The Burger King / Tim Horton Mashup Vegetarian Buffalo Crunch Donut

The Next Cronut?

Burger King has been under fire since acquiring Canadian donut chain Tim Horton’s for their decision to move their headquarters to Canada, in a move that many view to be one that’s purely for tax avoidance. An existing Tim Horton’s franchise owner can be credited with shifting the conversation at least partially back to what might come of the merger when it comes to the menu.

Bacon has long been the artery clogging ingredient of choice when it comes to snacks that inspire servers to ask “one stent or two?” but for a limited time, anyone who may stick to a meat-free diet can dig into a heartwarming (heartburning?) treat.

“It consists of a pull-apart yeast doughnut that’s dunked in Buffalo sauce and crusted with crushed-up chips. It combines a staggeringly high number of junk-food influences (Buffalo sauce, tortilla chips, doughnuts) while still managing to make sense. The corn-chip strips in the center are decorative, and the doughnut comes in mild and hot varieties — mild is “toned down” with Ranch dressing. {GrubStreet}

Anthony McEachern, who owns four Tim Horton’s outposts in the Syracuse area, put the saucy concoction together for the New York State Fair, which runs through Monday. Inspired by the Buffalo Crispy Sandwich and Buffalo Mac & Cheese which appear on the regular Tim Horton’s menu, McEachern previously brought Cheeseburger and Meatball Sub donuts to the fair. {Syracuse.com}

While he says that the Buffalo Crunch won’t be going on the regular menu, given the fact that Burger King is in the merging mood it may only be a matter of time before someone in product development decides that savory donuts may be worth a second look.

Buffalo Crunch Donut image via As Eaten on TV twitter