Daylight Donuts

We have only been twice now, so not through the whole menu, but the glazed, strawberry frosted and vanilla frosted are okay. These are slightly different from other donuts I’ve had, because they aren’t super soft, moist and tender, but instead tend to all have a consistency closer to cake donuts. Not at all unpleasant or negative… just different, but still quite tasty. Definitely worth the stop if you want to grab and go in the morning.

I’ve been to too many off-​the-​charts donut places to give this the full 5-​stars, but these are very good dounts, plus pleasant service. And for sure the best in Iowa City I’ve found so far. (I’m amazed there is not a good donut shop on campus?)

Best donuts in Iowa City by far. Fresh every morning, you can smell them baking at night if you stop at the gas station. I love the maple bacon donut. It is salty and sweet and hits the spot. Definitely a treat on a Saturday or Sunday morning! Go early though because they sometimes run out of donut flavors.

Stopped by on the way home and got two of them. They have a smaller donut option which I love! I like eating a few flavors at a time, so I really prefer smaller donuts. They have a good selection, so fear not those buying for a group everyone can be happy.
Daylight donuts are fresh, delicious, and better than the grocery store options.

I went in craving a cake donut. It was prob 10am, on a week day. It was cold and dry… not sure why when every one talks highly. I prob won’t drive across town again for them

Amazing. Best donuts I’ve had in a while. Wish there were more around!
Fresh donuts, friendly staff.
Definitely coming back when I come to Iowa again!

Got an apple fritter from Daylight Donuts last week that was burnt & so greasy I could’ve wrung it out like an iced dishrag… it tasted like the inside of a stank lard bucket & I had to throw it away… if I ever go there again I will check out what I get carefully before I pay for it… normal donuts have been ok that I’ve got from there before…

Alrighty so I preface this by saying that I am from SoCal and have been spoiled by really good local donut joints in L.A. but I have to say that this place is just plain ol’ «so-​so» for donuts. First off, its not «local» for anyone living on the West side, Coralville or even downtown. its out «there» in South/​East IA City. But I went regardless because I had to try the best donut IA City had to offer.
The trip out there was very underwhelming… the donuts are small in size as compared to a «standard» sized donut in any donut shop I have ever been to and they are quite expensive (cost me $ 7 for 6 donuts). Its probably because there is a major lack of donut shop competition in this town so they can charge what they want for tiny donuts.
The donuts overall tasted good, not spectacular but average, the selection was strong and the customer service was outstanding with friendly, polite people helping out.
Overall the experience was good, the product itself though left much to be desired, especially for the price but in a small college town this is probably as good as it will get for donuts.

My wife and I love doughnuts, and we were happy that Daylight Donuts moved to Iowa City, which previously lacked a good doughnut shop for years. Their doughnuts hit the spot – not too heavy and not too light. We love their variety, but we wish they had more cinnamon sugar options. However, they have plenty of great chocolate options.

Generally I don’t get excited about donuts. But last Sunday I stopped in to pick up a dozen for my kids and their friends and I was impressed with the quality and the variety of the donuts at Daylight. Too many to list!
But the cake donuts are quite good, my favorites being the chocolate topped with crushed peanuts, or the chocolate topped with toasted coconut. The blueberry cake donut is kinda like eating a fried blueberry muffin. That’s a good thing.
I also tried a fried apple pie … Looked like an oversized Hostess fruit pie … But with a lighter dough and lots of apple inside.
I wasn’t impressed by the maple bacon donut. I wanted to be. Unfortunately, for me, the maple frosting overpowered the bacon flavor resulting in salty maple without enough smoky pork fat. Too much frosting. I would probably be happier if the bacon was fried inside the batter, then maybe drizzled with maple syrup. But despite my nitpicking, other folks love ‘em!
I’ll be back again. Good quality donuts! Fun family memories for the kids! In their eyes I’m like some balding superhero with a box of fresh donuts under my arm!

The variety and the taste is amazing! I’m not a big donut fan, and usually it’s pretty easy for me to refuse one… but not these! The chocolate covered strawberry was unique and delicious. as well as jelly filled or orange glaze! Love them! And it was all topped off with friendly service. Definitely going back again soon!

