Cider Belly Doughnuts

Ah, the rare five-​star eatery. Cider Belly makes excellent doughnuts for a reasonable price at a charming location. When these guys are hot and fresh, they seriously challenge my favorite farm cider you doughnuts, from Indian Ladder Farms. The cinnamon sugar cider doughnut is the standard, although there are several other varieties, including frosted and flavored treats. They’re always a hit when I take them to the office.
The shop is tucked away in North Pearl Street and is clean and spare. I don’t know that I’d hang out here to drink or eat, but the place is nice. If I have any complaints, it’s that inventory runs quite low by the end of the day, so buy early!

Fresh, moist, and soft doughnuts. You can’t go wrong with a $ 1 doughnut! Apple cider and German chocolate were delicious!

6 $ for 5 donuts and it was amazing
We got
Cinnamon sugar: holy shit the donut was still warm perfectly crunchy and then perfectly sweet amazing texture I highly recommend this donut 10 out of 10 would eat over n over n over.
German chocolate: Amazing and perfectly sweet I mean I hate to repeat myself so I’ll leave it at that.
Glazed: Classic and delicious just get them all man!
Lemon: wow I have no words to describe the perfection that was this donut I had trouble not eating the whole thing the donuts texture and flavor was spot on a perfect balance of lemon and sweet it was heavenly, my life is complete.
Wild berry: Another delicious donut, beautiful color and taste so delicate I love it.
Bottom line, don’t skip this place it’s amazing

The coffee is good but the doughnuts are better! I’m a sucker for the cider doughnuts (I mean, it’s IN the name). The other specialty flavors are really good too. There are often some really creative flavors. The doughnuts are cakey on inside and have a crispness to the outside. I’m not sure if my texture description does it justice, you’ll just have to try it for yourself. BONUS: the calories arn’t listed… so, calorie free!

Fantastic donuts! Tries the cinnamon sugar, apple cider glaze, rum glazed, and fudge. Apple cider glaze was definitely my favorite. Get 6 since theyre 5 bucks that way instead of 2 each! Cute place, lots of wood and natural effects. Staff were friendly except for an older guy on register that was grumpy and killing the vibe for the place

Amazingly fresh, flavorful doughnuts, but a bit expensive for my taste.
I can’t believe I have lived in Albany almost 4 years and have never had a cider belly doughnut until now. I am ashamed to call myself a foodie. My mother and I visited here on a Friday around 10:30 am. Parking was a bit of a grievance, but, luckily, the place wasn’t busy and there were plenty of selections. Upon walking in we were immediately greeted by a friendly worker. The place is small towards the front but opens up into a decent size sitting area. It was neat how you can watch them make he doughnuts right behind the main counter. The entire experience made my day.
Since neither of us had been here before, it took some time to determine what to get, so we basically got everything. As everyone else suggested, we made it a priority to get their Apple Cider doughnut and, of course, they were out of this world… when fresh. We came in thinking, «An apple cider doughnut? What could be so special about that?», but we were left speechless. The way the soft doughnut seemed to melt in my mouth was heavenly and paired with the delicious blend of apple, cinnamon, and sugar resulted in pure bliss. Other favorites, of the $ 1 selections, included German Chocolate and Rum Glaze. Both had that same amazing texture with equally satisfying flavor. I would come back just to get these flavors.
They had a few specials in light of the upcoming election, each being $ 3 a doughnut — a bit steep in my opinion. Various doughnuts that were referred to as politician’s names were their more complex selections. One, I believe it was the Ted Cruz, was a chocolate base with an Irish cream glaze and candied bacon. The candied bacon was perfectly crispy and a good balance between sweet and salty, but the rest of the doughnut was otherwise unremarkable. The bacon out shined the rest of the creation. One of my favorite specials was the Honey Sriracha Maple doughnut. I was skeptical, which is unlike me, at the prospect of hot sauce mixed in a doughnut’s frosting, but it turned out to be surprisingly good. There was just a hint of Sriracha to make the flavors flourish and compliment the baked delicacy.
In grand total, my mom and I spend $ 20 on 9 doughnuts. We shared the doughnuts with a couple other people, but it turned out that we couldn’t finish them all in one day. Much to our disappointment, the 24 hour mark seems to be their limit. It is to be expected, but by the next day they weren’t nearly as good. This is definitely a place to get doughnut that will be eaten within the day.
Overall, I wish it wasn’t in the heart of downtown otherwise I would probably be coming here at least a couple times a week. Or maybe it’s a good thing in consideration of my waistline… Anyway, while some of the specialties are worth it, from now on I would stick to their cheaper and less lavish doughnuts. The fancier ones had too much going on and took away from the simplistic flavors that makes this place so good. I would definitely suggest this place to anyone and everyone looking for a doughnut that’s a step up (or more like 5 steps) from Dunkin Donuts and I definitely hope to be back before I leave in a few weeks.

