Doughnut Dolly

I don’t even like donuts. I never crave them.
That being said, good Lord can I just stuff them in my face with no remorse.
Has anyone ever seen The Simpsons, one of the older episodes, where Homer goes to hell, and the devil attempts to talk to him by stuffing donuts in his face for days and days. That’s how I feel when I go here.
I love their very basic formula of fresh made donuts, where you select the stuffing. Definitely a Bay Area local favorite. Great coffee too! Prices are moderate to fair

Located in the Oakland’s Temescal Alley, an alley lined with artisan shops, you’ll find Doughnut Dolly. It is not the best but definitely one of the best donut I have tasted. It is so light and so airy with just the right sweetness and flavor. They only have 3 – 4 kinds of fillings flavors that they infused in the donut. So you can mix and match donuts and fillings! I can eat a dozen of this in minutes! BTW, they serve coffee too!
The place is small and so cute! There are couple of chairs inside the shop and benches outside. Street parking only. They accept credit cards. Line can be long depending on the time you visit.
I love this place and can’t wait to come back!

First time here & it was empty besides one person working, but it’s 2:30PM on a Tuesday so no complaints here. Tried the rhubarb rose jam in my powdered doughnut and it was tart and tangy but the rose flavor was very prominent in the jam. It was a different flavor than I was expecting but a nice surprise all the same. The rose flavor didn’t overpower the tartness of the jam and added a nice touch to compliment it.

I have heard such rave reviews about Doughnut Dolly, I was very much looking forward to trying their treats. I was unfortunately left wanting. The chocolate glaze tasted like a sugar-​free or low sugar cocoa, with a bitter aftertaste, and the peanut butter filling was quite neutral (i.e. lacking flavor). I am very glad many others enjoy it, though… just not for me!

4.5 STARS
A talent of ours brought us doughnuts on Tuesday, January 12^th. I’d never heard of Doughnut Dolly, but once I opened the box, I needed to try one! They looked so good! We got an assortment of filled doughnuts: chocolate, vanilla and jam. (Not sure what the flavors are really called as I can’t find an online menu, but that’s what they looked like.)
The chocolate were the first ones to go. Everyone that had one, thought they were delicious. I decided to try the vanilla one. The filling was reminiscent of the filling from one of my favorite cream puff places. Very creamy, but still light. The doughnut itself was also very light and fluffy. I loved that it wasn’t too sweet, but there’s a hint of saltiness in the doughnut I didn’t really like. Not enough to deter me from all the other good aspects, but I did notice it while eating.
Great for satisfying that sweet tooth! And just light enough to where they don’t really count as cals? Okay, that might not be true, but it was worth it!

we love this place. It has become a regular weekend thing for us. My daughter and I come here each Saturday morning.
The donuts are fresh and always sweet. The rotating filling flavors are interesting and never over the top or silly.
We adore Jessica and the other staffers here. Always nice, friendly and welcoming.

For someone whose childhood could be summed up with one phrase – Safeway cream filled donuts! – Doughnut Dolly’s concept is killer. Basically, you get the choice of four custom fillings that are hand pumped into delicate pockets of dough for you on the spot. It’s a little gimmicky but jazzed up pastries are kind of my forte.
I’m crazy so I shot for four: naughty cream in powdered sugar and dark chocolate donuts, raspberry jam in granulated sugar, and malted coffee in powdered sugar. The raspberry combo beat everything for me! It felt decadent and ooey-​gooey, when the naughty cream was like thinned sour cream. They’re not overly sweet so the granulated sugar pocket doesn’t overwhelm you. Definitely pair it with coffee since whatever they brew is frickin delicious.
The place has charm with marbled countertops and half and half-​filled carafes making it feel like a hip, modern granny’s kitchen. Went on a weekday around 10PM and it was unoccupied but service was still sweet as ever, as many have attested to!
Ultimately, I wouldn’t rank it top of my donut hit list, but I would come here for the novelty and occasional sweet treat, since it’s something I’d definitely recommend you try at least once!

