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Best Donuts In Philadelphia

By Allen Foster

In 1847, a teenager named Hanson Gregory decided that greasy twisted dough with a raw center was just totally gross. According to the lore, he invented the modernized ring-shaped donuts while aboard a lime-trading ship. Over the next 170 years, all manner of culinary artists have tweaked young Hanson's design to create countless variations on the masterpiece. Philadelphia has no shortage of these scrumptious wonders. Here are a handful of locations where you can find some of the most outstanding donuts in and around Philadelphia.

Dottie's Donuts  
4529 Springfield Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19143
(215) 662-0379
www.facebook.com/Dotties-Donuts

Vegan donuts? You bet your sweet tooth! And they are extraordinary. Owners Jeff Poleon and Matt Quinn use coconut milk and egg replacer in their innovative recipe that is indistinguishable in flavor from traditional donuts. The two dedicated entrepreneurs make their ring-shaped treats while the rest of the city sleeps. Over the relatively short time they have been in business, these two have created over 50 different flavors. They range from cinnamon sugar and cranberry glazed sprinkled with coconut to peanut butter pretzel chocolate and pomegranate blueberry.

H.F. Hornberger Bakery
2217 Galloway Road
Bensalem, PA 19020
(215) 244-3258
www.hfhornbergerbakery.com

H.F. Hornberger Bakery is a local start-from-scratch establishment that has been in business for over 100 years. The bakers are highly trained, extremely knowledgeable, and vastly experienced artists who continually strive to offer only the highest quality treats. The homemade excellence is crafted with tradition and care, creating a mouth-watering experience that will keep you coming back again and again. Besides their wide assortment of glazed and cream-filled donuts that are available every day, H.F. Hornberger Bakery offers an extensive list of specialty items such as maple bacon donuts, which are available for next-day pickup.

Undrgrnd Donuts
The streets of Philadelphia
www.undrgrnddonuts.com

You don't typically think of the words gourmet and donuts as being partnered, but that's the only way to describe Undrgrnd Donuts. Created from the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, this is the only food truck in town that specializes in handmade specialty donuts. The creations are so strikingly unique that the title of baker just doesn't fit. Instead, a "Donut Engineer" is responsible for creating these miraculously adventurous goodies. Some of the more outrageous offerings include "The Homer": a vanilla dunk with raw sugar and chocolate bacon chunks, "Euro Smash": a chocolate dunk with Nutella swirl and crushed nuts, and "Wake-Up": a chocolate dunk with espresso dust and cream swirl.

Related: Best Bagels And Lox In Philadelphia

Federal Donuts
1219 S. Second St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 687-8258
www.federaldonuts.com

Fresh donuts available 12 hours every day, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.? That's the miracle of Federal Donuts. These highly acclaimed cake treats are so popular, they can be found at four locations throughout the city: 1219 S. Second Street, 1632 Sansom Street, 3428 Sansom Street, and 701 N. Seventh Street. The Hot Fresh selection includes Cookies N Cream, Strawberry Lavender, and Cinnamon Brown Sugar. The Fancy creations are Milk & Cookies, Banana Cream Pie, Hot Cocoa, Churro, Tres Leches, and Blueberry Pancake.

U Take The Cake
447 2nd St. Pike
Southampton, PA 18966
(215) 953-7580
www.facebook.com/SouthamptonUTakeTheCake

Sometimes, simple is best. U Take The Cake is a small bakery located just outside Philadelphia in Southampton, Pennsylvania. When you enter, you are promptly greeted by people who obviously find real joy in what they do. It just shows. And when you want the best cream donut in the universe, this is the place to go. U Take The Cake crams their creations with so much filling, they look ready to burst. Then, when you take that first bite, your eyes roll back in sugary bliss. Welcome to noshing nirvana!

Related: Best Low Carb Dishes In Philadelphia

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