Donuts—aka doughnuts, if you prefer—have been around in some form or fashion for so long that, it is said that archaeologists have found fossilized pieces of material closely resembling donuts in prehistoric Native American settlements. However long their deliciously fried history might reach, there are just some that rank above the rest, take for example those at Donut Hole Bakery Café.
With an original location that opened in Destin in 1978, followed by a larger location in Santa Rosa Beach in 1989, and the most recent shop at Inlet Beach in 2014, those decadent yeast, glazed, cake and filled circular baked goods are within everyone’s reach that visit the 30A area.
The Donut Hole Bakery Café has been my family go-to since the mid 1990’s and is the perfect spot to make special memories with your family too. They are a community-driven establishment, and their food and dedicated staff are what keep the locals and visitors flocking to them season after season, and year after year.
Offering more than thirty varieties of donuts on any given day, here is the lip-smacking breakdown of my favorite top 10!
1. Red Velvet: The red velvet donut is a sumptuous cake donut with cream cheese icing. A Southern delicacy, plan on ordering a box to go and indulging in them while watching the movie Steel Magnolia’s.
2. Peanut Butter: Reese’s fans get ready to delight in this yeast donut that pops with a peanut butter filling and is coated with chocolate icing. It’s also on the specialty donut list.
3. Vanilla Angel: A yeast donut oozing with a buttercream filling and sprinkled with powdered sugar, you’ll be praising the heavens with each earthly bite of this dreamy pastry.
4. Apple Spiced Crumb: No matter what the season, it will always be Thanksgiving when you are devouring this savory yeast donut with apple pie filling. Angie Metts, who works at the Inlet Beach location of Donut Hole, said that it was her favorite too.
5. Old Fashioned: Sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned cake donut with a sweeping of glaze that you can dunk in a piping hot cup of coffee. There is nothing better!
6. Key Lime: This yeast donut is filled with the creamy, tangy citrus of key lime, then sprinkled with just enough powdered sugar to remind you that you, are in fact, in Florida.
7. Sprinkle: Like a kid in a candy store, or if needing a pick-me-up when feeling blue, who doesn’t love sprinkles? Plan on being very Beach Happy when eating this yeast donut slathered with chocolate icing and covered in colored candy bits.
8. Chocolate Covered Devils Food: If wanting to sink your teeth into something super-rich and sinfully delicious, this cake donut is made with dark chocolate and then covered with chocolate icing too.
9. Coconut: It just wouldn’t feel like a day at the beach without this particular pastry. Make every day a vacation when your order this cake donut covered in coconut shavings.
10. Bavarian: You don’t have to head to Europe, or even leave 30A, to enjoy this yeast donut that is filled with custard and dusted with powdered sugar. It is the perfect accompaniment to fresh fruit.
This Susan Benton article was first published online at 30A.com
