A Globe-Spanning Tour of Must-Try Doughnuts

American Doughnuts

No discussion of doughnuts is complete without starting in America. Many popular doughnut chains and recipes trace their origins to the USA. American doughnuts tend to be fluffy and cake-like instead of dense and bready. They often come glazed or coated in sweet toppings like chocolate or maple frosting. Some classic American doughnut varieties include:

Glazed Doughnuts

The simplest doughnut imaginable, but it remains a favorite for a reason. Hot, fresh glazed doughnuts are hard to beat. The base glazed doughnut highlights the fluffy dough rather than just the sweetness of toppings.

Chocolate Frosted

Chocoholics will find their match with chocolate frosted doughnuts. Rich chocolate is hard to resist, and it pairs perfectly with sweet doughnuts.

Sprinkles and Jimmies

Doughnuts topped with rainbow or chocolate sprinkles and jimmies bring out the fun, playful side. The colorful toppings look almost irresistible on the sweet treat.

Boston Cream Pie

Boston cream pie doughnuts fill the base doughnut with smooth, sweet vanilla pudding or custard before topping it off with chocolate frosting. The resulting bite is creamy and indulgent.

European Doughnuts

Across Europe, the doughnuts take on delicious local spins. Heavier, denser Old World doughnuts get fresh coatings from local ingredients. Try these European doughnuts for a taste of authentic culture blended with everyone's favorite treat.

Churros from Spain

In Spain, churros provide a unique doughnut experience. They get fried into long strips instead of rings, featuring a satisfying crunch on the outside and soft, doughy interior. Cinnamon sugar topping provides warmth and sweetness.

Bomboloni from Italy

Picture a baked doughnut hole filled with sweet pastry cream or chocolate. That's an Italian bombolone! Fried and baked bomboloni variations exist, but the filled Italian doughnut remains light and airy throughout.

Smultring from Norway

Around the holidays, Norwegians enjoy a cardamom-laced doughnut called smultring. The aromatic spice blended into sweet dough makes for an incredibly comforting, delicious seasonal treat.

Asian Doughnuts

Asia also has lots of scrumptious doughnuts, though some go savory instead of sweet. Here are some Asian doughnuts to add to your must-try list:

Shu Cream from Hong Kong

Cream puff-like Hong Kong shu cream doughnuts delight with an airy choux pastry dough filled with European-inspired vanilla cream. The sweet cream filling pairs deliciously with the crisp, delicate doughnut shell.

傳統酥餅 Traditional Crispy Chinese Doughnut from Taiwan

Chewy, crispy traditional Chinese doughnuts get flavored with sesame oil and curls of Chinese cruller inside the dense dough. They make an incredibly satisfying sweet and savory treat.

Oliebollen from the Netherlands

Around New Year's Eve, the Dutch can't resist oliebollen doughnuts. Their fluffy texture comes from yeast instead of baking powder or baking soda. Raisins hide inside the dough, providing sweet bursts of flavor.

This list only scratches the surface of the wide world of doughnuts. Every culture that adopts the beloved fried dough adds its own spin, creating infinite indulgent varieties. Part of the fun is trying new types of doughnuts from around the globe. Hunt down an international bakery and pick out some doughnuts you've never tried before. Your tastebuds will thank you.

FAQs

What are some classic American doughnut varieties?

Classic American doughnuts include glazed, chocolate frosted, sprinkles and jimmies, Boston cream pie filled, apple cider, blueberry cake, and old fashioned. Recipes and styles vary across different shops.

Why do churros get fried into long strips instead of rings?

The long strips make churros easier to eat as a snack on the go. Their unique shape also allows more surface area to become crispy during frying while the inside stays soft and doughy.

What makes bomboloni different from other doughnuts?

Bomboloni come from Italy, and they get filled with sweet fillings like pastry cream or chocolate before frying or baking. The filling contrasts nicely with the airy, lightly sweetened dough.

What holidays feature seasonal doughnuts?

Many cultures create special holiday doughnuts. Norway enjoys cardamom-flavored smultring for Christmas. The Netherlands makes oliebollen for New Year's Eve. For Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, places like New Orleans sell paczki. And for Chinese New Year, crispy sesame doughnuts get served.