The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
Tim Hortons recently added two new menu items to their Anytime Snacker lineup and quite frankly, they're some of the best stuff that Timmies has unveiled in years.
Instead of a new confection, Tims has gone down a different flavour path with their Savoury Pinwheels that come in Roasted Red Pepper and Swiss as well as Caramelized Onion and Parmesan.
I love a sweet treat from Tim Hortons every so often — my go-to is a Walnut Crunch, which they recently brought back for their 60th birthday, or a chocolate chip muffin — but at heart, I prefer savoury items, so I was intrigued to find out if Tims would get these new treats right.
"Our new Savoury Pinwheels are the perfect snack to satisfy your afternoon cravings, or are great to order with a soup, chili, or any lunch or dinner at Tims," said Carolina Berti, Vice President of Category and Innovation at Tim Hortons.
"Our guests have loved the savoury Anytime Snacker products we've been rolling out and we can't wait for them to try our latest Savoury Pinwheels."
I went to my local Timmies in the West End of Toronto and ordered the pinwheels in both of the flavours and from the time they entered my car, the first whiff of them had me intrigued as they smelled super yummy.
The Roasted Red Pepper and Swiss Savoury Pinwheel
The Roasted Red Pepper and Swiss Savoury Pinwheel from Tim Hortons.
The first pastry I bit into was the Roasted Red Pepper and Swiss pinwheel, and it was delightful.
The pastry is both soft and crisp, which makes for some fun textural difference in the mouth, and the roasted red pepper flavour gives off pizza vibes in the best kind of way.
The Swiss cheese is very subtle in flavour, which is nice since the red pepper flavour is quite bold, and there's the teeny tiniest bit of spice lurking in there somewhere.
This tastes like an elevated Bagel Bite for adults, and I mean that in absolutely the most complimentary way possible.
Price: $2.99
The Caramelized Onion and Parmesan Savoury Pinwheel
The Caramelized Onion and Parmesan Savoury Pinwheel from Tim Hortons.
The Caramelized Onion and Parmesan pinwheel is the winner for me as it gives even more depth to the savoury flavour.
While the Roasted Red Pepper treat gave me pizza vibes, this one tasted like onions that have been roasting low and slow over the stove for hours by someone's loving grandmother.
To complement that umami flavour of the alliums, the parmesan adds a nice saltiness to elevate it from just being one note and it tastes more complex than I anticipated.
I also think there may be some garlic in there — I'm not 100% certain, but there's something fresh and sharp that absolutely makes everything come together. I'm obsessed.
Price: $2.99
The verdict
The Caramelized Onion and Parmesan and the Roasted Red Pepper and Swiss Savoury Pinwheel from Tim Hortons.
Both flavours of this treat are absolutely delicious, but I think I slightly prefer the Caramelized Onion over the Red Pepper pinwheel just in terms of my own palate.
They're also the perfect size for a little snack that'll fill you up but won't weigh you down. As I mentioned earlier, I'm more of a savoury than sweet sort of person in terms of flavour preference, and while I would normally pick up a donut if I needed a little boost, from now on I'll likely be ordering the Caramelized Onion and Parmesan Savoury Pinwheel.
I also appreciated that they were served warm — I'm sure they're also delicious if they're room temp, but the warmth of the pastry heightened the smell of the filling and seemed to meld everything together.
At $2.99, it's a little more expensive than the chocolate chip muffin I might have ordered, which costs $2.19, but it's absolutely worth the extra couple of quarters!
I'm giving 10/10 for both of these items, and I hope I find them in the surprise bags you can order from Too Good To Go.
For just $5.00, you can order a bag of Tim Hortons food that would have been thrown out at the end of the day but is still perfectly good to eat.
I recently picked one up and was surprised to find over $15.00 worth of food which included one croissant, one twist, one Cadbury Mini Eggs Dream Donut, one sprinkle donut, two Boston creams, one chocolate chip muffin, two biscuits and 10 Timbits.
The pinwheels are a part of the Anytime Snacker lineup, which also includes the Herb and Garlic Savoury Pastry.
In terms of other savoury items that Tims has on their menu, I also recently tried out their Omelette Bites, which come in Bacon and Cheese or Spinach and Egg White.
"Many guests had asked us if we could bring back our Omelette Bites and we're excited that they're now on the menu again at participating restaurants across Canada," said Hope Bagozzi, Chief Marketing Officer for Tim Hortons.
"For guests who are looking for a delicious, light, high protein breakfast an order of two Omelette Bites is a great option – and they also make for a great afternoon snack!"
If you're looking for a lunch sans any sweets, adding the Omelette Bite and Savoury Pinwheel together would be an ideal option as you get both the protein from the former with the treat aspect of the latter given that it's pastry.
As well as the new pinwheels, Tims brought back the Habanero Classic Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches on April 3.
"Guests can choose their favourite classic bagel, sausage or bacon, and enjoy our deliciously creamy and spicy Habanero sauce in their breakfast sandwich along with a freshly cracked egg and cheese," said Tim Hortons of this returning item.
"The new Savoury Pinwheels and Habanero Classic Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches are available at participating Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada and for delivery through the Tim Hortons mobile app."
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.