Best Donut Shops Near Los Angeles: Donuttery & Sidecar Doughnuts

Near Los Angeles! Locally Popular Donut Shops You’ll Love

Los Angeles, California is famous for its incredible variety of food!

One of the most popular treats in LA that people want to enjoy for breakfast or as a snack is donuts.

For Americans, donuts have long been a breakfast staple alongside coffee, as well as a sweet treat during work or study breaks—truly a “soul food.”

Near Los Angeles, you’ll find unique, high-quality donut specialty shops that offer flavors you can’t experience at regular chain stores.

This time, we’ll introduce two especially recommended donut shops and their donut offerings!

1. Donut Classifications You’ll Often Hear at American Donut Shops

When you go to an American donut shop, you’ll often hear the classifications YEAST, CAKE, and ENRICHED.

These are general categories based on “the composition of the dough itself,” widely used at American bakeries.

YEAST refers to donuts that use yeast to ferment the dough!

The dough is light and fluffy with lots of air bubbles, creating a soft, airy texture.

For example, fluffy glazed donuts and sugar-coated ring-shaped donuts fall into this category.

The appeal lies in the aromatic, yeasty fragrance and fluffy texture from the fermentation process.

These donuts tend to absorb a bit more oil, which helps the glaze (sugar) and toppings stick well!

CAKE donuts use dough made with leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda.

The dough is mixed with butter, sugar, and milk, then either fried in oil or sometimes baked in an oven, resulting in a firm texture similar to “cake batter.”

For example, “old fashioned” style donuts, chocolate donuts, and cinnamon sugar donuts fall into this category!

They have a slightly denser texture and often have a cracked, rough surface.

The characteristic is a moist, sometimes crumbly texture with a noticeable “rich sweetness.”

Generally, they tend to taste sweeter than yeast donuts and can be less oily.

If you like cupcakes or muffins, you’ll probably be drawn to cake-type donuts!

ENRICHED means “made richer” or “enhanced with nutrition.”

In baking, this refers to a technique of adding generous amounts of butter, eggs, sugar, and milk to give the dough a rich flavor and softness.

Often included as a type of yeast donut, enriched donuts feature even more butter, eggs, and milk, with a rich, brioche-like dough.

Cream-filled donuts packed with custard and other premium products fall into this category.

The generous use of eggs and butter creates depth of flavor in the dough itself, making the texture even fluffier and more moist.

Even richer than regular yeast donuts, they offer a taste similar to brioche bread from a pastry shop!

2. Donuttery (Huntington Beach)

Donuttery is a beloved, long-established donut shop in Huntington Beach, loved by locals.

Huntington Beach is famous as a surfing mecca—a beachside town!

When you’re strolling on the beach or watching surfers, you’ll naturally want a spot to relax with sweet donuts and coffee.

Donuttery is the perfect place for that!

When you walk into the shop, you’ll be amazed by the donuts lined up along the counter.

They have basic flavors like chocolate and cream, of course, but also unique flavors that look almost like cakes.

Their donuts are divided into four main categories: TRADITIONAL DONUTS, VEGAN DONUTS, GLUTEN-FREE DONUTS, and MOCHI DONUTS.

Traditional donuts are the familiar classics, but what’s really interesting is that they offer vegan and gluten-free options.

I actually tried the gluten-free chocolate donut and was surprised by how delicious and moist it was!

Apparently, these vegan and gluten-free options were developed based on feedback from regular customers, and they’ve now become popular menu items.

The sweetness is well-balanced, the dough is light and fluffy yet moist, and every donut was delicious.

Another notable feature of this shop is that it’s open 24 hours!

Actually, compared to Japan, there are very few 24-hour shops in America!

You can enjoy delicious donuts anytime, and with vegan and gluten-free options available, this is a highly recommended shop!

If you want to experience a local donut shop loved by the residents, I definitely recommend stopping by!

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3. Sidecar Donuts (Multiple Locations)

Sidecar Donuts is recommended for those who want a more “stylish LA vibe”!

They have locations in Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Culver City, Costa Mesa, and more—all with beautiful, stylish interiors.

Their donuts are handmade from scratch every day using only the highest quality ingredients possible!

They fry small batches throughout the day to ensure fresh-out-of-the-fryer deliciousness.

The flavors rotate frequently with the seasons, so there’s always something new to discover with each visit.

A must-try is their signature flavor, Huckleberry—the refreshing sweet-tart berry flavor harmonizes perfectly with the rich donut.

Their coffee and lattes are also excellent, and the carefully crafted barista coffee pairs wonderfully with the donuts!

When visiting LA as a tourist, this is a great place to stop by after playing at Santa Monica Beach or to take a break after shopping in Costa Mesa!

Enjoy a donut experience you can only have in Los Angeles!

Check out their Instagram for more details!

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4. Summary

Even though they’re both “donut shops,” these two have completely different concepts and characteristics.

Donuttery is charming for its local, down-to-earth atmosphere and wide variety of flavors.

You can feel the vibe of locals enjoying donuts as part of their everyday life.

The prices are relatively reasonable, making it a place you could visit regularly.

On the other hand, Sidecar Donuts stands out for its artisanal craftsmanship and refined shop experience.

The special feeling of enjoying “fresh-fried donuts made right in front of you” and the excitement of new flavors constantly appearing are features you won’t find elsewhere!

The prices are a bit higher, but the quality, design, and premium feel of each donut really stands out.

If you want to “experience that local vibe,” go with Donuttery.

If you want to “enjoy stylish, carefully crafted LA-style donuts,” go with Sidecar Donuts.

Both are highly recommended donut shops!

Frontier by EcoDrive (@frontier_ecodrive)

 

5. Final Thoughts

There are still many more sweet shops and bakeries to discover near Los Angeles.

When you visit, be sure to go on a sweets tour or café hopping adventure!

We introduce many other recommended spots on our Instagram! Be sure to check it out!

Frontier by EcoDrive (@frontier_ecodrive)