Review: Dunkin’ Donuts New Apple Cider and Apple Orchard Donut

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In the drive thru line at Dunkin’ Donuts today, I made a very fun, very rash decision. Instead of ordering my usual- “medium iced coffee with milk only, please” -I decided to try the new apple cider they’re featuring this fall. They offer both a hot and iced variety so I got a small of each. It seemed like the fair thing to do. And in order to retain my credibility as a journalist I also felt it was imperative that I sample the new apple orchard donut as well.

I’ll begin by noting that the small ciders each have 120 calories and the donut comes in at 300. This, to me, seems reasonable given the delicious nature of such items.

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On the ride home I sipped from the iced cider and it instantly reminded me of the apple juice boxes I used to bring to school when I couldn’t get my hands on a Capri Sun. Cider usually tastes a bit tangier, but this was smooth and sweet. Probably a little too sweet for my taste, and for that reason, I don’t think I’ll be ordering it again.

The hot cider was better. I assume they use the same cider for both, but in the hot version the spices were more apparent. The aroma was far more inviting. The heat gave it a depth of flavor that the iced version lacked. And though I didn’t love it, I’d consider ordering it again on a cool fall day.

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I should preface my review of the Apple Orchard donut with this: I love donuts. I’m just mad about them. So mad, in fact, that they rank high on the list of my ten favorite foods. This one, sadly, was forgettable as far as donuts go. It’s only taste was that of run of the mill plain donut covered in cinnamon and sugar. I didn’t detect any apple.

I have always preferred heavier donuts, those cakey old fashioned ones you might find at some mom and pop- type coffee shop. I’ve also always had a deep fondness for the cider donuts I got while apple picking at farms in New England during the fall. So this one left me disappointed. A bite from the donut followed by a swig of hot cider was pleasant enough, but still, I wouldn’t order it again.

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Overall, I would say you could skip trying these unless you’re a big cider fan. But if any of you are tempted to try, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

**Dunkin’ Donuts did not compensate me in any way for reviewing their fall specials. In fact, Dunkin’ Donuts has no earthly idea who I am, nor can they fathom why I felt compelled to Instagram their fall specials. 

What are some of your favorite seasonal offerings? I need to try them.

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55 thoughts on “Review: Dunkin’ Donuts New Apple Cider and Apple Orchard Donut

  1. Andrea

    Top Pot does a pumpkin old fashioned donut (glazed, unglazed or maple glazed) that is a gift from God! Not too pumpkinny, lightly spiced and oh-so-good. I prefer the glazed version myself.

    Reply
  2. Victoria

    I get soooo excited every year when DD brings back the pumpkin donut. It’s as much a sign of Fall as the leaves changing colors.

    Reply
  3. Ksenija

    haha, though you reviewed those fall newcomers as not that delicious as they promise to be – now I have a HUGE craving for a donut… probably something more cakey, covered with chocolate and filled with creme ;)

    Reply
  4. Alma

    We don’t have a Dunkin Donuts shop here in Colorado, sadly. I am a fiend for cider anything, and I’ve been known to like an eclair or two. But I’ve found I need doughnuts to be fresh, warm, and totally simple (aka raised, glazed and that’s it) for me to really be tempted. I’d much rather make some pumpkin bread and savor it for an hour with some yummy tea. :)

    Reply
    1. Cassie

      I feel your pain! I am considering taking a close to 2 hour drive next weekend to get my Dunkin fix in the Springs. I grew up on the East coast, but now I am stuck in CO with no Dunkin Donuts and even worse, no NY or VT apple cider to be found anywhere. First world struggles, right?

      Reply
  5. Laurie

    It’s fun to hear you are living in Seattle! I’m a newer subscriber of your blog and just love it! There is a cute apple orchard up near Burlington called I believe it’s marritts apple farms? It has a cute little deli with the best apple cider doughnuts! My family goes every year to enjoy the orchard, buy a gallon of their apple cider and buy a dozen apple cider doughnuts! I’d be happy to get you more info if you’d like! It’s a good way to spend an autumn Saturday afternoon.