YES YES YES!!! I dream about doughnut dolly all the time. Their naughty cream is so naughty and great. Their donuts are so fluffy and fresh and not greasy at all! And watching them hand pump the cream inside the donuts just gives you that perfect satisfaction.
Also sometimes I come here just for their coffee jittery John as well. They use Saint benoit milk so unless you’re lactose intolerant please say yes when they ask you «coffee with cream?»
Last but not least, their customer service is always on point. Super friendly but not all up on your business (like some whole foods cashiers – although I love them they wanna know too much about me and I get uncomfortable)
Doughnut Dolly, I love you.

This donut shop is simple, clean, fun & friendly, and also straight to the point.
Basically this shop is like a spotless boutique shop. There are four donuts to choose from: dark chocolate, powdered, lemon, and plain. There are some sauces to choose from but I prefer the original naughty cream which is crème fraîche! Their donuts are light and not too sweet. The fillings are creamy and light tasting. It’s almost like a cream puff donut! A whole filled donut will cost around $ 4!
I’m not a huge fan of the coffee, States which Brewed a custom roast for the shop. It was a light toast with a sour base. It doesn’t pair well with their donuts. Change it to espresso rather.
This shop is slightly hidden so make sure to look around the plaza area. I’ll def come back!

I’m giving it four stars because I know that next time I come in, I’m going to get it right. I mean, this is the cutest place in the world, and so when I came in on a Saturday morning and ordered a meyer lemon donut filled with naughty and blueberry jam (as recommended to me), I wasn’t expecting the entire doughnut to just poop out all it’s filling within 5 minutes, filling the carnival corn dog tray with like two dollars worth of the filling that was supposed to end up in my tummy is a much more glamorous fashion. I will be back, but I’m just going to get dark chocolate filled with naughty, none of this over-​achieving two filling nonsense.

This spot is kinda hidden. I was looking for something sweet after lunch, just happen to see a sign and decided to go that way. Small shop, with a few options to choose from.
I choose a chocolate doughnut and filled it with «Naughty cream» and dark chocolate cream.
$ 3 for a doughnut is kinda price, but the doughnut was fresh and soft and the fillings were delicious and creamy.
Parking — on the street, can be tough.
Service — one person operation, at least when I went there and it wasn’t busy, so I got my stuff fast.
Staff — the guy was friendly and helpful. to me that is always a plus.

The owner here is perhaps the happiest lady on the planet. Heck, if I were able to make a living doing what I loved — making yummy doughnuts stuffed with all sorts of crème fillings — I’d be the same way too.
The prices are well worth it for such delectable treats. I’ve had the chance to taste Doughnut Dolly’s creations both here at her outlet as well as at SF Beer Week events here in the East Bay, and I love the creativity and effort that she puts into the fillings. For example, at one beer event, a Trumer Pils-​flavored, crème-​filled doughnut… or two… or half a dozen… was just the right way to stay level-​headed during dozens of beer tastings.
Worth visiting on its own, or as part of a longer perusal of the offerings in Temescal Alley and the greater Temescal neighborhood.

Totally overrated.
I’m a donut kind of gal. Pitch me bagels, pastries, or cake… I will always choose donuts above all.
Doughnut Dolly might have had an off day, but the donut I had was not fresh-​tasting at all. The dough tasted strangely deflated and like a traditional Chinese breakfast item that is horrendously deep fried. We had their rhubarb jam which was tart and pretty tasty. However, we saw the worker literally split our donut in half and use a spoon to scoop the jam into the donut. That’s not how you do «presentation.»
I’m really not like obnoxious high-​end donut monster. My favorite donut shop is my hometown mom-​and-​pop place that I’ve been going to for over a decade! But having donuts from Portland to the South Bay, I was pretty unimpressed with DD. Plenty of affordable donut shops in the South Bay totally annihilate this place.
Even though the donuts were a disappointment, I’m giving 2 stars because the place itself is clean and tidy, with a minimalist flair. Our donut doll was a super chill lady, but she didn’t seem enthusiastic about her job. Sure, it was the middle of the day, but customer service is key, girl. Wouldn’t come back.

