The 5 Best Donut Shops in Michigan, Voted By Michiganders

I asked my audience where to find the best donuts in Michigan, and they didn’t hold back. I tallied the votes from my socials, and here is the top five. Every one of these shops has regulars who plan their mornings around it.

1. Goodale’s Bakery, Grayling

Goodale’s Bakery & Deli has served Grayling since 1971, when founder Loren Goodale started baking in a 12-by-12 storefront. It’s family owned and operated, now approaching 54 years. The fryers fire up at 5 AM for donuts, with sour cream and filled varieties as customer favorites, plus Michigan pasties, cinnamon rolls, and breads. Regulars know to arrive early because popular items sell out by noon.

See Goodale’s in the Michigan-made directory

2. Hinkley Bakery, Jackson

Hinkley Bakery has been frying donuts in Jackson since 1913 and is now in the hands of the fourth generation of the Hinkley family. Regulars line up for the chocolate crescent, oversized glazed raised donuts, glazed donut holes, filled long johns, and apple fritters. It’s cash only, open Wednesday through Saturday from 5:15am to 1pm, and the case often sells out before the early afternoon. A century of donuts doesn’t happen by accident.

See Hinkley Bakery in the Michigan-made directory

3. Potter’s Bakery, Traverse City

Potter’s has baked in Traverse City since 1929, when Norman and Julia Potter opened the original downtown shop. It’s now in its fourth generation, carrying on with the bakery’s own recipes. The full-line bakery makes more than 24 donut varieties, including raised donuts, cherry apple fritters, cream-filled long johns, and thousands of paczki each Fat Tuesday season. The Eighth Street location is the one the voters know best.

See Potter’s in the Michigan-made directory

4. Main Donut Shop, Royal Oak

Main Donut Shop is a small, cash-only donut shop at 1016 S Main St. in Royal Oak, now operating under new ownership. The shop makes scratch donuts that customers mention by name: apple fritters, custard-filled donuts, paczki, and a creme brulee donut, along with inexpensive meat pasties. It opens at 5:30 AM daily and draws early-morning regulars, families, and office workers.

See Main Donut Shop in the Michigan-made directory

5. Donut Den, Portage

Donut Den opened in Portage on March 14, 2026, in the rebuilt strip center at Centre and Oakland that went up after the tornado, giving away free donuts its opening week. The shop makes yeast and cake donuts, fritters, filled donuts, twists, and donut holes. It has no website and sells out early most mornings, so locals arrive at opening. The newest shop on this list, and already a voter favorite.

See Donut Den in the Michigan-made directory

Disagree with the ranking, or is your favorite missing? Tell me in the comments. If you run a Michigan donut shop the state should know about, apply for a free spotlight. I run new votes every week, so follow along to get your pick counted next time.

Author: Dave