Fōnuts – Los Angeles

I’ve had this recurring dream lately. I’m standing inside a fragrant donut shop marveling at my purchase, and then right before I take a big bite into my jelly donut covered in powdered sugar, I awake to my reality. Gluten free diet, no donuts.

I’ve yearned for plenty of wheaty things that seem virtually impossible to recreate with gluten free flours. Feta and spinach stuffed croissants, tortellini, flaky biscuits, thick crusty bread. With some foods, I know I’ll just have to wait a couple years for gluten free technology to get there. Donuts on the other hand, seemed more feasible. Knowing I couldn’t score a good gluten free donut right here in San Francisco, I began searching for recipes. Ultimately, I decided that going through the process of dropping sugary dough into a big vat of hot oil in my own kitchen just killed the buzz, so I kept to my regular baking routine.

Then I heard about Fōnuts, a trendy little Los Angeles bakeshop doing gluten free donuts amongst their regular line-up. On the days I stopped in, Fōnuts had six or seven flavors of gluten free donuts (many of them were vegan too) all arranged neatly on their own trays. Their claim to fame is that the donuts are baked, but don’t be discouraged, this isn’t some overly healthy donut. They’re sugary, decadent, and have a wonderfully moist, cakey texture. My favorite flavors were lemon and coconut passion fruit, though every other one I tried was also fantastic. If you’re in Los Angeles, stopping here is a must.