Doughnuts are a relaxed treat. More casual than fancy French desserts, they’re playful pastries at their finest. They’re also breakfast, snacks, or dessert items that many cultures have had a hand in forming.
The origins of the doughnuts we know and love today can be traced to Dutch settlers in the New (to them) World of North America, according to restaurant supply store Restaurant Ware. Called olykoeks, or oily cakes, these early doughnuts were deep-fried balls of dough usually filled with fruit or nuts, and they were adopted by Native American tribes.
In the mid-19th century, Elizabeth Gregory, a New England ship captain’s mother, made deep-fried dough using her son’s spice cargo of nutmeg and cinnamon, along with lemon rind, and she put nuts in in the middle to solve the problem of the dough not cooking all the way through: Thus, the “dough-nut” name was born. This American-crafted treat also has Russian roots, when Adolph Levitt, a refugee from czarist Russia, created the first doughnut-making machine in 1920 in New York City, setting the pastry on the path of mass production and popularity.
Doughnuts come in several major categories:
Yeast doughnuts: Made from yeast-leavened dough, these are light, airy, larger, fluffier, and slightly chewier than cake doughnuts.
Cake doughnuts: Made from a cake-like batter using a leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda, these have a denser, crumbly texture and are heavier than yeast doughnuts.
Specialty doughnuts: Twisty, often airy and glazed crullers; powdered French-originated New Orleans beignets; and Dominque Ansel’s 2013 creation, the Cronut, using the many layered-process of croissants, according to Restaurant Ware.
International doughnuts: Almost every culture has a version, from India’s gulab jamun and Italy’s bomboloni to Japan’s pon de ring and Mexico’s churros (by way of Spain and Portugal). Regionally, New York’s apple cider doughnuts are a hit come fall.
These 11 Westchester doughnut shops embody everything we love about the pastries.
Duck Donuts
805 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck; 914.825.9722
393 Tarrytown Rd, White Plains; 914.219.4811
Yes, it’s a chain with more than 145 locations spread across 27 states and five countries. Nonetheless, we’re into this customizable spot. Vanilla cake doughnuts are fried throughout the day, then topped to order with some of the 10 glazes, toppings, and 12 drizzles.
While the mix is totally customizable, a menu of OBX Originals (named for North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where the chain began), includes the toppings and glazes from when they first opened. The signature assortment includes customer-favorite combos like s’mores-inspired chocolate icing with graham cracker crumbs and marshmallow drizzle, chocolate icing with peanuts and shredded coconut, and blueberry pancake.
If You Only Order One: The Bacon in the Sun (maple icing, chopped bacon, salted caramel drizzle) is one of the best iterations of this sweet-savory combo we’ve had in Westchester.
Galloway’s Bakery
69 Harney Rd, Scarsdale; 914.725.4074
Blueberry glaze, mini-marshmallows, Oreo crumbs, bacon, and the like have never found their way onto a Galloway’s doughnut. Open since the 1950s, the Scarsdale bakeshop is owned by the third generation of the Galloway family, who specialize in the smells-like-sugar-and-yeast sweets that take you back to your grandparents’ day.
The process to make doughnuts starts at 1:30 a.m. (one of the reasons the bakery is only open Friday through Sunday) to maintain Galloway’s commitment to making each one by hand, whether it is a plain cake doughnut; plush, yeast-raised glazed doughnut; or trays of mini black-raspberry jelly doughnuts tossed in powdered sugar.
If You Only Order One: The puffy jelly doughnut (most of Galloway’s doughnuts come in regular and doughnut-hole sizes) is the one to get, but if you insist on a reprise, the plain old-fashioned is a sleeper hit.
Beascakes Bakery & Bread
575 Main St, Armonk; 914.273.3612
Classic American sweets (chocolate chip cookies, now and forever) have always been the bread and butter at this Armonk bakery. Case in point: the display lined with petite, not-too-heavy cake doughnuts, topped with caramel and coconut, fudgy chocolate, cinnamon-sugar, pink strawberry glaze, vanilla, and almost-too-many rainbow sprinkles (as if that is even possible). Stop by on Saturdays to try some of the mini-doughnuts, too, which skew a bit more creative, with flavors like cookie butter, strawberry-Nutella, s’mores, and Fruity Pebbles. On Sundays, the shop rolls out jelly and Boston cream.
If You Only Order One: Go for the best-of-both-worlds black-and-white, glazed half in vanilla, half in chocolate
Enrico’s of Hartsdale
214 E Hartsdale Ave, Hartsdale; 914.723.0340
The Bronx original opened in 1959, and the Westchester location, which opened in 2007, feels as if it might have been transplanted straight from the original neighborhood. The doughnuts are similarly old-fashioned, including classic glazed; puffy, chocolate-topped Boston cream; and traditional iced doughnuts. But this old dog has some new tricks: On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the counter is also lined with sheet pans of Kronies, Enrico’s version of a Cronut, tall rounds of buttery, laminated croissant dough filled with flavored creams and finished with a swirl of raspberry jam, chocolate and nuts, Nutella, or dulce de leche.
If You Only Order One: It has to the be the much-lauded, old-fashioned, yeast-raised, raspberry jelly doughnut rolled in granulated sugar.
