In Canada, Tim Hortons is the king of donuts. While I will admit that Timmie’s donuts are certainly convenient, they definitely lack something special, especially when you are craving something a little more decadent than a Vanilla Sprinkled. Although it is slightly far from campus, Léché Desserts is the answer to your donut prayers.
Located by the Place-Saint-Henri metro stop, Léché Desserts can be very easy to miss. The actual shop can be found within what looks like a renovated factory, and it has minimal signage (just look for the stand-alone brick building along Rue de Courcelle). Inside, there is an open kitchen where you can see the donuts being made, along with a case filled with all of the treats. The shop has ample seating, allowing one to fully savor a donut or even try the lunch offerings.
Photo by Prairie Broughton
For those of you questioning whether traveling five metro stops from downtown just for donuts is worthwhile, don’t fret. For $10, you can get a box of 12 or 24 donuts delivered anywhere in the downtown area. While the delivery and donuts are kind of pricey (a box of 12 costs $25), they are well worth it.
Photo by Prairie Broughton
Léché Desserts offers over 12 flavors of donuts, ranging from simple to super- indulgent. The menu also changes seasonally. The six flavors that I tried were: Double Chocolate Brownie, Maple Glaze, Lemon Meringue, Dulce de léché, S’mores, and Ferrero Rocher. Given the mere five seconds it took for me to devour the Maple Glaze one, I would say that one was my favorite (it puts Timmie’s version to shame).
The Lemon Meringue is a close second – the tart lemon crème and fluffy meringue topping make for a very unique donut flavor. Some of their other flavors include Raspberry Jam, Cheesecake, Chocolate Mousse, and Peanut Butter and Jelly, all of which I will be sure to try in the future.
Photo by Prairie Broughton
The donuts themselves are pretty standard sized, but the filled varieties were stuffed to the brim with pudding, unlike what you get at the donut chains. They also don’t leave a waxy feeling in your mouth (which is always a plus). What makes the donuts stand out most is the use of real ingredients, all melding to give each donut a distinct flavor. The donuts were top-notch, which I think makes them worth the money.
Photo by Prairie Broughton
While going out of your way for mildly expensive fried dough may not be something everyone is into (especially with that Tim Hortons across from campus), I think Léché Desserts is worth trying once at the very least. So go ahead, order a dozen, and treat yo’ self with some delicious donuts.
“Donut” let the fun stop. Try out these recipes for some tasty homemade donuts: