The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
They say "America Runs on Dunkin'" but a different coffee chain fuels their neighbours just across the border.
Tim Hortons is an iconic Canadian restaurant known for its double doubles, smile cookies, and hockey roots. As a Canadian myself, I've grown up on Tim Hortons and was curious to see how it compares to its United States counterpart, Dunkin' Donuts (now just Dunkin').
On a recent trip to Buffalo I decided to put these two beloved coffee chains to the test. Before crossing the Niagara Falls border, I stopped by a local Tim Hortons and purchased some donuts and Timbits.
Upon arriving in the United States, I headed to Dunkin' to grab the same donut and Timbit (known as Munchkins) flavours.
Then it was time for the "battle of the donuts" to begin!
Madeline and Ashna with Dunkin' and Tim Hortons boxes.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity
The Timbits and Munchkins
The Timbits and Munchkins looked almost identical and I decided to commence the taste test with a well-loved flavour — chocolate.
Munchkins and Timbits. Madeline Forsyth | Narcity
The Timbit was a big bite of nostalgia for me — soft, with just the right amount of chocolatey sweetness. The Munchkin, on the other hand, was quite dry, and had a very subtle chocolate flavour that I almost couldn't taste.
Glazed Munchkin from Dunkin'.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity
Next, it was time to give the plain glaze a try. Both tasted very similar, however, I found the Munchkin on the dry side again and it lacked that nice fluffiness of the Timbit.
The Donuts
I grabbed two popular donut styles — the vanilla dip (or vanilla frosted sprinkles) and Boston cream (kreme).
Donuts from Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity
Just by looking at the donuts, Tim Hortons was already winning. Its donuts were well put together and appetizing, while Dunkin's were on the messier side. The icing was uneven and a lot of it had come off the Boston cream.
Donuts from Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity
Both vanilla dips tasted very similar. The real difference was that the Tim Horton's donut had a nice crunch on top due to the thick layer of sprinkles. The Dunkin' vanilla dip didn't have as many sprinkles, so it lacked that satisfying crunch when I bit into it.
Donuts from Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity
Lastly, I tried the Boston cream flavours, and this was the menu item that truly set the two coffee chains apart. While the Tim Horton's donut was stuffed with delicious, creamy filling, the Dunkin' donut had a minimal amount of stiff, icing-like filling.
Boston cream donut from Tim Hortons.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity
The taste test went as expected — the Tim's Boston cream had a delicious, custardy texture while the Dunkin's Boston cream tasted like a regular donut due to the fact that I could barely even detect the filling.
Overall Experience
Donuts from Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity
Both coffee chains offer delicious treats, but all in all, I have to say that Tim Hortons comes out on top. This is mainly due to its donuts, which had a better taste and texture than the ones at Dunkin', especially when considering the Boston creams.
I would give Dunkin' a rating of around 6 or 7 out of 10, while Tim's deserves a solid 8 out of 10. As a Canadian, I can proudly say that Tim Hortons takes the cake, or the donut, when it comes to treats.
