September in Vermont means apple picking, orchard visits, cider donuts and an unreasonable number of conversations about where to find the best cider donut. But I’m going to make the case for another fried apple treat: The apple fritter.
And in my opinion, when it’s done right, it’s the very best way to eat an apple in the fall.
I’m looking for a fritter that’s light and fluffy inside with crispy, craggy edges. Enough glaze to give it some sweetness without turning the entire thing into sugar. A little cinnamon. That unmistakable fried flavor.
And, most importantly, actual chunks of apple. Not three tiny pieces you have to go looking for. The problem is that a really great apple fritter is surprisingly hard to find in Vermont. I’ve eaten my way through plenty of bakeries and donut shops around the state, and there are three I keep coming back to.
So while everyone else is mapping out their Vermont cider donut stops this fall, add these apple fritters to the list too.
North Country Donuts Local favorite: North Country Donuts | Morrisville & Waterbury Center
Go for: The caramelized apple chunks and brioche dough.
North Country Donuts makes one of my favorite apple fritters in Vermont, and this is one I would absolutely plan ahead for.
Their fritter starts with their brioche donut dough, mixed with chunks of apple and cinnamon before being fried until golden. The result is exactly what I want from a fritter: irregular crispy edges, a soft center and those caramelized pieces of apple throughout.
North Country also makes nearly everything in-house, including its jams, jellies, creams and frostings, and uses Vermont and regional ingredients throughout the menu.
But here’s the important part: go early.
And if you know you want the apple fritter, order ahead. You do not want to build your morning around getting one and arrive after they’ve sold out.
You can find North Country Donuts in Morrisville and at their Waterbury Center location, making this a very easy addition to a fall day around Stowe, Waterbury, Route 100 or Lamoille County.
My pick: Apple fritter first. Then see what seasonal flavors are in the case and build a box accordingly.
Madeleine’s Bakery Local favorite: Madeleine’s Bakery of Vermont | Milton
Go for: The texture.
Madeleine’s Bakery has been open in Milton since 2011, and while the bakery does everything from custom cakes and pies to bagels, pastries, cupcakes and plenty of donuts, there’s one thing I’m specifically showing up for in the fall: the apple fritter.
This is easily one of my top five donuts in the entire state of Vermont.
The texture is what makes it for me. It’s light and fluffy inside with those slightly crispy, fried edges that make a really good fritter so much better. Add the glaze and pieces of apple throughout, and this is one I will absolutely go out of my way for.
The important part: apple fritters are only available on weekends.
And I wouldn’t wait until late in the day to get one. If you’re making the trip specifically for the fritter, go early or call ahead to make sure they’re still available.
While you’re there, build yourself a box. Madeleine’s does the kind of classic bakery donuts I grew up loving, from maple cream and Boston cream to glazed crullers and Bismarcks.
My pick: The apple fritter. No question. If you’re in Milton on a fall weekend, get one.
Glazed Donuts Local favorite: Glazed Donuts at Leo & Co Local favorite: Leo & Company | Essex
Go for: The enormous chunks of apple.
Inside Leo & Co at the Essex Experience, you’ll find Glazed Donuts, where Rachel makes some of the most creative and fun donuts I’ve found in Vermont.
This is not where you’re going for a box of six identical glazed donuts.
The menu changes, the flavors get playful and the donuts themselves tend to look like someone had a lot more fun making them than was strictly necessary.
But in the fall, I’m looking for the apple fritter.
And what sets this one apart for me is the apple-to-fritter ratio.
Huge chunks of apple. Exactly what I want.
Get the fritter, but don’t stop there. Part of the fun of Glazed is picking out an assortment of whatever Rachel has come up with that week.
Glazed has limited morning hours, and “until sellout” is the part I’d pay attention to. Go early.
My pick: Apple fritter plus whichever seasonal donut looks the most creative in her case!
Apple Fritter vs. Cider Donut: Do We Really Have to Choose?
No. This is fall in Vermont. Have both. But they’re very different things.
A Vermont cider donut is usually smaller, cakier and heavily tied to the orchard experience. You buy six, eat one while it’s still warm and somehow discover there are only two left by the time you get home.
An apple fritter is bigger, fried, irregular and built around actual pieces of apple. It’s also something I think gets overlooked when people plan Vermont fall food stops.
You’ll see endless lists of the best cider donuts in Vermont. Apple fritters deserve their own road trip – and they are much harder to find!
Turn It Into a Vermont Fall Food Road Trip
The best part about these three is that they’re all easy to work into places you might already be going during a Vermont fall weekend.
If you’re headed toward Stowe, Morrisville or Waterbury, make North Country Donuts your morning stop.
If you’re exploring northwestern Vermont, the Champlain Islands or the Burlington area, detour through Milton for Madeleine’s. Just remember that the fritters are a weekend thing.
And if you’re in Essex, Jericho or heading toward Underhill and Mount Mansfield, start the day at Glazed.
My biggest advice? Don’t make the apple fritter the last stop of the afternoon.
These are small bakeries making fresh products in limited quantities. Fall weekends are busy. The fritter you were thinking about all morning may be gone by the time you get there.
I speak from experience when I say this is disappointing.
Where’s the Best Apple Fritter in Vermont?
For now, these are my three. But I consider this ongoing research.
If you know a Vermont bakery, general store, donut shop or orchard making an apple fritter I need to try, send it my way.
Because while I’ll happily spend September picking apples and eating my share of cider donuts, I’m always willing to drive across Vermont for a really good fritter. Especially one with the appropriate amount of apple.
The places in this guide, on the map
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Directions to North Country Donuts (opens in a new tab)
Bakery · Morrisville, VT
Check the menu to see which flavors are available, and plan ahead for the apple fritter. Highly recommend ordering ahead of a…
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Directions to Madeleine’s Bakery of Vermont (opens in a new tab)
Bakery · Milton, VT
The maple cream donut is the standout, along with the apple fritters on weekends.
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Directions to Glazed Donuts (opens in a new tab)
Bakery · Essex Junction, VT
Look inside Leo & Co at the Essex Experience; Glazed doesn’t have a traditional donut-shop storefront.
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Directions to Leo & Company (opens in a new tab)
Café or coffee shop · South Burlington, VT
Skip setting reminders for online releases; walk into the storefront and see what's in the case.
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