Sticky buns or cinnamon buns are a classic Philadelphian staple that evolved from German snail pastry (shnecken). The pastry was brought to Philadelphia by English and German immigrants in the 18th century. The sticky buns are made with a combination of milk, yeast, flour, salt, sugar, eggs, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts.

The dough has to rice twice and the process is labor-intensive. If properly prepared, the result is a brioche-like cinnamon roll that's slightly crispy on the exterior and tender on the inside. There should be enough sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and walnuts between the dough layers. 

These squares of deep-fried pastry dough are sprinkled with powdered sugar and are traditionally served hot. The dish hails from France, and French settlers brought it to the Acadia region of Canada in the 17th century. Many of the Acadians later moved to Louisiana, and they brought their culinary traditions with them.

Today, beignets are most commonly associated with the French Quarter of New Orleans, where they were declared the official state donut in 1986. These treats are typically served alongside chocolate milk or café au lait, a combination often served at the Cafe Du Monde - a New Orleans restaurant that is most often associated with beignets.

Malasadas are traditional Portuguese yeast-leavened doughnuts made from eggs, flour, sugar, and milk. They are sometimes coated with cinnamon or granulated sugar. The original Portuguese malasadas don't have any holes or fillings, but the variations prepared in Hawaii do.

The popularity of malasadas in Hawaii is not accidental – Portuguese laborers from the Azores came to Hawaii in the 19th century to work in the plantations. They brought their traditional foods with them, including the malasadas, which were originally prepared in order to use all the sugar and lard in one's home before Lent. 

Apple cider doughnuts are a type of doughnut popular on the East Coast of the United States, particularly in New England. As the name implies, they are made with a dough containing apple cider and are often coated in cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.

Apple cider doughnuts are a fall treat and can be found around apple orchards, at farmers' markets, in bakeries across the East Coast, and are a staple at autumn festivities. Although it is often considered they originated during Colonial times, the first recipe is from 1951, when DCA (Doughnut Company of America) introduced a new flavor to their line of doughnuts.

This seasonal delicacy soon became a favorite and has stayed as such until today. 

Although archaeologists had found some petrified remains of fried cakes with holes in the center, it is still unclear how could the early Native Americans prepare these delicious fried dough desserts that we know today as doughnuts. In the past, doughnuts were known as olykoeks (oily cakes), and the pilgrims from Holland are credited for bringing them to the United States.

Those early doughnuts were often made with prunes, raisins, or apples in the middle. During World War I, the doughnut was already an American favorite, consumed by soldiers that were fighting overseas as a reminder of home. In the 1950s and the 1960s, the popularity of these treats was so big that new doughnut chains started appearing on the market, such as Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts, helping in the perception of doughnuts as breakfast food. 

The unusual New Yorker creation known as a Cronut is a hybrid between a croissant and a doughnut, characterized by its soft and creamy interior, and flaky layers of pastry on the exterior. These treats are fried in oil, filled with cream, rolled in sugar, and glazed on top.

Due to their short shelf life of about 6 hours, the cronuts are intended to be consumed as soon as they are made. The dessert was invented in 2013 by a French pastry chef named Dominique Ansel at his bakery in New York City, when a customer pointed out that his menu did not have any version of the American classic – doughnuts. 

Wisconsin kringle is Wisconsin's official state pastry, brought over to the USA by Scandinavian settlers in the mid-19th century. The kringle (a Danish word for pretzel) is a buttery and flaky pastry that's filled with fruits or nuts. These pastries were originally shaped into pretzels, but the bakers in Wisconsin opted for the oval shape.

Each kringle should have at least about 30 layers of flaky dough, while the top is typically covered in white icing. Some of the most traditional flavors include raspberries, pecans, and almonds, but there are also other fillings such as apples, blueberries, cherries, and apricots. 

A bear claw is a sweet pastry originating from the United States. Believed to have been invented during the mid-1920s, it is usually prepared with flour, butter, eggs, and milk, while the filling is typically prepared with a combination of chopped almonds, egg whites, sugar, and almond extract, if desired.

The pastry is shaped into a semicircle with sliced sections along one side, and as the dough rises, those sections become separated, resulting in a shape that is reminiscent of a bear claw, hence the name. These sweet treats are baked until golden brown, and it is recommended to let them cool slightly before serving.

Maple bar is an unusual American doughnut originating from the West coast and usually associated with California. The doughnut is rectangular in shape and topped with a maple glaze. Inside, it can be left as it is or filled with cream or custard.

The dough is often made with a mix of flour, egg yolks, vanilla, shortening, baking powder, salt, sugar, water, and yeast, while the maple icing contains powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and maple extract. These doughnuts have many variations, so they're often topped with nuts or bits of bacon.