These Jersey Shore spots make great apple cider donuts

Move over, pumpkin spice — it's apple's time to shine.

Specifically apple cider donuts, the fall treat we crave all year. These donuts are cakey inside, flavored with apple cider and have a crisp, sugary exterior. The best ones are served fresh out of the fryer and piping hot.

Here are a few favorites, and be sure to get them soon: Before we know it, peppermint-flavored things will take their place.

Shore Good Donuts, Ship Bottom

The busy season may be over for this Long Beach Island donut shop, but on fall weekends, apple cider donuts join other flavors like cookies and cream, French toast, maple and bacon, inside-out Boston cream and inside-out jelly.

For those with an extra-sweet tooth, try a donut ice cream sundae.

Go: 1211 Long Beach Blvd., Ship Bottom; 609-492-0100, shoregooddonuts.com.

More: Embrace fall by picking your own apples at these local orchards

Top That! Donuts, Point Pleasant Beach

The donut flavors at Top That! Donuts range from simple cinnamon sugar, the most popular, to peanut butter and chocolate, pineapple and toasted coconut, and chocolate chip cookie dough.

But each fall, the shop embraces the season with apple cider donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar. They are made fresh on the weekends, and owners Danielle and Chris Wolowitz encourage customers to preorder any day.

Go: 210 Ocean Ave,, Point Pleasant Beach; 732-899-2552, topthatdonuts.com.

Delicious Orchards, Colts Neck

Want to know an easy way to make someone smile?

Present them with a bag of apple cider donuts from Delicious Orchards, a popular food market that has been making them since the 1950s. Made with fresh apple cider, the donuts are sold by the half dozen and are available plain, or coated with cinnamon or powdered sugar.

For even more fall flavor, try the market's fresh apple cider, apple fritters, or apple cider slush made with vanilla ice cream.

Go: 320 Route 34; 732-462-1989; deliciousorchardsnj.com.

More: Eat, drink and be merry at these Jersey Shore fall festivals

Battleview Orchards, Freehold Township

Come fall, the orchards of Battleview are filled with families picking apples.

Once your bucket is full, stop by Battleview's farm market just down the road for warm apple cider donuts — you will smell them before you see them. Be prepared to stand in line (if you are in a hurry, there are packaged donuts for sale inside), but the piping hot ones, plucked from the fryer, coated in sugar and dropped into brown paper bags, are worth the wait.

Go: 91 Wemrock Road, Freehold Township; 732-462-0756, battlevieworchards.com.

More: Pumpkin donut latte and more fall drinks to try at Shore cafes and restaurants

Anna Bananas Bakery, Stafford

Jessica Errico's bakery is filled with seasonal treats this time of year, including apple pie cupcakes and blondies, and pumpkin muffins and cheesecake.

But classic apple cider donuts are available on Saturdays or by preorder any day, and also are used to top vanilla cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream.

Go: 657 E. Bay Ave., Manahawkin section of Stafford; 609-488-2323, annabananasbakerynj.com.

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected] and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore apple cider donuts: 5 great spots to try