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Best Donut Shops in Knoxville
Knoxville's donut scene runs from Market Square beignets and flaky layered doughnuts to giant Beaver Tails, gluten-free rings and Ghanaian puff puff in a South Knoxville food hall. Here are the donut shops we send friends to, grouped by neighborhood so you can plan your route.
By the Underground Donut Tour team · Updated November 2026
Visiting for the holidays? See our Best Holiday Donuts & Baked Goods in Knoxville guide.
Want to taste the best of Knoxville with a guide? See our Knoxville food tours.
DOWNTOWN & MARKET SQUARE
◉ OFFICIAL UNDERGROUND DONUT TOUR PARTNER
Ruby Sunshine
37 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
A sunny Market Square brunch spot with a New Orleans heart, serving Big Easy breakfast classics from early morning. Warm, pillowy beignets buried in powdered sugar are the move, alongside Southern-style plates and brunch cocktails.
Donut Tour Recommends: Beignets
DOWNTOWN & MARKET SQUARE
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Proper Popcorn
29 Market Square, Knoxville, TN 37902
A cheerful Market Square snack shop popping roughly 50 flavors of gourmet popcorn, from sweet to savory to everything in between. Grab a bag to sample as you stroll the square, or a tin of favorites to take home.
Donut Tour Recommends: Gourmet Popcorn Sampler
DOWNTOWN & MARKET SQUARE
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Coffee & Chocolate
327 Union Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902
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A cozy Union Avenue cafe just off Market Square where the chocolates are made in-house. Pair a rich espresso drink with handcrafted chocolates, macarons and fresh baked goods from the shop's own kitchen.
Donut Tour Recommends: House-Made Chocolates
DOWNTOWN & MARKET SQUARE
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Cruze Farm Ice Cream (Downtown)
445 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902
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A pink-and-white Gay Street favorite steps from the Tennessee Theatre, churning ice cream with milk from the family's own East Tennessee dairy farm. Rich, fresh-churned scoops in a cone with diamond sprinkles make the perfect sweet finish to a donut crawl.
Donut Tour Recommends: Sweet Cream Cone
DOWNTOWN & MARKET SQUARE
Chivo Taqueria
314 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902
A lively downtown taqueria on Gay Street known for creative tacos and margaritas. Save room for the golden, cinnamon-sugar churros served with chocolate sauce for dunking.
Donut Tour Recommends: Churros With Chocolate Sauce
OLD CITY & NORTH KNOXVILLE
Parlor Doughnuts (Downtown)
300 W Magnolia Ave, Suite 110, Knoxville, TN 37917
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A bright, airy doughnut cafe just north of the Old City, famous for its flaky, croissant-style layered doughnuts. Sweet favorites like maple bacon and cookies and cream share the case with savory layered creations and a full espresso bar.
Donut Tour Recommends: Maple Bacon Layered Doughnut
OLD CITY & NORTH KNOXVILLE
Panther's Dough-Joe
1902 W Emory Rd, Powell, TN 37849
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A family-run neighborhood donut and coffee shop in Powell, part of Knoxville's beloved Dough-Joe family. Fluffy glazed yeast donuts, cinnamon rolls and generously filled jelly donuts pair nicely with fresh-roasted coffee.
Donut Tour Recommends: Jelly Filled Donut
BEARDEN & WEST KNOXVILLE
Duck Donuts (Knoxville)
6104 Kingston Pike, Suite 102, Knoxville, TN 37919
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A Bearden stop for warm, made-to-order vanilla cake donuts finished right in front of you. Pick a coating, topping and drizzle, or go with a house favorite, and enjoy them still warm from the fryer.
Donut Tour Recommends: Made-to-Order Vanilla Cake Donut
BEARDEN & WEST KNOXVILLE
The Donut Palace
2806 Schaad Rd, Knoxville, TN 37921
A friendly, budget-friendly northwest Knoxville donut shop near Clinton Highway. Fluffy yeast donuts come loaded with classic frosting, M&Ms or coconut flakes, with kolaches on hand for a savory bite.