This is a place you want to stay a while. And not just because you are fantasizing about having an 8 hour donut eating marathon to try each and every single creative flavor. This is the kind place that is anxiety inducing for people with challenges in the decision making space. But let me just encourage you to dive in, pick a few, and be rewarded. Moist with the perfect firm exterior all scratch made right in front of you! Wonderful selection of coffee, they even have almond milk for cream, and a bevy of stations options to sit and stay a while. Definitely would be on my donut hole Sunday rotation if it was in Austin. Incredible donuts, incredible place!

Cider belly is a great donut shop! Great variety of quality donuts, and the shop interiors is pretty cute! Grab a donut and a coffee (cold brew was a little weak the day I was there, but the standard brew was good) and relax while getting some work done.

Walked into Cider Belly Doughnuts and was instantly greeted by smiling faces. We told them this was our first time and they told us the whole spiel. The one guy said his favorite was the French Apple so I decided to take a shot with it. I mean who can go wrong with a doughnut? It tasted like a cider french toast. Soft, tender cider cake doughnut covered in a sweet vanilla glaze with a maple syrup glaze too. My friend decided on the cider doughnut covered in apple cider glaze. Both equally delicious. They even had a debate contest on the presidential candidates. Each candidate had a doughnut designed to represent them which was fun! I will definitely come back to Cider Bellys if I am ever in Albany again!

Came here in the bitter cold today. Yes in April :0 warmed up with some coffee and hot chocolate for the kiddos. Cute little place downtown. A bit rustic and trendy. Few tables and even some fun wooden puzzles for the kids to stay busy with while we mamas got to catch up. We got a box of the bakers dozen and all the ones we tried were sooo delicious. Not ur typical drive thru or grocery store donut. I’m not even sure how to describe the texture. Perfect. And yes we drove 30 min for these. Don’t judge.

I’ve had Cider Belly doughnuts that were sold at another location before but that did not leave me satisfied, as the doughnut was dried out and crumbly over time (whatever time it took to do that). Since there were so many positive reviews on this place and some of my friends and coworkers still rave about Cider Belly, I decided to give it another chance… home is where the heart is after all, right? You would imagine that the doughnuts at their home base would be much better.
On a weekday before 9am, there were no lines or even a single body in the café area. My friend and I were the only two souls looking to try the delicately crafted cider doughnuts. We decided to go for the baker’s dozen of 13 for $ 10, but we learned that any doughnut listed greater than $ 1 would cause an upcharge of 50cents to a dollar a piece. There were several good lookin’ doughnuts we chose to fill our box with, but nothing really wowed us. The best out of our batch was the original and the cappuccino. Others including German chocolate, vanilla, maple, and a few I don’t remember anymore were too sweet for our taste. The texture of the doughnuts were not my favorite either.
Unfortunately the doughnuts here do not meet my cider doughnut expectations but would certainly satisfy a craving. I’m sticking to my favorite local orchard/​farm for cider doughnuts!

