Who doesn’t like donuts? That’s one of the questions that might pop into your head whenever someone asks you if you’re in the mood for donuts. It’s one of those delicacies that are popular and beloved everywhere, although various regions may have their own unique versions. 

In Melbourne, you certainly won’t have any trouble finding good donuts. Just don’t be alarmed if they spell it differently sometimes, as you may find signs proclaiming that they sell “doughnuts”. Regardless of the spelling, these “doughies” (another term for donuts in these parts) are still yummy. 

Which leads to a natural question: which are the best donut shops? In Melbourne, here are your top suspects: 

The American Doughnut Kitchen

The name may be to entice American tourists, but this play is genuinely Australian. It’s a family business that’s been around since the 1950s, and just a single bite off one of the donuts will explain why generations of Melbournians have been hooked on the stuff. 

Every morning in lots of markets in the city, you have lines of fans waiting for their turn by the side of the blue and white van. Inside the van, the workers are hard at work, cutting the dough, setting the donuts into its proper shape, and then dusting them with sugar. They’ve been making their donuts the same way ever since their founding. 

The key here is to eat them right out of the fryer. That way, the donut is hot and crispy on the outside, but pillowy soft on the inside. Then there’s that pleasantly shocking jolt of molten red jam that just oozes with flavor. These donuts are true classics. 

Donut King

The name of the brand may have been presumptuous when they started to use it, but it turned out to be prophetic. The franchise now operates more than 300 locations in the whole country, and you’ll find plenty of Donut King locations in Melbourne. 

This is the same brand responsible for the world’s largest donut in 2007, made from 90,000 donuts. It took 40 workers more than 9 hours to build, resulting in a 6-meter diameter donut that weighed 3.5 tons. 

The Donut King menu offers plenty of different types of donuts, along with sandwiches and ice cream plus coffees and tea drinks. Just pick one cup of coffee, and then have fun trying out the many different types of donuts available. 

They also have plenty of fun-shaped donuts here, with decorations that make them virtual works of art for kids. You have star shapes, dinosaur donuts, and options like Norman the Narwhal and Starry the Unicorn. There’s even a donut that looks like a cellphone. It’s like it’s best to start early getting their patrons hooked on donuts. 

Short Stop Coffee and Donuts

Here, the inventiveness of the donut makers is absolutely mind-boggling. There are the crazy folks that came up with combinations that no one else would even imagine. Their donut flavor combinations include gingerbread with sticky date, mandarin and dark chocolate, and mulled wine with quince. One of the combinations you have to try is the peanut butter and milk chocolate doughnut. 

If you ever visit here, you owe it to yourself to order their signature Earl Grey and Rose cake. It’s absolutely beautiful just to gaze at, with the batter flecked with Earl Grey tea leaves to go with the subtly fragrant rosewater icing. This is one cakey donut that offers an unforgettable floral taste that you’ll crave again and again. 

All Day Donuts

This is another hit brand from Raph Rashid, who was the mastermind behind the Taco Truck and Beatbox Kitchen food trucks. You can find the place by the Juanita Peaches Mexican diner, and it’s eerily like going back in time and finding yourself in the suburbs of the 1970s. The walls are all brown-brick, you have timber paneling, and you even have Laminex tables. 

These doughnuts, on the other hand, are just top-of-the-line. The workers here make sure they’re all fresh by producing them twice a day. Everything is made from scratch here, and these include the sprinkles. 

If you visit here, the crowd favorite is the strawberry cheesecake donut. It’s huge, tasty, and fluffy, and the strawberry icing is amazingly natural in its flavor. The rich cream cheese filling is just great, along with the sugary crunch of the white sprinkles. 

Candied Bakery

This place won the 2017 People’s Choice Award for Best Bakery from Time Out Melbourne, so we’re not the only ones who are in awe of this place. This may be an Australian bakery, but it doesn’t hide its European and American inspirations. That’s why you can also get soft-serve ice cream here, along with Philly cheesesteak rolls. 

This is one magnificent place with many options to try, including the terrific raspberry pavlova. Whether you go with the classic flavors or the more whimsical options, you’ll really have fun here!