Donut Tour Recommends: M&M Donut
BEARDEN & WEST KNOXVILLE
Beaver's Dough-Joe
7650 Oak Ridge Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37931
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The mom-and-pop Karns shop that launched the Dough-Joe family, frying fresh donuts every morning. Its signature Beaver Tail is a giant, apple fritter-style treat, and the Bavarian custard and raspberry jelly fills are local favorites.
Donut Tour Recommends: Beaver Tail
FARRAGUT & TURKEY CREEK
Admiral's Dough-Joe
11665 Parkside Dr, Knoxville, TN 37934
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A family-owned Turkey Creek donut and coffee shop from the Dough-Joe crew. Glazed yeast donuts, Bavarian custard fills and big, crackly apple fritters make it a go-to morning stop on the west side.
Donut Tour Recommends: Apple Fritter
FARRAGUT & TURKEY CREEK
Parlor Doughnuts (Farragut)
106 Biddle Farms Blvd, Farragut, TN 37934
Parlor's Biddle Farms shop serves oversized, flaky layered doughnuts in about two dozen flavors. The French toast doughnut is the brand's bestseller, and savory options like pig and fig round out the menu with craft coffee.
Donut Tour Recommends: French Toast Doughnut
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
● Women-owned
The Sugar Queen Doughnutry
7201 Chapman Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37920
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A family doughnutry in South Knoxville run by a mother and her daughters, which started life as a food truck. Giant, scratch-made yeast doughnuts are the draw, led by the buttery browned butter glazed, with cinnamon rolls and soft pretzels alongside.
Donut Tour Recommends: Browned Butter Glazed
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
Disco Chicken & Donuts
2201 Kerns Rising Way, Suite 120, Knoxville, TN 37920
A celiac-friendly fried chicken and donut counter inside Kern's Food Hall, where everyone at the table can dig in. Fresh gluten-free donuts like the chocolate frosted share the menu with cinnamon and chocolate donut holes and crispy fried chicken.
Donut Tour Recommends: Chocolate Frosted Donut
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
Myrtle's Bakehouse
2201 Kerns Rising Way, Knoxville, TN 37920
A bakery counter inside the historic Kern's Bakery building, fittingly keeping the ovens busy in South Knoxville. Flaky kronuts, from minis to loaded top shelf versions, sit beside fresh doughnuts, cinnamon rolls and half-pound cookies.
Donut Tour Recommends: Top Shelf Kronut
SOUTH KNOXVILLE
Kandilige Ghanaian Cuisine
2201 Kerns Rising Way, Knoxville, TN 37920
A Ghanaian kitchen in Kern's Food Hall bringing West African flavors to South Knoxville. Golden, lightly sweet puff puff, West Africa's beloved fried dough balls, come paired with chicken for a plate worth the trip.
Donut Tour Recommends: Puff Puff
Taste Knoxville's best on one walk
Skip the guesswork. Our guides pick the best of the best at each stop, with stories along the way.
Knoxville Sweet Treats Tour: Beignets, Chocolate & More →
Knoxville Donut FAQ
Are these donut shops ranked?
No. Every spot here is one we would happily send a friend to, so we list them by neighborhood instead of ranking them.
Can I try several of these on one tour?
Yes. Our Knoxville Sweet Treats Tour starts at Ruby Sunshine on Market Square and visits Proper Popcorn, Coffee and Chocolate and Cruze Farm, with stories of downtown Knoxville between bites.
Where can I find beignets and churros in Knoxville?
Ruby Sunshine on Market Square serves warm beignets, and Chivo Taqueria on Gay Street makes cinnamon-sugar churros with chocolate sauce for dunking.
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Knoxville Donut Tour FAQ Stops, timing, kids and diets