Most Saturday mornings for Elon University students are a time to relax, hang out with friends and get a mid-morning meal. While brunching is becoming the trendy meal for young adults who fill their plates with eggs Benedict, pancakes and bottomless mimosas, a slightly faster and more economical option is munching on a doughnut.

NC Jelly Donuts is conveniently located just a few minutes from campus to fulfill that need.

While Dunkin Donuts may be the go-to option for many students hailing from the Northeast, NC Jelly Donuts has been making strides in the doughnut game. It's been in the business for more than four years and the doughnut shop is finally finding its market in college students with affordable prices and a diverse array of doughnuts.

“There were so many choices,” sophomore Ginna Royalty said.  “It was so hard to choose because they all looked so delicious.”

The large glass case inside NC Jelly Donuts features almost any flavor of doughnut desired, and the vibrant colored, sprinkled doughnuts almost beg to be "Instagrammed" by customers. 

The adventure-seeking doughnut eater has the opportunity to sink his or her teeth into almost any wacky combination imaged. Along with standard options like glazed and cake doughnuts, NC Jelly Donuts also features chocolate coconut, blueberry and strawberry iced donuts, among many others.  

The store also lets customers create any filled doughnut to their liking. To do so, pick a doughnut and a filling and the employees will make it almost immediately. Customers can choose from chocolate, butter cream, raspberry, custard, blueberry, apple and lemon.

Located on South Church Street in Burlington, NC Jelly Donuts is a seven-minute drive from campus, and the doughnuts are affordably priced. One glazed doughnut is priced at 70 cents and for $8.50, students can get a dozen. 

Luckily, the taste of the treats from NC Jelly Donuts is not something sacrificed with their low prices. Royalty highly recommends their glazed doughnut.

“Glazed doughnuts are a huge indicator of if you have a good doughnut shop,” Royalty said. “[NC Jelly Donuts is] everything you’re looking for in a glazed doughnut. There is absolutely a great amount of glaze and it’s so big. It’s like an inch tall. I can hardly put my mouth around it.”

This simple glazed doughnut works well with their coffee or a glass of milk.

NC Jelly Donuts has also received high praise for its powdered donuts.

“Their powdered donuts are the bomb,” sophomore Kayla Hoey said. “It’s ridiculous how much I love them.”     

If students want a smaller bite, they should consider the shop's doughnut holes as an alternative to Dunkin’s Munchkins. At only $1.25 for a dozen, the enormous donut holes are deliciously coated in a sugary glaze and can easily be stashed away for later.

Always fresh

“You can definitely tell the difference that it’s homemade,” Royalty said. NC Donuts makes their product every morning, ensuring the customer gets the freshest, fluffiest product. Their obsession with doughnut perfection pays off with customer satisfaction and loyalty.

She intends on frequenting the shop a lot in the future. But Royalty’s one criticism of the doughnut shop was of the chocolate cake doughnut. 

“For some reason it was drier than the other cake doughnuts,” she said. “I don’t know if it has something to do with the chocolate component, but regardless I’ll be going back soon to get more of their other doughnuts.” 

NC Jelly Donuts is open at its Burlington location from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  They also have a location in Mebane with the same hours. 

The NC Jelly Donut shops are currently owned by Kim Chang . Kelsey Chao, Chang’s sister, is managing the shops while Chang is overseas. The brother and sister pair is originally from California. 

These doughnuts could be a great addition to a club meeting, sorority or fraternity chapters, class presentation or breakfast. There is a doughnut for everyone at NC Jelly Donuts.    

The only downside of going to NC Jelly Donuts? Choosing what doughnut to get.  

“They rock,” sophomore Ginette Andre said.  “I love all their selections and they were delicious.”