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La Vida Vegan: Donut Turn Around

Vegan pastries? Nomad Donuts made me a believer.

By Odette Cressler November 25, 2015

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The Dish
Apple Spice, Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana, Hanabero Peach Guava, and Lemon Poppy Thyme Donuts

The Spot
Nomad Donuts
4504 30th Street
North Park

I applaud anyone who attempts to make dairy-free pastries. It’s not easy to mimic the fluffiness that milk and eggs yield, and most vegan varieties often result in a bland taste and cardboard-like texture. But given the buzz surrounding North Park’s Nomad Donuts, and the fact that they offer so many vegan choices, I wanted to check them out.

Nomad’s flavors rotate daily—check their Facebook page and Instagram (@nomaddonuts) for the menu—and they typically stock anywhere from five to eight nondairy options. To get a feel for the variety, I opted for four donuts: apple spice, peanut butter chocolate banana, habanero peach guava, and lemon poppy thyme.

The silky glaze melts as soon as it hits your mouth, and the texture nails that hard-to-achieve cake-like consistency. They do not taste vegan. The habanero peach guava was the standout, the apple spice is ideal for traditionalists, and all the varieties together? Definitely applause-worthy.

TIP: Get there early in the morning, before they run out. Also, if you want to balance your meal, head up a block to Señor Mango’s for fresh juice.