I know, I know. I’m in the minority on this one. I do like Cider Belly for a number of reasons. It’s a unique and very specific product; the flavors are enjoyable; it’s a small, local business. But if I’m going to be completely honest, they aren’t my favorite. The doughnuts are too cake-​like for me. And for someone who doesn’t love cake, it’s a very sad moment when you bite into a doughnut and find the texture to be more cakey than doughnuty.
Maybe it’s because I’ve never actually made my own selections, and instead I leech off my generous coworkers who bring in goodies to share. Maybe the vibe of the place would kick it up a star for me. Maybe I need to try a doughnut hot and fresh out of the fryer. I’m not sure. But for now, I’m saving up those doughnut calories for a binge in the Fall at my favorite local orchard.

Thank goodness I have a roommate that is the early bird in the house. On my way out I was handed a cider belly doughnut (plain) to enjoy with my morning cup of tea at work, due to her already being up for quite a bit and running around town.
I wasn’t expecting much. This cider donut wasn’t warm and even though I’ve heard great things about this place, my initial thoughts leaned more towards — it’s just a donut. How good could it be?
Good. Really good. Even cold, the donut had a nice lightly crisp outside crunch. The flavors in this donut combine deliciously — without any part being overpowering.
I’m not sure why it took so long to discover such a great donut place, but I’m glad I’ve finally jumped on that bandwagon. I can’t wait to stop in before a big meeting day at work and surprise my coworkers with these delicious donuts as well — they’ll easily be as converted as I just was.

ORGASMIC is the word that comes to mind after eating one of these bad boys. I needed a minute alone and cigarette afterwards. I went with 2 friends and we each ordered a different doughnut so we could try a bunch. ALL of them were amazing. You really can’t go wrong. I live in NYC and I am still dreaming of this little slice of heaven. I hope to see you again Cider Belly! Its probably for the best that I live so far away. LOL
Your only regret will be not getting extras for later!

Mmmmm … doughnuts. These are great to bring to a party, a brunch or as a gift to brighten someones day. They are more special than the average doughnut for sure. A wonderful addition to Albany. When compared to other doughnut shops it is a big notch above the rest… however I still really enjoy going to the local farms and orchards in the fall and getting a hot out of the frier cider doughnut with sugar on it. The rest of the year this place takes the cake as the only place I would get a doughnut from in town.
Also, want to mention Cider Belly provided the doughnuts for a charity event I recently attended (The Albany Center Gallery’s Pop Gala) and they did an amazing job making these bright colored and sprinkled doughnuts. Really outstanding!

Do you like crunchy on the outside but soft and warm on the inside? How about being greeted by an employee loving referred to as Sugar Daddy? Or a place where you can listen to stories about who created what donut flavor and why?
I want to eat up everything about this adorable and delicious donut shop on Pearl. My favorite donuts are the apple cider and caramel macchaito. The glazed is a solid choice too. Choose wisely what flavors to get if you are sitting at one of their unique wooden tables or eating as you are walking, and always grab extra napkins.
Price wise they are OK for artisan pastries. A 6-​pack and 2 large coffees came to $ 11. My hostess for the weekend claimed it was the only good eatery with a 2 block radius of her place and I trust her breakfast chops. You should too!

Cider Belly may very well have dethroned my favorite orchard as cider donut champion. At the very least, it has become the number one contender.
Much like the apple cider donuts at my favorite farm, the donuts here are phenomenal; fresh, sweet, and delicious! Where they differentiate themselves is the variety of flavors they’re offered in. A baker’s dozen allowed me to try at least one of every flavor, and each donut was equally as good as the last. My favorite was the butter rum, with cappuccino frosting and peach glaze rounding out my top three. While the glazes and drizzles are all unique, the base of each donut is the same; a flawless apple cider batter that’s been expertly fried. The outer layer is wonderfully crispy, and biting through it unveils a perfectly moist interior that falls apart in your mouth. I was lucky enough to get mine fresh out of the fryer, which made them even better! The Thai iced tea was fantastic as well, smooth and refreshing.
Not only has Cider Belly made a seasonal favorite available year round, they’ve taken the apple cider donut and made it as tasty as any I’ve ever had. All they need now is a petting zoo, the local farms would really be in trouble then!

