Last updated: November 4, 2026

Ask for timbits at a Tim Hortons counter and the simple question turns into a longer one. Which flavours are actually on the menu today, how many come in a box, and what happens if someone at the table has a nut allergy or needs a gluten free option?

Part of the confusion comes from how much Timbits content repeats full price and calorie lists. Those lists change by restaurant and by season, so a list copied from another site can be out of date before you order. This article takes a different route.

Here you get answers only to the questions people actually ask about timbits, plus links to the existing product pages for the exact price and nutrition detail of each flavour and box. Read it once and you will know what a Timbit is, which flavours to expect, how to freeze leftovers, and which box size fits your group.

Key Takeaways

Quick Answer

Yes, Timbits are bite sized donut holes from Tim Hortons, first sold in 1976. Core flavours are Honey Dip, Chocolate Glazed, Birthday Cake, Old Fashioned Glazed and Sour Cream Glazed, and boxes come in 10, 20 and 50 assorted counts. They contain wheat, milk, egg and soy, they are not gluten free, and they cannot be promised nut free because of shared handling. For the exact price and calorie figure of one flavour, use its product page linked in this article.

What Are Timbits, Really?

Timbits are the bite sized donut holes sold by Tim Hortons. The name is a play on the word tidbit, meaning a small tasty morsel, combined with Tim, from founder Tim Horton. In French speaking Canada the same name is used on the menu board, so ordering by name works across the country.

The story most often told is that Timbits arrived in 1976, when the centres cut from ring donuts were fried and sold as a small snack instead of being thrown away. Modern production no longer depends on leftover centres, and Timbits are now made as their own small balls of dough, fried and finished with glaze, sugar, sprinkles or filling.

That history explains the shape and the size, but it also explains the texture. A Timbit is not a miniature cake baked in an oven. It is a fried donut bite, which is why the outside can be crisp on the day it is made and soft by the next day. If you want the best version, buy them fresh and eat them the same day.

Basis: sources listed in References, checked November 2026. Individual restaurants can differ.

Which Timbits Flavours Are on the Menu?

The core flavours you are most likely to find in Canada are Honey Dip, Chocolate Glazed, Birthday Cake, Old Fashioned Glazed and Sour Cream Glazed. Honey Dip is the lightest tasting of the group, with a thin sweet glaze over a soft yeast bite. Chocolate Glazed is a cake style bite under chocolate glaze, and Birthday Cake is the fun one, with sprinkles and a sweet cake flavour that children tend to pick first.

Old Fashioned Glazed has a denser cake crumb and a heavier glaze, while Sour Cream Glazed is richer and denser again, with a slight tang from the sour cream dough. Those texture differences matter more than the names suggest, because a box of only one flavour can feel very sweet or very heavy by the third piece. An assorted box avoids that problem by mixing light and rich bites.

Beyond the core five, Tim Hortons rotates seasonal and limited flavours through the year. Examples that have appeared on the site include apple fritter, apple pie, honey cruller, raspberry, white birthday cake, cappuccino and filled varieties such as lime cheesecake and chocolate creme brulee. Availability moves by location and by time of day, so a restaurant late in the afternoon will often have a thinner selection than the same restaurant in the morning. If one flavour matters to you, call ahead or check the app before you travel.

For the exact price and nutrition detail of a flavour, use its product page. The Honey Dip Timbits page, the Chocolate Glazed Timbits page, the Birthday Cake Timbit page and the Old Fashioned Glazed Timbits page each carry that flavour’s own figures, so you do not need to trust a copied list in this article.

Basis: sources listed in References, checked November 2026. Individual restaurants can differ.

What Is in a Timbit, and Are They Vegetarian?

Every standard Timbit is built on wheat flour, sugar, shortening, milk and egg. That base is why the dough fries up soft inside and holds a glaze well, and it is also why the dietary answers are straightforward. Timbits are not vegan, because milk and egg are in the dough itself. They are not dairy free or egg free either, for the same reason.

Are Timbits vegetarian? In the usual sense of the word, yes, because the standard flavours contain no meat. That answer still needs care, because a vegetarian who also avoids milk or egg will find no standard Timbit that fits. Filled flavours add their own ingredients on top of the base dough, so check the product page for the exact flavour you plan to buy rather than assuming every Timbit in the box is the same.

The practical point is simple. If the question is only about meat, Timbits pass. If the question is about milk, egg or a stricter plant based diet, they do not. Saying that plainly at the counter saves a wasted box and an awkward moment at the table.

Basis: sources listed in References, checked November 2026. Individual restaurants can differ.

Are Timbits Nut Free, Peanut Free or Gluten Free?

