Despite all the cool places I’ve visited on my travels, Chicago Donut Shops is still my most popular food post! So, when I moved to Tucson, I fully intended to replicate that post and tell you where to find the best donuts in Tucson. When I first moved here in 2017, there weren’t many trendy donut spots in Tucson. For the most part, they were all very similar.

I tried King Donuts, Donut King, Queen Donuts, Donut Wheel, and Alvernon Donut Shop. They all reminded me of the 1980s doughnut shops my dad would take me to before school. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s not post-worthy.

In the last two years, though, some new donut shops are popping up and creating a new market. So, I originally included some bakeries on the list to round out your options for sweets. But this is now mostly about the best donuts in Tucson that I’ve tried so far. Please let me know where you find the best donuts in Tucson!

Check out my list of over 50 things to do in Tucson!

Batch Cafe and Bar

One of the few trendy Tucson donut shops I found when I first moved here. Batch Cafe is primarily a whiskey bar (they don’t even open until 11 am, noon on the weekends!) but they offer a small selection of donuts made daily, in addition to a sandwich menu with a whole bunch of grilled cheese options. Their signature donut is called “The Stud” and has chocolate frosting, bacon bits, and bourbon maple bavarian cream filling. I went with “The Homer” a classic donut with white chocolate frosting and sprinkles, plus a churro donut.

Tucson’s Historic 4th Avenue is well worth checking out!

Amy’s Donuts

I did find one other unique place for Tucson donuts. Amy’s Donuts has a great mural on the outside and a bit of a divey feel to it – this is no fancy, hipster donut joint. They have a huge selection of funky flavors like Nutty Bar, Andes Mint, Banana Fudge and pretty much any kind of candy crunched on top of a donut. Amy’s is the place to come for fun flavors – and they are open 24/7 so anytime you get a craving, you can pop in. When I worked 5 am retail shifts, Amy’s Donuts was the fuel of choice for that much-needed early morning sugar jolt. You can even order online!

La Estrella Bakery

If you’re looking for a classic Mexican bakery in Tucson, La Estrella is it! They have a huge assortment of baked goods, from classic donuts to Mexican specialties like concha and cookies. (I’ve heard their donuts are pretty amazing, but I could not bring myself to choose a donut over a concha.) They also sell fresh tortillas and other items like tamales and Menudo. My concha, even in the later afternoon, was still super fresh and delicious! This is Arizona, though, so be careful about stocking up on too much – things dry out in the desert air super quickly! The original location is south of the city, and there is a new location in the Mercado San Agustin just west of downtown. (I hear the Mercado location also serves Mexican Hot Chocolate…you know, for when it drops below 70 degrees!)

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(I “accidentally” ate the concha in my car and forgot to take a picture…oops!)

La Estrella Bakery – 2 locations – $1.60 for 2 pastries

Honorable Mention, Mexican Bakery in Tucson: La Palma Tortilla Factory – a good alternative if you’re on the north side and don’t have time to get down to La Estrella! They have a good breakfast menu, from sweet to savory!

Village Bakehouse

This northside spot has a great breakfast menu, plus lots of yummy muffins, scones, and cakes. I have been mourning the end of cinnamon scones at Starbucks for years, so I was super excited to find out they have cinnamon chip scones at Village Bakehouse. Way tastier than the Starbucks version, of course! If you’re looking for a bakery near Oro Valley, check out the Village Bakehouse!

Barrio Bread

You won’t be in Tucson long before you start hearing about Barrio Bread. Many local restaurants are proud to serve Barrio Bread, so you’ll see their name on many menus. If you visit the bakery on the East side of town, you will have some pretty delicious bread to choose from. This isn’t a cafe, it’s not a donut shop, it’s a bakery. You come in, you buy bread, and you take it home. Then you eat the whole loaf. Just kidding. Maybe. Barrio Bread is the kind of place that sells out when they sell out, so if you have a specific thing you want, come in early! I sampled a mini-loaf of the pain au levain – it was delicious!

Nadine’s Bakery

Located just east of downtown, not far from Barrio Bread, Nadine’s is the place to go for cakes, cupcakes and a million other kinds of baked deliciousness. Petit fours, pastries, cookies, bread, something called “European slices” that looks like a slice of fluffy frozen heaven, in several flavors. Nadine has been baking for Tucson for over 30 years and is fully kosher to boot – there aren’t many kosher bakeries in Tucson! Let’s just say it’s a good thing I don’t live closer, or this would be a regular stop for me and my sweet tooth. The prices are really good, too – so it’s easy to go a little crazy! I’ll take one of everything, please?

Irene’s Holy Donuts – Closed as of February 2020

Sadly, it looks like the owners packed up after a year and moved back to Hawaii. Can’t say I blame them!

Irene’s Holy Donuts opened on Fourth Avenue in March 2019. The owners have an original location in Hawaii and so far the Tucson location seems to be very popular. With unique flavors like lemon berry, mango, dragon fruit, and the classic Homer Simpson, deciding on the best donut is not an easy choice. The best-sellers sell out within 30 minutes of the opening time, but when I went around 7 pm on a weekday, there were some empty cases, but still plenty of choices. The big donuts are on the pricier side, $3-$5 per donut, but you definitely get your money’s worth. I ate half of one donut and took the rest to work. They also have some pretty crazy menu items like a Donut Monte Cristo or a Donut Grilled Cheese.