The 11 best donuts in Vancouver

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alana Yee - Vancouver Food (@yvreats)

Pillowy, golden and stuffed within an inch of their lives, Mello’s brioche donuts make restraint particularly difficult. The classics include vanilla-bean custard, tart house-made lemon curd, matcha, salted caramel and dark chocolate pudding, while strawberries and mascarpone cream and tiramisu push things firmly into dessert territory. There’s even an everything-bagel version filled with whipped chive cream cheese for anyone who refuses to choose between breakfast and dessert. Find Mello in Chinatown, on Robson and, happily, inside Time Out Market Vancouver at Oakridge Park.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lee's Donuts (@leesdonuts.ca)

Some food institutions get by on nostalgia. Lee’s doesn’t need to. The Granville Island original has been hand-making donuts since 1979, and its famously simple Honey Dip remains the move: airy, fried dough under a thin, sticky-sweet glaze that somehow disappears faster than you intended. There are jelly-filled, chocolate, coconut and seasonal options too, but first-timers should absolutely start with the classic. Lee’s has expanded well beyond Granville Island, but eating one warm-ish from the market still feels like a Vancouver rite of passage.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cream Pony Donuts and Southern Fried Chicken (@creampony)

Donuts and fried chicken: finally, a restaurant brave enough to address two of humanity’s most urgent needs. North Vancouver-born Cream Pony opened a Mount Pleasant shop in 2026, bringing its fluffy yeast donuts to Main Street. Go classic with the honey-glazed OG, raspberry-jam-filled Jelly Bomb or custard-filled, chocolate-dipped namesake, or attack an apple fritter packed with cinnamon-spiced fruit. And yes, you can combine fried chicken and a glazed doughnut. We support your journey.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lucky's Doughnuts (@luckysdoughnuts)

A very good donut plus very good coffee is one of life’s more dependable equations. Lucky’s, from the people behind 49th Parallel, makes its donuts fresh throughout the day, which means the pastry case is dangerously tempting whether you arrive at breakfast or during the afternoon slump. Expect handsome, generously sized creations that move between familiar glazed territory and more elaborate seasonal flavours. Pair one with an expertly pulled espresso.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dished Vancouver (@dishedvancouver)

Duffin’s is not trying to sell you a lifestyle. It would simply like to sell you a donut, maybe a torta, some fried chicken and possibly another donut at an hour when most sensible bakeries have gone to bed. The East 41st institution has been serving its neighbourhood for more than four decades and remains one of Vancouver’s great no-frills food stops. Come for classic glazed, filled and cake donuts; stay because you’ve suddenly decided you also need a sandwich. Weekends run around the clock.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Honey’s (@honeysdoughnuts)

A hike through Deep Cove followed by one of these is practically a Lower Mainland wellness program. Honey’s has been a neighbourhood fixture since 1996, turning out hefty, deeply satisfying donuts that have become almost as synonymous with Deep Cove as kayaks and mountain views. The honey-glazed classic is the obvious starting point. Grab one, wander down towards the water and congratulate yourself on your balanced lifestyle.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Donut (@harmonysdonut)

There are no elaborate pastry theatrics required at this wonderfully old-school North Vancouver shop. Harmony specializes in the sort of straightforward cake donuts that make you wonder why anyone ever felt the need to pile on six toppings plus sprinkles. Cinnamon sugar is a standout, while chocolate, maple, peanut and sprinkle-covered versions deliver pure childhood-birthday energy. Go early: this is very much a until-supplies-last situation.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ShopWest4th (@shopwest4th)

OOHLALA understands that sometimes your snack should look a little ridiculous. Its Kitsilano counter deals in playful yeast donuts like the pink-frosted, sprinkle-covered Homer, raspberry-jelly-filled Pop’s Tart and blue-raspberry Marge, alongside more grown-up flavours like lavender and chai spice. The latter has even been developed in collaboration with Vancouver chef Vikram Vij, finished with chai frosting, rose petals, candied papaya and silver leaf.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Diana Chan (@foodologyca)

The names alone deserve a round of applause. This retro Knight Street shop riffs on Las Vegas with creations including the Flamingo, High Roller, Fabulous Ube and Cirque Du Cinnamon, while stuffed donuts answer to names like the Bellagio and Mandalay Ube. The concept takes inspiration from a family doughnut shop in 1960s Vegas, so beneath all the cheeky branding you’ll find plenty of old-fashioned doughnut-shop DNA.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gloren Guelos (@glorenguelos)

Goldie’s brings a Korean spin to the stuffed-donut game, starting with brioche dough fermented for 24 hours before being loaded with creams and glazes. The brand began its Metro Vancouver story in West Vancouver before expanding into the city, including Kitsilano, where options have included tiramisu, strawberry cream, matcha and other rotating flavours. These are polished, photogenic donuts, but the appeal is really in tearing one open and discovering just how much filling can physically fit inside a chunk of fried dough.