The Doughnut Project

The Doughnut Project is probably the only competition to the Doughnut Plant. If you’re a doughnut fan, you have to try doughnut project. So far, I’ve tried the bacon, beets and ricotta, olive oil and black pepper, the pepitas, and the salt/​lemon zest doughnuts. I would say the pepitas and salt/​lemon zest ones are the best. My mom really liked the bacon one but I find it too expensive for its price. We were really looking forward to the Beets and ricotta but ours barely had any ricotta. I mean, it’s like they ran out of ricotta, scraped the bottom of the bowl for the last bits and put it in my doughnut. It was quite disappointing and underwhelming. The olive oil and black pepper one is different but quite good. It’s not something I’ve tried before and not too savory or sweet. I look forward to try the beet and ricotta again, as well as the other specials they come up with.

The music was loud, the gaily painted walls screamed at us. This newcomer on the doughnut scene has doughnuts as colorful as its sassy interior. The staffer who served us was nice enough, though I wonder after a long day listening to loud music and seeing psychedelic walls, if he needed lavender oil and a candle to mellow down. The much hyped Beet Ricotta lives up to its hype and is worth $ 4? The doughnut itself was a gorgeous crimson color, beautiful enough to be stared at before its inevitable happy journey down to my stomach. The beet flavor punched through but wasn’t overpowering, as beets can certainly be, and the sweetness of the glaze was toned down by a chewy, yeast doughnut stuff with a creamy ricotta. This unusual combination worked beautifully. Sadly, the other doughnut we tried, the chocolate salted pretzel one was only meh. «It tastes like the cheap „roach coach“ doughnuts», sis said. My opinion wasn’t as scorching. I did think the chocolate tasted like a cheap glaze and the pretzel pieces were so tiny and sparse they didn’t lend the nice salty twist I expected. And a $ 3.75 doughnut shouldn’t have a chocolate glaze like one from Seven Eleven. This was a one star doughnut, and the Beet Ricotta was a 5 star doughnut, so I rated this place a 3. The doughnuts here are smaller than Dough’s but still a nice size. I would definitely try the brilliantly flavored Beet Ricotta again but skip any chocolate doughnuts. Dough does the chocolate ones way better, with a deeper flavor. The yeast doughnuts here are soft, but slight chewier than the ones at Dough. Flavor combinations here are very intriguing but not always appealing. We skipped the Maple Bacon one, neither of us wanting pork, I dislike cinnamon so we eschewed the Cinnamon something combo and neither of us wanted a sweet spicy doughnut, which was the Pineapple Jalapeño one. If you favor artisanal doughnuts in unusual combinations, this is the place to visit.

The best yeast doughnuts in New York are being made out of this humble spot in the West Village. (Yes, better than Dough and Doughnut Plant… perhaps even by a long shot.)
Up until now I’ve refused to subscribe to New York’s latest dessert craze. First it was froyo in 2009, followed by an influx of cupcakes in 2010, then savory custard in 2011, and so on and so forth… you get the point. Bizarre flavored doughnuts are super hot right now and Doughnut Project is schooling those uneasy about it with their unbelievable selection. First, here’s an entire nugget of characters dedicated to the best doughnut I’ve ever had, the ricotta filled beet glazed. Do I like beets a lot? No. Do I like ricotta a lot? Not really. Do I put cheese in pastries? No… I hate cheese danishes with a fiery passion. But this. This doughnut is so delicious I’ve thought of it daily since purchasing it. I ordered $ 50 of these puppies through DoorDash for my partner’s birthday and of all the flavors I thought I’d love, this was last. The outside of the doughnut is so sweet, yet savory, and the inside has the perfect amount of fluffy light, ricotta pockets. As for the other flavors we sampled, they were similarly impressive. In order of enjoyment The Pumpkin King: Cinnamon with Roasted Pepitas, The Classic Maple Bacon Bar, The Bronx: Olive Oil and Black Pepper, and their plain glazed and salted lemon whose funky names I’ve since forgotten. As for notes on those… the pumpkin king is like a glazed apple cider doughnut (flavor wise), Maple Bar is strangely enjoyable even if you don’t like sweet with savory, it took a while for the Bronx to hit that olive lol node but once you started tasting it – fantastic. As for the salted lemon, too salty for me and plain glazed was very vanilla-​y…
As you can tell from my doughnutovella, I love Doughnut Project. If you’re stopping in for the first time, don’t skimp and try everything they are serving! If you happen to be hard pressed for cash or lacking a sharing buddy, get yourself a Beet Ricotta. I promise your love for it will be even weirder than the fact that it exists.

