By: Jordan Budney By: Jordan Budney | October 17, 2024 | Food & Drink, Guide, Feature,
After an afternoon of apple picking, hayrides, getting lost in corn mazes or simply just dealing with another day at work, everyone deserves a sweet and seasonal treat you can smell from a mile away. With a crunchy sugared coated and golden brown exterior paired with fluffy, warm spiced dough, apple cider donuts are the appropriate autumn accompaniment that encapsulates the true beauty of the season. A favorite fall treat for good reason; nothing gets us feeling festive and cozy quite like these apple cider donuts in or near NYC.
See also: The 8 Best Apple Picking Orchards Near NYC
727 Manhattan Ave. / 718.389,3676 / Website
With a little bit of faith, trust, and sugar-coated dust on your fingers, these apple cider donuts are magic. Peter Pan Donuts has been serving the community of Greenpoint since the 1950s and has been committed to delivering quality baked goods and services since day one. The majority of the donuts and pastries sold come from original selections and recipes, making it the backbone of the shop through preserving tradition. In addition to their signature, some of their autumn seasonals include pumpkin muffins, french toast donuts and even both apple cider glazed or apple cider cinnamon. After one bite of these apple cider donuts, we can guarantee you will be “hook”ed.
Multiple locations / Website
After losing his first job as a quote boy on a trading floor, owner and Wall Street trader Buzzy Geduld opened his shop’s doors back in 1964 and has been successful ever since. Boasting a wall of freshly made donuts, cookies and trendy croissant donuts, this shop is proudly peanut and tree-nut-free, making it the ideal place for those with nut allergies. From apple fritters to apple turnovers, their apple cider croissant donut is just one of their specialty apple items. Whether you need customizable letter donuts, a tiramisu croissant donut, a corn muffin or a bagel with cream cheese, pull up a stool and bring a second stomach at The Donut Pub.
Multiple locations / Website
Do”not” be fooled by their miniature size, these hot and unique treats are packing bold flavors fresh off the baking line and made to order. Since 2012, Doughnuttery has been delighting dessert lovers by using the highest quality sugar blends and exotic ingredients. Ranging in sizes from six mini donuts for a perfect mid-day snack to one hundred bites for everyone at the party, customers can choose from a variety of fall flavors, including Apple Cider Sugar, Pumpkin Pie Brulee, Chai Me To The Moon, or keep it simple with originals like vanilla or chocolate glazed. Move over donut holes and munchkins! Mini donuts, paired with their delectable cider, are the freshest and coziest snack that will warm anyone up during this chilly fall season.
Multiple locations / Website
Calling all gluten-free donut lovers, this place is for you! Posh Pop’s Bakeshop is a gluten-free wonderland offering a wide array of delicacies, including cakes, cheesecakes, cake pops, cookies, brownies and, of course, donuts. Offering nationwide shipping, local delivery, or in-store pick-up, this local shop is making sure each customer with dietary restrictions can enjoy a tasty treat as well. Along with the traditional chocolate glazed and seasonal pumpkin donuts, the apple cider donuts are gluten and dairy-free, and each donut is coated in cinnamon sugar and baked with fresh apple cider. The best part is these devilish donuts last over a month or longer frozen, meaning apple cider season never has to end, so stock up on these seasonal sweets to savor all year long.
213 Rt. 106 / 516.433.3360 / Website
Since the early 1800s, Jericho’s Cider Mill started as a three-story wooden barn selling Champagne cider before the advent of electrical equipment. Due to the 1919 prohibition, the cider temporarily closed but moved to a new location years later and began re-selling the cider along with freshly baked pies and other treats, and the recipes have yet to change. Offering six or ten-inch pies in apple-focused flavors, like apple peach crumb or apple blueberry crumb, they also make some of the best apple cider donuts. With a cider as rich and sweet as the location’s history, take a trip out from the hustle and bustle of the city and explore the cider mill with friends and family to try the donuts and other goodies yourself.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Pennings Farm Market, Garden Center & Orchard (@penningsfarm)
161 St. Rt. 94S / 845.986.1059 / Website
Starting with an adventurous apple-picking extravaganza accompanied by pizza and apple cider offered in hard, fresh, or sparkling, every perfect autumn day needs to end with a warm and fluffy apple cider donut. Luckily, Pennings Farm Marke is encouraging all guests to enjoy a tasty treat on their farm at the Ice Cream Stand or Bakery with a variety of flavors and treats, such as ice cream, pies, muffins and more for every sweet tooth. Noted as a favorite throughout all seasons, the apple cider donut is a high-demand commodity offered year-round inside the farm. Be sure to check out the outside Donut Shack that opened in September so that every apple picker or donut lover can secure their own fresh-baked soft and sugary dozen amid the old-fashioned fun.
Combining cinnamon, fall spices and of course, fresh apple cider, apple cider donuts are a tender, cakey treat that completes the simplicity of the fall season. Yes, pumpkin spice may be quoted as the unofficial fall flavor, but the in-cider scoop believes apple cider donuts reign supreme.
Photography by: Getty Images / Amy Brothers