These Small Bakeshops In Ohio Will Serve You The Best Donuts You’ll Ever Taste
Ohio mornings have a funny way of turning into donut missions, especially when the best ones come from tiny bakeshops with big reputations. I once told myself I was “just grabbing coffee,” and somehow ended up detouring across town because someone mentioned a fresh glazed ring that was still warm.
That is the magic of this state’s small bakeries, where the cases fill up early, and the locals already know what sells out first.
This list is a love letter to hand-cut dough, honest glazes, and counters that have seen generations of regulars shuffle in half-awake and leave suddenly cheerful.
From college-town classics to small-town staples, these 15 Ohio spots prove the best donuts are rarely the loudest, but they are always worth the detour.
1. Buckeye Donuts – Columbus
Some places feel awake even at two in the morning, and this campus legend is one of them.
When I finally walked into Buckeye Donuts at 1998 N High St, Columbus, OH 43201, the neon sign humming over the door and the steady line of students and night-shift workers told me everything I needed to know about the donuts inside.
The glass case is packed with old-fashioned rings, sour cream donuts, cinnamon twists, and filled options that barely fit in their own paper bags.
One bite of a warm glazed twist, eaten at a tiny counter while the campus outside tried to wake up, convinced me why this spot keeps landing on best donuts in Ohio lists year after year.
It is unfussy, a little nostalgic, and completely focused on the important things: fresh dough, good glaze, and enough variety to justify more than one visit in the same day.
2. Resch’s Bakery – Gahanna
There are bakery smells, and then there is the wall of aroma that hits when you open the door here.
The new Resch’s Bakery location at 150 N Hamilton Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230 continues a Columbus tradition that started generations ago on Livingston Avenue, and the donut case makes that history very easy to taste.
Trays of yeast rings, chocolate iced rounds, and cream-filled long johns sit next to old-fashioned cake donuts that look like they could have come from a 1950s breakfast counter in the best possible way.
On my first visit, I watched regulars call staff by name while they ordered specific combinations of maple, powdered, and jelly that sounded like secret codes, and I took that as a very reliable sign to order extra.
By the time I left, a simple glazed ring had turned into one of those quiet donut moments you think about later in the week when your coffee feels lonely.
3. The Original Goodie Shop – Upper Arlington
Not every bakery can claim a giant, TV-inspired donut as part of its personality, but this one absolutely can.
The Original Goodie Shop at 2116 Tremont Center, Upper Arlington, OH 43221 is a full-line, family bakery that has been rolling out donuts, cakes, and all kinds of sweets for decades, and locals talk about it like an old friend.
Regular-sized donuts line the case in rows of cinnamon twists, frosted cake donuts, and yeast rings, but the famous Flippo Donut, an oversized ring created for a children’s TV clown, is the wild card that always steals attention.
Watching staff box up a Flippo for a family while I quietly debated whether I could justify one just to photograph it felt like a very specific sort of temptation.
A simple chocolate-iced cake donut ended up being my pick that day, and it tasted exactly like the kind of bakery memory that keeps a place busy for seventy years.
4. Oxford Doughnut Shoppe – Oxford
College towns produce strong opinions about late-night food, and here those opinions usually find their way to this tiny shop.
Oxford Doughnut Shoppe at 120 S Locust St, Oxford, OH 45056 looks straightforward from the outside, but the line that gathers in front of the door before sunrise hints at the sugar story waiting inside.
Cake donuts get serious attention here, with chocolate, blueberry, and plain versions all taking well to a thick coat of glaze or powdered sugar.
On my first visit, I ordered a still-warm sour cream donut, walked back out into the quiet morning streets near Miami University, and realized I was unconsciously slowing down just to make the moment last a bit longer.
The shop feels small-town in the best way, the prices are still gentle, and the staff has that calm efficiency that tells you they have been doing this for a very long time.
5. Central Pastry Shop – Middletown
Some donut stops carry a sense of pilgrimage, and this Butler County favorite is firmly in that category.
Central Pastry Shop at 1518 Central Ave, Middletown, OH 45044 is one of the beloved stops on the Butler County Donut Trail, and the parking lot tells the story long before you reach the front door.
