You may be wondering why a running travel blog is writing about donuts. Well donuts = carbs and runners love carbs, so donuts fit right in here. It’s also quite easy to run to a number of donut shops in Chicago – which I did with a group of friends for my birthday a few years ago (picture at the bottom).

If you follow me on the ‘gram, you know that I used to have “Donut Friday” pretty much every week. While I don’t buy donuts quite as frequently these days, it’s still my favorite sweet treat, be it after a run or not.

Below I present to you the best donuts in Chicago, categorized by type. Note that all of these donut shops are actually IN Chicago, not the suburbs, and relatively easy to get to [by walking or transit] if you’re visiting and staying downtown. I also want to note that I haven’t been to ALL donut shops in the city, especially those that are further out, but I will update this post as needed!

Without further ado, the best donuts in Chicago!

Best Overall: Daly’s Donuts

Relatively new to the donut scene, Daly’s Donuts is owned by a local Chicago couple, and they recently opened a shop in Lincoln Park after a few years of being at the farmer’s market.

These donuts are the best I’ve had - they don’t miss. They are baked instead of fried, and I appreciate the simple flavor options. Their signature is the cinnamon sugar in a regular size and dunkers. They’ve also been known to have chocolate frosting, maple frosting, and a rotating seasonal selection.

Daly’s Donuts is located at 659 W Armitage and open Wednesday-Sunday.

Best Yeast Donuts: Dat Donut

Dat Donut is a well-known institution on the South Side of Chicago, but they recently opened a second location under the Wellington Brown Line stop on the North side. They are famous for their giant donut, but that’s not the only thing that’s good here.

The yeast donuts are some of the best I’ve had in Chicago - light and airy and full of flavor. My go-to is chocolate frosting, but they have a variety of glazes to choose from. The cake donuts are also excellent, and I’ve heard good things about the apple fritter.

And on top of that, they have the best donut prices I’ve seen in the city. So if you need to get fresh donuts to bring into the office or to a party without breaking the bank, this is your spot.

Dat Donut North is located at 947 W Wellington and Dat Donut South is located at 8251 S Cottage Grove Ave.

*Dat Donut chocolate covered yeast donut*

Best Vegan Donuts: Beacon Doughnuts

Located in an alley in Lincoln Park, you would never guess that Beacon Doughnuts are vegan. But they are indeed, and they are one of my favorite donut shops in the city. You really can’t go wrong with any of them, but my favorites are the Blueberry Pancake and Chocolate Glazed. There’s a few seasonal ones that aren’t always on the menu that I also love.

I highly recommend ordering ahead – even if it just a few donuts – as they sell out of popular flavors early on the weekends, and there’s often a long line. Ordering ahead lets you skip the line and ensure you get what you want. They are also open Mon-Wed mornings for walk up orders only [which I didn’t know until recently], and I’ve found a number of coffee shops in the city that carry them as well!

Beacon Doughnuts is located at 810 W Armitage Ave [enter through the alley off Armitage]

Best Old Fashioned: Doughnut Vault

There are other places on this list that make good old fashioned donuts, but Doughnut Vault is consistently the best. They are known for them, in fact, and have quite a few options on the menu. I love the lemon poppyseed and pistachio the most.

You’ll want to order ahead or go early, as this place sells out of the popular items early. It’s a small shop in the Loop and only fits a handful of people inside at one time. It’s easy to miss, so look for the big sign out front! Their donuts can be found in some cafes around the city, as well.

Doughnut Vault is located at 401 N Franklin St.

Honorable mentions:

Downstate Donuts: Located in the Uptown neighborhood, these donuts are unique because they’re made from potatoes. There are a variety of fun flavors to choose from and they’re extremely moist.
Mindy’s Bakery: While this popular bakery in the Wicker Park area might not be the first place that comes to mind for donuts, they are some of the best I’ve had in Chicago. Definitely worth the wait in line!
Firecakes Donuts: With a few locations in Chicago, they make a solid donut. I think they do yeast donuts well, and they usually have fun options around the different holidays.
Do-Rite Donuts: Good, quality donuts. They’ve never stuck out to me as a favorite, but they do donuts well. I also really like their breakfast sandwich. They have a few locations in the Chicagoland area.
Voodoo Doughnut: This national donut chain is located in the West Loop neighborhood and has a large selection of donuts to choose from. I’ve been to locations in other cities, as well. They do donuts well!
Donutistry: Found primarily at the South Loop Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, these donuts are vegan and delicious! I had a pistachio cream filled donut, dusted with sugar, and hope to try the other flavors soon!

Running [or walking] route to go to multiple donut shops listed above:

If you want to combine running AND donuts, it is pretty easy to do that in Chicago! Now, if you have a sensitive stomach, maybe bring a running backpack to carry the donuts and eat later, but if you go with friends, you can easily share some donuts at each spot without upsetting your stomach tooo much.

With so many donut shops located in the Lakeview/Lincoln Park area, you could easily visit Daly’s, Beacon, Firecakes, Stan’s, and Do-Rite Donuts with a short run.

*Donut Fun Run a few years ago for my birthday - second stop at Beacon Doughnuts*

Finally, some of you [who know Chicago] may be wondering, “why did she not include Stan’s Donuts on this list?” Well that’s because I don’t think Stan’s is very good. If you want average, over-priced donuts, go to Stan’s. I’d rather go to Dunkin’ Donuts and spend less because the donut will probably be better. I’ve really tried to like Stan’s but almost every time I go, the donut is stale tasting and lacks the flavor of other good donuts in the city. The one exception are the St. Paddy’s mini donuts they provide for the Shamrock Shuffle 8K. It is a chain with many locations downtown [so easy to get to], but if you want better donuts, go to one of the shops I’ve listed above.

Finally, if you want to get a bunch of donuts at a reduced price, check out the Too Good To Go app. Firecakes, Stan’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts are all on there (along with many other places and types of food)!

Running Eats: The Best Donuts in Chicago