Glory Hole Doughnuts

Tasty donuts, coffee is regular, prices are good & nice servers. The place is a bit too small to hang out at

The name. The doughnut. The legend.
I popped in here this morning for some vegan donuts for a coworker. Unfortunately, they weren’t done yet, but that didn’t stop me from picking up some other delicious treats. It was early, so I didn’t go for their huge, delightful multi-​flavoured masterpieces, but rather their cake donuts. You know the ones, delicious little brown dunkable circles.
Sweet staff, sweet treats, go on… have a sweet time at Glory Hole.

Glory Hole is in my opinion the best doughnuts in the city! They’ve got awesome flavours, usually rotating. I love the earl grey crème filled doughnut. Also love the little lemon ricotta doughnuts. I think my favourite experience here was on Valentines when they did their ‘mini’ doughnuts $ 18/​dozen. That was an amazing deal plus we got to try everything! I wish the doughnuts were always that size! Worth the trip to the west end since the east side where we live only has Von Doughnuts which is a bummer.
Eat doughnuts, be happy!

I was so charmed by the interior of this place and how beautiful the doughnuts looked in the display. The girl at the counter had to bring me back down to earth because I was so busy staring at all the retro décor that caught my eye.
I ordered the banana cream, toast and butter, pb&j, and sweet potato pie to bring home. These doughnuts are big and I feel like I should point out that I didn’t go home and, like, sit on my floor and devour these all by myself (but I could have!). I sat in a chair and «split» them with my boyfriend, which means I cut the doughnuts in half and gave him the smaller halves.
The doughnuts themselves were very good. My favorite was the pb&j — I loved much it tasted exactly like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I really liked the texture of the cream in the banana cream doughnut and overall enjoyed everything because they weren’t too cloyingly sweet. I see some people comment on the texture of the doughnuts, and sure, I would say they might be a little thick, but I am no doughnut expert and really liked the texture and I appreciated how they were filled. You can tell these were done by hand and with care.
I really liked my first doughnuts from Glory Hole and will definitely come back to try all their other flavors.

Glory Hole is a hip little place that sells some pretty unique doughnuts. Their selection changes every few months/​weeks. The items might be a little pricey, but are definitely pay for top quality here. Go there early if you want to get the doughnut s you want on weekends.

The biggest problem that people fail to understand about doughnuts is HOW a doughnut is supposed to taste. Yes, toppings, fillings and flavours are all very important. But at the central «core» of a doughnut (yes, I realize the irony) is the consistency and texture of the doughnut itself.
At Glory Hole Doughnuts, the majority of their product have the consistency, texture, and flavour of bread. Their doughnuts are simply not «doughy». I’m sure you’re asking yourself, «How can you tell the difference?» Yes, I can agree that both dough and bread are soft. But dough is soft and moist. Bread is soft and dry. When you bite into a doughnut, the dough squishes together. When you bite into bread, it rips cleanly away. There is a difference. And if it looks like bread and tastes like bread, it’s probably bread.
As for the flavours themselves, I sampled the following:
Chai Brulee, Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake, Toast & Butter, Sweet Potato Pie, Vanilla Praline, Ginger Cranberry (yes, I bought 6 doughnuts, and ate them all… yeah, I’m a fat ass)
— Chai Brulee (had a torched sugar top, but completely flavourless)
— Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake (sweet chocolate/​caramel, rich cheesecake filling makes up for bread texture)
— Toast & Butter (interesting cinnamon crumble topping)
— Sweet Potato Pie (sweet pumpkin flavoured filling, was confused as to the torched marshmallow garnish and what it has to do with sweet potato pie)
— Vanilla Praline (didn’t taste vanilla, didn’t taste the praline, just a sweet crumbly breadnut)
— Ginger Cranberry (cake type doughnut, dense but flavourful, nice chunks of cranberry)
I was informed that the doughnut selection changes each season, so if you’re reading this review four months from now, some of these flavours likely won’t exist.
But to reiterate, doughnuts are pastries, not bread. Don’t be seduced and brainwashed by the catchy name, the rave reviews, and really think about how that doughnut actually tastes when you bite into it. These are not doughnuts, these are breadnuts.

Came here on a Toronto food tour. They’re that good. Lots of fun flavours. Great tasting donut! I liked cinnamon, a plainer one, better donut flavour ratio. I agree that they shouldn’t close mid day as per another reviewer, not that that was an issue for us. Later in the day what I have noticed is they also have fewer flavours available.

We drove across the city at 3pm,
Only to find this shop closed for the day. The sign says that they’re open until 7pm, but there was a note on the door saying «we’ve sold out for the day»
Here’s an idea, make more, and stay open… What a waste of time.

