From century-old bakeries to wildly creative new flavors, New Jersey’s doughnut scene has something for every kind of sweet tooth.
WEBDESK – HAJIRA IRFAN – NJNEWSLINE
What if your next favorite doughnut is hiding just a short drive away?
In New Jersey, finding a great doughnut is rarely the problem. The harder question is deciding which one deserves your first bite. Across the state, longtime bakeries, neighborhood favorites and modern doughnut shops are turning a familiar breakfast treat into everything from a powdered-sugar classic to a colorful, made-to-order creation.
The 2026 roundup of 39 of New Jersey’s best doughnut shops shows just how wide that range has become. Some places have been serving customers for generations, while others are experimenting with mochi dough, seasonal ingredients, candy toppings and unexpected flavor combinations.
Where New Jersey’s Doughnut Story Began
Some of the state’s most interesting stops are also among its oldest.
Mueller’s Bakery in Bay Head dates to 1890 and continues to keep its doughnuts simple, with glazed yeast and powdered jelly varieties. Judicke’s Bakery in Bayonne, founded in 1924, has built a loyal following around its classic sprinkle doughnuts.
At Kohler’s Bakery in Avalon, which has operated since 1949, cream doughnuts remain a major draw alongside crullers, twists and other traditional pastries.
Purple Glaze in Asbury Park offers a different take, combining familiar cinnamon sugar, jelly and Boston cream with creations such as Coconut Concussion and Ring of Fire. The shop also offers vegan doughnuts.
Old-School Flavors That Refuse to Disappear
The traditional doughnut still has plenty of fans and New Jersey has no shortage of places doing it well.
Plainfield Donut Shop is known for its jelly doughnut and its thick, dark filling. OB-CO’s Donuts in Toms River, open since 1953, has become a Jersey Shore institution with its large, chewy sugar-raised doughnuts.
At Brown’s Donuts in Ocean City, the selection stays simple rather than chasing elaborate trends. Frog Hollow Bakery in Greenfield offers straightforward doughnuts along with apple cider varieties.
The classic bakery experience continues at Suissa Bakery in Newark, Deluxe Italian Bakery in Runnemede, Chester’s Pastry Pantry Bakery in Somers Point and Haisch’s Bakery in South Plainfield.
When a Doughnut Becomes Dessert
Then there are the shops that treat doughnuts almost like a blank canvas.
Main Street Donuts, with locations in Belmar and Matawan, offers flavors including churro, crème brûlée, Boston cream and Fruity Pebbles. Cloud 9 Donuts in Brick gives jelly fans several options, including strawberry, lemon and blueberry.
At Donuts Time Cafe in Hamilton, toppings can turn a doughnut into an oversized dessert. D’serve in Flemington takes a seasonal approach, changing its menu while offering both regular and vegan options.
Top That! Doughnuts in Point Pleasant Beach, Broad Street Dough Co. in Oakhurst and Uncle Dood’s Donuts in Toms River also embrace the made-to-order approach, giving customers plenty of room to customize their treats.
Chocolate, Bacon, Cereal and Bold Combinations
For adventurous eaters, several shops push the limits even further.
Once Bitten in Red Bank serves its Devil Made Me Do It doughnut with chocolate icing, brownie pieces and additional chocolate toppings. Mama Buntz’s Donut Co. in Sewellnoffers playful options such as Loco Coco and maple bacon.
At Glaze Donuts in New Milford, the selection is especially broad, with dozens of varieties rotating through the display. Some creations even carry Led Zeppelin-inspired names.
Other creative destinations include Village Donuts in Jackson, Erie Coffeeshop & Bakery in Rutherford, D’Ercole Donuts in Northvale and Rabble Rise Doughnuts in Montclair.
New Jersey’s Doughnut Scene Goes Global
The state’s doughnut culture is no longer limited to the traditional American ring.Cafe KAI Sweets in Edgewater specializes in Japanese-style mochi doughnuts, bringing a chewy texture to the familiar format. Mochinut, with locations around New Jersey, offers flavors such as black sesame, ube and mango.
Mochimoly in Westfield adds another playful variation with its themed mochi doughnuts, including a Fruity Pebbles option.
For an Italian influence, Palazzone1960 in Wayne offers bombolone, traditionally filled with custard or jelly.
Verrilli’s Bakery in Morristown takes another unusual route with spudnuts made using potato flour, including a maple bacon version.
The Shore Has Plenty of Sweet Stops
The Jersey Shore remains an important part of New Jersey’s doughnut trail.
RSK Doughnuts in the Cape May area makes doughnuts to order, while Fractured Prune has locations in North Wildwood, Ocean City and Sea Isle. Shore Good Donuts in Ship Bottomis another made-to-order destination, known for substantial doughnuts and generous fillings.
Beignets in Denville offers customers the opportunity to customize their doughnuts, while Curiosity Doughnuts in Lambertville brings a rotating selection of creative flavors through its pop-up format.
The list is rounded out by Beiler’s Donut & Coffee Shop in Mullica Hill and Duck Donuts, which has multiple New Jersey locations and focuses on made-to-order doughnuts.
Thirty-Nine Shops and No Single Perfect Doughnut
That may be the most appealing part of New Jersey’s doughnut scene: there is no single formula for getting it right.
One customer may want the powdered jelly doughnut they remember from childhood. Another may go searching for maple bacon, chocolate overload, Fruity Pebbles or a chewy mochi creation.
These 39 shops offer all of those experiences and plenty more.
So the question is not whether New Jersey has a doughnut worth trying. It clearly does. The real question is how many stops you will make before you find your favorite, and whether you will actually have the willpower to leave with just one.
