The Most Popular Donut Flavor in Every State

Get the surprising results from sea to shining sea.

We don’t need a national day to celebrate donuts—if you’re like us it’s more like a weekly occurrence—but since National Donut Day is upon us, we’ll seize the moment. As we jump online to check out recipes or local promotions for a doughnut, bun, sweet roll, cruller, Danish, eclair, or whatever you call your favorite pastry, we have to wonder...What are the hot donuts these days?

The team at Menu-Price had the same thought and put together a list of the most popular donuts according to Google search data from the last 12 months. We have the results here so let’s dive—or dunk—in!

The Most Popular Donuts in America, Ranked

10. Sour Cream Donuts

According to the creator of the sour cream donuts on our site, Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman, "These donuts boast a crisp exterior and a moist, tender, cakey interior all enrobed in a classic, creamy glaze. The sour cream contributes moisture and texture but the donuts themselves are not tangy at all." These look like a must-try, thanks Maryland.

Get the Recipe: Sour Cream Donuts

9. Sugar Donuts

Admittedly, I had to Google "sugar donuts" myself to see how exactly they differentiate themselves. It seems to be a light, airy yeast dough that is fried and coated in white sugar. A classic recipe for delicious, fluffy treats. Simple enough, we have that right here. Swap out confectioners' sugar and you'll be on your way, following in North Carolina's footsteps.

Get the Recipe: Yeast Doughnuts

8. Potato Donuts

Maine knows, one secret to pillowy, satisfying donuts is the humble potato. You can even turn leftover mashed potatoes into treats with the recipe we have below. Is there nothing a potato can't do?!

Get the Recipe: Aunt Kathy's Old-Fashioned Potato Donuts

7. Jelly Donuts

Nevada is onto something because, in my mind, jelly donuts are iconic and nostalgic in the best ways. My pick is raspberry filling but you really can't go wrong. There are even shortcuts to be had—try these Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes or Super Easy Jelly Doughnuts for a fun twist.

Get the Recipe: Jelly Doughnuts

6. Boston Cream

These custard-filled, chocolate-covered treasures are an obvious hit in Massachusetts—where the Boston Cream Pie originated—but apparently in Pennsylvania and West Virginia as well. While we don't currently have a recipe for Boston Cream donuts, we have cakes that are just as delightful. Or, as a workaround, it stands to reason you could use the custard and chocolate from this recipe with yeast dough to Boston Cream your own.

5. Old-Fashioned Donuts

Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, Idaho, Minnesota, and Missouri are old-fashioned in their donut choice. And who can blame them? Cake donuts mean no yeast, which some people prefer. I think there's a time and place for both.

Get the Recipe: Grandma's Old-Fashioned Cake Donuts

4. Apple Cider Donuts

It's hard to beat apple cider donuts, baked, fried, or even in cake form. Donut lovers in Iowa, Colorado, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and New York can attest to their comforting flavors of tart apple mixed with warm spices—in any season.

Get the Recipe: Baked Apple Cider Donuts

3. Paczki

Paczki are a filled type of donut that's traditional in Polish cuisine. We don't have a specific paczki recipe on our site (yet!) but we have other filled treats to tide us over. Try donut muffins filled with Nutella, or repurpose jelly donuts. Paczki gets the number three spot thanks to Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

2. Glazed Donuts

My personal favorite, glazed donuts are number two on the list with a 10-state hold in Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. There is nothing better than the first bite of a warm, fresh donut with the perfect crackle of just-hardened glaze. Enjoy a classic version, just like the ones at your favorite donut shop, or add your favorite flavor to your glaze for some pizazz.

Get the Recipe: Classic Glazed Doughnuts

1. Donut Holes

Donut holes were the unexpected front runners—topping the search engines in 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington. At first, I was surprised that donut holes beat out straight-up glazed and old-fashioned. It's no wonder really, though. These bite-sized confections offer something for everyone, from those that just want a taste, to those that can't agree on one flavor. Donut holes fly off the platter across the country.

Get the Recipe: Munchable Donut Holes

Most Searched Donut Flavor in Each State

A note on the methodology, according to Menu-Price: “In order to find the most searched donut flavors, [they] looked at each state’s donut-related Google searches...Donuts were entered in both their standard format [i.e.] ‘glazed donut’ as well as other related keywords such as ‘glazed donut recipe’.”