In my experience gluten free donuts are not easy to find. Since going gluten free over six years ago I have probably eaten less than ten gluten free donuts. And I guess for me that seems so odd. I would not say I ate donuts a lot before that, but in my city we had the one donut shop and I have many memories of going and getting donuts. Jim’s Donuts is the name and their one and only location sits right next door to my dads old barber shop of choice. And I have great memories eating donuts. So when I saw from an Austin Instagrammer that Bougie’s Donuts offers gluten free I knew I had to go find them.
Environment
Bougie’s Donuts is located in a part of Southwest Austin called Sunset Valley. Sunset Valley has a lot of retail shopping as well as restaurants. Their donuts are also sold at different local coffee shops around town. I do not know if they have any of the gluten free versions at those locations though.
The storefront is somewhat small, but very cute. Definitely not what I am used to for a donut shop. Jim’s Donuts is great, but it definitely feels like it has been around as long as it has. As soon as you walk in you can see the display case for the donuts. They keep the gluten free donuts on the top shelf for safety. The display case makes a corner with the counter and the counter goes back towards the back of the building from there. On this counter they have the register and a nice espresso machine. In the back they also have a window that looks into the kitchen. So you can watch them make the donuts. I thought that was a really awesome idea.
They also have a handful of tables both inside and out. This allows you to sit and enjoy your company. Or if you are like me it gives you the opportunity to dig into your donuts as soon as possible.
Gluten Free Donuts?
To be honest I went to Bougie’s once before I actually was able to get a donut. The first time I went they had already sold out of the gluten free donuts. So the lady working the counter answered my questions that day. I asked if they make the donuts in a separate fryer and what precautions they take when preparing the gluten free donuts. For me I feel more skeptical of some restaurants compared to others and I feel that way about a donut shop. Probably because I could just never imagine Jim’s Donuts offering celiac safe gluten free donuts.
But anyways, she said each night they clean out the fryer and use fresh oil every morning. They prepare the gluten free donuts first. And once they are sold out no more are made that day. This is why I was unable to get donuts the first time I went. They are still fairly new, so hopefully when they get more business they could potentially invest in a second fryer to combat that problem. But only time will tell on that one.
The day I got donuts the three people in front of me also ordered gluten free donuts. So I watched as the guy working the counter got their donuts. I saw that he used a different set of tongs to grab them compared to the tongs he used to grab gluten filled donuts. All of this knowledge made me feel a bit more comfortable. They seem to be making efforts to keep the gluten free population safe. Obviously as a celiac I appreciate that very much.
Time to Eat
The first time I made the trip to Bougie’s I ended up ordering an iced mocha. The barista gave me an iced latte on accident. I was a bit disappointed, but it tasted good. Lattes just are not my choice of coffee drink.
The second time around at Bougie’s I ordered a chocolate covered donut with sprinkles and a glazed donut. I went all in. I also ordered a nitro cold brew. Although I knew some of the precautions they take to keep the celiacs and non-celiac gluten sensitivity population safe, I still tested with my Nima. Yes dad, I used my Nima sensor! And honestly they may be a place I test every time, just because one day someone might not clean the equipment as well as it should have been cleaned. I will figure that out as I go. But I tested them and the Nima sensor did not show the gluten found signal of death. So I chowed down.
The donuts themselves were good. I enjoyed them, but I did not love them. And honestly I do not know how to describe why I did not love them. For me I think it was most likely because I have not had the opportunity to have many gluten free donuts. My memories of donuts are still from being a kid and eating a donut recipe that is I do not even know how old. And on top of that kids just love donuts.
Overall
Despite them not being exactly what I remember donuts to be, I do imagine I will still on occasion go and buy donuts from them. It is nice having the option to eat a food I have not had often since going gluten free. I suggest going and giving them a try for yourself as well.
Afterwards I did not experience any stomach troubles. Or any symptoms that I experience when I eat gluten. I felt great and happy and I went and weeded and planted flowers during a volunteer shift at the food bank.
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