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The Donut Experiment

4.3 (617 reviews)
ModerateDonuts, Coffee & Tea
Closed • 7:00 am - 1:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

The Donut Experiment Photos

Business Info

THE DONUT EXPERIMENT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - The Donut Experiment

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Elisa L.

It was our last day on the island and we decided to check this spot out. The parking here on the weekend is a nightmare. There is honestly very little parking which sucks because you could be driving for a while before you find anywhere to park. So I would recommend checking this place out on a weekday. Nonetheless, my bf found a space while I was inside. The staff was extremely friendly and stayed opened even past their closing time which was nice of them to do. Once I was ready, I brought over my order form and it took maybe less than 10 minutes before we got our order. Then, we sat outside on the benches they have and enjoyed our donuts. We had just had breakfast so 4 was enough to split between my bf and I. Our favorite was the fruity pebbles and the other ones were okay. Overall, it's a cute spot to check out and I would recommend this place to others.

Er T.

We got their specialty box. The maple bacon was truly a maple bacon and delicious. The Reese's pieces one taste just like Reese's Pieces out of the box. The Oreo one was not Oreo flavored even tho it was dusted with Oreo. They were warm once eating them, freshly made, and warm when we got home to eat them. The lady helping us was an absolute delight. She was friendly, warm and truly gave us the true doughnut experience. We will be back.

Gabriella P.

i have been here a few times in my life & i always have a good time! it's fun to pick your donuts & we actually ended up going with their fall box today! little sad that we couldn't just pick certain ones out but it's makes sense. love the rotating monthly donut!

Assorted donuts
Kenneth W.

These donuts were exactly what Anna Maria Island mornings (or late nights) are made for! Whether you grab them before heading out to catch the waves or as a sweet way to end the night, they hit the spot. The Donut Experiment is such a fun little experience -- you get to pick your toppings, and they come out warm, fresh, and made just for you. I went with a mix of classics and wild toppings (hello Fruity Pebbles and peanut butter + bacon!) and every single one was delicious. It's the perfect stop to fuel up before a beach day or to grab something sweet on the way home after a sunset walk. Definitely a must-do while on the island!

Lindsay S.

The cutest most fun interactive donut making experience ever! What a clever idea to have a donut shop where you can customize your own donuts! We ordered ahead of time because we were afraid they would sell out like our spot in SGI. But when my kiddo and I went to pick it up we got to see the whole process! They have the cutest little clipboards with pencils where you fill out an order form with the different options and then hand it over and they make it right up! You can watch the whole process which is so cool!! Online ordering was super organized and easy as well. We did 6 customizable donuts. The first was chocolate with chocolate chips and chocolate drizzle, the second key lime, the third (my absolute fav the cinnamon sugar!), the fourth a maple with bacon pieces (Bobs pick!) , the fifth chocolate with coconut with a maple drizzle, and the final was of course chocolate with rainbow sprinkles (my kiddos fav!). Definitely a great spot to bring kids lots of outdoor seating, friendly staff, and tasty donuts! Make a point to stop and try it while you're here!

Donuts from the Donut Experiment
Maura C.

The Donut Experiment is one of those places that is simply worth the hype. My family loves coming here when we vacation on the island. This past weekend, I was visiting the area and had to make a stop to create some donuts. Upon entering the building, you will fill out a card checking off the frosting, toppings, and/or drizzle you want to have on your donut. It's basically like building your own bowl at Chipotle, but maybe better since its donuts? I like to keep it simple and do vanilla frosting with rainbow sprinkles. My sister ordered a chocolate frosted donut with rainbow sprinkles, and we got an extra "fun" one with vanilla frosting, chocolate chips, and caramel drizzle to try. Let me tell you, all of them were amazing! The donuts are made to order, so they are fresh and warm, which makes them so yummy. They are also a bit smaller than your average donut, which is nice because you can sample a few different creations that you make without feeling a major sugar overload. They also serve coffee and my sister enjoyed her iced vanilla latte and said it had a "delicious strong coffee flavor." Depending on the morning crowds, parking can be a bit difficult to find. In total, we probably waited about 15 minutes from creating our order to waiting for it to be done, which was not bad at all despite it being crowded inside. Additionally, there is some outdoor seating under cover.

Our custom donuts!
Didi N.

We were in Anna Maria island and heard of this place through social media. Since I love donuts, we decided to give it a try! The concept is pretty cool and basically you make your own donuts. You fill out a form that has icing, drizzle, and topping choices and then get in line to pay for them. Then they make your donuts fresh! It was extremely busy upon walking in a little chaotic as there's so many people in an enclosed space. But the line goes pretty quickly and if you want coffee drinks, you wait on the other side to pick up your drink. Customer service was great and everyone was super nice and friendly. The donuts didn't take long to be made and they were constantly pumping out fresh donuts. We got custom made donuts with the following glaze/toppings: Peanut butter icing with raspberry filling Cookies and creme (chocolate drizzle with vanilla glaze and cookie crumbles) Fruity pebbles (vanilla glaze with fruity pebbles cereal) Maple bacon (maple glaze with bacon) S'mores (chocolate glaze with chocolate drizzle and graham cracker crumbs) Blueberry (blueberry icing with raspberry filling) All the donuts came out hot and fresh! I would rarely then a 8.5/10 The donuts were more cake like and the edges were crispy! Husband and I enjoyed all the donuts but the only con is that once the donuts are cooled, it gets a little soggy. The base for all the donuts are the same. Overall, we would come back and try other flavor combinations. They have limited flavors too like sriracha and key lime (when we visited). I would suggest trying these donuts at least once! Or maybe twice or more!

