fortune Doughnut is the pastry king of Nova Scotia. This bakery is run by a team of three women who love taking their creativity and channeling it into tasty donuts. There’s no set menu at Fortune, as it changes and is announced every morning on Instagram and Facebook. (That’s how you know the donuts are truly made fresh every morning!)
They might not be returning to the menu, but to give you an idea of some of the past creations, there’s been the M&M, the Lady Gaga Oreo Showoff, and the Crunchie bar donut.
Need more donut content? Check out our list of The Top 10 Donut Shops in the USA!
Summary:
Indulge your sweet tooth and savor the delightful flavors of Canada with our list of the eight best donut shops in the Great White North. While Canada may be more famous for its natural beauty and maple syrup, its donut game is something to behold. From classic favorites to innovative creations, these shops offer a delicious array of treats that will satisfy any donut lover's cravings. Don't miss the chance to taste some of the finest donuts Canada has to offer.