    Reply
  6. Sonal

    I agree with you completely on the old fashioned doughnuts. I love chocolate ones the most. Cider is not really my thing so don’t think i’ll be trying it – however if you have fall flavours like cinnamon and pumpkin, i’m all yours! :)

    Reply
  7. Heather

    If you love doughnuts and are ever in NYC, I highly suggest going to the Doughnut Plant. I used to live right down the street from their lower east side location and it was dangerous. They have seasonal doughnuts and also have their regulars like jelly filled peanut butter glazed and carrot cake – which in my opinion is the best doughnut I’ve ever had the pleasure of consuming. :)

    Reply
  8. Nancy

    Did you finish both ciders and the entire donut? Or toss the rest because it was no longer woth the 500 calories for your day? Just curious.

    Reply
    1. admin

      Good question! I should have mentioned this in the post. I did not intend to eat and drink the order all by myself. In fact, I bought it to share with Daniel (we both have a serious fascination with trying (and sharing) new products, new fast food items, everything. When we realized that the iced cider didn’t wow us, we tossed it, and instead we shared the hot one. The donut we split into halves and I only ate one half of my half when I didn’t experience love at first bite. This is entirely because- I, as a law in my life, do not eat anything that I do not enjoy. Unless, of course, I’m being served food from a person I care for- in which case I’d find refusal to be rude- I will not eat anything if it just tastes ‘meh’ to me. It’s not a perfect practice (sometimes it’s too easy to just keep eating; the wastefulness) but I do believe it has served me well over the years :)
      -Andie

      Reply
      1. Nancy

        I truly do appreciate how intentional and deliberate you are with life.
        I call it “intentional spontaneity”! Being spontaneous doesn’t mean throwing all rules or commonsense to the wind.
        I also really love your journey story. The vulnerable raw truth.

        Reply
  9. Wendy

    I completely agree with your opinion on the donut. I tried it the other day and was completely underwhelmed. I was expecting an apple cider donut like the kind you get at Farmer’s Markets at this time of year. This was nothing remotely like that. I won’t be ordering one again.

    Reply
  10. Cookie

    If you have never tried Starbucks Salted Caramel Mocha it is worth a try. I always have to have at least one tall a season. I usually get the skinny mocha so this is a delicious indulgence.

    Reply
  11. Tiffany

    There is a farm in Tyngsboro, MA that makes their own mini donuts depending on the season. They do strawberry, blueberry and apple cider donuts. If you are in MA you should take a drive up there sometime.

    Reply
  12. TJ

    There is a little place in the Wenatchee valley that has some pretty good Apple Cider Donuts. They are the only ones I have tried but they are tasty. :) There is a Resteraunt in Portland Oregon you should try if ever in town. It is called Pine State Biscuits. Order the Reggie Deluxe. Be still my heart, it’s out of this world. :)

    Reply
  13. Julie

    I love fall – and I love pumpkin! If you do, too, I highly recommend the pumpkin cheesecake at CPK – I think it’s so much better than the one at the Cheesecake Factory. It should be available soon. Another favorite is the butternut squash soup from the Daily Grill. If one isn’t near you, you can Google the recipe. Easy to make (get the squash cubes from Trader Joes) and freeze in single servings. It’s fairly healthy and low cal. Pumpkin butter from Trader Joes – it’s great to add to non-fat vanilla yogurt for a change of pace, great mixed in with cream cheese, etc. And my current addiction – Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf’s pumpkin ice blended. I get it with the no sugar added powder and no whipped cream to cut calories. Super tasty!

    Reply
  14. Dee

    Feel free to ignore this nosy question but I have to ask – are you and Danial back together? Maybe I missed something? Love your blog so much x

    Reply
    1. admin

      Hey Dee,
      No worries; I understand why you’d ask (and I also have an interest in the personal lives of the bloggers I follow). No, we’re not back in a relationship, but we’ve remained best friends and spend a lot of time together.
      -Andie

      Reply
  15. Cindy

    I kind of miss the blog you used to write. About recipes. I know you’ve been busy, but it seems like we keep seeing the same pictures of foods from restaurants over and over. And that picture of the cake from White’s Bakery makes an appearance at least monthly (see i do pay attention) I’m glad you had a great time in Mexico. But your blog is Can You Stay for Dinner, not Can you stay and listen to me brag about how great it is that you all made me popular enough to write a book so I could just off and go to Mexico for months at a time and actually stop blogging about cooking and healthy eating and just keep showing the same pictures over and over again. Yes I know this comment is harsh and I’ll just come off bitchy. But I had wished you success. I had enjoyed your blog. I had come here daily looking for recipes and healthy cooking inspiration and over the past year that’s clearly not your focus or direction. I’m sorry, but I think I have to break up with you. I know you won’t miss one reader but maybe you’ll remember your way.

