The 6 Louisville Donut Shops You’ve Simply Gotta Try
Donuts are all the dessert rage these days! Here's our latest round up of the top places to grab the most creative, decadent and delicious donuts that Louisville has to offer.
βDo-nutβ underestimate the power of a donut! The trend of anything-but-glazed donuts has taken off across the country, and Louisvilleβs donut scene is no exception. As one of the largest foodie cities in the United States, we take pride in our sweets and savories!
Weβve rounded up the top places to grab the most creative donuts in the Louisville area. From iconic classics to the new, hip joints, these donut shops mean business!
Hi-Five Doughnuts
1011 E. Main St., Louisville, KY 40206 β’Β (502) 409-5584
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to noon; Friday through Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Unique and local, Hi-Five Doughnuts is Louisvilleβs first female-owned-and-operated donut food truck and storefront. Located in Butchertown, this eccentric and somewhat cheeky gathering place serves up sweet and savory donuts that will knock your taste buds into the next universe. Not only is each ingredient handmade from scratch everyday, Hi-Five Doughnuts offers its customers the ability to customize each donut.
βLet the people choose!β exclaimed Annie Harlow, co-owner and partner, as she tossed the next batch of doughy goodness into the fryer. βItβs gotta be all about what the people want, so we let them decide.β And there is never a wrong answer for a donut.
From the glazes to the toppings, customers have the ability to customize their very own donut, as well as choose one from the ever-changing menu.
So, whatβs the most interesting donut in this place? Hands-down, itβs the Kentucky Fried Buttermilk Chicken Doughnut sandwich! βIt was obvious that this donut sandwich had to be a part of our menu,β explains Annie of the next-level sandwich, which all began when she and owner Leslie Wilson traveled around the country trying different donut shops and determined that if chicken & waffles were possible, then why not a fried chicken donut? And so, the Kentucky Fried Buttermilk Chicken Doughnut sandwich was born.
A perfectly textured glazed donut is split through the middle and stuffed with piping hot fried chicken and laced with their secret βSmackdownβ sauce. Itβs savory, crispy, gooey, spicy and sweet goodness all in a single bite.
Hi-Five Doughnuts has so many incredible creations on their ever-changing and customizable menu, and they promise to only repeat customer favorites. Donut lovers, rejoice, and head to Hi-Five!
Plehnβs Bakery
3940 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40207 β’ (502) 896-4438
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thereβs just something about a classic! Plehnβs Bakery is a family-owned, St. Matthews staple and an iconic Louisville eatery thatβs been in business since 1924.
Almost 100 years later, Plehnβs Bakery is still serving up some of Louisvilleβs most beloved soups, salads, sandwiches and spreads, as well as dessert and bakery items. The nostalgic, old-school vibe is as comforting as the delectable aromas of cakes and cookies wafting throughout the bakery. Believe it or not, the very same donut recipe they used in 1924 is still used today.
Katie McCune, store manager, attributes the success of Plehnβs Bakery to Louisville and St. Matthewsβ close-knit community. βWe have customers come into the bakery and tell us they remember coming in to have a slice of pie at just 5 years old,β says Katie.
The bakery serves up a number of sweets to choose from including pies, cakes, cookies and the like. The Kuchen (pronounced KOO-ken) is the original staple of Plehnβs Bakery. Made with sweet dough, then filled with apple, cherry, cinnamon or even butter filling (yes, butter!), the Kuchen is the most requested item on the menu.
While Plehnβs Bakery is a time-honored institution of Louisville, itβs not without creativity. The most creative donut Plehnβs serves up to customers is their original take on the cronut, a croissant prepared like a donut. The croissant is made in-house, then dropped into piping hot oil for a crispy-edged donut texture, then slathered in original glaze β yum!
Plehnβs also features a special donut each month. Be sure and stop by to taste the blueberry cake donut this month!
