Birmingham, Hero Doughnuts, doughnuts, national doughnut day, donuts — Doughnut love. Photo submitted

Did you know June 7 is National Doughnut Day? Here’s where you can indulge on Birmingham’s best rings of fried dough, plus who in town is offering freebies.

More Than Just Dough

Believe it or not, there’s much more to National Doughnut Day than one might think. So before you dive into that colorful dozen, ponder this historical bit of info

Birmingham, Hero Doughnuts, doughnuts, donuts, national doughnut day — Made from scratch doughnuts. Photo via Hero Doughnuts

National Doughnut Day stems way back when to WWI. I told you it wasn’t just some social media trend. During WWI, volunteers helped support troops by preparing and delivering food to soldiers on the front lines in France. The Salvation Army dispatched 250 women for the cause who somehow discovered that battle-tested helmets were the perfect tool for frying up doughnuts. Who woulda thought?

Anyway, in 1938, in honor of these “doughnut lassies”, and to raise awareness and money for their charitable efforts, the Salvation Army created National Doughnut Day.

Ever since, this day is celebrated annually on the first Friday in June. I think we are all pretty happy this day was born.

Now, onto the sweet treats.

Hero Doughnuts

“Make ‘em bold and make ‘em holed.” Sounds like the perfect doughnut motto to me.

Located in Homewood, across from Patriot Park, Hero Doughnuts crafts made-from-scratch, brioche-style doughnuts daily. Flavors constantly rotate, too, so you’ll always have the chance to try something new.

This National Doughnut Day, the doughnut masters at Hero’s will be doing something special. They’ll be hiding five golden tickets in their dozen boxes. Find the lucky box with a golden ticket inside and win one free dozen a month for 12 months. Score!

Address: 3027 Central Ave, Homewood, Al 35209
Hours: Daily–7AM-5PM

Magic City Daylight Donuts

Fresh and delicious—two things that make the perfect doughnut. At Magic City Daylight Donuts, you’ll find dedicated bakers that handcraft a variety of doughnuts that will please the masses.

This National Doughnut Day, indulge in everything from chocolate and blueberry to doughnut holes and fritters. If you ask me, nothing beats an old fashioned!

Address: 5291 Valleydale Rd., Birmingham, AL 35242
Hours: Tues.-Sun.–6AM-1PM

The Heavenly Donut Co.

For soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts, head to The Heavenly Donut Co. Known for their distinctive octagon shape and flavor, just one bite and you’ll quickly discover how heavenly these doughnuts really are.

This heavenly shop is offering some freebies on June 7, too. Between 6AM and 6PM, anyone who visits the shop will receive a free glazed or blueberry cake doughnut. Active military and veterans will also receive a free coffee.

Address: 7911 Cahaba River Rd., Birmingham, AL 35243
Hours: Mon.-Thurs.–6AM-9PM; Fri.–6AM-12AM; Sat.–7AM-12AM; Sun.–7AM-2PM