    Reply
    1. admin

      Cindy,
      I appreciate your honesty. While it really, really, really does pain me to hear this, I understand. Some people do miss the focus on recipes and cooking,and that is perfectly acceptable. I won’t make excuses for the fact that they’ve been absent around here in the past year; all I’ll say is: I’m sorry to have let you down.
      I take your words to heart and will make an honest effort to share more recipes.

      Also, please don’t think that your breaking up with me does not matter. It matters more than I can fully express. I will indeed miss you if you go. I will think about having pushed you away with the direction I’ve taken the blog, and that will feel like a failure to me. You are not simply a number on my graph of pageviews. I respect that you’ve been here this long.

      Andie

      Reply
      1. LG

        The truth from me is that I read this entire post and enjoyed it. Even though I don’t like cider. Even though I don’t reeealy like donuts. Heck, I’m from Canada and we don’t even have Dunkin’ Donuts here! But I read it because it was well written and the photos were calming and seasonal and nice to look at. And because I feel like I’ve gotten to know you through your blog and I always want to know what you’re up to these days.

        Meh, the haters are going to hate, and unfortunately sometimes for a blogger, it must feel, as they say, like “a little yeast works through the whole dough”. But Andrea, I’m sure I speak for lots of us when I say I very much enjoy your blog, esp…

        – the recipe posts (the pulled pork/mango slaw is a staple in our house now),

        – the beautiful vacation pics and exotic food posts

        – the posts that make me re-think my relationship with food and my body (e.g. if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have read The Power of Now because it sounded like hokey garbage. And a lot of it was. But because I trust your recommendations I read it and actually found a lot of good points that have enhanced my life.)

        So yeah. I hope you keep blogging when you can, once a month, week, or day, because you provide uniquely insightful information that is delivered in a visually appealing and easy to digest way. So there. *brushes hands together*

        Reply
      2. Darcy

        I have you on my blogroll so I come here every time there’s a new post and all I can say in your defense is that people change and grow and can’t be expected to keep an extention of themselves (their blog for instance) in the past… you are where you are NOW and your blog reflects that. To be honest, only recipes and no other content would become a bit dull and also, since your’e not making up recipes daily, I suspect it would become an onerous duty to try and ‘make something up’ just to have a blog post.
        Keep up the good work… I’m a spec on your graph, even tho I’m a terrible blog follower and never comment on anything!

        Reply
      1. Janice

        Ladies,

        This is Andie’s blog and I think she should be free to post about subjects she wants to. I like the lifestyle posts better than the recipes myself and I am sure others feel the same. Andie, you can’t please everyone when you have such a big following. Keep up what your doing because lot’s of us love it.

        Reply
        1. Ashley

          I agree she is free to post about whatever she pleases! And I usually love her posts! Which is why it’s a bit disappointing that she promised to post at least every 48 hours and has failed on that promise several times since.

          I’m totally fine with less frequent posts about whatever she wants or a new direction to the blog, but I’d prefer she be upfront about it.

          This is the first time I have ever commented on a blog, and the fact that I cared enough to do so speaks volumes about the quality of the content and my investment as a reader.

          Reply
          1. admin

            Ashley,
            The inconsistency of posting is perhaps my greatest weakness as a blogger. But that’s not to say that I don’t think about it or work on it everyday. Please know that I want to be better and that I’ve made my most sincere effort recently.
            I do appreciate you being here with me. I’m sorry that I’m not making good on my 48 hour promise.
            Andie

  16. Tracy

    Being from Upstate NY I have such fond memories of riding around to the various local farm markets during leaf peeping season and getting a bag of cider donuts (you just can’t stop at one!), and a hot cup of cider to simply sip and taste along the way…..oh pure heaven! And don’t get me started on Hudson Valley Apples for fresh applesauce! LOL

    Reading your post just brought me back to those cherished memories.

    xoxo

    Reply
  17. melissa@the hungry artist

    I find the cider donuts at the local farmer’s markets are really good.

    Also, it’s not a donut or donut like food, but I love the pumpkin butter at Trader Joe’s. Have you had it? It is great on toast or mixed in with plain yogurt. I usually stock pile it because it is only around in the fall, I believe…

    Reply
  18. T

    I love a salted caramel mocha from Starbucks, although it’s too sweet for me to drink the whole thing. And now I want a donut…:)

    Thanks for making something simple (going to Dunkin Donuts) into an adventure for us readers. Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  19. Laura Brooke Allen

    Oh, Andie, you are delightful!