This is the question to handle with the most care, because a wrong short answer can cause real harm. Peanuts and tree nuts are not core ingredients in the standard Timbit flavours, and the allergen listings for flavours such as honey dip, chocolate glazed and birthday cake do not list peanut or tree nut as an ingredient. That is not the same as a nut free promise.

Tim Hortons own allergen guide warns that products are made and handled in shared bakery areas, and that cross contact is possible. For a serious peanut or tree nut allergy, that shared handling matters more than the ingredient list. Do not rely on this article, or any article, to clear a Timbit for a severe allergy. Check the current Tim Hortons allergen guide and speak to the restaurant directly before ordering.

The gluten answer is clearer. Timbits are not gluten free. Wheat flour is the base of every Timbit, and the shared bakery environment adds cross contact risk on top of that. For celiac disease, Timbits are not a safe choice. The same shared handling logic applies to milk, egg and soy, which are present in the dough, so a guest with one of those allergies should check the flavour page and the restaurant before eating.

One more detail from the allergen guide is worth noting. Some flavours list sulfites among their ingredients, while others do not, so a sulfite sensitivity cannot be answered for Timbits as a whole. Answer it flavour by flavour, using the product page for that flavour.

Basis: sources listed in References, checked November 2026. Individual restaurants can differ.

How Many Calories Are in a Timbit, and Why the Number Changes

People search for timbits calories more than almost any other Timbit question, and the honest answer is that one number does not exist. Calories differ by flavour because the dough style, the glaze, the sugar coating and any filling all change the total. A lightly glazed yeast bite will sit at the lower end, a dense cake bite with a heavy glaze will sit higher, and a filled bite will differ again.

That is also why this article does not republish a calorie list. A list copied from another site mixes flavours, years and countries, and it goes stale when a recipe changes. The reliable route is the product page for the exact flavour, where the figure is tied to that item. Use the Honey Dip Timbits page for the light end of the range and the Chocolate Glazed Timbits page for a cake style comparison, and you will see why one average figure would mislead you.

For portion sense, think in bites, not in boxes. One Timbit is a single bite, so one or two with a coffee is a small snack. A full box shared across a table is a different matter, because ten or twenty bites add up fast even when each bite is small. If you are counting, count the bites you actually eat, then check the flavour page for the per piece figure, rather than guessing from the box total.

One more caution applies to box totals found online. An assorted box total assumes a particular mix of flavours, and your box may hold a different mix. That is why a box total quoted elsewhere can be wrong for your box even when the per piece figures are right.

Basis: sources listed in References, checked November 2026. Individual restaurants can differ.

How Do the Box Sizes Work, and Which Box Fits Your Group?

Tim Hortons sells Timbits singly, in small packs and in assorted boxes. The standard assorted boxes are 10, 20 and 50, and the site also lists a 4 pack for a single snack and seasonal formats such as a holiday tray and a summer bucket for larger groups. The box count is the number of pieces, not a weight, so a 20 box holds twenty Timbits in the mix the restaurant packs that day.

The per piece cost falls as the box gets larger, which is why the 50 box is the usual choice for an office or a party, while the 10 box suits two or three people sharing with coffee. Prices vary by province, by restaurant and by delivery app, so this article does not quote a box price list. Check the box page for the format you want: the 10 Box Timbits page, the 20 Box Timbits page and the 50 Box Timbits page, or the assorted pages for the 10 Assorted Timbits and 50 Assorted Timbits formats.

For a party, the seasonal formats are worth checking before you default to several 50 boxes. The Holiday Timbits Tray is built for serving at a gathering, and the Summer Timbits Bucket is the warm weather equivalent. Both are seasonal, so check availability before you promise a tray at a party. Ordering ahead helps for any large count, because a restaurant may need time to pack a 50 box with a good mix of flavours.

One ordering detail catches people out. An assorted box is mixed by the restaurant, not built flavour by flavour at the counter, so you cannot always guarantee ten of one flavour in a 20 box. If one flavour matters, ask whether the restaurant can pack a single flavour box, or buy that flavour singly alongside an assorted box.

Basis: sources listed in References, checked November 2026. Individual restaurants can differ.

Can You Freeze Timbits, and How Do You Bring Them Back?

Yes, you can freeze Timbits, and the method matters more than the fact. Timbits are fried dough, so they freeze well as a food, but glaze and filling do not all survive freezing equally. Plain and glazed cake style bites hold up best, while filled bites can change texture after thawing, because a cream or custard style filling can separate.

Freeze them the same day you buy them, not after two days on the counter. Let them cool to room temperature first, then spread them in a single layer on a tray lined with parchment and freeze until firm. Once firm, move them to an airtight freezer bag or container, press out as much air as you can, and label the bag with the date. That two step method stops the pieces from freezing into one solid block, so you can take out only what you need.