I was a little hesitant coming here because of their strange flavors but the maple bacon really drew me in. The donut was so good it’s ridiculous. It’s the bacon you dream of on top of a sweet, soft, fresh donut. Seriously I had this donut yesterday and I want another right now! The lady that was working there at the time, I believe her name was Leslie, she was extremely friendly and interesting to talk to. It doesn’t even feel like a business when u walk in it feels like you’re going to visit an old friend and have a small chat over one of the best donuts ever. Also she gave us a piece of their new donut which was olive oil with black pepper and I was nervous to even try it but it turned out to be absolutely delicious. I can’t wait for them to release more flavors so I can keep coming back.

Took my first trip to the little shop last week and splurged* on a Maple Bacon Bar doughnut. BEST MAPLE BACON DOUGHNUT I’VE EVER HAD. No comparison. The dough — had great texture and chew; the frosting — sweet and oh so mapley! And the bacon on top — so so crunchy. I’ve had other bacon topped doughnuts at other shops and nothing compares to the crunch of this one. Perfect. The Doughnut Project is a project I want to be involved in, fo sho.
* Minus one star for the hefty price tag on the maple bacon doughnut. $ 4.25! Yes, it was still the best MPB I’ve ever had… but still. Ouch. The Doughnut Project will have to be an occasional treat as opposed to a regular stop.

Yeasty pillows of deliciousness! Olive oil and pepper is light and there is no overkill of pepper, just a hint of smoky goodness.
The Beet Ricotta IS TO DIE FOR! Point Blank, Period! Oleaginous beetiness with billowing springs of light creamy Ricotta goodness, which rests easy on sweetness and provides the perfect center to this Veggie tastiness. You get beets but the sweetside.
Maple bacon… what more is there to say? It’s pure maple and it’s BACON!
WILL become routine!

Hipster doughnuts anyone? My friend has made it her life goal to hit up every doughnut place in the city, and I have decided to join her on her quest.
They don’t have a huge variety of doughnuts to choose from, instead they offer a few flavors everyday. I’m not sure how often or if this ever changes, but it looks like the 4 options we had when we visited are the same ones that other Unilocalers have been posting pictures of for the last few months. If variety is what you are looking for, you’re better off heading to Doughnut Plant.
My friend and I shared the Costanza because we were feeling the chocolate. If I hadn’t just had my coffee, I would have definitely grabbed a coffee to wash down my doughnut with! I guess that will have to wait until next time.
I really liked the vibe of the place, but it’s not a place you’d want to hole up at for hours since there is only bar seating available.

The doughnut project — a project about donut. yeah, we ‘d better study how to make the balanced chemical equation for working out the best donut recipe.
Location: The doughnut project is located close to the westside of bleecker street. It is right next to a tea house. I guess if you are not getting anything from here, you can always stop and relax at the other tea house.
The decoration is very street; seats are limited; they sell t-​shirt; they do coffee; they splashed donut in your face. At least, that’s what I hoped.
I arrived around 2pm. EVERYTHING SOLD OUT except bacon maple donut. I actually had maple bacon donut when I was back in Durham — RISE DONUT AND BISCUIT. I was not surprised or thrilled by the idea. And I even got comparison this time. I think the better part is that the bacon quality is pretty legit from the Doughnut project as well as the cream. The cream is smooth and creamy topping with bacon. The first bite is good. But then here;s my unsatisfied part — I dislike their doughs. The dough is bit dry compared to DOUGH, or the doughnut plants. Few bites make me want to throw this away.
I value the dough most since the texture is the life and spirit of donut which is so much better than cupcake.
But the Doughnut project did not value that much, I guess.
And price is not cheap either.
I will just still be a fan of doughnut plants and dough I guess.