Grey’s Donut Truck
20 Anderson St, New Rochelle; Contact via website for events
The renowned Westchester food truck, the Waffle Box, has a brother! And now it’s graduated to its first brick-and-mortar location, in NewRo, open Thursday through Sunday. Named after Christina and Jeremy Sanz’s son Grey, this shop (and truck) started by serving up fresh doughnuts for events throughout Westchester. Grey’s makes designer doughnuts like The Campfire, Nutella & Chill, the Ohhh G, and Funfetti. Planning an upcoming event? They can customize the doughnuts any way you would like. When you stop by the truck, make sure to bring your furry friend along and ask for a treat inspired by Grey’s mascot, Mia the dog.
If you only order one: We cannot stop thinking about the delicious, Instagrammable campfire doughnuts (mini marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate glaze).
View this post on Instagram
Sunshine Bagels
717 Saw Mill River Rd, Ardsley; 914.674.6417
The sign outside this unassuming shop may read “Bagels,” but we come here almost exclusively for a doughnut fix. A whole wall of shelves is dedicated to the sugary treats — all of which are big enough to share — from marble frosted to bowties and Boston cream. In our minds, there are only two correct orders: the chocolate glazed, a perfect mix of rich chocolate cake doughnut and sugary glaze that insinuates each craggy nook and cranny, and the toasted coconut, the county’s best iteration of the doughnut shop staple.
If You Only Order One: Grab a few of the misshapen-in-a-homey-way chocolate doughnut holes.
MAD Donuts
Pop-ups around Westchester
Inspired by NYC’s trendy doughnut shops, self-taught baker Matthew Moore launched MAD Donuts at the White Plains Farmers’ Market in 2018. A stylish shop opened in The Westchester during the 2019 holiday-shopping rush, with a #Basic menu of classics and a slate of seasonal specials. MAD can currently be found at pop-ups throughout the county.
Unsurprisingly, considering his inspiration, Moore’s creations are highly Instagrammable: the blueberry cheesecake doughnut filled with cheesecake cream and topped with jam and a graham cracker crumble; the raspberry cardamom jam bun filled with freshly made jam; and the classic bourbon vanilla bean glazed. Made with butter and eggs from New York State farms, the small-batch doughnuts can also stand on their own without the bells and whistles.
If You Only Order One: The apple fritters do not have Moore’s trendy aesthetic, but they are chock full of Granny Smith apples, coated in cinnamon glaze, and big enough to share.
The Kneaded Bread
181 N Main St, Port Chester; 914.937.9489
Weekends and Thanksgiving (when owner Jeffrey Kohn’s father typically distributes them to waiting customers for free) are the only times you will find doughnuts at The Kneaded Bread. After many years of braking for doughnuts on road trips, Jennifer and Jeffrey Kohn developed their own ideal recipe for sour-cream cake doughnuts that are tender and rich, with golden-yellow interiors.
Fried throughout the day, with leftovers historically being donated to food service nonprofits, there are only three options: old-fashioned, cinnamon-sugar, and powdered sugar. Get one of each — ideally, when they are fresh from the fryer — and thank us later.
If You Only Order One: With only three options, we are not sure why you would discriminate, but cinnamon-sugar is never a bad idea.
Related: Sweet and Salty Queens Bakes Gluten-Free, Vegan Doughnuts in Peekskill
Side Door Donuts
121 Myrtle Blvd (Side Door, naturally), Larchmont; 914.909.5290
It is no secret that Billy & Pete’s Social dishes up some knock-out, Detroit-style grilled pizza, but if you knock (three times, maybe?) on the side door on Saturday mornings, you will score one (or many) of the homemade, almost-still-secret, bite-sized doughnuts. Light, crisp, and airy, these wee rings of joy can be topped with almost anything your little heart desires, from fruity pebbles to bacon, making them a true can’t-stop-at-one indulgence.
If You Only Order One: Luckily, since they are mini-doughnuts, this is never a concern. Spring for tray of three, box of 12, or party pack of 64 (pre-decorated or DIY with toppings on the side) and just go to town. We will always recommend a good PB&J, though.
The Snackery Bakeshop
64 Purchase St, Rye; 914.481.1636
This family-owned and -operated bakery in the heart of Rye serves unique sweets and treats, from fresh-baked cakes and cookies to pastries, doughnuts, and more. The Snackery’s doughnut options include tender yet cakey apple cider, sweet cinnamon, cooling powder, and classic old-fashioned. The edible chocolate chunk cookie dough doughnuts are a delicious treat that will sweeten your tastebuds.
If You Only Order One: You cannot go wrong with any of the unique options that the Snackery provides. The chocolate cookie dough doughnuts certainly stand out the most compared to others, especially if your sweet tooth senses are tingling.
Sweet and Salty Queens
922 Main St, Peekskill
If you are a vegan or gluten-free Westchesterite whose mouth is watering after reading this list, do not worry: Sweet and Salty Queens has you covered. This queer-owned bakery is the brainchild of Terri Dreisbach and Leah Guarino, two veteran pastry chefs with a hunger for entrepreneurship. The shop is based in Peekskill, but the plant-based, gluten-free treats can be found at coffeehouses and farmers markets around the county. Eliminating gluten and animal products does not kill Sweet and Salty Queens’s creativity: From the chocolate chip doughnut with cacao and mint tea to the vegan chocolate beetroot doughnut, these are sure to knock your dietary-restriction-friendly socks off.
View this post on Instagram
