The Best Donut Shops in Denver and Boulder
Looking for the best donut shop near you? Denver and Boulder have a variety of amazing spots offering old school, new school and even once-a-week, get them before they're gone donuts. If you have a craving, there are plenty of local joints where you can find donut bliss, and our agents will tell you just where to find them.
Before you go, it's always best to have a plan. Once you're in front of a display case of every donut variety imaginable, it's easy to be overwhelmed. Next thing you know, you're strolling out with two boxes and a tiny bit of regret.
Let's break down the basics of what Denver and Boulder donut shops have to offer:
- Yeast / Raised Donuts – Light and tender, these are fluffy sweet pillow-like donuts unless filled with various jellies or some sort of cream or custard.
- Cake Donuts – Denser and cake-like, these moist yet crumby donuts are often glazed or frosted, dunked in powdered sugar, even laden with bacon. Yum!
- Cruller – This delight is a soft and airy with tasty egg-like flavor. And they're easy to spot with a unique shape—twisted and formed into a round ring.
- Fritters – The most famous version is the apple fritter which is an irregularly shaped donut, topped or mixed with fruit, fried to perfection and covered in a sugar glaze.
- Long John – These rectangle-shaped, eclair-esque donuts are yeast-based and dunked in a chocolate frosting, sugar or maple glaze. Some even come filled with cream or custard!
- Old Fashioned – A riff on your standard cake donut, these donuts are identified by their crispy, delicious cracks and edges that are wonderful to nibble on.
Of course, you'll also find donuts topped with all kinds of options from nuts to a suagar/cinnamon mix, plus rainbow or chocolate sprinkles. You might also find a more contemporary donut hybrid, the cronut. This tasty treat combines the flaky, buttery layers of a croissant with the sugary finish of a donut. If you haven't had one yet, it's a must-try.
Hungry? Perfect. Let's get to our recommended list of the best donut shops in Denver and Boulder. All of these have been chosen by our PorchLight agents who not only know buying and selling houses but where to find the yummiest treats in town.
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Lamar's, Multiple Locations
LaMar’s donuts have been described as the ultimate indulgence, purely heaven, tender and airy, sinfully good, fit for kings. And that’s only what some of the nation’s premier restaurant critics have to say. Poll customers and you’ll hear things like large, plump and golden, pleasingly sweet on the somewhat crisp outside, then tender, moist and warm inside with enough of a buttery flavor to make your mouth water in anticipation of the next bite. Hungry yet?
“I have never met a donut I didn’t eat, but Lamar’s in Louisville has the best sour cream old-fashioned ever!” –Sherrie Figueroa, Broker Associate
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Blackbelly Market, Boulder
Exceptional foods must come from exceptional sources. The mission at Blackbelly is that food will always start with seasonal, local Colorado-grown ingredients. In 2014, award-winning Chef Hosea Rosenberg evolved his Boulder catering business, with a food truck and farm, into a brick-and-mortar restaurant. It quickly became an essential local dining destination.
“Their flavors are so unique and they are always filled with some delicious filling. But you have to get here at around 8am on Fridays because they sell out!” –Stephanie Watson, Broker Associate
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The 5280 Donuts, Broomfield
“The 5280 Donuts in Broomfield is a must-visit on a Sunday morning (or Tuesday morning...or Saturday morning) My personal favorite flavor is generally a Boston Cream, but I just love 5280’s mini apple fritters. They are perfectly sweet, apple-y and light and don’t make you feel like you just ate a brick. Highly recommend a visit to The 5280 Donuts!” –Michele Schiavone, Broker Associate
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Yummy's Donut House, Lakewood
Specializing in high-quality ingredients instead of gimmicks, Yummy’s Donut House bakes up mouth-watering tastes and sweet, soft bites of heaven every day. Hand-crafted donut perfection you’ve come to expect at Yummy’s Donut House! Open seven days a week from 6am-2pm.
“Yummy's Donut House at Hampden and Wadsworth is an amazing, old-school shop. No matcha this or ube that, just your standard variety of fresh, high-quality donuts. I always get a bag of donut holes just for the drive home.” –D. Jeffrey, Communications Manager
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Mr. Donuts, Lone Tree
Based on a secret family recipe passed down over years, each donut is carefully crafted in small batches each day by dedicated bakers, then hand-glazed and topped with perfectly balanced flavor combinations. They pay attention to every single detail from humidity to temperature, ensuring a consistent, handmade, and quality product. Start your day off right—with one of their donuts in one hand and a hot cup of fresh coffee in the other!
“It's a small locally owned donut company in Lone Tree with made fresh and delicious donuts made the old school way. Simple and tasty.” –Irina Jenkins, Broker Associate
Even More Great Donut Shops
- Habit Doughnut Dispensary, Five Points
- Motorrad Cafe, Boulder
- OMG Donuts, Arvada
- Wake & Bake, Platt Park
- PureGlazed Donuts, Longmont
About PorchLight's Local Supporting Local Campaign
With 2020 turning our world upside down, we launched this campaign to help support our fellow locally owned businesses whose contributions to our city and lives are immeasurable.
We’re committed to giving all types of businesses, from bookstores to bakeries and barbershops, the spotlight each week. We hope you will join us in giving them your support and helping to sustain their livelihoods and longevity in our community.
Along with being locally owned and operated, PorchLight Real Estate Group is also women-, Jewish- and LGBTQ-owned. And for over 15 years, we’ve provided a personalized and comprehensive approach to buying and selling homes in the greater Denver metro area and Boulder.
