Main Street Recommends

I’m not sure what it is about autumn (other than it’s my favorite season), but as soon as there is a slight chill in the air, I immediately crave a visit to a local orchard in search of an apple cider donut. 

This year, I decided to put my hobby to work, and as such, I’ve dedicated the entire month of October to traveling all over the Hudson Valley in search of the best apple cider donut. And let me tell you, I think I can be considered quite the connoisseur at this point. 

On weekends, I would hop into the car and make my way from town to town, stopping at different orchards, farmers markets, and farm stands in the hope of finding the best apple cider donut in the region – and let me tell you – I had some pretty damn good donuts. 

Let me share where I found the best ones, which are below in no particular order – and this is by no means a complete list of all the apple cider donut locations in the Hudson Valley. 

Migliorelli Farm

Migliorelli Farm, based in Tivoli, has farm stands in both Red Hook and Rhinebeck. I stopped at the Red Hook stand on a rainy weekend to grab donuts before they sold out. Made with their own apple cider, their donuts are dense and flavorful. My only complaint would be that I personally am a fan of a nice, crystallized sugar coating on the outside of my cider donuts, which I felt was lacking here. Beside that, these donuts were quite yummy and a great way to kick off my cider donut tour.

Farm Stand Locations:
7357 S Broadway, Red Hook, NY 12571
668 River Rd, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
5200 NY-28, Mt Tremper, NY 12457
http://migliorellifarm.com/ 

 

Breezy Hill Orchard 

Breezy Hill Orchard is located in Staatsburgh, although I found them at the Rhinebeck Farmers Market on a sunny Sunday morning (imagine that – sunshine on a weekend!). I particularly enjoyed these donuts because they had something that made them stand out from the rest of the crowd: I’m not sure if it was the combination of the spices used or the fact that there were tiny bits of apples baked into the donuts themselves, but these were incredibly delicious. 

828 Centre Rd, Staatsburg, NY 12580
http://www.breezyhillorchard.com/

 

Rose Hill Farm

For anyone who lives in the Hudson Valley region, you already know that Rose Hill in Red Hook is quite the hotspot from August through November, and for good reason. The orchard has a vast expanse of apples to choose from, homemade wines and ciders, and frequently hosts food trucks and other fun pop-up events on weekends. The highlight of Rose Hill however was exactly what I went there for: the donuts.

The folks behind the incredible donuts are none other than Mighty Donuts and Coffee, a donut company who will be opening up their own retail space in Red Hook later this year. Out of all the donuts I tried, these rank high on the list. They’re coated in thick, crystallized sugar, which gives a nice crunch when you bite into them. They’re also dense and sweet, a perfect combo if I ever heard one.

The team at Mighty Donuts also bakes up a variety of different kinds of donuts, as well as providing apple fritters, hot mulled cider, and coffee at the Rose Hill Donut Shack each weekend. Catch them before the season is over! 

19 Rose Hill, Red Hook, NY 12571
https://www.pickrosehillfarm.com/ 

Green Acres Farm 

Green Acres Farm is a not-so-hidden gem off of Route 82 in Hudson. They are perhaps best known for their pies, which are a local phenomenon, particularly around the fall holidays. They make their bakery goods fresh daily and offer a variety of baked goods including breads, muffins, and of course, cider donuts. 

Like everything at their farm stand, their donuts are delicious. They’re cakey and moist, and have the very necessary coating of cinnamon sugar on the outside. Everything you could possibly ask for out of a cider donut. This is not a stop to skip during your own cider donut tour. 

In addition to the produce at their stand, they also offer a variety of prepared goods including scratch-made jams, relishes, local honey, homemade fruit butters, and locally produced vinegars and condiments. The stand is only open from July through Thanksgiving, so make sure you get there soon before you miss out until next year! 

226 NY-82, Hudson, NY 12534
http://www.greenacreshudson.com/ 

Golden Harvest Farms 

Golden Harvest Farms in Valatie has been one of my go-to spots for cider donuts for the past few years, so I had to make a stop on my tour and highlight them here. The donuts are made fresh every morning with their own homemade apple cider, and even better, they’re made year round! They’re cakey, moist, and coated in cinnamon sugar. 

The donuts are so good, in fact, that they’ve been voted number one by Capital Region Living every year since 2011. If that’s not enough to convince you to go try them, I’m not sure what will. 

3074 US-9, Valatie, NY 12184
https://www.goldenharvestfarms.com/

Barton Orchards

Barton Orchards is another hotspot in the Hudson Valley. Located in Poughquag, the orchard not only offers pick-your-own, but also has a tap room where they carry local craft beer, wine, and cider, as well as allowing guests to visit the farm animals and playgrounds. They’re also dog friendly, and frequently host events on weekends throughout the season.

The donuts from Barton Orchards were neck and neck with the ones from Golden Harvest and Rose Hill. They were full, dense yet cakey, and stayed fresh for a few days after purchasing (which is always a win!). Of course, they also had the necessary coating of sugar on the outside, and overall were some of the best cider donuts I’ve ever had. It was an excellent way to end my cider donut tour of the Hudson Valley!

The Orchard
63 Apple Tree Ln, Poughquag, NY 12570
The Farm Stand
462 Noxon Rd, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
https://www.bartonorchards.com/