Canadian Desserts

Pancakes are traditionally consumed across North America and Canada, made from a starchy batter, eggs, milk, and butter. Their origin is probably German, with the traditional Pfannkuchen recipe being brought by German immigrants who settl... READ MORE

Timbits are bite-sized doughnut holes made from leftover doughnut dough, fried in vegetable oil and available in a number of varieties such as yeast, cake, apple fritter, honey dip, old fashion plain, chocolate glazed, blueberry, strawberry, lemon... READ MORE

Butter tart is a humble food that achieved iconic status in early 20th-century Canada. The filling is traditionally made with a combination of walnuts, eggs, brown sugar, butter, and white vinegar, and it's then placed into small, flaky, deep or s... READ MORE

Sugar pie is a popular dessert in France, Belgium, the United States of America, and Quebec, Canada. The dessert consists of an open pie without a top crust, filled with a combination of sugar, maple syrup, cream, butter, and a bit of salt. The pi... READ MORE

Nanaimo bars are creamy, chocolatey dessert treats originating from Nanaimo, a city "so beautiful it's alright to stare". The same can be said for Nanaimo bars, layered cookies that don't need to be baked, consisting of a mixture of crushed graham... READ MORE

Beaver tails are sweet, flat, and thin Canadian pastries made from whole wheat flour. The dough is hand-stretched and shaped to look like a beaver's tail - unsurprisingly, one of Canada's national symbols. The shaped dough is fried (a technique re... READ MORE

This lovingly paired combination of a crumbly oatmeal base and the sweet and chewy date filling supposedly gets its name from an old custom of breaking the cake over the heads of newlyweds. However, matrimonial cake is known by different names thr... READ MORE

Persian is a Canadian pastry roll characterized by an oval shape and a layer of pink icing that can be made with either strawberries or raspberries. These yeast-risen, fried cinnamon rolls originated at Bennett's Bakery in the city of Thunder Bay.... READ MORE

The name of this Canadian dessert literally translates to unemployment pudding—it originated in Quebec during the Great Depression, and was supposedly created by female factory workers. Being strapped for cash, they would prepare th... READ MORE

A warm and light piece of traditional Canadian Saskatoon berry pie is a regional trademark, especially when accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on the side. It is made with Saskatoon berries, native to Western ... READ MORE

Visually reminiscent of cinnamon rolls, pets de sœurs (lit. sister’s farts or nun’s farts) are French Canadian pastries with an unappetizing name. They consist of flaky pie crust dough that is rolled up with a p... READ MORE

Figgy duff is a flavorful Canadian pudding made with flour, molasses, raisins, breadcrumbs, brown sugar, and butter. The mixture is stuffed in a cotton bag or cloth, then steamed or boiled in water. It is believed that the dish originated with the... READ MORE

This pie is a staple of Canadian prairie culture, consisting of a graham crumb pie crust that is filled with a creamy custard, then topped with an airy meringue. The custard is usually made with milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla, and sal... READ MORE

Grandpères is a French Canadian dessert that was very popular in Quebec during the Depression. It is made by boiling dumplings in a combination of maple syrup and water. The dumplings consist of flour, baking powder, butter, and milk. Grand... READ MORE

Maple slaw is a Canadian version of coleslaw, a salad that consists of cabbage, onions, maple syrup, and seasonings. It is typically served as a dessert or a snack. There are many version of the salad with added apple cider vinegar, celery seeds, ... READ MORE

Schmoo torte is a Winnipeg specialty consisting of layers of sponge cake or angel food cake, whipped cream, nuts, and caramel. In Winnipeg, it can often be seen at bar mitzvahs, and is commonly prepared by Jewish mothers. It is believed that schmo... READ MORE

Poutchine au sac is a Canadian dish that originates from the Métis peoples (one of Canada's aboriginal peoples). The dish can be translated as pudding in a bag, and it is made with a combination of raisins, currants, milk, flour, b... READ MORE

Moosehunters are Canadian cookies originating from Cape Breton Island. They are made with a combination of molasses, brown sugar, butter, milk, eggs, flour, baking soda, and (optionally) ground spices such as cinnamon and ginger. Once the dough is... READ MORE

Bakeapple pie is a traditional pie of the Canadian Newfoundland and Labrador region. Despite its name, there are no apples in this pie since bakeapple denotes cloudberries – sweet, bright orange fruits filled with seeds. Th... READ MORE

Poutines à trou is a traditional dessert originating from New Brunswick. The crust is made with a combination of flour, baking powder, milk, sugar, salt, and butter or lard. The dough is rolled and the center is filled with a mixture of app... READ MORE