Before investing with Ron Joyce in 1967, Tim Horton was a professional hockey player in the NHL, earning a reputation as one of the league’s star players. The partnership between these two men continued until Horton perished in an automobile accident on February 21, 1974. Since then, Ron Joyce has turned Tim Hortons into Canada’s largest restaurant franchise of its kind. There are now over 5,000 locations in 15 countries that serve coffee and donuts as the company’s niche products. Speaking as a former Tim Hortons employee, I recall that during orientation, it was the goal of Tim’s to be as accessible to the public as a corner gas station.
Headquartered in Toronto, many of the city’s major intersections will provide an opportunity for you to grab your favorite Timmies product. The location I worked at in Edmonton, Alberta, was one of four Tim Hortons that were situated at the city’s largest intersections. I could literally look out the window and see how the other three Tims on their respective corners were doing compared to the one I was in. I still remember the customer favorites, which were also mine. Even though much has changed since I worked there nearly twenty years ago, the focus on delivering quality products to its customers quickly remains the same.
Here are the top ten Tim Hortons donuts that consistently beat out the rest of its lineup:
#10 – Old Fashioned Plain
As trends continue to introduce new flavor possibilities to donuts, the classics often remain their stalwarts, standing the test of time as all-time greats. Tim’s Old Fashioned Plain donut is a dense, cake-like donut that’s typically paired with a nice cup of coffee. Among foodies who love to dip their donuts, this is the one that continues to serve as a major fan favorite. It’s not too sweet, making it a perfect companion for people who prefer less sugar in their donuts. These were the kind of donuts many home bakers usually made for their family, long before the convenience of street corner bakeries and donut shops sprang up. Also referred to as Birthday Donuts, Tim’s Old-Fashioned Plain continues with Grandma’s traditional recipe, refusing to compromise on quality for the sake of quantity.
#9 – Chocolate Dip
Among foodies who have a thing for donuts and chocolate, what better way to experience the best of both worlds than a Chocolate Dip donut? This is one of the classics featured on Tim’s menu of donuts, and it remains one of the most popular, flying off the shelves with customers. This is a yeast donut made with chocolate, which is iced with chocolate on one side. Although loaded with chocolate, it’s not overly sweet. Among coffee drinkers who wouldn’t mind a bit of a chocolate fix to go with it, Tim’s Chocolate Dip donut is the answer.
#8 – Canadian Maple
Since Tim Horton himself was Canadian and his increasingly popular Tim Hortons Inc. started as a Canadian-owned and operated donut shop, it stands to reason one of Canada’s signature products would earn its place on the menu. Canadian Maple, as a donut, is Tim’s best answer to present this favorite flavor. Inside this donut is a custard similar to what’s stuffed inside the luxurious Boston Cream. On the top side of the donut, a generous maple icing brings out a sweet flavor that has no trouble getting donut lovers to sing “Oh, Canada!” in appreciation. If you’re a fan of maple syrup, the Canadian Maple may be just the thing for you.
#7 – Vanilla Dip with Colorful Sprinkles
What turns this plain, yeasty donut into a tasty work of art is the vanilla dip on top, then decorated with a colorful display of sprinkles, as one of the many donut flavors offered by Tim Hortons. The Vanilla Dip with Colorful Sprinkles tastes every bit as good as it looks. This is also one of the sweetest and is extremely popular among children. Even in the form of long johns, this product tends to be the first choice among children when they accompany an adult into a Tim Hortons restaurant. Sometimes, it’s also the first choice among those who are still a kid at heart.
#6 – Chocolate Hazelnut Eclair Dream
The Chocolate Hazelnut Eclair Dream is exactly as Tim Hortons describes in the name. This is a donut lover’s dream come true! This is one of the newer products in Tim’s lineup and has quickly become a huge fan favorite. Introduced as a holiday donut during the Christmas Season, the creativity behind the mix of chocolate and hazelnut in the form of a rectangular-shaped, cream-filled eclair quickly became a big hit among donut fans. Since then, it has become part of the daily donut menu at select Tim Hortons locations. Whether you call them eclairs or long johns, these popular donuts are often referred to as a dream sandwich of sweetness. As one of the Dream Donuts offered by Tim Hortons as a seasonal product, the Chocolate Hazelnut Eclair Dream stands out as one of the best.
#5 – Sour Cream Glazed
The Sour Cream Glazed donut from Tim Hortons is a sinful favorite that’s loaded with sugar-glazed sweetness. The hint of sour cream adds an even more luxurious flavor to a dense donut that’s been designed for the sheer pleasure of indulging in it now and worrying about walking off all those calories later. This is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill donut. This is like sending the old-fashioned glazed donut to school, and it meets with that rowdy kid who breaks all the rules without giving it a second thought. Tim’s Sour Cream Glazed donut is one of those guilty pleasures, especially if you have a sweet tooth craving that demands to be catered to.
#4 – Apple Fritters
The Apple Fritters offered by Tim Hortons quickly became a major hit once customers realized how this simple tweak to honey-dipped donuts could do so much. These brick-shaped beauties feature a wonderful blend of apple bits and cinnamon throughout, along with a generous coating of honey glaze. As sweet as this sounds, it’s not overdone. Tim’s apple fritters have joined the ranks as one of the fastest-selling donuts its multitude of restaurants has to offer. Among regular coffee drinkers, this has become one of the most popular products Tim’s has to offer.
#3 – Honey Cruller
This twisty donut from Tim Hortons takes a nice little bath in the honey-flavored icing before being set on a rack for customers to devour. What makes the honey cruller so special is how light it is compared to the rest of the donuts Tim’s has to offer. Speaking as a former baker at a Tim Horton’s, the honey cruller was one of three donut products we had to make twice as many as the others. This is like eating a puffed pastry in the form of a somewhat fancy-looking donut. The honey coating around the donut isn’t quite as sticky and it has a lightly crisp texture to it. Beyond the surface, it’s almost like biting into something airy. Odds are, if you open up a box of a dozen donuts from Tim’s and there is one or two missing, somebody got to that honey cruller before you did.
#2 – Honey Dipped
The honey-dipped donuts are a staple favorite, no matter what bakery you visit. As wonderful as fancy donuts can be, sometimes it’s that age-old classic that continues to stand head and shoulders above the rest. What’s great about the honey-dipped donuts coming from Tim Hortons is that the entire donut is covered with that sweet honey glaze. Not every bakery or donut shop does this. Sometimes, only one-half of the donut is dipped while the other half is left alone. With Tim’s, its Honey Dipped donut remains on top of the list as one of the fastest-selling products on the menu. Usually, when a box of a dozen donuts is placed before a group of people, the honey-dipped donuts are the first to go.
#1 – Boston Cream
Tim’s Boston Cream donuts almost always sell out faster than the rest of the franchise’s lineup of baked goodies. There’s just something about this fluffy donut stuffed with custard cream and dipped in chocolate frosting that makes it a top choice among donut lovers every single time. While my crew and I worked at the location in Edmonton, we had to double-batch the Boston Creams because of their popularity. Even with twice the amount compared to the rest, it still became one of the first racks on the shelf to empty.
What makes these donuts so special is the perfect balance of chocolate and vanilla that’s sweet enough to enjoy. When customers order a box of a dozen assorted donuts, there’s usually a request to have at least two Boston Creams in the mix. It’s not unusual for customers to request that half the box contain Tim’s most popular donut, while the other half is broken up to include different flavors.
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