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Daylight Donuts

4.1 (73 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 am - 12:00 pm

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DAYLIGHT DONUTS ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Daylight Donuts

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Reviews With Photos

Marissa M.

I really enjoyed the donuts at Daylight. I love that their name fits their business hours. Opening as early as 5 a.m ! The donuts are made fresh. Very fresh, fluffy and delicious flavors. I visited today to order a dozen to share with a group as a token of appreciation during breakfast. This place was very busy with many ordering their treats and taking them to go. There is plenty of seating inside which is great. Customer service was fast and friendly. I decided on the Old Fashioned, Sour Cream, Chocolate Frosted, Lemon, Apple Crumb, Glazed and Cake flavors. My favorite is the Sour Cream ! So moist !!!!! So delicious. I also enjoyed the Old Fashioned as well. I was looking forward to a French Crueller but learned that they no longer make those. I can't wait to return and try their other goodies.

a tray of doughnuts on a table
Aaron S.

This is my favorite donut place of all time. You don't get the frills of "gourmet" donuts, but you get all the classics (and a few non-traditional) that are made right. The donuts are always fresh, soft, and moist. They make the best chocolate glazed around, and you can't beat that all-time classic when it's done right. My family also loves the cinnamon pine cone, the sour cream, and the Dutch crumble. The muffins, scones, and crumb cake look really good, too, but I can never make it past the donuts. There are several other donut places nearby that have popped up, and some of them make fancy-flavored donuts that taste more like a gimmick to me than a really good treat. Daylight donuts does it right without the hype. I think it's technically a chain, but it definitely has a local feel, the owner is the often the one serving the donuts in the mornings, and the other staff has been the same for years.

a variety of pastries in a box
Jill M.

Small donut shop. We got there at 9:45 and the selection was limited. The staff was super nice. The donut holes were fantastic plus the a.k.a. tiger twist :-) I would definitely recommend this location but you need to come early!

Gender Reveal Donut with Chocolate Icing and Light Angel Creme Filling
Liz M.

I had a fantastic experience with Daylight Donuts. I was searching and searching for a local donut shop to make some gender reveal donuts for my husband and I. I wasn't able to find any local shop to help (how difficult is it to color some icing and pump it in?!), until I asked Daylight. They were more than happy to help, and explained their whole process. I love a good yeast donut, which they have, but the day I went in to place the order for the 18 gender reveal donuts, they gave me a FREE cake donut. It was incredible! Fresh as could be, soft, and completely melted in my mouth. It's my new favorite donut spot. The owner, Brian, is extremely kind and generous, and the staff there is so helpful. They all had masks on and took care to label the floor for where patrons can stand to maintain a safe distance from one another. For the overall experience, especially the quality you get for the low price, I highly suggest Daylight Donuts to anyone looking for a quaint, local donut shop that knows how to take care of their customers! P.S. They are the only donut shop in the Triangle that doesn't use nuts, so if you have a nut allergy, this is your spot!

Muffins and donut holes
Maddi S.

I was so pumped to try this place - a donut shop near my house?! I'd seen good reviews and couldn't wait to check it out. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't as good as I was hoping for. I ended up getting to try the regular glazed, the maple frosted, and the mini cinnamon roll. The "mini" cinnamon roll is actually the size of a regular donut - not mini at all, which is great! They have another, larger cinnamon roll. Hence the distinction. Flavor: The smell and taste of the donuts were good. I enjoyed the ratio of glaze to donut (not too sweet), and the flavor of the maple frosting was delicious. Texture: This is the area that left me disappointed. The donuts were more "bread-y" than I expected. I love a chewy, tender, and solid-sized donut, like you'd get at a SoCal donut shop. However, the donuts I had here were closer on the glutinous spectrum to a bread roll. Not that the texture WAS like a bread roll, but more in that direction. All in all, it was OK but not my fav. Service: The person working the counter seemed unhappy to be there which was too bad. Overall, this place is solidly OK. The donuts didn't blow me away, but it's a fine donut shop if you're in N Raleigh.

a variety of doughnuts in a box
Brian G.

This was my second stop on the Triangle donut tour in an effort to find the best donuts the Triangle has to offer. I am DEDICATED to my craft and working diligently at providing the necessary answers to life's most pivotal questions. I will not back down to no man nor donut. It was a beautiful weekend day, smooth 70ish degrees with birds chirping and the leaves majestically flowing through the wind. Work was a disappointment (as usual) and I figured what a better day than to pull up on my local donut shop Daylight Donuts. Conveniently located just 5 mins from the crib. Walked in and there's a beautiful display of mouth-watering savory donuts just waiting for the taken. They also sell muffins and scones here too, but that's not what I was here for. I have to admit it was difficult to select my half dozen as I was going to be the only one eating all of them. Judge if you may. Anyway, I selected my 6 and was out the door. One thing I learned about this place is that some of their donuts and regular yeast based and some are cake based. I personally have learned I prefer regular yeast based donuts out of all my detailed donut history taking. So if you like a certain type then make sure to ask for which is which. Regardless, you still really can't go wrong with your donut selection, just pick to your flavor convenience. I think I ate 4-5 out of my 6 donuts that same day. So that goes to show you THEY ARE GOOD. Will be back again!