Top view. 6 donuts. Glazed and chocolate icing.
Ashamsa M.

I loved everything about this. I've been kind of over the whole over the top donut flavors, brioche and all that jazz. The store is cute and welcoming. Near the entrance there is a table with the menu printed with pencils so you can mark the different combos you want. Which is so much fun. We brought our dogs so we sat outside. It's a nice patio. The donuts looked sooo good. I was surprised that it had a light crispness to it since the website mentioned cake style donuts. It's a very balanced donut, I'd totally eat it without any toppings and glazes. The toppings and icings weren't overly rich. I'd totally do this again. If I lived nearby I would be a regular ( so maybe it's a good thing I don't )

Knd E.

We ordered pick up which was definitely the way to go because it was SO BUSY. Great for the shop, but difficult on the customer. We did an assorted mix, and it was just good. It wasn't over the top, it wasn't the best donut I've ever had, but it was good. I'm blaming the lackluster on how absolutely slammed they were.

Maple bacon donut, sprinkle donuts, coconut donut
Karissa K.

Super cute place, donuts are made fresh in front of you with fun combinations. Coffee is decent but be warned the house cold brew is really sweet and creamy. Lovely people, though limited parking.

Bacon Maple Donut
Business G.

Few things are a sublime as the salty sweet combo that is a bacon maple donut! The donut itself was absolutely perfect. Not too dense, not too light, the perfect foil for the sinful toppings to come. The maple frosting was decadent, delicious and would have been perfect all by its lonesome. But oh no, what's that sound? I think I hear bacon music! In charges bacon in all its chewy, salty, mind-bendingly awesomeness to complete perhaps the greatest single bite humanity has ever achieved. This place was worth the six hour flight!

Frosted C.

donuts are so good, fluffy and fresh. we had to go back to get out drizzles because they forgot some but they were soooooo busy i felt so bad. it's a cute shop, and the staff was nice and accommodated what we needed

Donuts on the beach
Jesenia H.

YES. EVERY. TIME. Please come here if you are even remotely near AMI. The coffee: to die for. I mean seriously, I do not think I have ever drinken 24oz of coffee that quick. Not to mention the picture perfect donuts that taste even better than they look (which you wouldn't think is possible given these photos!) Overall, this is a staple spot for me and my family. Oh, and did I mention it's on the water???

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Fun and customizable. Also very tastey! Great for kids to try and a nice sweet treat.

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Ask the Community - The Donut Experiment

Are there any gluten free donuts?

Nope

View All 2 Questions

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We ordered a number of Açaí bowls and they all got devoured and no complaints…read more They give you the option for peanut butter or almond butter, both options tasted great. Good size portions. The seating area was really nice with plenty of seats and tables. Wish someone was willing down the tables as there were a number of tables that were sticky. The line was long, but moved quickly. The setup to order was oddly positioned, but seems like you'd order where the line forms and then pickup closer to the street, however the set up isn't that way. Went to get some shirts but the lady working was simply rude and we left. Overall, not a bad place to grab a bowl, smoothie or coffee.

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I really wanted to enjoy this place, but unfortunately our experience started in a way that left me…read morein tears at the table. We waited about 40 minutes outside before being called in. While waiting, I noticed the woman greeting other guests very warmly, with things like "come on in, baby." When our table was called, she mispronounced my husband Tony's name. He simply corrected her and said, "Tony," and her response was, "whatever." As we approached the entrance, she was standing in the doorway and I finally asked, "Can we come in? It's hot out here." Her demeanor immediately changed and she silently moved aside and led us to our table. I'll be honest: once I sat down, I cried for about five minutes out of anger. I'm pregnant, I was hungry, my two young children were with us, and after waiting so long I didn't feel like I could simply pick everyone up and start over somewhere else. I also didn't want to have an argument in front of my children, so I swallowed a lot of what I wanted to say. I can't say what motivated the difference in treatment, but as a Latina woman, I noticed it and it made me uncomfortable--especially when I later watched difficult interactions happen with two other Latino tables as well. I was glad to see apologies and much warmer treatment afterward, but our initial interaction had already affected what should have been a nice family breakfast. Thankfully, a second server eventually took care of us and our experience with her was much better. We ultimately waited around another 40 minutes for our food. I'm not writing this because I expect special treatment. I expect the same basic courtesy given to every other guest. Whatever the reason for the initial behavior, responding "whatever" when a customer politely tells you his name is disrespectful and unnecessary. I hope management takes this feedback seriously, because no guest should leave a breakfast table wondering why their family seemed to be treated differently.

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Minnie's Beach Cafe - Dinning area

Dinning area

Minnie's Beach Cafe - The veggie omelette

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Minnie's Beach Cafe - Front of the restaurant

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Front of the restaurant

The Donut Experiment - donuts - Updated October 2026

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