We started going to Doughnut Dolly when the Oakland store in Temescal just opened. Lucky for us that the store is a twenty minute walk from our house. On a nice Saturday, we can walk the dogs over, buy a couple of doughnuts, quickly inhale them because they are so good and then not feel guilty because we have a good walk back home!
Now let’s talk doughnuts. These aren’t your typical glazed or sugared or cakes doughnuts. These are round fluffy sugared coated fried and airy dough that you choose to fill with any of their four choices of fillings. When I went I had one of each: Naughty cream, Mexican chocolate, White Russian, and a locally made peach jam.
You bite into it and the filling oozes out and is just delicious. It may seem a little pricey but it’s not one to have on a daily basis. More of a weekly treat.
Take the time to visit this place. Worth the wait if there is a line.

I love Doughnut Dolly. Their Mexican chocolate doughnut has the perfect amount of heat, cinnamon and creamy chocolate. Their jams are delicious and this weeks peach jam doughnut was no exception. I do think three bucks for one sweet treat is a bit pricey, but it won’t stop me from the occasional indulgence.
If you aren’t a local, make sure you explore the rest of the ally and Temescal while you’re in the area.

Oh, Doughnut Dolly, you’re kind of a disappointment.
I mean, don’t get me wrong — your doughnuts aren’t bad at all, but the whole allure is ‘we fill your doughnut by hand with a delicious filling of your choice, in front of you!’, and there was the most meager amount of filling in my doughnut.
I think for the hype and the price ($ 3 for one?!), that was a bit of a bummer (no squishy inner filling, really?), but maybe I just got a poorly filled one.
Work on your quality control and product consistency, and you’d have a tasty product, though!

Always a big fan of Dolly’s, especially their original naughty crème is mmhm so good!
There crème seems like a combination of crème fraîche and cream puff filling which is light and delicious.
I like the regular sugar glazed doughnut!
Don’t come too late in the day or else you’ll be sorry and left doughnut less!

Ahh, first the disappointment at Curbside, then the disappointment here. Continuing my fatassery, I stopped by Doughnut Dolly and got a naughty cream and dark chocolate to go, because I was way too full to eat them then and there. Except, well, I ate one of them ten minutes later, oops.
While the fillings themselves were quite tasty, the actual doughnut was fairly lacking: a little too dense and doughy for my tastes, with none of the light fluffiness I’ve come to love about a good raised doughnut. Thinking that throwing them into a toaster oven may help after trying the first doughnut, I only noticed marginal improvement with the second one I ate, to my dismay.
For those who do choose to come here though, the way it works is this: first you choose plain, powdered, or granulated sugar for your doughnut, and then you choose from four different flavor fillings, or combinations thereof, some of which rotate out. Pony up the ~$ 3 price tag, and you’re set to go!
***Accessibility Info***
Venue — A small shop with your typical high ice cream display cases. Be prepared to reach a little ways up to get your sample spoons! Otherwise, since the venue is somewhat of an open-​air layout, maneuverability isn’t really an issue.
Bathroom — I don’t believe I saw any public ones.

My first time stopping in this neighborhood and I’ve lived in Oakland most of my life. They offer 2 types of donuts (granulated sugar and powdered sugar) and 4 types of crème. They fill the crème right in front of you.
I dropped by the Berkeley location the other day around 2pm and the Sold Out sign was in front of the store. I then called the Oakland location and they were also sold out. So today I made sure I came early to try one of these donuts that everyone is talking about. They are comparable to Beard Papa’s cream puffs.
I’ll have to come back and try the other fillings besides the Naughty Crème. The powdered sugar melts into the donut and looks and tastes like a glazed donut. These aren’t a every day donut, but for special occasions. Unfortunately they don’t offer a discount if you buy more than one donut. They are $ 3 each and sometimes $ 3.50 for a specialty crème.

I don’t usually like to review a place until I’ve been there twice.
We went here and immediately went back. That’s how good these donuts are.
I did a dark chocolate and naughty crème (crème fraîche with espresso!) and then a clementine marmalade and naughty crème, which tasted like an amazing dreamsicle donut. The fried donuts are soft and crispy and everything I wanted them to be and more. They pump the cream right in front if you. The coffee was great. The service was bomb too– super friendly and fun to talk to, explained the donut details (the bakers start at 1 AM!) and provided recommendations, and was bumping Backstreet Boys at 8 AM like nobody’s business.
If you’re in the area… GO HERE.