PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – ‘Tis the season for apple cider donuts!
Several spots in the Portland metro area made Yelp’s list for the best cider donuts in 2023. According to Yelp, the rankings are based on several factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning apple cider donuts and cider donuts.
1. Gado Gado
The Portland Indonesian and Chinese restaurant, on NE Cesar Chavez Blvd., earned a 4.1-star Yelp rating. For dessert, the restaurant offers orange cardamom apple cider donuts with kaya jam.
According to Gado Gado’s website, owners Thomas and Mariah Pisha-Duffly took menu inspiration from their heritage, travels in southeast Asia, and culinary experience.
The restaurant was also named one of GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America, 2020.
2. Doe Donuts
Doe Donuts on NE Sandy Blvd. earned a 4.3-star Yelp rating. The woman-owned restaurant offers a variety of vegan seasonal flavors in October including bourbon blondie apple fritters, pumpkin dulce de leche old fashioned, pumpkin pecan Roca, and a chili mac savory donut.
3. Bushue’s Family Farm
Bushue’s Family Farm in Boring features a variety of fall activities through Oct. 29, including a pumpkin patch, hayrides and train rides to go with their apple cider donuts, apple cider slushies and apples with caramel dip.
4. Topaz Farm
Sauvie Island’s Topaz Farm says their market is “overflowing” with fall treats like hot apple cider and caramel donuts.
The 3.7-star-rated farm offers several fall activities including a visit with farm animals, a hay pyramid, and pre-picked pumpkins.
5. Sesame Donuts
Sesame Donut’s Aloha location had the highest Yelp rating with 3.6 stars. Alongside their highly rated cider donuts, according to Yelp, the shop also offers their signature sesame donut and iced coffee at their locations scattered around the Portland metro area.
6. Blue Star Donuts
Blue Star’s SE Division St. location garnered a 4.1-star Yelp rating. Blue Star also serves a variety of fall flavors including pumpkin spice old-fashioned, apple brandy crumble, pumpkin spice donut bites, and apple cider fritters.
“Our fritter starts with a thick mix of freshly shredded granny smith apples, cinnamon, and coriander. The mix is folded into our signature brioche dough, and then formed and fried to perfection. Finally, while it’s still hot we dip it into our special gooey glaze made with real hard apple cider,” Blue Star says.
The shop describes the taste as “flowing down an apple cider river into perfect chewy heaven.”
7. Red Berry Barn
Sherwood’s Red Berry Barn says they’re known for their homemade donuts and pies, but also highlight their pie pockets and cinnamon rolls. The shop offers seasonal pumpkin donuts and apple cider donuts year-round.
8. Mac Daddy Donuts
Mac Daddy Donuts in McMinnville brings fall vibes with cinnamon rolls, apple fritters, and apple cider donuts made with their special cake donut batter mix and dusted with cinnamon and sugar.
9. Donut King
The 4.7-rated donut shop in Beaverton offers bear claw, apple fritters, maple-iced cinnamon roles, and a cinnamon crumb cake donut.
10. Yesteryear Farms
Wilsonville’s Yesteryear Farms earned a 5-star Yelp rating — offering fall activities including a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, and rotations of food trucks such as Sweet Traditions Donuts & Coffee, and Rosas Churros.
11. Divine Mini Donuts
Oregon City’s Divine Mini Donuts boasts a 5-star Yelp rating with mini donuts sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, pumpkin spice sugar, or apple spice sugar.
12. Fordyce Farm
Fordyce Farm in Salem has been family-owned since 1959, according to their website. The farm is throwing a Fall Fest throughout October, featuring a pumpkin patch, U-pick apples, a hay fort, food trucks, and a bakery serving up apple cider donuts and apple cider.
13. Mr. Maple Donuts
Vancouver’s Mr. Maple Donuts offers several fall flavors including pumpkin spice cake donuts, apple fritters, bear claws, cinnamon rolls, maple cinnamon rolls, and apple crumbs.
14. Carina’s Bakery
In addition to their highly reviewed cider donuts, according to Yelp, Carina’s Bakery offers a sweet and savory menu, featuring chocolate cinnamon crinkle cookies, seasonal scones, and cinnamon rolls.
The Beaverton bakery has a 4.4-star rating on Yelp.
15. Bauman’s Harvest Festival
Established in 1895, Bauman’s Harvest Festival has a 4.3-star Yelp rating. The Gervais farm features a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, a cider press, and cider tours to show how their hard cider is made.