Inside, the glass cases are stacked with glazed twists, long johns, cream-filled bismarks, and crullers that somehow look both old school and very ready for a modern phone camera.
One tray of cinnamon crumb cake donuts nearly derailed my entire plan, and I found myself quietly rearranging my order to squeeze in just one more flavor.
There is an easy friendliness to the way staff slide boxes across the counter and ask about your plans for the day, which somehow makes that box of donuts feel like the start of something bigger than breakfast.
6. The Donut Spot – Fairfield
There are mornings when it feels like half the county decided to meet inside this shop before work.
The Donut Spot at 5130 Pleasant Ave, Fairfield, OH 45014 is another star of the Butler County Donut Trail, and its glowing sign and steady parade of regulars make it very clear why people drive out of their way to get here.
The case shows off everything from classic glazed rings to hefty apple fritters and cinnamon rolls the size of small plates.
I remember standing there, trying to look calm while my brain tried to calculate how many donuts a single human could reasonably sample without turning the morning into a full-on sugar experiment.
The answer, at least that day, involved a maple-iced donut, a jelly-filled donut, and a fritter that somehow vanished between the parking lot and the first red light on the drive home.
7. Jolly Pirate Donuts – Newark
Old-school donut shops have a particular charm, and this one leans into that vibe with confidence.
Jolly Pirate Donuts at 175 S 30th St, Newark, OH 43055 is part of a shrinking group of locations from a once-larger chain, and it still serves hand-cut donuts in boxes that feel delightfully retro.
Inside, the menu reads like a love letter to classic flavors: honey-dipped glazed rings, powdered donuts, French crullers, blueberry cake, and plenty of filled options.
I watched one family at a corner table slowly work through a treasure-chest-style box, each person picking up a donut, taking a thoughtful bite, and then announcing their ranking to the group.
Sitting nearby with a still-warm honey-dipped round, I felt very strongly that any ranking system here needed at least a dozen different places for favorite.
8. Schuler’s Bakery – Springfield
Some bakeries feel stitched into the history of their town, and this one wears that status comfortably.
Schuler’s Bakery at 2968 Derr Rd, Springfield, OH 45503 has been part of local routines since the late 1930s, and the donut selection shows the kind of confidence that only comes from many years of frying dough.
Glazed yeast donuts, filled long johns, and classic cake rings all line the shelves, joined by seasonal specials that tempt you into returning more often than planned.
On a chilly morning, I took a box of mixed donuts back to my car, opened it just to look, and then realized half a cinnamon twist had mysteriously gone missing before the engine even started.
The space has that gentle, lived-in feeling, with regulars moving through their usual orders and staff who seem to know which dozen combinations will keep a family happy all weekend.
9. Kennedy’s Bakery – Cambridge
Driving into Cambridge, this corner bakery feels like the sort of place you stumble on once and then keep mentally bookmarking for future road trips.
Kennedy’s Bakery at 1025 Wheeling Ave, Cambridge, OH 43725, looks classic from the sidewalk, but the donut case inside does a very good job of raising your expectations in a hurry.
There are cream sticks, glazed cake donuts, and yeast rings sharing space with other pastries, which makes the simple act of choosing feel slightly heroic.
I remember finally settling on a maple cream stick and a plain glazed ring, then realizing halfway through that the maple filling had completely reset my personal rankings for that style of donut.
The shop feels like a place where families have been picking up weekend donuts for generations, and it invites you to join that tradition without making a big fuss about it.
10. Home Bakery – Coldwater
Not every legendary donut shop sits in a big city, and this west-central spot proves that beautifully.
Home Bakery at 109 W Main St, Coldwater, OH 45828, looks like a straightforward small-town bakery from the outside, but locals talk about its donuts with the kind of devotion that usually belongs to sports teams.
The case offers raised donuts, cake rings, and cream-filled options, all with that subtle, hand-made irregularity that reassures you a machine did not handle the important parts.
