Donut or Doughnut? Either way, there is an artisanal donut craze making waves throughout Boston. Food trends like this come and go, so I went out in search of the highest rated donuts to see if they stood up to the hype and were worth the average $4 per donut. I had high expectations for the experiences I was about to receive at each donut shop, and some were worth it while some were definitely not. I tested four of the most popular donut spots in Boston: Blackbird Doughnuts, Red Apple Farm, Kane’s Donuts, and Union Square Donuts.
Blackbird Doughnuts
Rating: 9/10
Some people say to save the best for last, but I say start with the best then forget the rest. Blackbird is by far the best donut shop in Boston, if not the entire world. I visited the Blackbird Doughnuts in Fenway which is conveniently located right next to Target, so the next time you do a Target run you can reward yourself with one of Boston’s greatest donuts afterward. This donut shop wins every category in my book because of the overall appearance of the shop itself, the donut flavors offered, the coffee selection, the donut ice cream sandwiches, and of course the donuts themselves are insanely delicious.
Blackbird charges $3 for each donut and $6 for their donut ice cream sandwiches, which is any donut of your choice cut in half with an “ice cream puck” placed in between the donut slices and then rolled in the sprinkles of your choice. I tried this sugary creation with a classic glazed donut, chocolate ice cream puck, and rainbow sprinkles and I can confidently say that I will never eat a donut the same way again. At first, I imagined this combination to be an overload of sugar and way too much to handle but I was able to finish it, and it took everything in me not to go back for seconds.
The donut batter itself is not overwhelming with sweetness like most donuts, and I think that is what makes Blackbird stand apart. They use brioche dough to make their classic donuts, but their cake donuts are where they fall short in my opinion. After trying their triple chocolate cake donut, my tastebuds were reminded of the boxed grocery store donuts that are too sweet and leave a sugary coating on your teeth. Also, cake and classic donuts cost the same, but classic donuts are twice the size as cake, so it is pretty clear which is the better value. Still, in the famous words of Guy Fieri, their donuts are out of this world.
Red Apple Farm
Rating: 8/10
As I walked through the Boston Public Market in search of the Red Apple Farm stand, I was drawn to the sweet scent of warm apple cinnamon. Red Apple Farm breaks the barriers of a traditional donut shop; I would describe this as an indoor farm stand. Though it is not a traditional donut shop, they make the best apple cider donuts I have ever tasted. Red Apple Farm serves up a plethora of handmade fudge, apples, apple cider, jarred goods, and more treats — but the main attraction is their freshly made, mini apple cider donuts. They cost $1 for one and $4.99 for a half dozen.
Most apple cider donuts are very thick, cakey, and tend to be too sweet or taste processed. Red Apple Farm’s apple cider donuts, however, are freshly baked goodness and the perfect balance of sweet and spiced. At first bite, there is a slight crunch from a combination of cinnamon, sugar coating, and the crust of the donut. Beyond the amazing taste, the wonder of the donut is in the experience of watching it be made, then rolled in cinnamon and sugar, and immediately handed to you in a matter of seconds.
After my fresh-made donuts were handed to me, I asked the employee making them how often they sell the donuts.
“Year-round,” he replied.“We always have them because people always want them.”
Kane’s Donuts
Rating: 6/10
Upon visiting the Kane’s Donuts website, my expectations were set extremely high because of how cool the shop looked and how perfect the donuts appeared. I regret to inform, especially to the loyal Kane’s customers, that their donuts just didn’t do it justice for me. I tried four flavors, strawberry frosted with sprinkles, coconut with a raspberry jelly filling, “Honey Dip,” and a Boston cream donut. They had an abundance of flavors to choose from, and I initially couldn’t decide, which was surprising since I visited the shop an hour before closing.
Kane’s charges $3.25 per donut which lead me to expect that the donuts would be the best I’ve ever had. The strawberry frosted was the worst artisanal donut I have ever tasted — I took one bite and had to toss it out. The frosting was an extremely artificial and an overly sweet tasting strawberry flavor that left the worst aftertaste in my mouth.
The coconut raspberry donut seemed poorly executed because of an overly fine outer layer of coconut shavings, instead of the classic thick coconut shavings that usually provide for a unique texture. Also, whoever thought coconut and raspberry, which are two excellent flavors on their own, would be a good combination were poorly mistaken.
Thankfully, the “Honey Dip” came around, and it was a donut unlike anything I had ever tasted before. In fact, the “Honey Dip” is what Kane’s is known for and attracts customers to the shop. To describe the flavor, imagine a glazed donut with a naturally and subtly sweet honey flavor. It made the donut taste lighter, and the unique flavor blended perfectly with the airiness of the fluffy dough.
Last but definitely not least, the Boston cream donut lived up to the standard and then some. Their Boston cream donut was different from the rest because I tasted notes of coffee in their dark chocolate frosting, which was a nice surprise and compliment to the sweet custard filling.
Union Square Donuts
Rating: 7/10
Nestled in a very tight space in the Boston Public Market, Union Square Donuts boasts a surprising variety of about 20 different flavored donuts — I was overwhelmed by the options. In terms of presentation, all the donuts looked pretty much exactly the same — light to dark brown frostings with a few powdered or sugared donuts, but nothing specifically caught my eye without reading the name tags.
Within their small booth, there was a post which had pictures of other flavors they offered, and a few of those appeared to be more interesting than what was offered in the case. Apparently, they rotate flavors, so perhaps the most aesthetically appealing donuts were not offered on the day I went.
The employee recommended I try the pumpkin spice and the raspberry filled powdered sugar donut. The pumpkin spice donut was not only perfect for the cold and rainy day I was there on, but it also tingled my taste buds with the sensation of fall. The flavors the donut offered perfectly defined what pumpkin spice should taste like. There were no fake pumpkin flavors or the feeling that I was eating the color orange, rather this donut had subtle notes of real pumpkin in the frosting. The dough of the donut was excellent, offering the airy texture every good donut should have.
The powdered raspberry donut was not nearly as delightful as the pumpkin spice. The raspberry filling and the powdered sugar was all traditional, fine, and exactly what you would expect for a donut of its nature. The biggest issue with this donut was the dough, which tasted as if it was over baked and dried out. Also, there was nothing unique about this donut in terms of taste or execution, and if you’re paying $4 for a single donut, it should taste better than ordinary and not dried out.
Final Thoughts
Even though I didn’t love every donut I tasted, my donut tour of Boston was as delicious as one would have expected. If you’re looking through Yelp or Foursquare for the top rated donut shops in Boston, I will save you some time and suggest you head over to Blackbird Doughnuts which has locations in Fenway, South End, and Cambridge.