21 of the nation's best doughnuts

We've scoured every hole in the nation to create the tastiest looking line-up of sugar-coated, glazed, glorious and doughy morsels. Behold, New Zealand's best doughnuts and where you can find them.

With National Doughnut Day upon us, if there was ever date to indulge in a sticky, sweet and simply sensational doughnut, Friday June 1st would be it.

Whether you prefer yours oozing with vanilla cream, custard or melted chocolate, glistening and glazed, lightly dusted or coated in cinnamon sugar; we've taken the hard work out of your next "treat yourself" moment and rounded-up the nation's most magnificent, doughy morsels.

On that note, we suggest you brief your bakery buddy, pack a wet wipe and make a beeline to any of the following must-try doughnut purveyors. We donut regret our visit and guarantee you won't either.

1. Rosebank Kitchen, Auckland
This much-lauded Avondale eatery can lay claim to some of the tastiest cream and jam doughnuts we've sampled – period. Fluffy, full and positively oozing with custardy cream, these glorious baked beauties are well-worth wading your way through West Auckland traffic for.

2. Mister D, Napier
Anyone who's been to the sunny Hawke's Bay can attest to the quality of these gorgeous, injectable doughnuts. Boasting a delicious DIY line-up of flavours that includes the D-cinnamon doughnut with holly bacon and maple syrup. The team here have become synonymous for them, both locally and further afield (thanks to Instagram), with a fill-your-own approach that's been captivating diners since 2012. Mister D has earned its keep as one of the Bay's best dining destinations.

3. Mama's Donuts, Tauranga, Hamilton
From doughnut walls to quirky, creative flavour combinations, Mama's have covered all bases. Each doughnut is hand-rolled and fried with a light doughnut base, then paired with different flavours dreamed up by the team. We find it hard to go past the simple-yet-satisfying Do' Boys. Serve them warm and you'll be thanking us later.

4. Little & Friday, Auckland
It wouldn't be a doughnut round-up without mention of Auckland's finest, Little & Friday. One of our favourite addresses for savoury and sweet delights, Kim Evans' beautiful bakery have quite simply mastered the cream and jam doughnut. Bountiful, covered in icing sugar and every bit as indulgent as they look, we suggest splitting one of these bad boys with a friend for optimal enjoyment.

5. Amano, Auckland
Satisfy all doughnut cravings down at Auckland's Britomart. Just as pretty as it is delicious, Amano will be offering decadent honeycomb and milk chocolate glazed creations this Friday, with a chocolate cream pat filling, and a meringue doughnut oozing with lemon curd. We know what we'll be doing come Friday...

6. Maina, Hawkes Bay
Proving their culinary clout among the Dish team, Maina is further affirmation that the Bay do it best. Their lemon curd bombolini are among the prettiest we've seen and worth each and every bite.

7. Egmont Street Eatery, Wellington
Situated in Wellington's Te Aro, Egmont Street Eatery ticks a wide variety of our boxes – and their doughnuts are most definitely one of them. Take a wander down this enchanting little lane the next time you're in the windy city and pick up one of their jam and cream or lemon cheesecake doughnuts to enjoy alongside a Welly-strong flat white. Perfection.

8. Customs Brew Bar by Coffee Supreme, Wellington
While our favourite culinary city hardly needs the endorsement, Customs Brew Bar add yet another string to Wellington's foodie bow. Their classic bombolini and cinnamon doughnuts are quite simply to die for.

9. Hello Sunday, Christchurch
Housed in a historic building that began its life as an 18th century Post Office, before moving to its current site in Sydenham, Hello Sunday is the ideal brunch spot. Take your pick from a baked line-up of decadent doughnuts, including Nutella, peanut butter and mascarpone, lemon cheesecake and the classic cream and jam.

10. The Donut Boutique, Christchurch
The Garden City certainly know how to deliver on designer doughy delights, case in point, The Donut Boutique. Housing a very Instagramable line-up of sweet treats, this Edgeware-based bakery offers hand-filled, hand-decorated doughnuts on the daily. With flavours like popcorn, yuzu and cookies and cream; it's pure deliciousness all round.

