Melbourne loves its doughnuts and we are somewhat of a "doughnut capital" of Australia. We queue for them at 7am in the cold outside a vintage van, we drive across town for a "bronut" stuffed with brioche and Biscoff, and we still argue about whether a hot jam doughnut from a market van beats an artisan number with a name longer than the ingredient list. We enjoy institutions like American Doughnut Kitchen, the Queen Victoria Market icon behind Melbourne's most famous Hot Jam Doughnut, who marked 75 years in business in recent times.
Every venue below is one we celebrate - from the third-generation family van that's been frying dough since 1950, through to the newer wave of Melbourne doughnut specialists doing genuinely inventive things with brioche, brûlée and everything in between. Whether you want nostalgia, novelty or something dangerously close to dessert, here's where to go.
American Doughnut Kitchen — Queen Victoria Market & Prahran Market
There's a reason no "best doughnuts in Melbourne" list is complete without the blue-and-white van parked on Queen Street. American Doughnut Kitchen has been frying, filling and sugar-dusting its Hot Jam Doughnuts at Queen Victoria Market since 1950, and in recent times the family business celebrated its 75th anniversary - still using the same recipe, still drawing queues from the moment the market gates open.
The business started life as the German Doughnut Kitchen, rebranded American Doughnut Kitchen in 1950 when the original name stopped resonating with post-war shoppers. It's now run by third-generation co-owner Belinda Donaghey, granddaughter of founder Arnold Bridges, who in July 2024 opened the brand's first-ever bricks-and-mortar storefront at Prahran Market — its first new location in more than 70 years. The Prahran shop keeps the classic hot jam doughnut front and centre but adds fillings the van can't, including salted caramel, Biscoff and vanilla custard.
To mark the 75th milestone, American Doughnut Kitchen gave away free bags of five Original Hot Jam Doughnuts to the first 75 customers through the doors at both venues, with spot prizes on the day. Belinda summed up why the business still matters to so many Melburnians: "We're so honoured to have made it to 75 years… At the end of the day, we bring a little bit of joy and nostalgia to people's lives – and I think that's what keeps people coming back."
Why I rate it: the heat is the whole trick. Minimal fryer-to-mouth time keeps the outside crisp and the inside pillowy, and that first bite into molten raspberry-plum jam is genuinely one of Melbourne's great cheap thrills. Go early, go hungry, and don't wear anything you're precious about — the jam does not care about your outfit.
Queen Victoria Market van: Queen Street, F-Shed • Prahran Market storefront: Shop 803, Market Square, South Yarra.
Daniel's Donuts — Multiple Melbourne Locations
Daniel's Donuts has quietly become one of Melbourne's most recognisable doughnut names, with more than 20 locations across the city serving everything from classic glazed rings to elaborately stacked signature flavours, plus pies and milkshakes for good measure. Its most fun recent drop is the Throwback Party Box, a nostalgia-driven collection built entirely around the flavours of an Aussie childhood birthday party: Choc Crackle (a classic ring donut in choc icing, topped with choc crackle mix), Fairy Bread (ring donut smothered in butter-flavoured icing and hundreds and thousands), Sour Strap (sour sugared icing, a sour strap on top, jam filling) and Coconut Ice (strawberry icing, shredded coconut and a coconut white chocolate centre).
Why I rate it: it's the doughnut equivalent of a lolly bag — genuinely playful, built for sharing, and a smart reminder that doughnuts don't always need to be precious to be excellent. Grab a box for the office and watch the Fairy Bread one disappear first.
All Day Donuts — Brunswick
Tucked just off Sydney Road at 12 Edward Street, All Day Donuts is the doughnut side hustle of Beatbox Kitchen and Taco Truck owner Raph Rashid, sharing its space with Juanita Peaches. The yeast doughnuts are made fresh daily with six or seven rotating flavours on any given day — think miso banana, rhubarb and orange fritter, coffee passionfruit crumb and camomile mandarin alongside more familiar options. They're light, not overly oily, and the fillings lean adventurous rather than safe.
Why I rate it: the flavour combinations are genuinely inventive without tipping into gimmick territory, and pairing a doughnut with proper filter coffee on-site makes it a legitimate breakfast stop, not just a sugar hit.
Shortstop Coffee & Donuts — Melbourne CBD
Shortstop, at 12 Sutherland Street in the CBD, was one of the doughnuts-as-craft pioneers in Melbourne and still holds its own. Expect hand-forged crullers made with local honey and organic milk, doughnut cakes topped with earl grey and rose or triple matcha, and filled options like apple pie crumble, rhubarb brûlée and coffee crème caramel. Coffee comes from Market Lane, and the flavours rotate daily.
Why I rate it: this is doughnuts-as-dessert done properly — more restrained and considered than most of the flashier newcomers, with a genuinely excellent coffee list to match.