I was debating between so many flavors! I went with the Beet ricotta because how cool is it to have ricotta stuffed inside a doughnut? Well, it sounded cool at least. There’s not much ricotta in it; maybe like a finger nail size widely spread inside the doughnut. Regardless, the texture of the doughnut was super moist with the tinge of crisp out layer that really hit the spot. The beet frosting was not overwhelming sweet or savory; beets are not easy to work with but they definitely made it happen.

The so-​called Doughnut Bubble is less likely to burst than the Cupcake Bubble. Remember the cupcake penetration of roughly 2008 — 2013? Cupcake shops, cupcake food trucks, cupcake competition TV shows, cupcakes EVERYWHERE. Then…*kaboom*.
While a few did survive the explosion (Hey, Molly’s!), many were left in the dust. In the ashes, artisanal doughnuts started to take their place.
While cupcakes are a fun treat, they don’t have the portability that a doughnut has. That’s why I don’t see the Doughnut Bubble bursting anytime soon.
The Doughnut Project is an excellent addition to many of the other awesome and creative doughnut shops in NYC. Having only yeast doughnuts (my fave!), their flavors don’t necessarily rival other places like Doughnut Plant or Dough, so it provides a good competition for them. I went with a couple of friends after gorging ourselves on brunch up the street, so I took mine to go! I ordered the Bronx (olive oil and black pepper; savory-​sounding, but actually sweet!), the Constanza (chocolate-​dipped with crushed pretzels), and the Pumpkin King (glazed with cinnamon-​roasted pepitas). I loved all of them equally, the subtlety of the Bronx lending it to be my favorite of the three. My friends got the peanut butter and jelly doughnut, seemingly enjoying theirs! My only minor complaint would be the flakiness I encountered with the glazes; they seemed to crumble off of the doughnuts quite easily with the white-​glazed donuts (the Bronx and the Pumpkin King), though the chocolate glaze stayed more in tact with the Constanza.
The interior is absolutely crazy, with a huge emphasis on «Star Wars» and splashy bright colors! There is limited seating, but enough to post up and enjoy a sweet treat while people watching folks strolling along Morton Street.
I can’t wait to try out more flavors in the future! If I wasn’t so full from brunch, I would have gone for the bacon-​topped doughnut stick, but at least I have a goal for my next visit. ;-)
— - — -
NOTE: After further discussion with my friends, it turns out that there wasn’t any peanut butter inside of their PB&J doughnut! I remember noting this and saying that maybe it was simply in the dough, but They realized it after looking through photos on Unilocal and seeing Mike C.‘s photo of the PB&J. This doesn’t affect my review, per se, but they were a little bummed once they made the realization. Haaa. Hopefully they can go back for one that’s absolutely LOADED with it.

We tried this doughnut place for the first time yesterday and we are already hooked!
We walked past a few times since opening but didn’t walk in because I’m normally more of the boring vanilla bean no filling type of doughnut fan. The flavors are delicious and pretty out there but are all really well balanced and the actual donut dough is top notch! We’ve tried the lemon w/​sea salt, maple glaze w/​bacon, olive oil w/​peppercorn and pineapple w/​habanero stripes.
The added bonus of this place is their coffee (lattes, cappuccinos) is great! They get their beans from Brooklyn Roasting Company and the owner is a great barista!

I was pretty excited in checking out The Doughnut Project, a small little doughnut shop off of Morton, that offers made-​to-​order handcrafted yeast doughnuts. They make small batches daily, so you are guaranteed in receiving a fresh doughnut when you stop in! They have 6 flavors: Pineapple with Habenero Stripes, Bacon Maple Bar, Beet stuffed with Ricotta, Cinnamon with Roasted Pepitas, Salted Chocolate with Buttered Pretzel (also known as the ‘Costanza’), and the Olive Oil & Black Pepper. I tried the Beet stuffed with Ricotta, since I was super curious in how that combination would work out in a doughnut — it was actually pretty tasty! The doughnut itself was fluffy and soft, and the bright beet red glaze had a slight sweetness to it; inside, there was a creamy ricotta filling, and the combination of both was pretty good. I’d love to come back and try out their other options, such as the Pineapple with Habenero Strips and the Costanza. Staff were super friendly, and there is limited counter space inside — it is mostly a to-​go place. Check this cute little shop out for interesting flavors!
+Beet stuffed with Ricotta doughnut
+friendly staff