North Lime Coffee & Donuts
1228 S. 7th St., Louisville, KY 40203 β’ (502) 398-5739
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
North Lime Coffee & Donuts has opened its third location right in the heart of Old Louisville. After opening two locations in Lexington in 2012, store manager Tricia Trimble saw a need for affordable donuts in the Louisville area.
βWe wanted to bridge the gap and make coffee and donuts affordable with easy access,β explains Tricia. With the revitalization of areas like Old Louisville and NuLu, Tricia knew Old Louisville was the next home for North Lime Coffee & Donuts.
North Lime provides an affordable, sustainable approach to your classic coffee and donuts. They work with local coffee roasters to support the local economy, and 10% of all profits go toward a local charity or fundraiser. And North Lime baristas go through an intense training process to make the best espresso beverages around.
During the month of May, pop into North Lime and get a taste of the coffee cake donut, a twist on a classic! Itβs made up of a plain cake, with cold brew buttercream frosting topped with brown sugar and cinnamon crumble. Itβs like coffee and cake all in one bite.
We also recommend grabbing a lavender chai when you stop in. Itβs creamy, comforting and uplifting goodness in a cup.
Nordβs Bakery
2118 S. Preston St., Louisville, KY 40217 β’ (502) 634-0931
Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday through Tuesday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Word has it that you just arenβt a Louisvillian until youβve been to Nordβs Bakery. And with the most inventive donut yet, we have to agree!
In 2017, Nordβs was ranked the best bakery in Kentucky, according to Yelp. We canβt help but believe that their maple bacon glazed donut had something to do with that. Itβs deep-fried dough glazed, then glazed again with maple-flavoring, then topped with a slice of bacon. If eating Nordβs maple bacon glazed donut is wrong, then we donβt wanna be right. It is delicious, ooey-gooey, salty and sweet all in one chewy bite!
Nordβs Bakery is well-known around the area for having some of the best donuts in town. Located on Preston Street near Schnitzelburg, you can find this place packed to the rafters on a weekend morning. The bakery has been open for more than 80 years and is a cherished part of the neighborhood. Offering more than just the iconic maple bacon glazed donut, Nordβs Bakery also offers an array of sweet treats such as cookies, eclairs, donuts and even custom wedding cakes.
Sugar & Spice Donuts
5613 Bardstown Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40291 β’ (502) 231-1411
Hours: Monday through Friday, 5 a.m. to noon; Saturday through Sunday, 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sugar & Spice Donut Shop was founded more than 30 years ago. Located in the Fern Creek area, Sugar & Spice all began when they believed a good donut at a good price would naturally be a thing people would love β and they were right! Thirty years later, Sugar & Spice still has some of the same customers theyβve had since the beginning.
Today, they are rocking the donut scene with their very own βdesignerβ donuts. And with more than 30 donut varieties to choose from, we knew we were getting our sticky fingers onto something delicious!
Touting a classic plain glazed donut as the benchmark of a well-made donut, Sugar & Spice also serves up several creative donut options, such as cookies and cream, banana split, apple streusel and chocolate Oreo cheesecake.
Cookies and cream definitely takes the cake for Sugar & Spiceβs most creative concoction. Starting with a glazed donut, the long-john is drizzled with a sweet icing and topped with crushed chocolate cookies.
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King Donuts
608 Lyndon Lane, Louisville, KY 40222 β’ (502) 890-5293
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dollar donuts?! Itβs clearly a sign that we should enjoy more donuts, right? King Donuts is located in the Lyndon area and has been dubbed βThe Sweetest Spot in Town.β This donut shop offers a wide variety of inexpensive donuts, beginning at only 75 cents.
King Donuts has a large selection of interesting donut combinations, including the apple fritter donut. Itβs a twist on a classic American dessert and the shopβs #1 seller! And donuts arenβt all thatβs available β extended shop hours offer customers the opportunity to grab a savory breakfast sandwich and even lunch options.
Now get out there and enjoy our cityβs ΓΌber-creative donuts!
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