Some customers drive more than an hour to visit a small donut shop in Ferndale, Michigan. Apple Fritter Donut Shop has built a following around its namesake pastry, but apple is only one of several fritter flavors available.
The shop also makes blueberry, cherry, raspberry, and maple bacon fritters, alongside classic glazed donuts, cereal-topped creations, cinnamon rolls, and other baked goods.
Located on East 9 Mile Road, this modest storefront opens as early as 5 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. Between the unusual fritter varieties, affordable options, and friendly service, there’s more to this neighborhood bakery than its name suggests.
A Strip Mall Storefront With a Big Promise
The official name is Apple Fritter Donut Shop, and you’ll find it at 741 E 9 Mile Rd in Ferndale, Michigan 48220. It sits in a row of storefronts along 9 Mile Road, just north of Detroit in the United States.
From the outside, it’s a modest spot. One visitor described the building as not much to look at, then admitted that nobody cares once the pastries appear.
I find that honesty kind of refreshing.
The shop’s real promise lives in its name. Naming a business after one pastry is a bold move, because every customer walks in expecting that pastry to be good.
There’s no hiding behind a vague, catchy title.
Ferndale is a walkable suburb with plenty of small businesses, so a neighborhood donut counter fits right in. People who live nearby treat it as a regular stop, and some folks drive more than an hour after hearing about it online.
The shop has earned a 4.8-star rating across roughly 860 Google reviews. That’s a strong number for any bakery.
So what exactly is in those fritters that keeps the rating so high?
Fruit Folded Into the Dough
Chopped fruit goes straight into the dough here. The shop explained this in a reply to a customer who expected a fruit-filled center.
They don’t fill their fritters like a jelly donut.
That’s actually how a classic fritter works. The fruit gets mixed throughout, so you get bits of it in every bite instead of one pocket in the middle.
If you’ve only had filled pastries, this style might surprise you a little.
I like knowing this before ordering. It helps set the right expectations, and it explains why each fritter has that lumpy, uneven shape.
Those nooks and edges catch the glaze as it sets.
Customers often mention the fritters being crispy with a nice crunch on the outside. That crunch comes from all those uneven surfaces frying up golden.
The apple fritter is the namesake, of course. It’s the one to try first if you want to judge the shop by its own standard.
There’s also a cinnamon pecan apple fritter that some customers have called out by name.
Once you’ve tried the apple version, though, the menu keeps tempting you toward other fruits.
Blueberry, Cherry, and Raspberry Join the Lineup
Blueberry might be the quiet favorite at this apple-named shop. It shows up again and again in customer comments, and staff members have even recommended it to first-timers.
Cherry fans have their own loyal corner. One customer called herself a cherry fritter girl before the blueberry won her over.
Raspberry also appears on the list, giving you a tart option.
The same dough method applies here. The fruit is chopped and mixed in, so each flavor runs through the whole pastry.
That consistency makes it easy to compare them side by side.
My plan would be simple. I’d grab one apple, one blueberry, and one cherry, then split them with whoever came along.
It’s a cheap and fun way to find your own winner.
Some visitors also mention a maple glazed blueberry fritter. Mixing a maple glaze with fruit sounds like a smart pairing for cold Michigan mornings.
Fruit isn’t the only direction these fritters go, however. One version swaps berries for something smoky and salty, and it has its own small fan club.
Maple Bacon Brings the Salty Side
Sweet and salty is a combo that never seems to go out of style. At this Ferndale shop, maple bacon shows up as both a fritter and a donut.
Customers mention the maple bacon donut often enough that it’s clearly a regular pick. The fritter version also comes up, including from a visitor who wasn’t sold on everything but still called the bacon fritter tasty.
I understand the appeal. Breakfast already includes bacon and syrup for a lot of people, so putting them on a pastry feels like a shortcut.
It also gives you something to grab if you want less sugar overload.
Maple seems to be a running theme here in general. The owner once suggested the maple glazed sour cream donut to a customer who liked maple, with a lot of enthusiasm in the reply.
That kind of tip is useful. If you’re a maple person, you’ve got at least three directions to explore on one visit.
Fritters get the headline, but the regular donut case holds plenty of surprises too, including some flavors you won’t spot at most bakeries.
Cereal Toppings and Other Fun Finds
Fruity Pebbles on a donut sounds like a kid’s dream, and this shop makes it real. The cereal-topped donut has fans who say they could hear the crunch with the first bite.
Cookies and cream is another unusual pick that customers have spotted. These playful toppings sit right next to the standard choices, so the case feels like a mix of old and new.
The classics are covered too. Glazed, jelly, and powdered sugar donuts all appear, along with chocolate frosted, cake donuts, and cream filled Long Johns.