Holy. Shit.
Eating the doughnuts at Glory Hole is a bit of a mindfucking experience. Devouring the PB&J doughnut tasted exactly like devouring a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The same goes for the Toast & Butter doughnut. How does that even happen? I’m still incredibly confused by the experience I had here, but it’s definitely a good confusion. In the words of my always clever husband, «these things are basically the Jelly Bellies of doughnuts.»
I’m so happy that we decided to stop in and eat here. We were in Toronto for my husband’s birthday and knew that we weren’t going to be able to have a homemade birthday cake for him, so I decided to look into the best possible place we could go for a birthday dessert (is it still dessert if it ends up being the first thing you eat during the day?). Upon discovering the name and menu for Glory Hole Doughnuts, I was pretty sure it was the perfect choice… and it was.
This is honestly my favorite thing that we did during our time in Toronto. The doughnuts were out of this world, the décor was quirky, and the girl at the counter was nicer than anybody else I had encountered in the city. The doughnuts here were a bit pricey, but I think that might be a good thing. Otherwise there’s a very good chance I would have walked out of this place roughly the size of a very large cow. So, if you’re looking for something incredibly awesome to put in your mouth, consider a Glory Hole doughnut. You’ll only regret it once you’re too full to move, and then you’ll probably eat some more.

The PB&J doughnut is life. That is all.

The donuts here didnt give me that WOW factor and its almost $ 4 a piece! I hate to compare but the donuts in Loblaws at Carlton taste better. Sorry!

Doughnuts to be remembered! These are perfectly made doughnuts that burst with flavour at every bite!
I bought half a dozen with 6 different flavours: strawberry rhubarb, cinnamon sugar, lemon, butter toast, PB and J, maple bourbon. I got them in the morning and had them at night. Boy were they deeeeeeelish!
The good thing is they are big enough to share so you can have a taste of different flavours. They offer smaller sizes as well but I opted for the big ones! (Of course)
The dough is made to perfection, doughy but cooked yet still fluffy so much that any flavour tastes amazing on it! They definitely got that down pat!
You can go in to enjoy it on the spot or get take out, either way you won’t be disappointed.
Their menu also changes seasonally so there are always new things to try out so you won’t get bored!
This is definitely a place to try out! :)

Come all come all to the world-​famous glorious Glory Hole Doughnuts! Come inside this cute little Parkdale spot, and savour the available variety of fresh never-​before-​seen fun and creative doughnut ideas that are as cheeky as its name!
Whoa, witness how the doughnuts are pillow-​fluffy, perky and big, alright. Get this: you can get one yeast doughnut, which is the size of about two average Tim Horton’s or Krispy Kreme donuts, for the price of almost four Tim’s or Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Ain’t that nuts?
For the main act, treat yourself to a bite! Watch as the glaze stays miraculously solid days after it came out of the kitchen! Drool over the accurate flavours of the S’mores or the juicy blast of the orange cranberry jelly. Cinnamon toast crunch? That sounds fun! Feast your disappointment on the muted flavours of the London Fog – I had cheap watery Tim Hortons tea that packed more taste than that doughnut!
Now try this at home folks: leave the goodies in the box, throw a stack of paper towels or newspaper sheets under, and watch as the oil soak through every layer like toxic sludge. Gree-​gree-​greasy!
In all seriousness though, Glory Hole Doughnuts was a fun whimsical experience, even if only for the once-​only novelty of investigating this far-​out and much-​talked-​about shop, with the main motivation of coming back being trying other flavours in their rotation. Fun doughnut ideas indeed, but some were hits, some turned out to be duds, and the staff were pretty nice folks.
{TTC: use the good ‘ol Queen streetcar to Sorauren Ave}

I am a big fan of donuts, but I also believe that everything has its limitations and this upstart business in the city’s west end may have exceeded theirs. Now I’m not saying they’re not good, they are, but in the world of sugary pastry I tend to lean towards less is more. It’s why my favorite donut is still the chocolate glaze from Krispy Kreme, and why a donut weighing 16 pounds may be more than what’s required.
The owner is quite friendly. She greeted me as I walked in to pick up a order of custom donuts for a work going away celebration. Each donut comes in at roughly $ 5 each, so they are no slouch when it comes to the details and thus why the owner knew exactly who I was when I told her I was there to pick up two dozen pies for my boss.
The donuts are really good, and the variety of flavors makes them look like Brock Lesner compared to Pee Wee Herman (or in this case Tim Hortons). The problem I had with them is that they’re almost TOO rich. I had one donut and had my finger on the dial pad to press ‘1’ for a second time after the ‘‘91’ part. The donut I chose had chocolate glaze with what looked like Oreo crumbs and Carmel filling. It was delicious, but left me feeling challenged to stand afterwards. If you’ve got a sweet tooth then this is your toy store. If you’re looking for just a good old fashioned American heart stopper, Krispy Kreme is on McCaul Street.
Still worth the trip, but bring the Tums!