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14 years ago

Best donuts in Raleigh. A great, family-owned establishment. Unfortunately not open on Mondays. Also their coffee is horrible.

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15 years ago

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16 years ago

Staff is very friendly and helpful. Doughnuts and muffins are always fresh and very tasty. Some of the best doughnuts I have ever had.

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15 years ago

The best donuts in Raleigh, hands down!!! love this place!!

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12 years ago

First time and the selection is great. Very good donuts and pastries. Will def be back!!!

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Page 2 of 2

Ask the Community - Daylight Donuts

Love that everything is free of nuts! Are there any that are also gluten-free?

Hi Emily. I'm sorry, but we don't make gluten-free donuts here at our shop. We would need a separate kitchen to do so as we wouldn't want to risk cross contamination. Hope we get to see you at the shop soon. Thanks, Brian.

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Boulted Bread

Boulted Bread

4.7(426 reviews)
8.0 mi
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The same ownership as Benchwarmer Bagels. They really know bread. I got here at almost closing…read moretime, and I wish that I had come earlier because almost everything was sold out. I got: 1. A bialy (bee-AH-lee) is a traditional Polish-Jewish bread roll, similar to a bagel but with key differences: it is baked, not boiled, has a dimpled center filled with onion bits and poppy seeds, and is generally softer and less dense. Originating in Białystok, Poland, these rolls are traditionally served plain or toasted with toppings like butter or schmear. 2. Rye shortbread. Not too sweet. Just perfection! 3. Bran biscotti. I like the idea of a high-fiber bran biscotti over a refined flour one. 4. Buchi Tepache. I got the mango-pineapple flavor. This is a local NC brand. It's a mildly fermented drink that originated in Mexico. I got the ingredients from their website (drinkbuchi.com): Organic Tibicos (Water, Organic Fair Trade Certified™* Cane Sugar, Organic Kefir Culture), Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Organic Mango Puree, Organic Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Organic Whole Lemon Puree, Organic Mango Natural Flavor, Organic Pineapple Natural Flavor, Organic Monk Fruit Extract. 5. The baguette. Unlike a refined flour white bread baguette at La Farm Bakery, this one is made of a red wheat flour. Turkey Red flour is an heirloom, organic hard red winter wheat brought to Kansas in 1873 by Mennonite immigrants. Prized for its rich, nutty flavor and superior baking qualities, it is often used for artisan bread, sourdough, and pasta due to its unique, sometimes more digestible, gluten profile. It is commonly stone-ground and available from local Kansas millers. 6. The star of the show was the Everything Croissant. Like the Everything Bagel but soft and buttery. Topped with all the sesame seeds and seasonings with a cream cheese interior. So good! I do plan on returning!

We went this morning excitement so glad to say that this all of my expectations. I had the pear jam…read morepastry, my partner had a ham and cheese croissant and our little one had the cinnamon roll. They have fresh milk for sale from dairy farm in Juliet, nc, the coffees are incredible! It was super busy so you have to wait a little for a table, but the pastries are so incredible that it's worth the wait! The ambience feels like an industrial bakery, but it's inviting and cozy. You can tell. It's a wonderful neighborhood spot where people meet up every day. It's definitely recommend it if you're not yet visited. And if you're looking for a place to get your fresh bread weekly then I highly suggest this space.

Photos
Boulted Bread - Bialy and croissant

Bialy and croissant

Boulted Bread - Cappuccino and morning buns, perfect combo.

Cappuccino and morning buns, perfect combo.

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Asali Desserts & Cafe - Decorative cake pops

Asali Desserts & Cafe

4.6(418 reviews)
12.5 mi
•$$

Having been here a few times and Asali is always amazing! Asali is a family-run spot offering…read moreMediterranean treats and Middle Eastern-inspired coffee and tea. The space is fairly large and they stay open late (until 11 PM on weekends), making it a great place to hang out with friends or stop by to satisfy a sweet tooth during a night out. I've purchased their macarons as gifts, tried several desserts here and to-go, grabbed coffee and stayed to do work, and even stopped by for lunch. Their light bites are quite tasty, and I especially enjoy their phyllo-dough pastries. Their latte options are great--the flavors are creative yet still approachable, and the syrup options are delicious. Service is attentive and efficient. There's always a big team behind the counter, and instead of calling names, they give you a number and bring food or drinks directly to your table, which is so thoughtful! They can get quite busy at times - lots of families and big groups stop by to hang out. I enjoy the community it brings, though sometimes this is not the most ideal place to get work done. Highly recommend Asali for anyone looking to try creative desserts, a great cup of latte!

Searching for Mille Feuille or Napoleon cake and after reading reviews, we decided to come to…read moreAsali. Ambiance was just average, lots of people working and studying occupied most tables, service is friendly, the Napoleon seemed to be old with strange texture with no flavor, my husband ordered a cheese cake and said the same thing. The only good thing was the tea, a little more than the regular Lipton black tea. It was a huge disappointment and we won't be back, spent almost $40 for two not good slices of cake, a pot of tea, totally not worth it! Food: 1 Service: 4 Ambiance: 3

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Asali Desserts & Cafe - Wedding cake

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Asali Desserts & Cafe - Pumpkin cake pop

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Daylight Donuts - donuts - Updated May 2026

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