Doughnut Project
NY Manhattan West Village
11am 20^th December 2015
Five Stars
Located on Morton Street between 6^th and 7^th in the West Village, the TDP is new doughnut shop with fun combinations like a) olive oil & black pepper b) maple bacon ($ 4.25) c) beet & ricotta d) pineapple & habanero. Of course I had to try the bacon donut. It had a nostalgic feel of a west coast supermarket long. The classic Long John had a thick fluffy layers of yeast dough, topped with a very maple glaze and a not too salty strip of bacon.
Their coffee is from Brooklyn Roasting Company. They use Loring Kestrel ½ Bag Roaster to serve ultra fresh coffee. Today’s blend was from Santa Barbara Columbia which had a toasted malt flavor with notes of fruit and earth.
The large store front windows provided plenty of natural light to the side-​by-​side 4 – 5 person bar counters. Pop art and spray paint designs fill the walls with hip vibe. They even have a Star Wars design in honor of the Episode 7 that open over the weekend.
Overall, a tasty donut, spectacular coffee, and fun uncrowded place to chill.

Meh. Not bad I guess. But looks like I’m the dissenting opinion.
In another city, Doughnut Project would probably be more highly regarded, but in a city like NYC where amazing doughnuts are the norm, this place is only average for me. I came by and got 4 doughnuts — the beet & ricotta, olive oil & pepper, pineapple & habanero stripes, and the salted chocolate with buttered pretzel. They were all gorgeous looking, but I’m sad to say they probably looked better than they tasted.
Beet & ricotta — This stuff really tastes like beets, so if you don’t like ‘em don’t get this one
Olive oil & pepper — Couldn’t really isolate the flavors… tasted like regular glaze?
Pineapple & habanero — Probably my favorite of the four; I liked the sweet and spicy combo
Salted chocolate with buttered pretzel — it was OK. Tastes just like it looks like.
The dough itself wasn’t bad. Soft, but nowhere close to the amazing-​ness that are the yeast doughnuts at Dough. Service was really good though — the guy working behind the counter was so nice. The place didn’t open until 8am, but the guy let us in a little early to wait indoors. I’m almost tempted to bump the place up a star because of him.
Decent doughnut shop, but not in the upper echelons of NYC offerings in my opinion. I’d gladly spend $ 2.50 at Dough vs more than $ 4.00 here for a doughnut that’s not as good. With that said, maybe it’s just that these flavors don’t appeal to me, so definitely worth a try at least once.

Lets get the project started!
Oh baby, where to begin. The location is small but very tastefully decorated. Walking in, lots of woods with a chalk board explaining all the doughnuts. To the right, they have the doughnuts on display. Here’s the funny part, I hated Dough Loco. I thought the doughnuts were ok. Somehow when they closed, someone took the doughnut project and is now making some fun and new funky flavors in the West Village. What was cool was the staff! We start talking about favorites and I spy with my little eye a very expensive espresso machine.
All this sounds great, I want The Costanza!
The Costanza is a big, yeasty doughnut that when dipped in luxourius chocolate and topped with Salty Pretzel crumbs makes this the over top doughnut. The chocolate was top notch, the yeasty doughnut was yummy and the pretzel topping gave it a cool punch.
My son had the Maple Bacon bar. When I saw it, I said eww. We walk outside and I see him crying from happiness. I said gimme a bite right now! Holey moley, the bacon was crisp and salty which added to the doughnut experience.
The beet ricotta doughnut is on my radar, it was there all plump and waiting. Next time
The project continues.