A few flavors stand out for doubling down. Customers mention a blueberry glazed blueberry donut and a lemon glazed lemon donut.
There’s also a caramel apple donut, which fits the shop’s name nicely.
Caramel buttercream gets a shout as well. One customer called it their go-to order.
With this many options, picking can be hard. A first-timer once said they had trouble choosing because there were so many.
My advice is to take a minute at the case before you order.
Not everything here is a donut, though.
Scones, Muffins, and a Cinnamon Roll Detour
Pistachio muffins can be tricky to find around here, according to one regular who calls ahead to reserve them. She even mentioned getting a voicemail when her order was ready.
That tip matters. If you have your heart set on a specific baked good, calling before you go is a smart move, since popular items can sell out.
Scones are on the menu too. Visitors have picked up blueberry and orange cranberry scones, which make a nice change of pace from fried dough.
Then there’s the cinnamon roll. It’s one of the most mentioned items after the fritters and glazed donuts, so it clearly has its own following.
I’d consider it if you want something soft and swirly instead of crunchy.
During the season before Lent, the shop also makes paczki, the filled Polish pastries Michigan goes wild for. One customer said that’s their favorite reason to stop by.
Having all these extras makes the shop easier to visit with a group. Not everyone wants a fritter, and these options keep everyone happy.
Of course, a pastry this good needs something warm to go with it.
Coffee for the Early Risers
Five in the morning is an early hour for a sweet treat. Still, that’s when the doors open Tuesday through Saturday, which makes this a handy stop before work.
Coffee is part of the menu, and customers appreciate having it right there. One visitor mentioned being served hot coffee while waiting on a Sunday morning.
Early hours help people who pick up boxes for the office. Several customers say they bring donuts to work meetings, and coworkers get excited when the box shows up.
I like that the shop works for both moods. You can grab a quick coffee and glazed on the way somewhere, or slow down and pick out a dozen for later.
The coffee isn’t trying to be fancy. It’s there to go with the donuts, and that’s exactly what most people want at dawn.
Timing makes a real difference at a place like this, too. Knowing the weekly schedule can save you from showing up to a locked door, which brings up a few practical details worth remembering.
Mondays Off and Afternoon Cutoffs
Mondays are the shop’s day off, so plan around that. Showing up hungry on a Monday morning only leads to disappointment.
Tuesday through Friday, the shop runs from 5 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday starts at 5 a.m. and wraps up at 2 p.m.
Sunday opens a little later at 6 a.m. and also closes at 2 p.m.
Those weekend hours are short, so I’d aim for a morning visit. Bakeries tend to have the widest selection early, and your favorite might be gone by lunch.
That said, one Sunday visitor was pleased to find plenty of donuts still available about ninety minutes before closing. So a later trip can work, though I wouldn’t count on any single flavor.
Hours can shift around holidays or special seasons like paczki time. The shop posts updates on its Facebook page, so a quick check before driving over is a good habit.
Calling ahead also helps with bigger orders. That’s handy, because plenty of people come here to feed a crowd.
Big Boxes for Parties and Meetings
Feeding a room full of people is easier with a box of fritters in hand. Customers regularly order larger amounts here for events, work gatherings, and family get-togethers.
One host said the donuts are always a big hit at their events. Another person uses the shop often for office meetings and says everyone leaves satisfied.
Ordering a mix makes sense for groups. You could cover the classics with glazed and powdered sugar, then add fritters and a few fun picks like Fruity Pebbles for the adventurous eaters.
For large orders, I’d call ahead. It gives the staff time to prepare, and it protects you from a sold-out case on a busy weekend morning.
Prices have also caught people’s attention. A customer described the cost of three donuts as surprisingly low compared with other places they’d been.
That makes a big box feel less like a splurge.
A dozen and a half is not unusual here, either. One couple walked out with exactly that after one taste.
Still, the pastries are only half of why people return.
Staff Who Learn Your Name
Emily’s name pops up in more than one customer comment, and that says something. Regulars mention staff greeting them by name and remembering their favorite orders.
Another employee, Johnnie, was praised for her smile at 6 a.m. on a Sunday. Being cheerful that early deserves some credit.
First-timers seem to get patient help too. One couple said they never felt rushed while studying the case.
Another customer appreciated staff giving honest opinions about the donuts and coffee.
Small gestures add up. When the staff learned one couple had driven over an hour, they tossed in a free bag of four popular donuts.
That’s the kind of story people remember.
The owner also responds to reviews personally, often with flavor suggestions. Even a mixed review got a polite explanation about how the fritters are made.
I think this is the part that turns a good bakery into a regular habit. Plenty of families now treat Sunday donuts here as a tradition.
A shop with a fritter in its name could rely on the pastry alone. Instead, the people behind the counter give folks a second reason to come back every week.
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