Dutch Monkey Doughnuts

The early bird gets the worm — or, in the case of Cumming’s Dutch Monkey Doughnuts, the early bird gets the doughnut! Their homemade small batches go fast, and they strictly sell only what’s been made fresh that day.

This mom and pop store specializes in creating unique quality doughnuts from scratch. The difference is obvious; even walking into the store has a much more personable feel than other corporate doughnut shops. The doughnuts aren’t behind the counter, but displayed beautifully in glass cases and on cake stands so we can admire them.

Scoop loves to share the story of independent stores verses the big chains. Dutch Monkey owners Martin and Arpana make their doughnuts is (according the them) terribly inefficient and not cost effective. Their dough is made from fresh potatoes, buttermilk, flour, sugar, eggs, live yeast and their own starter. There is no frying or freezing involved — it’s about quality, not quantity. And the result is a delicious tasting doughnut that the competition can’t compare with!

The name was derived from the owners calling their daughter “Monkey,” and doughnuts originated from the Dutch Olykoeks. So put the two together and there you have it: Dutch Monkey Doughnuts.

The owners both have extensive and impressive culinary backgrounds. Martin, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, spent much of his career at Gotham Bar and Grill. He started his own restaurant, Fresh, but then went on to work at Vento, an Italian trattoria. He met Arpana, a French Culinary Institute grad who was working at Fiamma, a sister restaurant. Arpana is a veteran of Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, and Tom Collichio’s original Craft Restaurant. And (as if that’s not enough already) before they opened Dutch Monkey in 2007, they were the executive and pastry chefs at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC.

They then moved to Cumming, GA and, in search of a good doughnut (that didn’t require them to get on a plane), they opened Dutch Monkey Doughnuts. For many, it is worth the drive. They have a great variety to choose from, and pricing starts at $1.25. Click here to see their menu.

The famous Dutch Monkey, which is filled with Dulce de Leche and topped with bananas and chocolate is priced at 4 for $2.75. I have tried a few different doughnuts from Dutch Monkey and can tell you the Dutch Monkey, Boston Cream and Carmel Apple Fritter disappeared in seconds (from the shelves and from my plate). Their basic glaze is so yummy — I tried to save some for later, but next thing I knew it was gone!

They also serve Counter Culture Coffee from small batch roasters, so you can be sure the coffee is fresh. Pair an espresso, cappuccino, caffe macchiatto, latte, mocha, coffee or tea with your favorite doughnut — a perfect indulgence.

Don’t try to call them, they are busy chopping granny smith apples for the apple fritters, cracking farm fresh eggs for the citrus curds, and peeling potatoes to soften the dough. Follow them on Facebook for their flavors of the day and message their page if you need to reach them. They don’t deliver, but they can do large orders for pick-ups or birthday parties with notice.

So skip the frozen, fried, preservative-filled, box-mix doughnuts. Get them fresh at Dutch Monkey Doughnuts and tell them Scoop sent you. Your waistline might not thank you, but your family will!

 

They are located at: