Apple Donuts and PSL: Your Guide to Fall Treats in the Sacramento Region

Autumn has arrived in the Sacramento area, bringing with it shorter days, chilly nights, and falling leaves. But for many people, fall means more than just a cozy vibe: it means it’s time to indulge in fall treats! From warming cups of coffee to decadent desserts with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, fall treats are beginning to make an appearance. If you’re looking to indulge in the season via your belly, we have a roundup of the best fall treats in the greater Sacramento area, from pumpkin spice lattes to apple cider donuts and everything in between.

Where to Get Pumpkin Spice Lattes (+ more)

Photo Courtesy of Temple Coffee | IG: @templecoffee

The famed PSL has given fall indulgences the credit they deserve. But you don’t have to settle for a chain coffee shop to get your fix — there are plenty of local cafes that also serve up coffees in a range of seasonal flavors. The following are a few suggestions:

• Temple Coffee Roasters in Sacramento, Davis & Folsom: With multiple locations in the region, this popular coffee roaster offers gingersnap lattes with house-made ginger syrup and house-made ginger whipped cream.
• Steady Eddy’s Coffee House: This quaint stop in Winters offers all types of coffee drinks plus great food. Their fall lineup includes hot or iced pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin cold brews.
• Mishka’s Café: This art-centric café-slash-bakery in Davis has a range of delicious fall treats, including a cinnamon maple latte, spiced apple cider, and a snickerdoodle latte.
• Pachamama Coffee in Sacramento, Placerville & Davis: With three locations to choose from, this fair-trade-centric roastery offers a pumpkin cardamom latte and a maple brûlée latte just for fall.
• Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters in Sacramento & Folsom: This small local coffee shop has a pumpkin chai latte and a latte flavored with apple butter, which, incidentally, you can also have smeared on waffles or toast.
• North Fork Chai: Located in Newcastle, this cute shop produces its own chai spice, which you can buy to go. They also make various drinks with the spice blend, including a pumpkin chai latte and apple pie chai.
• Julian’s Patisserie & Café in Roseville and Folsom serves up French-style pastries and café favorites, offering both sweet and savory bakery items alongside decadent coffees like the pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin chai topped with pumpkin cold foam.

Find a sweet home in Sacramento County

Fall Treats In & Around Sacramento

When the temperatures drop, it’s only natural for us to crave warm, comforting food. Add a little sugar in the mix and it makes sense that people wait all year to indulge in autumn treats! From apple pie to apple donuts, the following are some top spots to satisfy your sweet tooth this fall.

The Best Places for Apple Pie, Apple Donuts & More in Apple Hill

Photo Courtesy of Boa Vista Orchards | IG: @boavistaorchards

Everyone has their favorite spots in Apple Hill for apples, apple pie, apple donuts, and other goodies. In fact, most of the large farms offer all the above, plus much more. Following is our list for the top spots.

• Rainbow Orchards: The best spot in Apple Hill for hot, fresh-from-the-fryer, cinnamon sugar-coated apple cider donuts.
• Boa Vista Orchards: With a large bake shop, you can find just about every apple-centric dessert here, including apple pie, Dutch apple pie, apple cake, apple strudel, and caramel apples.
• High Hill Ranch: Another of the larger farms, they are known for their popular caramel apple cider shake and their caramellow (caramel-covered marshmallow). They also have pies, and other baked goods.
• Abel’s Apple Acres: This family-friendly farm has pies in every imaginable flavor, as well as apple dumplings and a caramel apple pecan pie.
• Larsen’s Apple Barn: They serve a variety of fall-flavored desserts from their onsite bake shop, but are known for their cream cheese apple pie, French apple pie, and apple turnovers.
• Delfino Farms: This expansive mountain estate has a winery and cidery on site, but their bake shop turns out Apple crisps, apple cheesecakes, and “walkin’” mini pies for eatin’ on the go.

Find your cozy corner in Placer County

Where to Get Fall Treats in the Sacramento Area

Photo Courtesy of Estelle Bakery & Pâtisserie | IG: @estellebakery

You don’t have to go all the way to Apple Hill to satisfy your sugar cravings this fall. Many small businesses are also offering specials this season.

• Dave’s Pumpkin Patch in West Sacramento: This fun pumpkin patch is also known for turning out great apple cider donuts.
• Sugar Coated Cupcakes: Located in the Tahoe Park neighborhood, this family-operated bakery offers pumpkin cookie butter cupcakes, pecan pie brownies, and pumpkin spice macarons for fall.
• Babe’s Ice Cream and Donuts in Midtown: If you’re looking for vegan sweets, turn no further than Babe’s, which has a vegan apple fritter donut and a vegan candy apple butter donut, as well as vegan apple chai ice cream.
• Estelle Bakery & Patisserie in Sacramento & Davis: This French patisserie creates exquisite desserts, including pecan tarts and pumpkin tarts. Their seasonal Golden Apple is an apple-shaped work of art filled with apple compote and vanilla ganache, covered in chocolate.
• Ginger Elizabeth Chocolates: This gourmet chocolatier in midtown is offering pumpkin pie macarons, apple cobbler macarons, and snickerdoodle macarons this autumn.
• Gunther’s Ice Cream: Located in Sacramento’s Curtis Park neighborhood, this longstanding ice cream parlor has handmade pumpkin ice cream and a pumpkin ice cream oatmeal cookie sandwich.
• The Baker and the Cakemaker: If you’re looking for a decadent fall cake for a special event, the pumpkin cream cheesecake and caramel apple cake from this Auburn bakery are sure to impress. 

Savor small-town charm in El Dorado County

Indulge in Fall Flavors in the Sacramento Region

Whether you head up to Apple Hill to take in the autumn vibes or hit up one of the many locally owned businesses in the Sacramento area, there are plenty of ways to indulge this season. From pumpkin spice lattes to apple donuts, you can enjoy everything fall has to offer.