    I went on a 2 day retreat to “get my vision back” aka get serious about losing weight.

    I read a book on addictions. I read 1/2 the book of Luke, and then, overcome by Grace… and thinking of your Italian Gelatos & picture of that black and white cookie on your FB page, I walked up the street and had my first dunkin’ donuts chocolate glazed donut (in PUBLIC) in years… next to an iced coffee. And smiled, and closed my eyes, and now remember everything about it. And I get a mischievous grin just thinking of the AUDACITY!

    Much of this is an ode to YOU. I’m still terrified to follow your food plan. It looks too kind to be true. I might have to read the other half of the book of Luke first.

    If it weren’t for your travel photos that you gift us with, & your random rabbit trails, I wouldn’t keep clicking back… so go with that.

    And by the way, I totally hear you on the apple cider donut review. Impossible.to.replicate.

    When I read posts like this one, I… almost think of looking behind my shoulder to see if anyone sees what I am reading. Is this POSSIBLE? Is she REALLY just up and ordering a donut, and describing it with such love? No shame? No condemnation? Who is this revolutionary?!

    Keep doing exactly what inspires you, and please don’t stick your blog in someone else’s box. (I obviously read the comments above).

    I weeped (weeped!) over the story you posted of the girl at the track, and sent it to my Boston Marathon friend- who loved it. You posted it two nights before I thought of quitting my Wed track workout…

    I think your posts are very intuitive, and freeing.

    So grateful,
    Laura

    Reply
  20. Kathie

    Only recently found your blog and have already been working on my awareness of what I’m eating …and why. Thank you!

    Now, for a seriously good fall beverage, try a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. It’s my favorite sweet indulgence every 4-6 weeks during the cooler months.

    Reply
  21. Jessica McKnight

    I tried the cider donut a week or so ago when I saw it yelling at me from the drive-thru board :) I couldn’t pass it up! I only had about 1/3 of it though, and gave the rest to my husband. Not because I didn’t like it, but a whole DD donut doesn’t really fit into my daily WW plan :) Maybe I’ll have to give the hot cider a try when I’m feeling indulgent!

    Reply
  22. Katie

    I just started reading your blog; I think you’re awesome! Recently, I’ve been in a blog rut, having just started six months ago. It’s really great for me to see how you’ve been creative over a long time, and have changed and tweaked your ideas about the content of your posts. Here is a little blog encouragement from me, in return for the inspiration you threw my way.

    Reply
  23. katie

    I think they put “apple flavor” in the sugar coating. Very disappointing, especially if you are a cider fan. If you hate cider, you may enjoy this one.

    Reply
  24. Emily

    I turn into a bit of a Pumpkin Spice Latte (Starbucks) addict during fall. If I’m getting too many, I force myself to order it skinny or soy and no whip. But the very best is full-on.

    Our local apple orchard has the most amazing glazed pumpkin donuts. They’re small and almost a little crispy. I only ate one but think about going back on a weekly basis!

    I’m a big fan of your blog, no matter the direction. Those who complain have likely never tried to keep one up — it’s a lot of work people! Get a few more blogs on your blogroll and settle down…quality work can’t be forced.

    Loved your cute unsolicited DD review. :)

    Reply
  25. Elizabeth

    You have to try Ben and Here’s pumkin cheesecake ice cream. Best Ice cream I have ever ever tasted!! It’s just kind of hard to find but it’s absolutely worth the trouble. I got it at 7-11 in Manchester on Bridge St. last year-it sells very quickly too. By the way I am disappointed by the dunkins apple cider (hot) that I drinking as I’m writing this. I asked the girl who made it if it is made with actual apple cider…she said yes, then it’s steamed to warm it. Well it tastes like really watered down cider so she lied. Must be some kind of powdered water flavoring so I am very disappointed because I love apple cider. It’s my must have for chilly fall nights.

    Reply
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  28. Diana Bizousky

    I just ordered for the first time today and it is BLANNNNNDDDDDDD! Feels like I’m eating a sugar coated cake, with a hint of apple and sugar in the end. I think Dunkin really needs to boost the apple flavoring otherwise eating a sugar cake is all I get!

    Reply

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