This is Dolly’s Donuts, a doughnut shop specialising in freshly fried traditional and gourmet doughnuts.
Dolly’s Donuts won Australia’s Best Donut at the National Donut Competition hosted by the Baking Association of Australia for the second consecutive year in June 2026. Their Beef Nachos won the overall title, while Mango Weis and Lemon Meringue placed second and third in the gourmet category. Their savoury entries also took first, second and third place with Nachos, Truffle Mac & Cheese and Bánh Mì, while Strawberry Jam placed second in the traditional jam donut category.
At Bowral, nearing the end of a day of feasting, we tried their hot, freshly fried doughnuts ($3.00 each, $12 for six, $20 for 12).
Cinnamon Donut
The doughnut carried a generous coating of cinnamon sugar in an ideal ratio, providing aromatic cinnamon without bitterness alongside gentle crunch and sweetness from the sugar crystals. The crisp exterior yielded to a tender, moist interior with a flavourful raised dough.
Pineapple Donut
The interior matched the Cinnamon Donut, with pineapple sugar providing the point of difference. This was a novel execution of a pineapple doughnut, which is more typically finished with a sugary glaze. The sugar provided gentle crunch alongside a subtle sweet-tart tropical tang, anchoring a natural yet pronounced pineapple profile.
Raspberry Donut
Again, the doughnut shared the same tender interior, this time coated in raspberry sugar made with freeze-dried raspberry powder. Rehydration from the steam gave the coating a more glaze-like quality, although the exterior retained enough crispness to prevent the doughnut from becoming soggy.
Raspberry Soda ($7.50, +$1.00)
The soda was too sweet, with the rose becoming heady rather than pleasantly floral. Its syrupy raspberry sweetness dominated the drink.
Overall, Dolly’s Donuts was defined by freshly fried, tender dough and well-integrated flavoured sugars, with the cinnamon and pineapple varieties particularly effective where the crisp coating complemented the moist interior. The raspberry doughnut was less successful due to the coating’s tendency to rehydrate, while the raspberry soda was overly sweet and syrupy.
Dolly’s Donuts is located at Shop 1, 310–312 Bong Bong St, Bowral NSW 2576.