For years I was convinced that I did not like doughnuts. Plenty of elementary school parties came and went and I passed on the munchkins, even office gatherings where the selection ranged from Dunkin, to Krispy Kreme, to Paula’s — I had no interest. It wasn’t until I moved to the Capital Region and found myself waiting in a 20-​minute line for doughnuts at an apple orchard that I told myself i needed to at least try one of these «cider doughnuts,» despite my doughnut leanings. At that fateful moment, I learned that it was not all doughnuts I disliked, but simply yeast donughts, and these delightful apple cider cake doughnuts opened up a whole new world of doughnut possibility for me.
Having cider doughnuts be an occasional fall treat was fine in my book. During 85% of the year, I was happy doughnut free: I could pass large doughnut chains without feeling tempted, turn my nose up at the languishing breakroom doughnuts, and remind myself that my precious cider doughnuts would be back in a few months. That was until Cider Belly planted itself on Pearl Street…
As anyone who works or lives in the downtown Albany area can attest, the sweet smell wafting out of Cider Belly is incredibly tempting. The doughnuts have a lovely crisp exterior (if you get them fresh) and the innards are moist and lightly spiced. There are always the usual varities that include plain, cinnamon sugar, German chocolate, cappucino, glazed, and maple, and there are often special flavors, such as red velvet, lemon, orange, butter rum, pumpkin spice, blueberry, banana espresso and more. In addition, there are «specialty» flavors ($ 1.50 to $ 2 a pop).
A baker’s dozen (13 doughnuts) will run you $ 10, and there are usually enough options that you can manage one of everything. However, it’s hard to predict the best time to visit Cider Belly. I’ve been there at about a quarter to 8:00 a.m. on a weekday and three varities were sold out and three more had only one or two left. I’ve also been there at lunch and have experienced a nearly empty case and a nearly full case. The best selection yet was on a Saturday morning at about 9:00 a.m. Either way, they do make doughnuts throughout the day, so your best bet is to ask for what most recently came out of the fryer.
My personal favorties are the classic cinnamon sugar and the maple drizzled. I like that the maple is just a drizzle, as the fully glazed doughnuts teeter on the too-​sweet for me. The fully glazed options, in my experience, lose their crispness. If only cider belly lightly drizzled their flavored doughnuts, instead of dunking the coating on thick, all the flavors would be stellar.
I am not sure I am 100% thrilled that I can get the cider doughnut year round now, as it’s really very tempting (and I fear I will grow my own cider belly), but I am happy to know that there’s a consistent stand out that is right in town when I want an indulgent breakfast, a sweet afternoon treat, or a snack for the office.

Eight months later and Cider Belly continues to impress.
We’ve become regular customers, and about once a month we head downtown and grab a baker’s dozen. Each time we’re there they always have new and interesting varieties, and they’re always delicious.
The doughnuts freeze really well. What we don’t eat, we freeze, and then reheat them later in the oven, and they’re darn near as good as fresh.

Warning– You will have a cider bellyache because you will eat all of the doughnuts. I dare you to try to just purchase one.
On my last visit, the additional flavors included Apple cider glaze, sprinkles on sprinkles, blueberry, German chocolate and hot buttered rum.
There is an option of glaze for the glazed doughnut: light or heavy.
The staff is pleasant and available if you have questions or need suggestions.
* Leave your name and email so you can get updated on new flavors and etc. Also, a chance to win a free dozen or a T-​shirt. Their flavors are updated daily via Facebook.
If you can’t make it during the week, Cider Belly is open Saturday from 8am– 12pm.