You’d think a college town would have a fair share of donut shops to choose from. Sure this is Boulder, where the organic, healthy way of living reigns supreme, but that doesn’t stop hordes of carb-craving college students from heading to Waffle Brothers or Cosmo’s when the junk-food craving calls.
Dizzy’s Donuts wrapper. (CU Independent/Ainslee MacNaughton)
On Sept. 1, Dizzy’s Donuts opened its doors, filling a void left by the closing of Boulder’s last donut shop in 2007. The company was founded a year ago by Eric Guthrie after moving to Boulder. Dizzy’s sold at farmers’ markets and in coffee shops before finding its home at 1606 Conestoga Street, about 15 minutes from The Hill.
Hoping for the best, I ventured out to the shop, which was brightly lit with a banner hung above the door in lieu of a sign. The glass cases were full of big, round donuts coated with frosting or cinnamon sugar, and the employees were friendly and helpful. I knew I wanted a basic glazed donut, but other than that, I was having a hard time choosing between the different options. The staff recommended the maple bacon square donut and The Buck donut, so I bought the trio, which came out to around $6 total.
The maple bacon donut is Dizzy’s most popular donut, but also the donut I was extremely uncertain about. Bacon on a donut? I love bacon, and I even liked bacon ice cream when I tried it, but bacon and donuts don’t seem to mix. My roommate gave me a disgusted look when I pulled it out of the bag.
“It’s like Canada in a donut,” she said, eying it suspiciously.
I took a cautious bite, and at first I didn’t like it. The crispy bacon didn’t seem to fit with the sweet maple glaze and fluffy dough. But as I chewed, the flavors and textures seemed to click and reminded me of dousing my bacon in the leftover syrup from my pancakes. The sweet and sugary maple complemented the crisp, smoky bacon perfectly, especially on top of the light and airy donut. This donut was by far one of best I have tried.
I was most excited to try The Buck donut. Topped with nutella and filled with homemade marshmallow crème, the chocolate donut sounded perfect. The first bite revealed all nutella and no marshmallow, but even as I hit the marshmallow filling, the flavor never really changed. The marshmallow did add a nice texture, but it wasn’t too noticeable among the nutella overload.
The last donut my roommate and I tried was the basic glazed donut. Like the other donuts, it was fluffy and soft, doughy but not chewy. It was not as sweet as some of the other basic donuts I’ve had, but that was kind of nice. I am definitely not a Krispy Kreme person, so the understated sweetness was a good amount of sugar to satisfy me without being overwhelming. It wasn’t the best glazed donut I’ve ever had, but it was still pretty good.
I split three donuts with my roommate, and surprisingly we were able to almost finish them without reaching the too-full feeling that I seem to always hit when eating sweets. They’re filling but not nauseating in the “I just gained five pounds” way.
Overall, Dizzy’s Donuts is a huge step up from the crusty 7-11 donuts Boulder has been stuck with for years, and a good addition to the city’s food scene. Their specialized donuts are their best, so be a little adventurous and try some out. Although the donuts are worth the trip, the only way to improve Dizzy’s Donuts would be to move it to Pearl Street or The Hill, but on the plus side, they deliver.
Be sure to head out there early though — they usually sell out of the most popular donuts by 9:30 a.m.
Contact CU Independent Copy Editor Ainslee Mac Naughton at Ainslee.macnaughton@colorado.edu.
