Have you heard? Krispy Kreme Doughnuts are coming to Maine. As recently reported in the press, the first of three stores, which is slated to open in Auburn, has been delayed, so we probably won’t be able to try their popular doughnuts until sometime this spring.

But, don’t despair. We have an extremely healthy local doughnut scene in Southern Maine, with many awesome, and flavorful, choices already available. So, here’s a few thoughts on local doughnut spots to try if you’re craving something sweet.

Eighty 8 Donuts | Food Truck | Eastern Promenade, Portland,  Maine

I had been wanting to try Eight 8 Donuts (formerly Urban Sugar Donuts) for a long time. Their mini-donuts, that they highlight on their social media posts, look amazing. Finally, I read that they would be on the Eastern Prom one recent Sunday morning, serving apple cider donuts with a variety of topping options. They were only there from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, but that gave us enough time to swing by and sample some seasonal donuts. Both my husband and I opted for the apple cider donuts with the cream cheese, graham cracker and caramel topping. They were amazing. Hot and fresh, with just the right hint of fall spices. We each got the single order which included six mini-donuts for $7.00. The price was a little higher because it was a signature donut. Normally, the cost is $4.00 for a single order of the traditional minis. They also have a physical location up at Sugarloaf Mountain during the winter although I just learned through their recent Facebook post that, “We will be operating at The Rink at Thompson’s Point Friday – Sundays through the end of February. Hope to see you there!” Happy news indeed!

Tony’s Donut Shop | 9 Bolton St, Portland, ME 04102

Full confession, I’ve had Tony’s Donuts many times but I had never actually been to their shop until recently. Tony’s Donuts were always served after church service so I knew they were delicious but knew little about their flavor offerings. We headed to their shop on a recent Sunday morning in October. They had quite a few seasonal and local options including my husband’s favorite molasses, as well as pumpkin spice, maple cinnamon, and blueberry glazed. We ordered a variety pack of six rounding things out with a plain glazed and raspberry jelly donut. The cost was $8.50 for the six donuts and one fig square for my non-donut loving daughter. We were mixed on the results with the blueberry and maple syrup not having enough flavor for my husband and I, but the Molasses and Pumpkin being spot on. While the seasonal offerings were more dense and cake like, the classic glazed and jelly filled were a little lighter.

Dirty Dozen Donuts | 137 Main St, Biddeford, ME 04005

We headed back to my old stomping grounds to check out the Dirty Dozen. This local stop is becoming a mini-chain. They originally started in Sanford  and now have a shop in Biddeford, which is the one we went to, as well as one that opened last month in Springvale. They’re only open in the morning and unfortunately, we got there a half hour before closing time so there was a limited donut selection. It looks like they have a wide variety of cream and jelly filled, although I went with a basic glazed for this stop. My husband tried their apple filled. We both enjoyed our donuts. These are traditional style donuts: light, sweet and fluffy. The shop is small but does have some inside seating so we ate our donuts sitting at a table by the window overlooking Main Street in Biddeford.

Sadly, I believe they have closed since our visit.

Congdon’s Doughnuts | 1090 Post Rd, Wells, ME 04090

I had never been to this local institution until I was headed south on the turnpike recently and made a detour to grab a six-pack of Congdon’s famous donuts. I had tasted their chocolate covered bacon at the Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off. While not a doughnut, it was really good. You can’t go wrong with chocolate and bacon. The bacon creation had been delicious, and on my recent outing to their restaurant, I discovered so were their doughnuts. We tried an assortment of flavors including a maple bacon, maple creme, vanilla creme, blueberry filled, chocolate frosted, and traditional glazed. I was good and shared my stash so can’t speak to all the flavors, but the ones I tried were all excellent. They were generous portions, light and airy. In addition to doughnuts, they have a busy restaurant where, as I snuck by to get my doughnuts from their counter service, I noticed that the line of people waiting for a table was long. They also have a drive through! It cost me $9.15 for my box of six doughnuts.

Holy Donut | 194 Park Ave, Portland, ME 04102

Holy Donut has gotten a lot of press. I’ve even written about them myself in a previous blog post – #AtoZChallenge | D is for Maine Potato Donuts from the Holy Donut. They make amazing potato donuts that are dense and cake like. They have creative and unique flavors. On a recent stop we picked up a four pack which included chocolate sea salt, lemon, pumpkin cannoli, and ginger glazed. We arrived around 11:00 am and the place was packed with a decent line waiting to order even though it was later in the morning.  All our donuts were as usual excellent, although I am still partial to their lemon ones. They’ll be opening yet another location in Scarborough soon so there will be even more opportunity to get your delicious potato donuts. The four donuts cost us just over $10.00. The pumpkin one was a specialty one so it was a little pricier. They also have a second location in Scarborough.

Wherever you choose to go for your doughnut fix, you can’t go wrong with any one of these local options. We’ve got your doughnut cravings covered.

11/5/30 Update – Krispy Kreme closed their Maine locations so now there’s even more reason to visit some of the local donuts shops highlighted in this blog post!

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things to know
Eight 8 Donuts	Food Truck | Eastern Promenade & Thompson’s Point, Portland,  Maine
Tony’s Donut Shop	9 Bolton St, Portland, ME 04102
Dirty Dozen Donuts	** Closed **
Congdon’s Doughnuts	1090 Post Rd, Wells, ME 04090
Holy Donut	194 Park Ave, Portland, ME 04102
Favorite ♥	Buying Local