11. Bluebells Cakery, Auckland
There are few things that conjure up nostalgia quite like jam and cream doughnuts. Thankfully, you can get your hands on one at Bluebells. Relocating from Eden Terrace to a much larger space on Kingsland's New North Road, the new cakery has its own private room, offering a decadent high tea from just $30 per person that comes with the added bonus of devouring your doughnut on site.

12. Little Dough Co., Wellington
A delicious addition to the capital, Little Dough Co. hand-make their doughnuts fresh each day, from scratch, using local ingredients and producers, supplying the likes of Customs Brew Bar. Flavours like Fix & Fogg peanut butter, homemade hokey-pokey, rose-cream and plum-sugar, Hakanoa Ginger cream crunch and mandarin reign supreme.

13. Winona Forever, Auckland
While we certainly don't need to sing Fran Mazza's praises (this hospo goddess has quite simply mastered the art of baking and brunch) we couldn't complete this line-up without a mention of Winona's beautiful jam and cream doughnuts. Sublime, from start to finish.

14. Ferg Baker, Queenstown
Few names resonate down south quite like Ferg. With the world famous Ferg Burger located right nextdoor, this delicious little bakery can certainly hold its own among the big boys. The Boston Cream doughnut keeps us coming back, time and time again.

15. The Smoking Barrel, Port Motueka
The Smoking Barrel's Josiah Smits was quite literally run off his feet once word got out about their injected doughnuts. Topped with everything from bacon bits to strawberries, combinations like hokey pokey, salted caramel, raspberry vanilla custard and strawberry white chocolate keep lucky punters grinning from ear to ear.

16. Ya Bon, Hawkes Bay
This delightful French patisserie can lay claim to the region's best-looking sourdough, cheese and ham toastie and a beautiful line-up of filled doughnuts. Chocolate and caramel is a decadent alternative to their bountiful cream and jam, which is also ridiculously tasty. Wash it all down with a hot cup of Allpress coffee.

17. Scratch Bakers, Auckland
If their doughnut-of-the-week approach isn't enough to get you through the door, flavour combinations like raspberry and almond butter, hokey pokey with macadamia brittle and peanut butter and jelly surely will.

18. Custom Lane, Auckland
It was love at first bite when we discovered this decadent Auckland City offering. Think designer doughnuts with fusion flavours like Frangelico creme, Valrhona chocolate ganache, smashed hokey pokey and chocolate pearls. We'll take a dozen of each, please and thank you.

19. Al's Deli, Auckland
Al's Deli has carved out a reputation as one of Auckland's best when it comes to everything from curly fries to their souped-up bloody mary. Their epic (and injectable) doughnuts are no exception. Treat yourself to flavour combinations like Nutella, Crunchie Bar, lemon meringue, raspberry white chocolate and Snickers.

20. Grizzly Baked Goods, Christchurch
The roaming doughnut collective that keeps on giving, we have a 'hole' lotta love for Grizzly Baked Goods. With flavour combos like Blood Orange or Pear and Salted Caramel, we're calling it – Grizzly is the best thing to come out of the 03 since ages ago. We don't doubt there are big things on the horizon for these little doughnuts, in the meantime, you can satisfy your fix at the Christchurch Farmers Market, open every Saturday from 9am until 1pm, year round. Be sure to keep an eye out for their upcoming retail store, too.

21. Glamour Cake at Lyttleton Bakery, Lyttleton
Lyttleton, we see you. Boasting arguably the most innovative doughy creations we've ever laid eyes on, Glamour Cake have quite simply nailed the artistry of doughnut-making. Located inside Lyttleton Bakery, you'll discover flavours like Mocha with a splash of Bailey's for an adults-only sweet treat, chocolatey classics like Cookies and Cream, Gold Rush, Banoffee Pie, Nutella, Brandy Snap, Mars Bar and Lemon Meringue. Be warned, these baked beauties are not for the faint of heart – but well-worth the detour.

Have we missed your favourite doughnuts? Let us know in the comments below.