Looking for donuts? Here are 10 places in Louisville to try

If you've got a sweet tooth, set your calendar.

National Donut Day, which is June 5, may be known as the date to get freebies from chains such as Dunkin' and Krispy Kreme. The unofficial holiday can also be traced back to War World I, when Salvation Army volunteers fried doughnuts for soldiers in France, bringing "a light of hope and happiness to the battlefield," as The Salvation Army's website reads. The first-ever National Donut Day was held in 1938 in Chicago to officially immortalize the doughnut-yielding volunteers.

National Donut Day is now celebrated on the first Friday of June every year. That's the case at local doughnut shops such as North Lime Coffee & Donuts, a Kentucky business with a location at 1301 Herr Lane in Louisville. North Lime is planning ahead, announcing on May 14 that the shop will offer a free doughnut for every customer on June 5, among other deals.

Looking for more doughnut shops around Louisville? Read on for details about 10 local places to celebrate National Donut Day.

Doughnuts shops in Louisville, Ky.

Bamboo Coffee & Donuts

This locally-owned doughnut shop opened its first location on Lime Kiln Lane in 2024 and has plans to open a second location in the former Hi-Five Doughnut spot in Douglass Loop at 1940 Harvard Drive.

Bamboo Coffee & Donuts 2400 Lime Kiln Lane, serves a variety of cake doughnuts.

The shop is known for its cake doughnuts, which come in a variety of flavors from strawberry to blueberry and red velvet. The small doughnuts are made in house, with vegan and gluten-free options available.

Clifton Donut Shop

At Clifton Donut Shop, don't miss the best sellers, which include regular glazed and old-fashioned sour cream doughnuts.

An assorted box of donuts at Clifton Donut Shop in Louisville.

Thai Eng, owner of Clifton Donut Shop, previously told The Courier Journal the shop also serves croissant breakfast sandwiches daily, and French crullers on the weekends. The shop also sell seasonal items, such as its popular pumpkin cake doughnut, available in the fall.

Details: 2317 Brownsboro Road; Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday and Sunday,6 a.m. to 1 p.m., Closed Mondays; facebook.com/cliftondonut

Jeff's Donuts

Jeff's Donuts, a 24-hour operation, makes large, from-scratch doughnuts in more than 40 varieties, from fritters to Long Johns, zingers, chocolate glazed doughnuts and honeybuns.

Doughnuts at Jeff's Donuts.

The brand has numerous locations around Louisville. Current limited-time flavors on the menu include Cookies N' Cream and Key Lime Crunch, which are available 24-hours a day.

King Donuts

King Donuts, which has numerous locations around the city, sells an array of freshly baked goods, including specialty doughnuts, bagels, croissants, and a variety of drinks, including smoothies, cappuccino, boba tea and more.

The shop is known for its doughnuts holes, tossed in either cinnamon sugar or glazed, along with its apple fritters, maple bacon long johns, chocolate filled chocolate chip, classic old fashioned doughnuts featuring nutmeg and vanilla and more.

Nord's Bakery

Its menu features a variety of options including Maple with Chocolate Drizzle, Cream Filled Chocolate Long John, Maple Bacon, Holland Cream, Coconut, PB&J and more. Look for doughnuts specials on the weekend, which include Red Velvet Cake, Double Chocolate Cake, Glazed Cruller and more.

Plus, don't miss the pastries, cakes and cookies, which are also available for custom order.

North Lime Coffee & Donuts

This Kentucky-based shop, which originated in Lexington, is known for its non-traditional square-shaped doughnuts.

Tiramisu doughnut at North Lime Coffee & Donuts in Old Louisville.

Look for classic flavors like plain glazed, chocolate iced and cinnamon and sugar, along with specialty doughnuts. Past flavors have included tiramisu, carrot cake, and yes, even pulled pork.

There are daily flavors, weekly specials, and some specials that show up for just a day. North Lime also makes gluten-free and vegan doughnuts.

Parlor Doughnuts

Parlor Doughnuts will open its first location in the Louisville area on Nov. 23.

Parlor's layered doughnuts are "one-of-a-kind," Grant Welp, Parlor's Louisville franchisee, said in a press release at the time.

Flavors include strawberry shortcake, raspberry pistachio, maple bacon, French toast, and "chocolate chocolate." The menu also includes vegan, keto, and gluten-free options, The Courier Journal previously reported.

Details: 3531 Grant Line Road, New Albany, Ind.; 3060 Gottbrath Pkwy, Jeffersonville, Ind; Hours: Monday-Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sunday, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; parlordoughnuts.com/

Plehn's Bakery

This iconic bakery in St. Matthews celebrated 100 years in 2024. It is known for everything from doughnuts to kuchens, danishes, breads, cakes, cupcakes and more.

Some of the breakfast goods available daily at Plehn's Bakery in St. Matthews include raspberry kolatchie and danishes. July 16, 2024

Popular doughnuts range from jelly to powdered, caramel, coconut, traditional glazed and more. Order a doughnut and a coffee and grab a stool at the old-school lunch counter for a perfect breakfast treat.

Details: 3940 Shelbyville Road; Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Closed Sunday and Monday; plehns.com

Sugar & Spice Donut Shop

Here, you can find more than 40 varieties, from banana split and apple streusel, to lemon filled, chocolate crunch bar, blueberry cake, coconut custard and more.

And there might be a reason this shop has lasted so long — "we found the best recipe available and went into business making what we now believe are the best donuts in Louisville," the owner states on its website.

Yonutz

This trendy destination serving "smashed donuts," which opened its first Louisville-area location in Middletown in 2025, recently opened its second location on Bardstown Road.

Yonutz, set to open Feb. 28 in Middletown, serves smashed doughnuts, milkshakes, and breakfast sandwiches.

The Florida-based doughnut chain has more than 15 locations nationwide and is known for its extreme flavors, including Birthday Cake, which is birthday cake ice cream topped with blue vanilla drizzle, confetti sprinkles and Little Debby Birthday Cake, and French Roast, which is vanilla ice cream topped with maple drizzle, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and sprinkle dots.

Freelancer Lennie Omalza contributed to this report. Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at [email protected].