Full Circle Artisan Palace is a local donut shop that can be found in the heart of Hampden. Take the short-cut through the woods behind the athletic center and you will be there within a fifteen-minute walk. Located on Chestnut Avenue, a bright pink donut and a teal bench sit in front of the little shop. Upon entering, the sweet smell of sugary dough floods your senses. Lying out on a tray are the day’s donut choices. At Full Circle, the donuts aren’t your normal ring-shaped, they are fluffy, round pockets, often filled with flavored creams and dusted with sugar. There is always the standard ‘Old Fashioned,’ a vanilla doughnut with classic glaze, but beyond that, the flavors change monthly, and each month’s is wilder than the last’s.
The owner often tries to create themes that change throughout the year or whenever she gets bored of making the same types of donuts. For example, this month the Harry Potter donuts are out. Included are a Pumpkin Patsie, with a savory pumpkin filling, the Mandrake, filled with pistachio cream and covered in toasted nuts, and the Butter Beer, a sweet butterscotch soda inspired doughnut based off the popular Potter drink. There have also been months themed “Back to School,” “Christmas in July,” and “80s Throwback Treats.”
Creativity never seems to run dry at Full Circle. A summer staple is the Soft Shell donut which contains a soft shell crab – yes a whole crab – baked into a savory dough. Besides just the traditional sweet treats, Full Circle often experiments with savory donuts. From pizza donuts to Philly cheesesteak donuts to a caesar salad donuts, you can always count on something a little out of the ordinary being stuffed inside their fluffy dough pockets. The shop is also into enhancing their treats with CBD oil. For a few dollars more you may pay to have a CBD infused donut or coffee. With countless benefits and its use continually on the rise, CBD oil packs a little extra punch into Full Circle’s sweet treats.
If you go to Full Circle, you MUST leave with a cinnamon roll. The monstrous ooey-gooey rolls are a customer favorite and numerous are made on a daily basis. Baked fresh every morning and covered with delicious fluffy frosting, these rolls are sure to make your walk to and from campus well worth it. Stop by Full Circle Tuesday through Friday 6am-2pm or Saturday and Sunday 8am-3pm for the best donuts close to campus. Make sure to get there early for prime flavor selections, and be aware they often do sell out of donuts towards the end of the day!