It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the pastry case at this Ballard bakery, and we won’t shame you if you end up trying one of the shop’s many traditional Scandinavian treats. But our advice is to head over to the doughnut section and check out their cake variations in particular. The red velvet doughnut in particular is an amazing example of the form, glazed on the outside and moist on the inside, with that red velvet kiss of tartness.  

Named after a Tom Waits lyric, 9th and Hennepin is based out of a kitchen in West Seattle, serving doughnuts hot, as they were meant to be served. Eschewing the candy crumble genre of doughnuts, this Fridays-and-weekends-only operation serves an ever-rotating selection of flavors based on what’s in season at local farmers markets. Past standouts include a Yukon potato brioche long john, and honeycrisp apple and dried cherry fritter.

This wonderfully welcoming White Center shop is versatile. In addition to a selection of sweet classics, such as cinnamon twists, glazed cake doughnuts, and apple fritters (at inexpensive prices), it hosts pop-ups and features savory dishes as well, such as breakfast sandwiches and Italian subs.

Owners Damian Castillo and Claudia Monroy say they want to serve “elevated” doughnuts, and the experiments here are sometimes startling. The creme brulee doughnut is carmelized and crunchy on top, satisfying soft in the middle, and loaded with sweet fruit filling inside. These are dessert doughnuts as opposed to breakfast doughnuts — you’ll need two hands or a knife and fork to eat them, and you might need a nap afteward.

There’s no shortage of playfulness at this Black- and veteran-owned Lynnwood “dezzert bar,” which likes to experiment with different flavors and toppings, such as Lucky Charms on maple bars. There are dalliances with savory items — garlic chili chicken doughnuts — and an infinite number of flavor selections (mango chili, ube, horchata, and more) in the “Zuriverse” of sweets. There are plenty of gluten-free and vegan options as well.

It may not be the flashiest shop in the city, but this bakery tucked into a SoDo mini mall has a reliable array of glazed, filled doughnuts, fritters, and cinnamon twists. They work perfectly as a sweet complement to the spicy bulgogi and other savory items from the deli side of the operation, and hold up well, even later in the afternoon.

Known for its over-the-top cookie doughnut sandwiches that have graced plenty of Instagram accounts, this U District bakery (with a Lynnwood offshoot) offer doughnuts topped with candy like Ferrero Rocher, Butterfinger, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and more. Those celebrating a special occasion can pre-order treats in the shapes of letters and numbers.

Dough Joy started as a Ballard-based food truck specializing in creative yeast-raised vegan doughnuts and has now expanded to Capitol Hill and West Seattle brick-and-mortars. Some of the more whimsical offerings include strawberry lemonade (a sticky tart treat), mango con chili, the glitter-coated Over the Rainbow, and an addictive everything bagel variety.

Built from a pop-up favorite, owner Pamela Vuong’s Hillman City shop continually draws lines for its creme brulee doughnuts, everything bagel doughnuts filled with whipped chive cream cheese, decadent cinnamon rolls, and other rotating doughnut flavors. The popularity is well-deserved: Vuong was a James Beard Award semifinalist for outstanding baker in 2022.

This Rainier Beach destination used to be a hybrid bakery, laundromat, and teriyaki restaurant, but recently dropped the latter two services due to limited resources and move a few blocks down Rainier. Luckily, the doughnuts are still here. Styles range from chocolate- and sprinkle-coated cake doughnuts to glazed or cinnamon sugar-coated rounds, available fresh daily.

There’s innovative stuff going on up in Mill Creek. Frost does all the standards — even a picture-perfect rendition of Homer Simpson’s famous pink frosted doughnut — but what makes this bakery stand out is the flavors it achieves without having to resort to gimmicks like bacon toppings. The salted caramel version of the old fashioned has an impressive caramel-like chew to it, and the Aztec Chocolate will expand your mind: It’s got real cayenne-style heat that perfectly cuts the richness of the chocolate cake doughnut.