Donuts in and near Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a croissant town more than a donut town. We could not confirm a classic American donut shop operating inside the city in late 2026, with its glass case of glazed rings and maple bars. You can still get a very good fried dough fix. An Italian cafe at the Stanford Barn makes bombolini on weekdays. A Krispy Kreme with a Hot Light sits about 5 miles south in Mountain View. And a family donut shop in Santa Clara has been frying since 1959.

This guide covers those three, how to time each visit and how to buy for an office or a team. Every place here was confirmed on its own website or a 2026 official listing in late October and early November 2026. For French and Italian pastry more broadly, see our pastries and croissants guide.

Donuts at a glance

Know your donut

• Yeast-raised. Light and airy, made from a risen dough. The classic glazed ring.
• Cake donut. Made from a batter with baking powder. Denser and crumbly, often with a crisp edge.
• Old-fashioned. A cake donut with cracked, craggy edges that catch the glaze.
• Maple bar. A long yeast-raised bar with maple icing, a West Coast staple.
• Cruller. Twisted dough, either cake style or the French version made from choux paste.
• Mochi donut. Made with rice flour, usually shaped as a ring of small connected balls. Chewier and lighter than a wheat donut.
• Malasada. A Portuguese fried dough ball rolled in sugar, made famous in Hawaii.
• Bombolone. The Italian version: a round, filled yeast doughnut with no hole, rolled in sugar.

Bombolini at the Stanford Barn

Tootsie's at the Stanford Barn, at 700 Welch Road beside Stanford Shopping Center, is an Italian-style cafe in the old brick barn. Its menu lists bombolini at $4, next to house-made scones at $3.50 and chocolate croissants at $3.50. These are soft, sugared Italian doughnuts rather than American rings. They go well with the cafe's espresso drinks, which start at $2.75 for a single shot.

Tootsie's opens at 7 a.m. Monday to Friday and is closed on weekends, so it is a weekday breakfast stop. Welch Road also serves the Stanford medical campus, so the cafe is handy before or after an appointment. Our guide to eating near Stanford Hospital covers other options nearby.

Krispy Kreme, Mountain View

The Krispy Kreme at 2146 Leghorn Street in Mountain View is the closest full donut shop to Palo Alto. It sits in the north Mountain View business district near Rengstorff Avenue and US 101, a short drive from the Computer History Museum.

The reason to time a visit is the Hot Light. When the red sign is on, Original Glazed doughnuts are coming off the line warm. The shop lists Hot Light hours of 7 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. daily. Regular shop hours run from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The drive-thru opens at 6 a.m. and closes 15 minutes before the shop. The shop takes online orders for pickup and delivery, plus catering orders for offices. Its phone number is (650) 254-1231.

Stan's Donuts, Santa Clara

Stan's Donuts at 2628 Homestead Road has been family owned since 1959. Discover Santa Clara, the city's visitor bureau, lists it in the desserts section of its 2026 food trail and calls it a Santa Clara institution. It says the donuts are made from scratch daily and singles out the simple glazed donut. Two practical warnings come from the same listing: Stan's is cash only and favorites often sell out early.

Stan's is about 10 miles from downtown Palo Alto, a 20 to 25 minute drive without traffic. It makes a good reward after a weekday morning at the free Intel Museum. Our Santa Clara food guide covers lunch nearby.

Buying for an office or a team

1. Order ahead. Krispy Kreme takes online and catering orders. Pick up a large order at the counter rather than the drive-thru.
2. Plan the quantity. Figure one and a half donuts per person for a morning meeting. A dozen covers about eight people.
3. Mix the styles. Combine glazed with a few filled and chocolate donuts so there is something for everyone.
4. Bring cash to Stan's. The shop is cash only.
5. Label allergens. Donuts contain wheat, eggs, dairy and soy. Toppings and shared fryers can also involve nuts. Ask the shop before serving someone with an allergy.

Three donut mornings

Because the good options are spread out, it helps to build the donut into a plan.

• A weekday at Stanford. Bombolini and a cappuccino at Tootsie's at 7 a.m., then a walk to the shopping center next door or onto the campus.
• Hot glazed and museums. Krispy Kreme in Mountain View during the 7 to 9 a.m. Hot Light window, then the Computer History Museum when it opens. The museum's opening hours are on its own site, so check them before you go.
• Old-school Santa Clara. Cash in your pocket, Stan's at opening for the best choice, then the Intel Museum on a weekday or Mission Santa Clara nearby.

Evenings work too. Krispy Kreme's second Hot Light window runs from 5 to 7 p.m., which suits a stop on the drive home from work.

Keeping donuts fresh

Yeast-raised donuts are best within a few hours. Cake donuts hold a little longer. If you have leftovers, keep them in a paper bag or a loosely closed box at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator, which dries them out. A glazed donut warms well in the microwave for about eight seconds, which brings back some of the Hot Light softness. Filled bombolini with custard should be eaten the same day or refrigerated.

Other fried treats in Palo Alto

If you want something warm and sweet rather than a donut as such, Palo Alto has a few routes. Crepevine on University Avenue and Bistro Maxine on Ramona Street make sweet crepes to order. SomiSomi on University Avenue fills fish-shaped taiyaki waffles and tops them with soft serve until late. Our dessert cafes guide has hours for all three. For a sit-down morning with pastry, see our breakfast guide.

Frequently asked questions