Doughnut Miss This: Seattle’s Ultimate Donut Trail

In mid-December, something pink and magical arrived in Seattle, a duplicate of a glowing phenomenon, covered in frosting and sprinkles, that has made the City of Portland a confection cult stop for more than 20 years.

Welcome Voodoo Doughnuts. 

Voodoo is famous for raised dough bars covered in maple and bacon, raised rounds sprinkled with Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch and other old-time sugary breakfast cereals, and that beyond-the-bar namesake few kids can resist, the Voodoo Doll. (Just pull out its pretzel “pin”, poke curses into its chocolate-covered center, and send them to the meanies in your life).

A crowded house

Seattle, it seems, is a donut town, and Capitol Hill is its mecca. Five of the city’s most popular donut shops have stores within a few blocks of Voodoo, the neon-signed newbie. 

Amazingly, these and other highly rated fried dough shops line up on a donut-shaped map that starts on the hill, curves along I-5 to North Seattle, rounds over to Ballard, and rolls through Queen Anne before passing the Space Needle on the arch back to Capitol Hill. The donut hole in the middle of this sweet excursion? The waters of Green Lake or Lake Union, depending on the donut shape you like best. 

We (Seattle Art Museum Docent David Turner and Seattle’s Child Managing Editor Cheryl Murfin) ran this tasty route, Seattle’s donut trail we have dubbed the “Donut Donut.”

It’s a donut shape, or maybe it’s a maple bar shape. Either way it’s the shape of the route to some of Seattle’s most popular donut shops.

What we reviewed

The goal of our non-scientific review of this loop was to evalutate these four things:

• Family-friendly ambiance or atmosphere: Does the shop have seating, specials for kids, something interesting to see? Plant-based? Gluten-free?
• Basic donut (vanilla plain or sugar dusted but nothing else) structure and taste: Thick? Moist? Oily? Balanced? 
• Staff pick for most popular kid donut: Exactly that.
• Most artful donut: Let us explain:

When Docent David meets the group of grade schoolers in the SAM lobby, his job is to win them over quickly so he can provide a learning experience and some fun. He immediately herds them to the museum’s art-making room. Pointing out the large work of art that most visitors don’t see, he asks, “What’s going on here?” No matter their answer, his response is, “What makes you say that?” followed by “What else?”  

One child will inevitably shout out “donut!” David applauds every answer because every answer is correct at that moment. He invites kids to explain how they think this art was made – by paint, brush, throw, splash?

Making a circle is an exercise every artist is given. It is the perfect shape but it’s difficult to get right. David has never had a student figure out the material the artist used. The artist, by the way, is Richard Long and he made this work with mud from Puget Sound. 

Invite a donut-art connection

All that is to say that kids have always made mud donuts, so exploring the perfect treat as circle and art is not a huge leap. Our hope is that you invite your kids to enter the “gallery” of the donut shop and notice that every artistic sense is touched. The smell comes first, followed by the noise of customers trying to decide. A display of coffee pots or book-lined shelves and board games tell you this is both home and community. As they approach the glass case, can they describe the wash of color they see?

Take our lead: As you go on your Donut Donut tour, ask your kids to pick out what they think is the most “artful” cake.  Bring supplies and ask them to draw it, color it,  describe it in words. Encourage them to use adjectives and phrases like “it’s like,” as in “It’s like a rainbow pony dancing in a circle with shiny stars falling from the sky” (Cheryl’s description for Dough Joy’s Vanilla Rainbow raised donut). Below, David artfully explains our picks for “most artful” donuts. Of course, art is subjective – as are donut preferences. That’s the fun.

Here’s where we landed, in the order of our visits. You can start this loop at any shop. Keep in mind that most shops open early (between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m.) and close early (usually 2 or 3 p.m.). Always double-check online for specific store/day hours as open times may change. Once they sell out, the door closes, and some sell out as early as noon. We chose to begin at Voodoo, the newest curve in the Seattle Donut Trail slash Donut Donut.

Stop 1: Voodoo Doughnut 

1201 Pine St., Seattle | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mon-Wed., 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thurs – Sun, 

• Family-friendly ambiance or atmosphere: Voodoo Doughnut presents funk as edible performance art. Behind glass walls, you can see donut art being created.  
• Basic donut (vanilla plain or sugar dusted but nothing else): Cakey but not too dense, with a floral spicy vanilla taste. Surprisingly un-oily.
• Staff pick for most popular kid donut: The Voodoo Doll, of course, followed by the M&M-covered Marshall Mathers cake donut.
• Most artful donut: The Marshall Mathers combines color texture and line.  The M&Ms are not randomly placed. Notice how the donut artist placed each color. Consider the green and orange, opposites on the color wheel, which are often paired.  

Stop 2: Half and Half Doughnut Co.

516 E Pike St., Seattle | Wednesday-Thursday 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Friday-Saturday 7 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Closed on Mondays and Tuesday. 

• Family-friendly ambiance or atmosphere: Half and Half feels traditional, almost subdued compared to its comrades on the Seattle donut trail, with counter seating along the windows and outside bistro seating for fair weather days..  
• Basic donut: The basic vanilla or chocolate here are both beautifully dense and crunchy at the same time. Spice is moderate. Great for dipping in hot chocolate.
• Most artful donut: The Georgette from Half & Half is a creative expression of line in its twisting, almost braided form. It also pays homage to an artful hairstyle worn at the nape by a refined woman for a formal event. It’s a rich auburn brown with just a hint of sugar. It’s braided into a soft circle with little flare and a lot of elegance. I can vouch for the satisfying taste. 

