The Inside Of This Snickers Donut Is Too Hot To Handle
When California Donuts set out to create a Snickers donut, they didn't just dream up a pastry that tasted like the nutty, chocolate-caramel bar - they stuffed the entire candy inside it. It's the kind of meta, dessert-within-a-dessert that's earned them an almost perpetual line at the shop's walk-up window on 3rd Avenue, be it 3 p.m. or 3 a.m.
"For a normal donut shop, peak hours are in the morning, which is how it was for us, but now that we have dessert donuts, it's more of a nighttime spot," explains Stephanie Kuoch. "After dinner, around 8 or 9 p.m., is when it really gets crazy."
The Snickers donut came about a few years ago, after the world became obsessed with Dominique Ansel's game-changing culinary mashup, the Cronut. Suddenly, members of the family-run business started dabbling in all-new ways to riff on their tried-and-true line of donuts, first by adding cereals and other unexpected toppings. Then Kuoch's sister had an idea: What if you wrapped a Snickers bar in dough, fried it, and glazed it?
They tested it out, topping the treat with maple frosting and a combination of chopped peanuts and mini chocolate chips. It was an instant hit, and what started out as a novelty became a donut the team made around the clock, just to keep up with demand.
The family estimates they sell up to 150 Snickers donuts a day. As word has spread about their shop, they've had to pivot to expand production, hiring more employees to work day and night shifts, and buying the store next door and tearing down the walls so they have more room to bake.
So far, the business shows no signs of slowing down, either, which the family admits is a good problem to have.
"My parents started this place as a way to survive in America - they immigrated from Cambodia - but when my sister joined and we got to be creative, it opened up so many new opportunities for us," Kuoch says.
We can only imagine what they'll dream up next.
If you go, make sure you hit up the right California Donuts. The brand was once a chain, but has since separated into individually owned shops that have varying menus. You can find the Snickers (and Instagram-famous panda donut) at California Donuts #21, at 3540 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90020.
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