Every Timbits Recipe on the internet uses baking powder, and I'm going to show you why that doesn't work. My recipe uses yeast, and it results in a lighter and fluffier texture, and it tastes exactly like a Timbit!
Can't get enough of Tim Hortons? Check out my other copycat recipes, such as Tim Hortons Iced Coffee, Tim Hortons Chili, and Tim Hortons Broccoli Soup.
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I will only share a copycat recipe if it tastes the same or better than the original. I understand people come in with very specific expectations for the flavor, so I work extra hard to bring you the best copycat recipe!
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🍩 What are Timbits?
Timbits are bite-sized doughnut holes sold at Tim Hortons, a Canadian fast-food coffee chain. They come in flavors like honey dip, chocolate-glazed, sour cream-glazed, and birthday cake.
Baking Powder Vs. Yeast
Doughnuts can be made using either yeast or baking powder, but the results differ vastly.
Those made with baking powder are called "cake doughnuts." They tend to have a denser, more compact crumb, similar to muffins.
On the other hand, yeasted doughnuts are lighter and fluffier. Timbits are 100% a yeasted doughnut. They have an airiness that can't be replicated with baking powder.
Baking Vs. Deep-frying
I cooked two batches of Timbits. One was deep-fried for 2-3 minutes at 285°F, and the other was baked at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
The deep-fried Timbits were perfect. They were light and fluffy, spherical in shape, and had a soft exterior.
The baked Timbits were denser, dome-like in shape, and had thicker, tough skin.
Why this recipe works
- Using yeast over baking powder ensures a light, fluffy, and chewy texture. Other copycat recipes use baking powder to make the recipe easier, but I can promise they don't taste anything like a Timbit.
- Frying the doughnuts ensures a spherical shape, light and fluffy texture, and soft exterior.
🧂 Ingredients
For the dough:
- Flour: I use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Sugar: It wouldn't be a Timbit without some sugar.
- Salt: Just a little bit to enhance all the other flavors
- Yeast: The primary leavening agent. I prefer instant yeast over active yeast since it doesn't need to be activated in liquid. If you use active yeast, mix it with the milk and sugar and let it activate for 15 minutes before adding it to the dry ingredients.
- Milk: Whole milk works the best, but feel free to use whatever you have.
- Eggs: provide moistness and structure to our homemade Timbits.
- Butter: gives the batter richness and a fluffy texture.
For the glaze:
- Confectioner's sugar - also known as powdered sugar or icing sugar
- Milk - you can also use heavy cream or half and half.
- Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract for the best results.
Variations
- Birthday Cake Timbits: Sprinkle ¼ cup of rainbow-colored sprinkles after glazing the doughnuts. I do not recommend adding them directly to the dough as the color bleeds into it.
- Chocolate-glazed Timbits: Add two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder along with the dry ingredients
- Cinnamon sugar - Mix ¼ cup of granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Once the doughnuts are out of the fryer, dip them in melted butter and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
🔪 Instructions
⬇️ Please read the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and instructions.
STEP 1: Combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Add butter, egg, and milk. Stir the batter vigorously until it's well combined.
STEP 2: Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until well combined. The dough will be sticky. Transfer it to a well-floured surface and knead for about five minutes or until it's no longer sticky and appears relatively smooth. You may need to add up to ¼ cup of flour as needed. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl.
STEP 3: Loosely cover the bowl and put it in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
STEP 4: Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a well-floured surface and flatten it to about ¾-inch. Then, use a dough scraper to cut a ¾-inch thick log and divide it into small pieces.
STEP 5: Take a piece, tuck its sides underneath to form a round ball, and place it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet with about an inch of space between each. Repeat with the remaining dough.
STEP 6: Once all the doughnuts are made, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise for an hour.
STEP 7: Heat 1 inch of oil to 290℉ in a Dutch oven, wok, or high-walled pot. Fry 6-8 Timbits at a time for 2-3 minutes, gently stirring and turning them constantly, until golden brown and crisp on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
STEP 8: In a small bowl, whisk milk, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract until it has the texture of thin paint. If it's too thick, add milk, one teaspoon at a time.
STEP 9: While the doughnuts are still warm, add a handful of doughnuts to the glaze bowl, coat them gently with glaze, then place them on a wire rack to dry. Allow the doughnuts to sit for at least 10 minutes to let the glaze set. Enjoy!
💭 Top Tips
- Find a warm place for the dough to rise! Try the oven with only the light on.
- Use whole milk for the most decadent flavor and softest texture.
- Glaze the doughnuts while they're still warm! If cold, excess glaze may cling, and the shell will take longer to set. You can pop them in the oven at 350℉ for a few minutes to make them warm again.
- Rest Timbits for at least 10 minutes so the glaze can set.
🥡 Storage & Leftovers
Storing: Store leftover homemade Timbits in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheating: You can eat Timbits straight from the fridge, but if you want to reheat them, bake them for 2-3 minutes at 325℉.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Timbits are made like any other large-scale food production process - most of the work is done by machinery. Timbits are partially baked in a facility and then shipped to franchises each day, where they're finished in special ovens before being served.
Timbits are technically just doughnut holes. Traditionally, doughnut holes were made from the leftover centers of doughnut rings, but Tim Hortons doesn't use them for their Timbits. They have specialized doughnut cutters.
Timbits are baked. However, most homemade Timbit recipes call for frying the doughnuts since it's easier to get a spherical shape.
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📋 Recipe
Homemade Timbits
Equipment
- 1 deep fryer, dutch oven, wok, or high-walled pot (for frying)
Ingredients
- neutral oil (for frying)
Doughtnut dough
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon instant yeast (or active yeast)
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (use half the amount if you're using table salt)
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup milk
- 4 ½ tablespoon butter (melted)
Glaze
- ⅓ cup milk (or heavy cream, or half n half)
- 2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine 1 cup of flour, sugar, instant yeast, and salt. Add butter, egg, and milk. Stir the batter vigorously until it's well combined.
- Add the remaining flour and continue mixing until well combined. The dough will be sticky. Transfer it to a well-floured surface and knead for about five minutes or until it's no longer sticky and appears relatively smooth. You may need to add up to ¼ cup of flour as needed. Shape the dough into a ball and place it back in the bowl. Loosely cover the bowl and put it in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it to a well-floured surface and flatten it to about ¾-inch. Then, use a dough scraper to cut a ¾-inch thick log and divide it into small pieces. Take a piece, tuck its sides underneath to form a round ball, and place it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet with about an inch of space between each. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Once all the doughnuts are made, cover it loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise for an hour.
- Heat 1 inch of oil to 290℉ in a Dutch oven, wok, or high-walled pot. Fry 6-8 Timbits at a time for 2-3 minutes, gently stirring and turning them, until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to dry.
- In a medium bowl, whisk milk, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract until it has the texture of thin paint. If it's too thick, add milk, one teaspoon at a time.
- While the doughnuts are still warm, add a handful of doughnuts to the glaze bowl, coat them gently with glaze, then place them on a wire rack to dry. Allow the doughnuts to sit for at least 10 minutes to let the glaze set. Enjoy!
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