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Best Donut Shops in Washington DC
Washington's donut scene stretches from Latin-inspired brioche downtown to all-vegan rings in Takoma and honey-soaked loukoumades at Union Market. 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 Washington DC guide.
Want to taste the best of Washington DC with a guide? See our Washington DC food tours.
FOGGY BOTTOM / WHITE HOUSE
◉ OFFICIAL UNDERGROUND DONUT TOUR PARTNER
Founding Farmers
A farm-to-table favorite steps from the White House, where warm, sugar-dusted beignets come straight from the scratch kitchen. They're pillowy inside with a golden, crisp shell, a cozy way to start a sweet morning in Foggy Bottom.
Also on our tour: Downtown DC Holiday Donut & Walking Tour
Donut Tour Recommends: Beignets
FOGGY BOTTOM / WHITE HOUSE
◉ OFFICIAL UNDERGROUND DONUT TOUR PARTNER
Fresh Baguette
Website · Instagram · Facebook
A true French boulangerie with two-day croissants and a signature cold-dough baguette. The pastry case shines with glossy mini eclairs in chocolate and pistachio, plus kouign amann, cannele and fruit tarts.
Also on our tour: Downtown DC Holiday Donut & Walking Tour
Donut Tour Recommends: Pistachio Mini Eclair
DOWNTOWN / PENN QUARTER
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● Latino-owned
Donisima
Small-batch brioche donuts inspired by Latin American sweets, made daily by Michelin-starred chef Miguel Guerra. Look for guava and cheese, arequipe, amor al chocolate and flor de canela, all glazed with bright, joyful flavor inside The Square food hall.
Also on our tour: Downtown DC Holiday Donut & Walking Tour
Donut Tour Recommends: Arequipe Donut
DOWNTOWN / PENN QUARTER
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Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
Website · Instagram · Facebook
Oversized, fluffy doughnuts in playful flavors like creme brulee with a crackly torched top, PB&J, maple bacon and key lime pie. The fried chicken is legendary too, served on brioche, a biscuit or even a savory Old Bay doughnut.
Also on our tour: Downtown DC Holiday Donut & Walking Tour
Donut Tour Recommends: Creme Brulee Doughnut
DOWNTOWN / PENN QUARTER
Rosetta Bakery
A gorgeous Italian bakery on Farragut Square with a glass-walled kitchen where bomboloni are filled fresh all day. Pillowy Italian donuts come stuffed with silky pastry cream or Nutella, alongside cannoli, focaccia and espresso.
Donut Tour Recommends: Nutella Bombolone
DOWNTOWN / PENN QUARTER
Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe
A family-run doughnut cafe turning out classic glazed, sour cream cinnamon sugar cake doughnuts and inventive flavors like basil raspberry. There's a sourdough yeast-raised option and a crispy fried doughknot too.
Donut Tour Recommends: Basil Raspberry Doughnut
GEORGETOWN
The Salty Donut
Brioche doughnuts made from a dough that takes three days, in flavors like classic glazed, brown butter and salt, mango and cafe con leche. The Georgetown-exclusive cherry blossom cheesecake doughnut has a graham cracker crust and cherry glaze.
Donut Tour Recommends: Cherry Blossom Cheesecake Doughnut
GEORGETOWN
Ice Cream Jubilee
This beloved local ice cream shop also fries up warm mini doughnuts by the half dozen. Choose plain, hot cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar or chocolate-dipped, then add a scoop or a cold brew.
Donut Tour Recommends: Hot Cinnamon Sugar Mini Doughnuts
NORTHWEST DC
● Asian-owned ● Women-owned ● Viral on social media
Rose Ave Bakery
DC's first Asian American bakery, famous for 24-hour brioche donuts in flavors like passion fruit, pandan coconut, ube and black sesame. Chef Rosie Nguyen's pastries draw weekend lines, so arrive early for the best selection.
Donut Tour Recommends: Pandan Coconut Donut
NORTHWEST DC
Bread Furst
Website · Instagram · Facebook
Mark Furstenberg's acclaimed neighborhood bakery makes simple, perfect honey-glazed yeast doughnuts. Pick up crusty bread, cakes and pastries while you're there, and look for sufganiyot during Hanukkah.
Donut Tour Recommends: Honey-Glazed Doughnut
NORTHWEST DC
Little Coco's
Website · Instagram · Facebook
A playful Petworth Italian trattoria whose light, airy donuts are fried to order and served with raspberry and chocolate sauces for dipping. Enjoy them at weekend brunch or as a sweet finish after housemade pasta.
Donut Tour Recommends: Fried-to-Order Donuts
NORTHWEST DC
Donut Run
DC's beloved all-vegan donut shop in Takoma, with yeast and cake donuts in rotating flavors like French toast, Boston cream, maple cream and pistachio rosewater. The apple fritters are a local favorite, and daily flavors post every morning.
Donut Tour Recommends: French Toast Donut
UNION MARKET / CAPITOL HILL
Handcraft Doughnuts
Small-batch brioche doughnuts with dough rested 18 hours, then hand-rolled and finished with house-made glazes. Seasonal flavors join brown butter, buttermilk and coffee glazes at this husband-and-wife shop inside Union Market.
Donut Tour Recommends: Brown Butter Glazed Doughnut
UNION MARKET / CAPITOL HILL
Greco
A sunny Greek eatery serving loukoumades, golden Greek doughnut puffs fried to order and soaked in honey syrup. Grab them for dessert after gyros or as a sweet afternoon treat in the Union Market District.
Donut Tour Recommends: Loukoumades
UNION MARKET / CAPITOL HILL
Sweet Crimes Bakery
A dedicated gluten-free bakery whose donut menu changes every month, with favorites like a warmly spiced chai donut. Vegan options sit in the case beside cupcakes and lemon bars, all made in-house.
Donut Tour Recommends: Chai-Spiced Donut
ARLINGTON, VA
Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe
A German bakery celebrating more than 50 years, known for classic Berliners filled with raspberry or apricot jam. Stock up on rye breads, apple strudel and holiday pfeffernusse too.
Donut Tour Recommends: Raspberry Berliner
ARLINGTON, VA
Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery
Louisiana chef David Guas brings New Orleans to Courthouse with hot beignets buried in powdered sugar. Pair them with chicory coffee and Southern breakfast favorites for a soulful beignet fix just across the river.
Donut Tour Recommends: Baby Beignets
Taste Washington DC's best on one walk
Skip the guesswork. Our guides pick the best of the best at each stop, with stories along the way.
Downtown DC Historic Donut & Walking Tour →
Downtown DC Holiday Donut & Walking Tour →
Washington DC Donut FAQ
Are these donut shops ranked?
No. Every shop 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 Downtown DC tour visits Founding Farmers, Donisima, Fresh Baguette and Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, and so does our holiday tour. Lineups can vary by day and season.
Where can I find vegan or gluten-free donuts in Washington DC?
Donut Run is entirely vegan, and Sweet Crimes Bakery is a dedicated gluten-free bakery with a donut menu that changes every month.
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Washington DC Donut Tour FAQ Stops, timing, kids and diets