A cultural icon, the doughnut (or donut) is the round symbol of infinite indulgence. Philadelphia’s bakeries and restaurants offer a wide variety of the sweet treats dusted with a sugary blend, stuffed with a variety of sweet surprises or glazed with any number of fantastic flavors.
Local doughnut devotion has risen alongside homegrown maker Federal Donuts, featuring fancy donuts and fried chicken at outposts around the city, but long-standing city bakeries have all but perfected the fried delight.
Below, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite doughnut stops in and around the city that will bring out the inner Homer Simpson in everyone.
Arguably putting Philadelphia on the map for doughnut gourmands, Federal Donuts has solidified their reputation with just two items: doughnuts and fried chicken. But it is the variety of flavors that have locals and visitors alike making the trek to Federal Donuts’ multiple locations (including Pennsport, Rittenhouse, University City and South Street). Choose from doughnuts hot-and-fresh from the fryer then dusted with creative sugar spice blends or the more cake-like fancy varieties in a rotating selection of flavors like cookies and cream, sticky bun and spicy peanut butter and jelly.
Where: Multiple locations, including 1219 S. 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19147
Located in the Reading Terminal Market, Beiler’s offers a wide variety of authentic, homemade Pennsylvania Dutch doughnuts. With up to 40 varieties on display in a mouthwatering showcase, including hand-filled, bacon-covered and apple fritters, you should be prepared to walk away with at least a dozen new doughnut friends. Be sure to browse Beiler’s Bakery across the aisle for handmade sticky buns, rolls and traditional Whoopie Pies.
Where: 51 North 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Since 1947, Frangelli’s Bakery in South Philadelphia has been cranking out fresh-made doughnuts and traditional pastries daily. Each morning, Frangelli’s creates more than 500 doughnuts including hand-glazed and filled doughnuts which the Huffington Post considers among the “Dozen Best Donuts in America”. In recent years, Frangelli’s has branched out from tradition with the creation of the delicious ice cream doughnut, a doughnut halved and filled with a scoop of ice cream; and the Franolli, a monster-sized doughnut filled with fresh cannoli cream and tiny chocolate chips.
Where: 847 West Ritner Street, Philadelphia, PA, USA
A roving food truck devoted to the doughnut, Undrgrnd Donuts makes up for its lack of vowels with a bevy of wild doughnut concoctions. Hot doughnuts can be dunked, dipped or swirled into rotating selection of flavorful combinations like the Wake-Up, with chocolate glaze, espresso dust and a cream swirl; the Captain Kranky, featuring a strawberry glaze topped with Captain Crunch cereal; or The Homer with vanilla glaze, raw sugar and chocolate bacon chunks. Mmmm. Chocolate bacon chunks.
Where: Roving locations in Center City, Philadelphia, PA
A following is steadily growing for the vegan delicacies coming from Dottie’s Donuts, found in select coffee shops throughout the city including Green Line Cafe, HubBub and Elixr. The delicious vegan doughnuts can be found in an ever-changing variety of flavors ranging from classic tastes of cinnamon and sugar, fresh flavors like lemon lavender and out-of-bounds creations like vegan maple bacon. For the latest flavors and locations, click the button below.
Where: Served at multiple locations in Center City, Philadelphia, PA
Walk down 19th between Market and Chestnut Streets and you’ll likely get a whiff of the sweet, century-old European recipes Swiss Haus uses to create their amazing cakes, pastries and cookies. Swiss Haus eschews traditional doughnuts, instead offering the indulgent Swiss Cro-Creme. The flaky doughnut (no relation to the famous Cronut) is made with croissant dough, rolled in cinnamon-sugar then filled with pastry creme.
Where: 35 South 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA
First opened in Montgomery County in 1955, Suzy-Jo Donuts has been making handmade, affordable doughnuts ever since. Doughnuts start at just over $1 a piece and feature tasty varieties like the peanut butter fluff-filled doughnut (with or without nuts), sour cream doughnuts or chocolate-iced devil’s food cake. Suzy-Jo has three locations in the region and most shops close in the afternoon, so guests shouldn’t delay on getting their doughnut fix.
Where: Multiple locations, including 49 East 4th Street, Bridgeport, PA
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.