For quality, use frozen Timbits within about two months. They will still be safe after that in a working freezer, but the texture will keep drifting away from fresh. Thaw at room temperature, then warm them gently, for example a short spell in a warm oven, and eat them the same day. Do not refreeze thawed Timbits, because each freeze and thaw cycle dries the crumb further and dulls the glaze.

Refrigeration is a weaker choice. A fridge will keep Timbits for a day or two, but it can dry them out and dull the glaze faster than a freezer does. If you plan to eat them tomorrow, a covered container at room temperature is usually better than the fridge. If you plan to eat them next week, freeze them today.

Basis: sources listed in References, checked November 2026. Individual restaurants can differ.

How to Order Timbits Without Getting the Wrong Box

Most Timbit mistakes happen at the counter, not in the kitchen. The first mistake is asking for a flavour the restaurant has run out of, then accepting a substitute box without checking it. Ask what flavours are in the box before you pay, especially late in the day, when the mix narrows to whatever is left.

The second mistake is buying for a group without checking allergies first. A box of mixed Timbits cannot be split by allergy, because every piece has shared the same box and handling. If one guest has a serious allergy, sort that question before the box is opened, using the advice in the allergy section above.

The third mistake is ordering the wrong size for the occasion. A 10 box looks generous in the hand but disappears fast at a table of six, while a 50 box for two people turns into a freezing project by the evening. Match the box to the headcount, not to the price per piece, and remember that a larger box is only a saving if the pieces actually get eaten fresh.

Finally, pair the box with the right drink. Timbits are sweet and rich, so they work best with a plain coffee or tea that cuts the sweetness, rather than a second sweet drink. The Tim Hortons coffee questions article explains cup sizes and ordering language if the coffee side of the order also needs sorting.

Basis: sources listed in References, checked November 2026. Individual restaurants can differ.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Timbits?

Timbits are Tim Hortons bite sized donut holes, introduced in 1976. The name plays on the word tidbit, and the same name is used on menu boards across Canada.

What flavours of Timbits are there?

Core flavours are Honey Dip, Chocolate Glazed, Birthday Cake, Old Fashioned Glazed and Sour Cream Glazed, with seasonal flavours rotating in and out. Availability varies by restaurant and time of day.

Can you freeze Timbits?

Yes. Cool them first, freeze in a single layer, then store in an airtight bag for up to about two months for best quality. Thaw at room temperature, warm gently, and do not refreeze.

Are Timbits nut free?

Peanuts and tree nuts are not core ingredients in standard flavours, but Tim Hortons does not promise a nut free product because of shared bakery handling. Check the allergen guide and ask the restaurant for a serious allergy.

Are Timbits peanut free?

The same shared handling answer applies. No peanut ingredient is listed for standard flavours, but cross contact is possible, so a severe peanut allergy needs a direct check with the restaurant.

Are Timbits gluten free?

No. Wheat flour is the base of every Timbit, and shared bakery handling adds further risk. Timbits are not safe for celiac disease.

Are Timbits vegetarian?

Yes, in the usual sense, because standard flavours contain no meat. They are not vegan, dairy free or egg free, because milk and egg are in the dough.

How many calories are in a Timbit?

It varies by flavour, because dough style, glaze, coating and filling all change the total. Check the product page for the exact flavour for the per piece figure, rather than trusting a copied list.

How many Timbits are in a box?

Standard assorted boxes hold 10, 20 or 50 Timbits, with a smaller 4 pack also listed and seasonal trays and buckets for larger groups. Check the box page for the format you want.

How much is a box of Timbits?

Box prices vary by province, restaurant and delivery app, so this article does not quote a price list. Check the linked 10, 20 or 50 box page for the format you want.

Do Timbits go stale quickly?

Yes, they are best the same day they are bought. Keep them covered at room temperature for up to two days, or freeze them the same day for longer storage.

What is the difference between Timbits and donut holes?

There is no real difference in form. Timbit is simply the Tim Hortons brand name for a bite sized donut hole, in the same way other chains use their own names.

Conclusion

Timbits work best when you treat them as a fresh, shared snack rather than a product to stockpile or a list to memorise. Know the core flavours, check the box mix at the counter, sort allergies before the box opens, and use the product pages for the exact price and calorie figure of the flavour in your hand. Ordered that way, a box of Timbits does what it has done since 1976: it gives a table something small, sweet and easy to share over coffee.

References

• Tim Hortons Canada Allergen Guide, May 2026
• Timbits, Wikipedia
• The Surprisingly Compelling History of the Timbit, Flavour Network
• Can You Freeze Tim Hortons Donuts and Bagels for Later, GripRoom
• Timbits guide, Kimecopak