Brooklyn Rec: Cloudy Donut Co.
A black owned business with a mission of reverse gentrification, one vegan donut at a time!
Don’t get me wrong, when I heard “vegan donuts” I got a little scared too. It’s not because I think anything vegan is bad, as some people assume for odd reasons. I’ve just had vegan donuts in the past that make a Popeyes biscuit look moist. So please excuse the hesitancy.
When I pulled up to Cloudy Donut Co, my skepticism quickly began to fade. About five minutes after walking through the front door, thanks to an invitation to take a tour through the kitchen, I was quickly hit with the cold hard truth that these donuts might just be the best in New York City.
But before I show you which donuts of the 44 rotating flavors I’ve had, I have to tell you a little bit more about the shop itself. Because while the donuts are worthy of all the positive adjectives in the world, the hands and minds that make the donuts are just as special.
According to my research through TikTok and reading a few articles, Cloudy Donuts was started in Baltimore, Maryland in 2020, by Derrick Faulcon, and his brother, Justin Faulcon. After a ton of success in Baltimore, Derrick and his partner Zewiditu Jewel decided to open a location in Brooklyn, New York.
But they didn’t just find any open space with a lease and decide to quickly settle down, they were meticulous and driven by a goal of reverse gentrification. So ultimately, after three years of hard work and preparations, they finally opened the doors, becoming the first ever black-owned business in Brooklyn Heights, a predominately white and affluent neighborhood.
And their mission doesn’t stop there.
While Derrick was giving me a behind-the-scenes tour of the kitchen — the one where I almost collapsed to my knees when trying the Sweet Potato donut — he mentioned how important it is for the shop to hire black and brown employees, to give them chances for employment, especially with culinary opportunities.
For me, their dedication and importance to historically underserved communities is a reason enough to support Cloudy Donut Co. in anything they do… the donuts are a bonus!
So, without further ado, let’s get to the flavors I tried.
As I mentioned above, on any given weekend you can try a handful of flavors from their rotating menu of 44 donuts. Every donut, and even cinnamon roll, is 100% vegan, replacing the traditional use of eggs for ingredients such as applesauce.
Among the flavors you’ll be able to find, handcrafted throughout the day and into the early afternoon, I was lucky enough to try the following flavors over a span of two visits:
PB&J
Maple Butter Pecan
Cookie Butter
Cotton Candy
Vanilla Bean Espresso
Sweet Potato
Chocolate on Chocolate Chip
Cookies and Cream
Spiced Chai Sugar
As hard as it is to put certain flavors over the others, the three absolute standouts to me were the PB&J donut that’s packed with jelly and topped with peanut butter, the Maple Butter Pecan that combines sweet and salty perfectly, and the Cookie Butter because honestly, I think putting cookie butter on anything is a cheat code.
The Sweet Potato was the most unique, and absolutely incredible in its own right. It’s filled with actual sweet potato and then topped with marshmallow cream that’s toasted before being served. It’s super dense for obvious reasons, so it would be hard to see myself having multiple of these in a week, that’s the only downfall that’s not really a downfall.
But yeah, my barometer for donuts… which ones could I see myself eating 2-3 times a week? Give me the PB&J donut every day for lunch, please.
All in all, you need to go to Cloudy Donut Co. as soon as your schedule allows it. The shop is open every Friday - Sunday, 9am - 4pm. I highly suggest you order ahead of time, these bad boys sell out FAST!
If you get a chance to talk to Derrick, tell him I sent you. He’s a great guy, and listening to him talk about the business and the donuts will undoubtedly make your day 10% better!
Enjoy!