California’s best doughnut shop is in Sacramento area, experts say. Where to go
Craving a sweet treat? California’s best doughnut shop is in the Sacramento area, according to Chowhound.
“Donuts are a sweet breakfast staple in the U.S., partially because there are so many varieties that everyone can find something,” said the food-and-drink website, which advertises itself as “the site for food nerds.”
Chowhound contributor Sarah Vallie recently went in search of the “best donut shops in every state,” combing through hundreds of reviews to ensure that “everyone has a shot at scoring amazing donuts.”
Vallie shared her findings in an Oct. 21 article.
Here’s which local spot made the 2025 list:
What makes Rocklin doughnut shop No. 1 in California?
Rocklin Donuts and Cinnamon, 4845 Granite Drive, Suite B, in Rocklin, earned its spot as California’s No. 1 doughnut destination thanks to its “delicious donuts and friendly service,” according to Chowhound.
Reviewers praised the restaurant’s menu — which includes bear claws, apple fritters and cinnamon rolls — as “extremely soft and airy’ and “like eating fluffy little pillows.”
Rocklin Donuts and Cinnamon has an average Yelp rating of 4.8 stars out of five with 670 reviews.
Yelp reviewer Jasmine of Roseville said the Rocklin shop as “the best donuts, ever.”
“(Their) customer service is impeccable. They’re kind and quick with service,” the Yelp user wrote. “But the donuts — the donuts are everything.”
Tourism website Visit Placer County touted the Rocklin doughnut shop’s ranking in an Instagram reel.
“Rocklin’s best-kept secret isn’t a secret anymore,” Visit Placer County said in the Oct. 25 Instagram post. “One bite of their seasonal donuts (with a coffee in hand) will tell you exactly why! Get there early. They WILL sell out.”
What doughnut shops are best in the West?
Chowhound highlighted a total of 50 doughnut shops across the United States, including several popular spots in the West.
The site showcased these shops due to their “soft,” “fluffy” and “just flat (out) amazing” doughnuts:
- Oregon: Donut Land, 19350 South West Boones Ferry Road in Tualatin
- Washington: Lone Star Donuts, 2649 Mile Hill Drive in Port Orchard
- Idaho: Manna’s Donuts, 1630 South Broadway Ave. in Boise
- Nevada: Rainbow’s Donuts, 1725 North Nellis Blvd., Suite E, in Las Vegas
- Arizona: Glaze Donuts, 4815 East Carefree Highway, Suite 112, in Cave Creek
Where are top doughnut shops in Sacramento area? See Yelp lists
Chowhound isn’t the only website taking notice of the Sacramento area’s top-rated doughnut shops.
Yelp included BJ Cinnamon in Folsom on its list of the Top 50 Donut Shops in the U.S. in 2025, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
Meanwhile, Rocklin Donuts and Cinnamon made the popular review site’s 2023 list of the top 100 doughnut shops in the nation.
Did Chowhound pick top doughnut shops in US?
Vallie said she looked at reviews from Yelp and Google to determine Chowhound’s 2025 list of the top doughnut shops in the nation, focusing on the highest-rated spots in each state.
To qualify, each shop had to have at least 100 individual reviews, Vallie said, and “generally couldn’t be a multi-state chain.”
“That meant no Dunkin’ or Krispy Cremes, but also no places like Duck Donuts or Voodoo Doughnuts,” she said. “I wanted to focus more on mom-and-pop options beloved by locals.”
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