Hector's Deli — Richmond, South Melbourne, Fitzroy & CBD
Hector's Deli built its name on oversized sandwiches, but the doughnuts — maple-glazed or sugar-dusted, and usually sold out by midday — have become just as much a drawcard. The original Richmond corner store recently spun off Hector's Bakery on Stewart Street, opposite Richmond Station, which produces bread for all Hector's locations and introduces new laminated pastries and limited-run specialty doughnuts alongside the regular menu.
Why I rate it: get there early. These sell out fast precisely because they're worth queuing for, and pairing one with a Hector's sanga is one of Melbourne's better lunch combinations.
Lokamadis Street Donuts — Grazeland, Spotswood
Over at Grazeland, Melbourne's permanent food truck precinct in Spotswood, Lokamadis Street Donuts & Fried Icecream brings a Greek-inspired take on doughnuts alongside the fried icecream that's become its calling card. It's a weekend-only stall (Friday to Sunday, matching Grazeland's hours) worth building a whole visit around, given the precinct's mix of burgers, wood-fired pizza and Asian street food.
Why I rate it: it's a genuinely different style of doughnut to everything else on this list, and Grazeland's whole grazing format makes it easy to share a box between courses.
Dandee Donuts — Dandenong Market
Dandenong Market's answer to American Doughnut Kitchen, Dandee Donuts has been managed by the Bell family for more than 50 years, with hot jam doughnuts remaining the star of the show alongside newer Nutella and custard fillings. Like ADK, the dough is made fresh on-site and cooked to order, dairy- and egg-free, using an original recipe developed in the 1950s. It's open every market day — Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Why I rate it: if you're out that way, it's a genuine rival to the Queen Vic Market experience, and the option of extra jam is not to be passed up.
Mister Nice Guy BakeShop — Ascot Vale & South Melbourne
Melbourne's first fully plant-based bakery, established in 2010, Mister Nice Guy BakeShop is the one to know if you're after doughnuts that happen to be vegan rather than vegan doughnuts that taste like a compromise. Its "bronuts" (brioche doughnuts) come in flavours including Snickers, alongside baked petite doughnuts in vanilla glaze, cinnamon sugar and chocolate sprinkle. Everything is kosher, largely organic and made using fair trade ingredients where possible.
Why I rate it: the Snickers bronut in particular holds up against any non-vegan equivalent in this list — it's rich, indulgent and doesn't announce its dietary credentials before you've finished eating it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most famous doughnut in Melbourne?
American Doughnut Kitchen's Hot Jam Doughnut, served from its vintage van at Queen Victoria Market since 1950, is generally considered Melbourne's most iconic doughnut. The recipe hasn't changed in 75 years, and the queues most market mornings prove it.
Where can I get American Doughnut Kitchen's doughnuts?
American Doughnut Kitchen operates from its original van at Queen Victoria Market (Queen Street, F-Shed) and from a permanent storefront at Prahran Market (Shop 803, Market Square), which opened in July 2024.
Are there good vegan doughnuts in Melbourne?
Yes — Mister Nice Guy BakeShop in Ascot Vale and South Melbourne is Melbourne's original plant-based bakery and makes vegan brioche "bronuts" in flavours including Snickers, plus baked petite doughnuts in several classic finishes.
What's the best doughnut in Melbourne for something different?
For genuinely inventive flavours, try All Day Donuts in Brunswick or Shortstop Coffee & Donuts in the CBD, both of which rotate daily flavours ranging from rhubarb brûlée to earl grey and rose. Lokamadis Street Donuts at Grazeland offers a distinctly Greek-inspired take.
Is Dandee Donuts the same as American Doughnut Kitchen?
No, they're separate family businesses. American Doughnut Kitchen has traded at Queen Victoria Market since 1950, while Dandee Donuts has been a Dandenong Market institution under the Bell family for more than 50 years. Both specialise in fresh, made-to-order hot jam doughnuts.
Melbourne's doughnut scene rewards a bit of a road trip — from the market vans that have been doing it since the 1950s to the newer wave layering on brûlée, matcha and Snickers. Start with a Hot Jam Doughnut at Queen Victoria Market while it's still hot, then work your way through the rest at your own pace. Just maybe not all in one day.
More Melbourne Food Guides
If doughnuts have you in the mood for more Melbourne classics, check out my guides to the best pies in Melbourne, the best sausage rolls in Melbourne, and the best bakeries in Melbourne. For something more savoury, my best sandwiches in Melbourne guide and the wider best cheap eats in Melbourne round-up are both worth a look. And if you're building a full day out of it, my best laneway bars in Melbourne guide will sort out where to go once the sugar rush wears off.
Melbourne's doughnut scene rewards a bit of a road trip — from the market vans that have been doing it since the 1950s to the newer wave layering on brûlée, matcha and Snickers. Start with a Hot Jam Doughnut at Queen Victoria Market while it's still hot, then work your way through the rest at your own pace. Just maybe not all in one day.