Vegan Doughnut Shop Opens; Sells Out in Three Hours

Vegan shop Misfit Doughnuts and Treats opened on May 13 in Rochester, NY and sold out in three hours. The shop’s owner, Jennifer Johnson—who previously operated wholesale company Pudgy Girl Bakery—opened Misfits (a nod to the band of the same name) with the mission of creating inventive doughnut flavors free from animal products. “People say, ‘You can’t make that vegan,’ and I say, ‘Watch me!’,” Johnson said. “Vegans, at heart, are just a bunch of foodies.” Johnson’s creations start with a non-vegan recipe that she veganizes with ingredients such as almond milk, Earth Balance, and aquafaba—or the brine from a can of chickpeas that mimics the properties of egg whites. Currently, the menu is comprised of over-the-top flavors such as the Everything Bagel doughnut, a Fruity Pebble-covered creation, and the Black Flag doughnut filled with strawberry sriracha jam and topped with chocolate ganache. In addition to doughnuts, the shop sells truffles, cheesecakes, cookies, pies, and cakes. Johnson is currently working on a vegan sausage, egg, and cheese doughnut, and predicts the next biggest food trend will be churros. Brand new vegan shop Doe Donuts opened in Portland, OR on May 7 and similarly sold out of its 1,000 doughnuts within four hours.