Best doughnuts in California? This ‘delicious’ spot was named No. 1
Craving a sweet treat? A California best doughnut shop ranks among the best in the nation, according to Chowhound.
“Donuts are a sweet breakfast staple in the U.S., partially because there are so many varieties that everyone can find something,” said the food-and-drink website, which advertises itself as “the site for food nerds.”
Chowhound contributor Sarah Vallie recently went in search of the “best donut shops in every state,” combing through hundreds of reviews to ensure that “everyone has a shot at scoring amazing donuts.”
Vallie shared her findings in an Oct. 21 article.
Here’s which California spot made the 2025 list:
Where is California’s No. 1 doughnut shop?
Rocklin Donuts and Cinnamon, 4845 Granite Drive, Suite B, in Rocklin, earned its spot as California’s No. 1 doughnut destination thanks to its “delicious donuts and friendly service,” according to Chowhound.
Reviewers praised the Sacramento-area restaurant’s menu offerings — which include bear claws, apple fritters and cinnamon rolls — as “extremely soft and airy” and “like eating fluffy little pillows.”
As of Wednesday, Nov. 12, Rocklin Donuts and Cinnamon had an average Yelp rating of 4.8 stars out of five with 670 reviews.
Yelp reviewer Jasmine of Roseville said the Rocklin shop as “the best donuts, ever.”
“(Their) customer service is impeccable. They’re kind and quick with service,” the Yelp user wrote. “But the donuts — the donuts are everything.”
Tourism website Visit Placer County touted the Rocklin doughnut shop’s ranking in an Instagram reel.
“Rocklin’s best-kept secret isn’t a secret anymore,” Visit Placer County said in the Oct. 25 Instagram post. “One bite of their seasonal donuts (with a coffee in hand) will tell you exactly why! Get there early. They WILL sell out.”
What are best donut shops in the West?
Chowhound highlighted a total of 50 doughnut shops across the United States, including several popular spots in the West.
The site showcased these shops due to their “soft,” “fluffy” and “just flat (out) amazing” doughnuts:
- Oregon: Donut Land, 19350 South West Boones Ferry Road in Tualatin
- Washington: Lone Star Donuts, 2649 Mile Hill Drive in Port Orchard
- Idaho: Manna’s Donuts, 1630 South Broadway Ave. in Boise
- Nevada: Rainbow’s Donuts, 1725 North Nellis Blvd., Suite E, in Las Vegas
- Arizona: Glaze Donuts, 4815 East Carefree Highway, Suite 112, in Cave Creek
Where to find California’s top doughnuts, according to Yelp
Chowhound isn’t the only site to highlight California’s top-notch doughnut shops.
Yelp named BJ Cinnamon in Folsom as one of the Top 50 Donut Shops in the U.S. in 2025, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
Kin Bakeshop in Santa Barbara and Munchkns Donuts Shop in Covina also made the list.
Meanwhile, Rocklin Donuts and Cinnamon was No. 1 on Yelp’s list of the top 100 doughnut shops in the nation in 2023.
Other California spots on the 2023 list included Marie’s Donuts in Sacramento and The Jelly Donut in San Francisco.
How did Chowhound come up with doughnut rankings?
Vallie said she looked at reviews from Yelp and Google to determine Chowhound’s 2025 list of the top doughnut shops in the nation, focusing on the highest-rated spots in each state.
To qualify, each shop had to have at least 100 individual reviews, Vallie said, and “generally couldn’t be a multi-state chain.”
“That meant no Dunkin’ or Krispy Cremes, but also no places like Duck Donuts or Voodoo Doughnuts,” she said. “I wanted to focus more on mom-and-pop options beloved by locals.”