Best place for donuts in Iowa City. I’ve gotta give a special shout out to the orange glaze, fantastic!
Now I’m not a coffee drinker but I’ve heard the cup of joe they serve is horrid. Maybe just pick up the donuts and have your coffee at home.

Finally, a donut shop in iowa city. I hated buying slightly stale ones from hyvee or the limited selection from the bread garden. Now we have a shop that makes fresh donuts with a wide selection every day. It looks like they’re still getting used to the demand as that they sell out on the weekends. Best to get there before 9am if you want to have a wide selection. They also offer to take orders the night before so that you can simply come in and pick up your order if you don’t want to get there early.
I go about 2 – 3 times a week. The coffee is good too. Reasonably priced (not like Deluxe) and very friendly staff make this four stars.
Almost everything is great, from the cake to the raised donuts, apple fritters too. Bear claws are a little too much like raised glazed donuts (only a little cinnamon filling). I’m more used to a pastry type bear claw with a paste-​like filling.
I’m hoping that they expand in the near future to include their cinnamon/​caramel rolls every day and start selling croissants. If they do that, I’ll most likely be going 3 – 4 times a week.
This place is great! Highly recommend.

I felt the need to write an update after an unforeseen event this weekend. Yesterday, my wife made me drive all the way across town so that she could buy donuts. My very same wife who has been incredibly ambivalent towards fried pastries up to this point. Daylight Donuts has accomplished quite a feat here, and they deserve 5 stars for this.

What a great addition the area! We’ve been lusting for a donut shop for month and we’ve got a solid one with Daylight. The selection is impressive with everything from you go to glazed or crème filled to the ecclectic, but necessary choices including the bacon maple bar. Only sampled a few, but the chocolate crème filled are excellent and the bacon maple bar is likely to be my new favorite food soon!
Delicious bacon sprinkled amongst this sweet friend makes for a tale that will be told until time stops… or until something equally delicious comes along.
The quality of the donuts is truly what sets it apart from the local grocery stores — who do donuts well, but not great. This place isn’t quite a Voodoo donuts, but it’s a great start and an excellent place to get your carb fix!

The East side of Iowa City has been short on nearby places to get good treats for the longest time, especially those of the baked variety. Similarly, Iowa City as a whole has been sorely in need of a dedicated donut shop for who knows how long. Daylight Donuts simultaneously fills both wants, but does it do a good job at it? Oh heck yes.
The donuts themselves are worth the lines you’ll often see on weekends. Can you blame them? The raised donuts are fluffy and mild, and the cake donuts are rich without being too heavy. They also have a glorious selection, provided that you get there early enough. You can always get a good old-​fashion glazed raised, or you can camp out for a maple-​bacon long john (so worth the extra $ 0.40 over regular long johns). More into cinnamon? They have rolls and bearclaws for that. It’s also said that they have coffee and savory items like sausage rolls, but I haven’t tried them yet. I’ll update once I get the opportunity.
As I said before, the waiting line is the only negative thing about this place, if you can really call it a negative. As Andrew Zimmern always says, «go where the line is the longest.» Alternatively, Bart Simpson once quipped, «if the line’s this long, it’s gotta be good.» And it is. It helps that it’s the only bakery on the East side of Iowa City, the only dedicated donut shop I know of, and only open in the mornings. If you don’t mind that they aren’t as fresh, the adjacent gas station sells their donuts after hours.
This Eastsider is ever so thankful for this Daylight Donuts to come to our part of the world. As an avid walker, I’ve been lamenting the lack of places for me to stroll down to for an early sugary pick-​me-​up. Now, I only lament the choice between a simple blueberry cake or the more expensive but insanely addicting maple-​bacon. Or do I want donut holes? Or a fritter? Ooh, that pinecone looks good, too. And those bismarks…

Friendly staff is a little short on space, but they hustle to keep the line moving. May need two cash registers for weekends, and, according to my neighbor in line, better parking (I walked). The glazed & cake donuts are delish though, and much better than grocery store/​gas station options. Possibly addictive, as I’ve been 5 times in the last month.