Boneshaker Donuts

I’ll be honest. Most of the time, I’ll choose a pain au raisins over anything else for breakfast or goûter, whether in France or back home in the US. But on my most recent visit to Paris, at the recommendation of a friend in the know, I committed to give Boneshaker Donuts a try.

After all, it’s not that common for an American import to succeed on the French pastry scene. I was more than intrigued.

Boneshaker Donuts was started in 2015 by American pastry chef Amanda Bankert, a graduate of the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. Her first order was tiny, just a dozen donuts for a friend’s coffee cart. It was a brave endeavor since the classic American donut was simply not “a thing” in France at that time.

Amanda believed in her product nonetheless, and her determination paid off, as her donuts proved to be a success. Soon after, she started getting requests from several specialty coffee shops in the city. And from there to opening her first brick-and-mortar location, it was only a matter of months.

Boneshaker’s current address at 86 Rue d’Aboukir is a second, newer, and much-improved location, better suited for the influx of customers and increased orders.

During my visit, there was nonstop traffic into the shop: moms with small children, couples sharing a few quiet moments over coffee and donuts, small dogs and their owners, and even a young man who carried out his donuts in his own plastic container — what better sign of a regular?

And how about those donuts? Well, let’s just say, forget everything you thought you knew about them.

If you’re thinking they represent “everything distasteful about American food culture: overly sweet, greasy industrial fast food with no savoir-faire required for its production,” as Amanda herself describes them ironically in the introduction to her second book, Donuts, Café, & Good Vibes, you couldn’t be further from the truth.

Boneshaker donuts are nothing like that.

Made from scratch daily, using only vegan ingredients and seasonal fruit and veggies, Boneshaker’s donuts rise indisputably to the status of pastries.

They come in flavors that range from traditional (the OG is just a plain glazed donut) to gourmet: Baby Got Back combines peanut butter and dark chocolate, while ABJ x Buddy Buddy features an almond butter glaze and blueberry compote as filling.

Choosing only a couple of donuts to sample on the spot was difficult, as they all looked enticing. 

Ultimately, I went for the Mae West, filled with rhubarb compote and topped with homemade meringue, and the No Sleep Till Brooklyn, filled with lemon curd and covered in coconut flakes.

This last one proved to be pure heaven. The dough was light and fluffy, bursting with flavor even without butter or eggs. The glaze was adequately sweet, and the lemon curd was tangy and refreshing, a perfect counterpoint to the sweet coconut.

No Parisian treat is complete without a perfect cup of coffee, and Boneshaker Donuts doesn’t disappoint. They proudly serve coffee sourced from 3FE, a well-respected Dublin roaster.

3FE, which stands for “Third Floor Espresso,” is known for its commitment to ethically sourced, specialty-grade coffee beans. Their meticulous roasting process ensures that each cup brings out the unique flavor profile of the beans, creating a perfect complement to the delicious donuts.

Finding Boneshaker Donuts is easy – it’s conveniently located near the Sentier metro station on Line 3 and within walking distance of several others. But trust me, even if you have to explore a bit, it’s worth the journey.

So next time you’re in Paris, be adventurous and skip the standard croissant. Head to Boneshaker and experience a vegan donut revolution — you won’t be disappointed!