Considering that Doughnut Party opened at the beginning of this year, I might as well be the last person to arrive to the party. I suppose it's better to be fashionably late than to not show up at all.
In a city that loves its Timmies, Doughnut Party is here to revolutionize the familiar office treat. Arguably the first gourmet doughnuterie in town, Doughnut Party offers a unique and quirky take on the hole-y treat. They operate out of Holland Plaza, home to the likes of Cafe Linnea and The Local Omnivore. They're open early 7 days a week, a bit later on the weekend, until they sell out. Their advice? Go early.
If you've been living under a rock and haven't heard of Doughnut Party before, perhaps you're more familiar with Moonshine Doughnuts, the owners' first entrepreneurial project that started in 2012. Moonshine Doughnuts are all vegan and sold exclusively in the farmer's market circuit (although you can now pick up a box 7 days a week at their stand in RAAS at West Edmonton Mall). I tried Moonshine Doughnuts a couple years ago and wouldn't call myself a fan. Cake doughnuts aren't my favourite in general and I found the doughnuts to be really dry. Although also vegan, I thought it wasn't fair to completely write off Doughnut Party without trying them first.
And I was right. Doughnut Party and Moonshine Doughnuts are completely different animals. For one, Doughnut Party utilizes a yeast dough and the doughnuts are deep fried. The base dough is completely vegan, but the toppings might not be. If you have a vegan restriction, the store does point out which ones are your safe choices.
Speaking of the store, they have the cutest branding, complete with a hot pink doughnut mascot and a neon sign lit on the back wall. Doughnuts are all laid out behind a glass counter, a total of six flavours available. Fritters are a mainstay, but flavours change daily, with some repeated throughout the week. Some flavours of the past include pumpkin spice, cookie butter, birthday cake, even a dill pickle doughnut! Although I really appreciate their creativity with their flavours, one annoyance I have is that they don't consistently list the flavours they have for the day even though they're pretty active on social media.
I bought a box of six ($16/half dozen; $3 individually) that included (left to right, top to bottom):
- Pomegranate cheesecake: pomegranate glaze, cheesecake drizzle, cookie crumb
- Jelly filled: sugar dusted, jam filling
- Apple cheddar fritter: pieces of apple and cheddar, vanilla glaze
- Gingerbread twist: gingerbread glaze, twist design
- After Eight: chocolate glaze, peppermint drizzle
- Holiday sprinkle: vanilla glaze, colored sprinkles
I cut a small piece from each doughnut so I was able to try every flavour. The pomegranate cheesecake doughnut was slightly tart, although I wasn't sure if it was because of the pomegranate or the cheesecake. I could've done without the cookie crumb because it made it quite messy to eat and tasted a bit uncooked in that salty, flour-y way. The jelly-filled was your classic doughnut with jam in the middle. Sour cherry maybe? It was quite tart. The apple cheddar fritter was probably my favourite even though it was the heaviest one. There wasn't much apple or cheddar in the dough, but the crunchy texture and fluffy inside won me over. The gingerbread twist smelled amazing from just opening the box, and it was heavy on the spice which I loved. The After Eight was your standard chocolate-mint combo and LT's favourite of the bunch (surprise, surprise). The holiday sprinkle was also a classic and a nod to the festive season. Is it just me or do sprinkles just make you happy?
In terms of texture, the doughnuts are quite thick and bready, but they definitely are fluffy! I think the doughnuts would benefit if they weren't made so big because even one is hard to finish on your own (in both size and sugar content).
I do have to commend Doughnut Party though, for executing such a fun concept and coming up with so many creative flavours on the daily. I think I'm even more impressed because it's hard to tell that the doughnuts are vegan!
I'd say skip the Timmies box next time for a hot pink one. Be that office hero.
Doughnut Party
10938 119 ST
Edmonton, AB
- CT
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