Can there be anything more quintessentially Canadian than a love of donuts? Vancouver is home to some delicious varieties and fried dough fanatic and author of The Chocolate Tasting Kit, Eagranie Yuh knows them all. Here now, her guide to the city's best.
No matter how you spell it, doughnuts/donuts are delicious. Glazed and sprinkled, or speckled with sugar? Sweet or savoury? Low-end or highbrow? Without further ado, we present—in no particular order—the Vancouver donut map.
Have a suggestion for a spot you think deserves to be added? Drop us a line or leave a comment.
On any given weekend morning, you’ll know Honey Doughnuts by the line snaking out the door. Plain donuts are anything but—think serious dough, hot from the fryer, bathed in honey syrup. If that’s not enough for you, get a maple- or chocolate-glazed.
What makes Harmony donuts so good? Maybe it’s the shop’s four-plus decades of practice. Light, not the least bit greasy, and insanely addictive, these donuts will knock the socks off even the most jaded critic. Bonus: the shop is full of wacky memorabilia, from KISS figurines to a mounted stag’s head.
Beloved food truck opens bricks-and-mortar location. Offers extensive breakfast menu that has line-ups around the block. Adds beignets to said menu. Serves beignets with salted caramel dipping sauce and a dusting of icing sugar. Pandemonium ensues.
Already famous for their insanely addictive apple tarts, New Town Bakery also sells a plain Chinese-style donut. It’s little more than deep-fried dough dusted in sugar, but when it tastes this good, who cares? [Image via foodpunk.ca]
Credit Cartems with bringing the gourmet donut craze to Vancouver. Their new digs on Pender Street features a milk bar, and the donuts that made them notorious: Earl Grey, lemon, and of course, Canadian whiskey bacon. Heads up, vegans and gluten-shunners: you can get your fix at Cartems.
There’s a reason Lee’s Doughnuts has been at Granville Island Public Market since it opened: they make some of the city’s best. You won’t get fancy-pants flavours here, unless you count their cult-status pumpkin cake donuts—only available in October.
Thanks to the team at 49th Parallel, you can now have a doughnut every bit as illustrious as your coffee. The coconut Bismarck puts Boston Cream to shame, and the square, filled PB&J tastes like the school lunch you wish you’d had as a kid.
Veganism doesn’t mean a life of carrot sticks and cashew cream, at least not when there’s Edible Flours. It’s a vegan bakery first, with plenty options for the gluten-free, wheat-free and soy-free. Being virtuous has never tasted so good.
What do you get when you cross a fritter and a croissant? Frissant, of course. Vancouver’s answer to the cronut craze can only be had at Swiss Bakery, in classic vanilla or a rotating list of other flavours. Get there early or be disappointed.
Congee fans will be familiar with Congee Noodle House, which specializes in the soupy rice that is either beloved comfort food or glorified gruel. Ja leung is a popular accompaniment: a long, savoury donut wrapped in rice pastry, garnished with green onions, and served with hoisin sauce. [Image Jenn Li/Flickr]
It’s the most unlikely of combinations: donuts, Mexican tortas (sandwiches), bubble tea, Vietnamese treats. But it works so well that we’re not going to ask why. Just enjoy.
The benefits of the mini donut can’t be overstated: they’re perfect for the indecisive eater and they’re just so darn cute. At Outpost Mini Doughnut Co, you can mix and match to your heart’s delight. Coconut, Boston Cream, Canadian Maple, or plain old cinnamon-sugar?
On any given weekend morning, you’ll know Honey Doughnuts by the line snaking out the door. Plain donuts are anything but—think serious dough, hot from the fryer, bathed in honey syrup. If that’s not enough for you, get a maple- or chocolate-glazed.
What makes Harmony donuts so good? Maybe it’s the shop’s four-plus decades of practice. Light, not the least bit greasy, and insanely addictive, these donuts will knock the socks off even the most jaded critic. Bonus: the shop is full of wacky memorabilia, from KISS figurines to a mounted stag’s head.
Beloved food truck opens bricks-and-mortar location. Offers extensive breakfast menu that has line-ups around the block. Adds beignets to said menu. Serves beignets with salted caramel dipping sauce and a dusting of icing sugar. Pandemonium ensues.
Already famous for their insanely addictive apple tarts, New Town Bakery also sells a plain Chinese-style donut. It’s little more than deep-fried dough dusted in sugar, but when it tastes this good, who cares? [Image via foodpunk.ca]
Credit Cartems with bringing the gourmet donut craze to Vancouver. Their new digs on Pender Street features a milk bar, and the donuts that made them notorious: Earl Grey, lemon, and of course, Canadian whiskey bacon. Heads up, vegans and gluten-shunners: you can get your fix at Cartems.
There’s a reason Lee’s Doughnuts has been at Granville Island Public Market since it opened: they make some of the city’s best. You won’t get fancy-pants flavours here, unless you count their cult-status pumpkin cake donuts—only available in October.
Thanks to the team at 49th Parallel, you can now have a doughnut every bit as illustrious as your coffee. The coconut Bismarck puts Boston Cream to shame, and the square, filled PB&J tastes like the school lunch you wish you’d had as a kid.
Veganism doesn’t mean a life of carrot sticks and cashew cream, at least not when there’s Edible Flours. It’s a vegan bakery first, with plenty options for the gluten-free, wheat-free and soy-free. Being virtuous has never tasted so good.
What do you get when you cross a fritter and a croissant? Frissant, of course. Vancouver’s answer to the cronut craze can only be had at Swiss Bakery, in classic vanilla or a rotating list of other flavours. Get there early or be disappointed.
Congee fans will be familiar with Congee Noodle House, which specializes in the soupy rice that is either beloved comfort food or glorified gruel. Ja leung is a popular accompaniment: a long, savoury donut wrapped in rice pastry, garnished with green onions, and served with hoisin sauce. [Image Jenn Li/Flickr]
It’s the most unlikely of combinations: donuts, Mexican tortas (sandwiches), bubble tea, Vietnamese treats. But it works so well that we’re not going to ask why. Just enjoy.
The benefits of the mini donut can’t be overstated: they’re perfect for the indecisive eater and they’re just so darn cute. At Outpost Mini Doughnut Co, you can mix and match to your heart’s delight. Coconut, Boston Cream, Canadian Maple, or plain old cinnamon-sugar?
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