Stop 3: Dough Joy (Capitol Hill)

1316 E Pike | Wednesday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday-Saturday 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.-2 p.m., closed Monday-Tuesday

• Family-friendly ambiance or atmosphere: Dough Joy targets the gluten free crowd and does it in pink. In West Seattle you’ll find seating to hand. The shop’s motto: “Donut Worry be Happy.” Did we mention the owner is gluten free and that means options!
• Basic donut: The Basic B is just that, a lightly glazed raise wonder. Oilier than some, but melts in the mouth.
• Staff pick for popular kid donut: Vanilla Rainbow. Shout out to the gluten free Blueberry. Best GF cake we’ve tasted in a long time, and definitely the best on the Seattle donut trail. 
• Most artful donut: There’s no surprise the Vanilla Rainbow is the kid pick. The glaze on this raised cake has an ombre effect that moves from deep green, to ivory, lemon yellow, orange and finally pink, and is finished with glitter to give it extra bling. All this without a border from one color to the next. The art term “optical color mixing” fits here.   

Stop 4: Family Donut Northgate

2100 N Northgate Way, Seattle | 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.Wednesday-Monday, closed on Tuesdays.

• Family-friendly ambiance or atmosphere: Oh the colors, the colors! The wide and ever-changing variety of donut here makes it a kids dream come true and a huge family favorite. Jewels of sugar on every shelf. Super friendly staff and a very low-key, hole-in-the-wall vibe. The tiny stripmall-ish store isn’t a place to sit and hang, so go find a park. Sells out fast.
• Basic donut: The basic vanilla is light, airy, with a perfect balance of sugar (not too sweet) and almost imperceptible spice.
• Staff pick for most popular kid donut: Kids gravitate toward the brightest colored cakes – yellows, blues, pinks. The raspberry-topped cruller donut seems to sing out.
• Most artful donut: The Family Donut blueberry is another example of color, randomness and texture in art. It’s got a gorgeous purpley-blue hue with abundant and random pumps of real blueberry peeking through.

Stop 5: Mighty-O Donuts (Ballard)

1555 NW Market St. Seattle | Monday-Friday 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Family-friendly ambiance or atmosphere: Mighty O, the route’s plant-based donut maker, is industrial, modern, smooth minimalism. The tables invite students and remote workers to get out the laptop and get busy. It even offers an adult donut loaded with caffeine and another with peanut butter to add protein to the sugar. 
• Best basic donut: Dense, chewy, a light vanilla taste springs into the mount on first bite. Plant-based so you may feel the oil on your tongue. Chocolate is dark and tasty.
• Staff pick for most popular kid donut: Sprinkles. Kids here go for the Sprinkles, chocolate or vanilla cakes. 
• Most artful donut: Sprinkles is also one of Mighty-Os art hits. It is about texture and randomness and pays homage to Pollock’s drip technique and the many artists who have applied color by throwing it. We also applaud the Peanut Butter Chocolate cake. And not just because we needed the protein after six shop stops on the Seattle donut trail. The earthy colors, the painted start, this one’s about drawing. 

Stop 6: Top Pot Donuts (Capitol Hill or Downtown Seattle)

609 Summit Ave E.  | 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily

The Queen Anne location closed (325 W Galer st.) however, you can stop by another Top Pot location including their Capitol Hill location (609 Summit Ave E) or their Downtown Seattle Flagship location (2124 5th Ave).

• Family-friendly ambiance or atmosphere: We had to throw Top Pot into the Seattle Donut Trail. Top Pot wants you to come in from the rain and feel loved. It also elevates the title of works with humor. Consider a donut named Double Trouble, Cookies and Cream, or the Pink Feather Boa. Artists title their work as a key to interpret their intent.
• Basic donut: Simple, not to gooey, light vanilla. Perfect
• Staff pick for most popular kid donut: Chocolate sprinkled plain cake gets a lot of tiny fingers and “Cookies and Cream” is an Oreo covered dream
• Most artful donut: Bring on the Feather Boa. This vanilla cake is covered in dense pink frosting then topped with coconut flakes and before you even read the card it screams boa. This work of art makes a brilliant illusion of movement. Like the air ruffling the feathers of a boa, coconut almost undulates.

Outta the loop (but so worth a trip)

9th and Hennepin Donuts. Call it a tail to The Donut Donut, a tail to the Seattle donut trail that moves around the town. This spot teaches kids how donuts are best enjoyed: hot, right out of the oil. These gems are fried-to-order when you visit the kitchen located at 5604 Delridge Way SW in West Seattle (Friday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.) or right there on The Truck that moves around the city. Check out the company’s Truck calendar. 

Donut Factory is the place to find the works. What kid wouldn’t love cakes covered in sweet cereals, favorite candy, bacon and much, much more. Birthday coming up? Call ahead and ask them to make a donut in the shape of your kids initials. In Seattle at 4336 Roosevelt Way NE; in Lynnwood at 20815 67th Ave W. Monday to Friday 5 a.m. to 6 pm; Saturday to Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Lynnwood hours). 

The Flour Box in south Seattle is the place to go if you or someone in your crew has a hankering for filled donuts. From sweet to savory, baker Pamela Vuong’s filled donut flavors are a tongue-blazing experience and make clear why Vuong was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Baker in 2022. Open only Thursday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., these too sell out fast. Located at 5520 Rainier Ave S.

We should mention, if you’re looking for something smaller (and slightly more professional), check out The Seattle Underground Donut Tour. The tours run Wednesdays through Sundays and cost $60 for adults, and $50 for kids — and cover donuts at all visited locations downtown and in Pike Place Market. Tour guides run through some Seattle history and the “hidden donut history” of the city alike.