Not all filled donuts are made equal. While yes, the jelly and cream filled donuts of big restaurant chains have a special place in all of our hearts, there’s nothing quite like homemade. Custard donuts that are made with the human touch and born in cramped kitchen spaces imbue the pastry with an extra something that makes the experience a little more meaningful.
Like most food-related things I’ve written about, I wasn’t strictly a “donut person.” Until recently, that is. If you’re in need of a “Ratatouille Moment” or just some damn good donuts, here are a few places that’ll deliver them to your doorstep.
Home-made by Chef Yan
The quintessential custard donut isn’t hard to imagine, but it can definitely be hard to find. These donuts taste like what you’d expect them to—but much, much better. It smells like a bakery the minute you open the box. The dough is a deep golden brown color speckled with granulated sugar. Each fried tuft of joy is filled with surprising amounts of smooth, creamy custard filling—like to the point that you question every “filled” donut you’ve ever had before.
The sugar-crusted exterior and the almost overflowing filling makes a case for using napkins while you chow down on one of these bad boys (trust me, you’ll need it). These donuts are so good, I cracked a smile after the first bite. If you’re still unconvinced, my roommate-slash-best friend—who is notorious for leaving anything sweet unfinished—inhaled the entire donut in a record time of two minutes.
If you’re worried about sugar rush, this is another dessert that has made it to the ultimate tita and tito praise pile—which is “Wow. Not too sweet.”
You may place your orders through Instagram.
Baker On East
While “simple” is a word that is usually associated with donuts, don’t expect me to use it around Baker On East’s confections. The donut is but a humble vessel for the insane custards, jams and other sorts of fillings that they’ve dreamed up.
Instead of the usual suspects like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and coffee, expect fillings like dirty horchata, roasted strawberry, lychee and chamomile (yes this is one filling), peach, mango and chrysanthemum (also one filling) and my personal favorite, pandan panocha.
[READ: You’ll have to fight for a box of these elusive treats from local bakers]I admit, not all of these donuts aren’t filled with custard, but I’ll be damned if I don’t say anything about them. If you’re into funky, unique and almost brow raising flavors (in the best way, of course), you cannot miss out on these donuts.
For inquiries, you can reach them on Instagram.