These donuts were a bit too odd and savory for my liking. Worth the try? I would say so. But would I return? Probably not.
As quirky and experimental pairings become more popular in the dessert biz (e.g. Ice and Vice), I think Doughnut Project’s donuts reminded me that sometimes the original and typical is the way to go.
Amongst the Beet Ricotta Cheese stuffed donut, Pineapple Haberno Glazed donut and Cinnamon & Pepita Seeds donut (most normal), the beet and cinnamon donuts were the better picks. The pineapple one didn’t really appeal to me as I thought the sweet and spiciness clashed more than complemented.
In all, I applaud Doughnut Project for their creativity, but I don’t think they are worth the rave.

I was recently in the mood for a really good yeast doughnut other than the usual Dough or Doughnut Plant choices, so I was going to venture all the way uptown to Dough Loco. Unfortunately, after wisely Googling a little bit, I learned that it quietly closed a few months ago. This was a major blow, as they had some of the best and most creative doughnut flavors.
Luckily, one of the former collaborators at Dough Loco has opened his own shop at a much more accessible location in the West Village, and more importantly, is serving some of the best yeast doughnuts in the city.
They started with an amazing variety of flavors on opening day, and have only been improving with new offerings every week since. Their most well-​known (i.e. most Instagrammed) are definitely the Beet Ricotta ($ 3.75) (the bright pink one filled with ricotta that is definitely a little strange, but still delicious) and even better, the Maple Bacon Bar ($ 4.25), with a perfect long strip of crispy bacon going the full length of the bar. The Cinnamon Pepita and Brown Butter Apple Cobbler are also incredible, and my current favorite as a major chocolate lover is the Costanza, which is covered in a rich chocolate frosting and buttered pretzels.
The shop has a fun vibe with a cool graffiti theme, along with shirts for sale and a space for what may eventually be a toppings bar for create your own donuts. With a great staff and top notch doughnuts, I’ll definitely be back frequently to try the growing menu of great flavors.

As soon as I heard this shop finally opened, had to head over. Got in around 3ish on a Wednesday afternoon hoping to all who’d listen that there were still decent selections left.
Luckily the only doughnut they ran out of was the Bacon stick. Between two people split the Ricotta Beet and the Cinnamon Pepitas ($ 3.75 each). Doughnuts are fairly large, so definitely get your money’s worth. Icing is soft, but not very creamy, probably better when it’s more fresh. The ricotta filling is divine, and though I was skeptical on the combination of flavors, it really worked. The Cinnamon doughnut was richer and sweeter, plus the pumpkin seeds on top were caramelized to stick to the pastry… nice balance.
They also sell coffee which I didn’t try (next time). Plenty of flavors to want to come back for more.

A new donut shop in the west village is definitely something to cheer about. As soon as found out they opened I stopped in and picked up one of each of the 6* varieties that day:
Beet Ricotta — My favorite, the ricotta stuffing is perfect and not overly sweet. I didn’t get much of the beet flavor in the glaze, but that’s probably for the best.
Pineapple Habanero — I really liked this one, the habanero was pretty spicy
Bacon maple — didn’t try this one
Olive oil black pepper — Not my favorite of the six, I don’t think I’d order this one again.
Chocolate — Didn’t try it
Cinnamon and Pepita — pretty good.
The donuts are a little pricy at $ 3.75-$ 4.25 each, but this is normal pricing in the city**
*Thank god for my coworkers. I’m lucky I don’t work at a health food company or something, because then I’d be stuck eating 6 donuts all by myself.
** Honorable mention to the donut gods at Peter Pan Donuts for being the exception.

Given that the website’s daily hours list «9-​sold out» I feared a 10am arrival on a weekend might’ve found me low on options or facing an already long line. Thankfully this place hasn’t reached Cronut levels of early morning hysteria, but it might just be a matter of time.
I sampled the maple bacon bar and found it quite scrumptious. While the richness of flavor (definitely better shared) and the $ 4+ price tag wouldn’t make this a frequent breakfast pick, it’s a most satisfying special kind of sweet treat. The mix of sweet and savory between the perfect maple frosting and the crisp bacon topping was spot-​on. And the pillowy soft donut bar is great too.
Fun décor inside as well, with colorful graffiti-​laden walls and whimsical pop art. I’ll be back to sample their other concoctions!