2023 Cider Donut Tour

We have so many great cider donut places in the area, I love being able to go around and taste them all. They’re all just a little bit different and everyone has an opinion on which are their favorites. So, I take it upon myself, to do the hard work, and taste as many as I can that you vote worthy.

A lot of the same spots show up on each year’s list (you can see where I went for the 2022 tour here) and a lot of them are nowhere near each other, so I’ll keep this updated as I visit them with my opinions.

From Oct. 9, 2023

Saratoga Apple – my first cider donut of the season. They have a storefront in Schuylerville but I found them at the Schenectady Greenmarket. The donut is okay, not as crunchy as I’d like, but I have to give them some credit since they were sitting outside all afternoon. Also, because I visited them in 2020 and named their donuts as one of my favorites (read about my experience).

Fo’Castle Farms – this is one of my personal favorite cider donuts each year. They could be crunchier but I think how light and fluffy that makes them makes up for that, especially with how big they are. The flavor is fantastic and you really get the cider taste in the donut and the color of the donut is just screaming for you to eat it (read about my experience).

Altamont Orchards – this is a constant favorite of mine year to year. In this donut, you can really taste the cider and the outside is crunchy. I always end up eating this whole donut when, during the tour, I try to split them. It’s the perfect balance of everything you want in a donut each year (read about my experience).

Gade Farms – this was a new one for the cider donut tour. Someone recommended it on my Facebook page and I love a new local cider donut. Overall, this was solid, in my opinion. It tasted good, a little dense for my liking, and could’ve used some more sugar but it was decent. I wouldn’t necessarily go out of my way for it, plus, I think it’d been sitting there all day (read about my experience).

Riverview Orchards – I always make it a point to stop at Riverview Orchards for the annual cider donut tour because it’s a tough donut to beat. I’m not sure if they double-fry it or what but the crunch they get on that donut is pure magic. Also, every time I’ve gone, they’ve served it to me hot and there’s literally nothing that beats a hot cider donut (read about my experience).