So, a colleague received a dozen of these as a gift at work. Me being the receptionist at said place of work, I was the first one to witness the true beauty of these babies and they looked fucking gorgeous. Like, remember the Mask in the Coco Bongo dance sequence when he first laid eyes of Cameron Diaz? That was straight up ME looking at those doughnuts. LIKE AAAWOOGA *wolf whistle* *drop trou*
Kidding, this is a family site. These donuts are beauts though.
ANYWAYS, more folks from the office congregated around this beautiful display, our colleague was kind enough to share, and we DESCENDED LIKE RABID COYOTES UPON THE BOUNTY. It was difficult to choose, but I ended up grabbing one that I thought would be less sweet, it had a subtly sweet & thin layer of crème icing sprinkled with what I’m assuming was crushed nuts?
So I bite into it and HOLY MOTHER MARY & JOSEPH OIL SLICK. Like straight up oil tanker crashing in the ocean (the ocean being my mouth, having worked up enough saliva to drown a small city). By the time I was finished my one measly doughnut I was on the verge of wanting to ralph and I get that doughnuts are not known to be on the low fat end of the food chain, but seriously, I dont wanna actually feel disgusting and gross after slowly eating one of your dougnuts
As a testament to how absurdly oily they are, a co-​worker left one on a napkin at my desk while she stepped out to grab lunch… and the oil soaked through the napkin and into a sheet of paper under this napkin. So there was enough excess oil to soak through a sheet of paper.
That’s straight up crazy town. Too much Oil Glor Hol.

The doughnuts here are big, soft and fluffy. Oh and pretty tasty and unique too.
My girlfriend and I got a Egg Nog Doughnut and a Lemon Cheesecake Doughnut to share. Since the doughnuts are large the ones with filling like the Lemon Cheesecake are loaded. The filling had a hint of cheesecake, and the glaze had a hint of lemon. I loved it. The Egg Nog doughnut tasted like Christmas. Both were delicious.
You’ll definitely pay more than a big chain coffee shop for a doughnut, but if you’re going to eat a high calorie treat it should taste as good as this.

This store is a gem. Sure, coffee and tea are basic but their raison-​être, namely the donuts are divine. Individually, they are expensive, between $ 3.25 and $ 3.75, but they are massive. They taste so fresh and are made with premium ingredients: it’s worth every penny.
It was a nice sunny day and I walked all of Queen from Spadina to around Lansdowne just to try the place. They have a myriad of flavours on rotation. I had 2 donuts (the equivalent of 4 at a regular donut shop). One was Lemon Cheesecake and the other Peanut Butter and Jelly. I was flabbergasted by how tasty these babies are. I can never eat the crap that Tim Hortons or even Krispy Kreme sells anymore. I had a donut epiphany. Do yourself a favour and go. If you do not have a sweet tooth, I guarantee you that you’ll grow one.

Oiliest doughnuts in town…
I gave Glory Hole doughnuts another try, in succumbing to the unreasonable fatty in me.
I got a mini doughnut. It was like biting nails on the outside and super dry on the inside. The others were kinda messy and didnt taste like the name of the flavours. The icing was not made so that it hardens, so it’s messy to eat.
For the second and last time, I felt sick after eating them. I don’t think ill go back. I prefer Jelly Modern Doughnuts outside Kensington Market, theyre professionally and neatly made, and not oily.
I felt sick and regretful the rest of the day after eating Glory Hole Doughnuts. My stomach was turning from the oiliness. I won’t be returning.
P. s. I heard the employee bragging to a customer that their shop is the most well known doughnut shop in Toronto. Not sure if that’s true, but I have to tell you, G. Hole is definitely not the best.

The glory hole! Love the name with the hugest donuts, good for sharing.
The peanut butter & jelly one was my favorite and the iced tea with some kind of herbal flower, I think hibiscus? It was refreshing and only lightly sweetened. They remind me of Donut Plant donuts (NYC), same size and fresh light fluffiness.

We really enjoyed ourselves here! The doughnuts really shine and speak for themselves, and when we came on a Saturday afternoon, it was the perfect snack on a cool, overcast day.
The shop itself is quite small, with a few bar stools overlooking Queen Street and a table for 2 – 3 people to sit at. It’s a cute vintage space, and the selection of flavors is the right amount without being overwhelming.
Since we came pretty late in the day, we didn’t have the full selection to choose from, but that was okay; there was still plenty to choose from. Priced at $ 3.50 each, we chose three flavors: lemon raspberry, coconut cream, and chocolate strawberry. Out of the three, lemon raspberry and coconut cream were the best ones. Chocolate strawberry had a good chocolate flavor and pasty texture, but the filling was a little disappointing because it was more like a jam, where we were expecting fresh strawberries that had more of a jelly-​like consistency. It was too sweet as well.
As a whole, these doughnuts have an airy consistency, and we liked that. If you’re more accustomed to denser doughnuts, you might not like these, so keep that in mind.
At the end of the day, I’d gladly come back again, and preferably earlier in the day so we could taste the other flavors and compare pastry consistency and texture. It certainly isn’t an everyday Tim Horton’s pick up and go doughnut shop because of the price, but definitely a nice occasional treat. :)