Plan a fun fall family outing by heading out for a cider mill donut taste test!
I’ve had grand plans for years to visit every cider mill location in southeast Michigan in a quest to see who has the best cider mill donuts. But then I realized the sheer number of cider mills we actually have… It’s a lot!
So with a little nudging from my friend Cathy, I decided to shorten the quest and stick to the three closest to me. I absolutely love all three of these locations for various reasons, and because they are all within 8-10 minutes of each other, it’s easy to visit all three in one day and support our local mills.
During our quest, we visited Markillie Orchard {Howell}, Parshallville Cider Mill {Fenton} and Spicer Orchards {Fenton}.
What better way to spend a fall-ish day than taste testing cider mill donuts?
But, how should one conduct a cider mill donut taste test?
First, establish criteria for your donut taste test.
I made a simple rating sheet and had my family rate each. Our criteria included atmosphere, experiences available, donut – overall taste, cinnamon/sugar ratio and texture.
<<Download and print what we used here.>>
The Results
Atmosphere
When it comes to atmosphere, we had a tie with two locations each getting a 4.6 — Parshallville and Spicers. To me, you cannot beat the historic beauty at Parshallville. My kids loved how robust Spicers is, and the fact you can take a wagon to pick apples.
Markillie’s does have a play structure for kids, and you are able to view the apples growing, but picking isn’t an option at the location.
Experiences
The fact is, there is only one location where you can easily spend an entire day, and that’s Spicers. With a farm market, fruit picking, farm animals, a play area for kids, and even a winery for the adults, there is plenty to experience here. For that reason, Spicers had a perfect score all-around.
With that said, it can get very crowded on the weekends, so if that’s not your thing, I would plan a visit during the week instead.
Donut Rating



Best overall
When it comes to donuts, it seems like different palettes have different preferences. The best overall category tied with both Markillie and Spicer coming in at a solid 4.3. We decided to have a blind taste test the following day and it tied AGAIN! So the jury is still out 😉
Cinnamon/Sugar Ratio and Texture
As fas as sugar/cinnamon ratio and texture, Markillie Orchard came out on top with 5s all around. Their donuts were crispier than the rest, which definitely made them stand out to all of us.
Lucky for us, we were able to have all three varieties super fresh and hot, so honestly, there was no loser here.
2022 Pricing, Locations and Hours
Markillie Orchard
Donuts | Dozen – $9.50, 1/2 dozen – $6 // Cider | 1/2 gallon – $6, quart – $4
Location: 5200 N Latson Rd, Howell, MI
Hours: Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
{If you visit here later in the fall, make sure to visit Fawcett Farms nearby for fall decor and pumpkins!}
Parshallville Cider Mill
Donuts | Dozen – $10, 1/2 dozen – $7 // Cider | 1/2 gallon – $7, gallon – $10
Location: 8507 Parshallville Rd., Hartland, MI
Hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Spicer Orchards
Donuts | Dozen – $10.95, 1/2 dozen – $7.95 // Cider | 1/2 gallon – $7.95, gallon – $10.95
Location: 10411 Clyde Rd., Fenton, MI
Hours: Daily, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
We also just visited Blake Farms in South Lyon, and it isn’t too far either if you want to add another location!
I encourage your family to go take the challenge and see what you think! If your family enjoys taste tests as much as mine, another idea is to sample Michigan apple varieties to discover your favorites.
Where is your favorite spot for cider mill donuts?
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