When I finally got there, a simple glazed ring and a chocolate-iced cake donut turned into the kind of breakfast that made the drive feel not only reasonable but slightly too short.
There is something very grounding about standing in line with locals who clearly do this every weekend, listening to them debate sprinkles versus plain as if the outcome really matters.
11. Liebermann’s Bakery – Massillon
History tastes especially good when it comes in donut form, and this downtown spot has more than a century of practice.
Liebermann’s Bakery at 49 1st St SE, Massillon, OH 44646 has been baking donuts, cookies, and cakes since the late nineteenth century, and recent write-ups still call its donuts among the best in the state.
Maple cream sticks get a lot of attention here, but the classic glazed rings and powdered sugar donuts hold their own without any trouble.
During my visit, I watched a steady stream of customers walk in, head straight to the case, and order with the focus of people who already know exactly which donut will improve their day.
A maple cream stick and a cup of coffee later, I understood why people talk about this place as if it is a non-negotiable stop whenever they are anywhere near Massillon.
12. Ann’s Pastry Shop – Wadsworth
Some bakeries feel like time capsules in the best, sugar-coated way.
Ann’s Pastry Shop at 121 High St, Wadsworth, OH 44281 has been part of downtown life for decades, and people come here for everything from cakes to cream sticks, with donuts playing a very strong supporting role.
The donuts themselves lean classic: raised rings, iced cake donuts, and generously filled long johns that look slightly risky to eat in a perfectly clean shirt.
I ordered a chocolate-iced cake donut and a maple cream stick, then realized halfway through that the only thing standing between me and a second box was basic self-control.
The combination of old-fashioned décor, friendly staff, and the light smell of sugar in the air makes it very easy to imagine generations of locals standing in exactly the same spot, debating exactly the same donut choices.
13. Maggie’s Doughnuts – Middlefield
Every donut trail needs at least one stop that proudly calls itself a donut specialist, and this one wears that title with style.
Maggie’s Doughnuts at 15967 E High St, Middlefield, OH 44062 has been handcrafting donuts since 1959, and the current location, just a few doors from the original East High shop, keeps that tradition going strong.
The menu tilts heavily toward donuts, with toasted coconut rings, maple-glazed cake donuts, and seasonal specials all lined up in tight formation.
On my first visit, I grabbed a toasted coconut donut based purely on a recommendation from someone in line, and it turned out to be the quiet highlight of the entire day.
The space feels cozy, the staff moves quickly but kindly, and there is a real sense that this shop is part of how the town wakes up in the morning.
14. Becker’s Donuts & Bakery – Fairview Park
Cleveland has no shortage of donut opinions, and this west-side classic shows up in a surprising number of them.
Becker’s Donuts & Bakery at 22088 Lorain Rd, Fairview Park, OH 44126 carries a legacy that dates back to the 1940s, and today’s case still reflects that old-school donut focus.
Rows of glazed yeast donuts, frosted cake rings, cream sticks, and seasonal specialties share space with other baked goods, but the donuts clearly run the show.
I remember watching a staff member slide a tray of fresh glazed rings into the case, sending a ripple of quiet excitement through the line as people subtly adjusted their orders upward.
A simple glazed donut and a chocolate iced ring were my choices, and both had that light, tender crumb that tells you the recipe has been refined over more mornings than you can count.
15. Stan the Donut Man – Dayton
Dayton’s donut scene has a lot to say for itself, and this shop has been part of that conversation for years.
Stan the Donut Man at 1441 Wilmington Ave, Dayton, OH 45420, is the kind of place that appears in road-trip threads, food blogs, and neighborhood recommendations with the same level of enthusiasm.
The menu is broad: yeast rings, twists, filled donuts, specialties like apple fritters and bow tie donuts, and plenty of cake options for people who like a little more heft.
One quiet weekday morning, I sat in the parking lot with a Davy Crockett donut and a classic glazed ring, both still warm, and realized this was the sort of stop that could easily turn into a habit if I lived any closer.
The shop feels friendly, slightly nostalgic, and very focused on getting the details right, which is exactly what I want from a small bakeshop that takes its donuts seriously.