World Famous Cinnamon Buns

What is there about the North and cinnamon buns?

Maybe it's the chill in the air or the long lonely spaces that makes you crave the sweet warmth that reminds you of home. Maybe it's the history of small cozy cabins in the middle of the woods where a fire is always burning and bread is rising. A comfort food made of simple ingredients that are easy to store and simple to serve, even in the remotest of locations. 

Whatever the reason, cinnamon buns are a common commodity at roadside cafes across the north, often advertised as "world famous" with cute sayings like "get your buns in here".

What makes a good cinnamon bun? First, they have to be fresh. Right out of the oven tastes so much better than something that was frozen and reheated.  The dough needs to be fluffy and moist. But not just bread-there has to be the right amount of cinnamon and sugar to be tasty but not too gooey. Go too far down the whole "cinnabon" road and you've lost me.  Now, what about raisins?  Some people abhor them. They are a must for my husband, but I am more neutral on it. The same goes for nuts which I'm not generally a fan of.  Icing?  Sure, but go light.  I want the taste of bread and cinnamon in my mouth, not sugar. Stickiness?  That's a given but I don't want to be licking my fingers for next 200 km so not crazy sticky.

So...these are my top picks in order of preference.

Pecan Stickies from Cheechako's Bakery, Dawson City.

Cheechako means newcomer, a slang term the indigenous people of the north used to describe the miners who arrived as part of the Klondike Gold Rush. These "cheechakos" have made a name for themselves with their cute little bakery in a historic building on Front Street in Dawson City, using locally sourced non-GMO products. They broke my "no nuts" rule and as the name implies, these were sticky. Nonetheless they won top prize in my books for the freshness and quality of the bread. The sugar/cinnamon to bread ratio was perfect. These were clearly right out of the oven and we were excited to get the last two "stickies" in this busy bakery on our return from Tuktoyaktuk. 




"Get Your Buns in Here", Johnson Crossing Lodge, Yukon

Served in their historic cafe/gift shop overlooking the lovely Teslin River, these buns were right out of the oven. To my husband's delight, they contain raisins and not just one or two. The bread was fresh and warm with just a light drizzle of icing. The lodge, on the site of an abandoned US Army camp. was built and maintained for decades by a Danish family who operated the lodge and a mine. There are lots of historic photos on the walls in this funky cafe which serves all kinds of homemade food. 




Buckshot Betty's, Beaver Creek, Yukon

There is not much to Beaver Creek, but Buckshot Betty's is highly worth a stop. The restaurant is part of a larger complex including a lodge and campground. their cinnamon buns are very good. They were fresh and flavourful with a good cinnamon balance with the cinnamon swirl part being mostly cinnamon and not sugar so they were not too gooey, although that was compensated for with a goodly dollop of icing.




Tetsa River's "World Famous", Tetsa River Lodge, B.C.

Advertising themselves as the "cinnamon bun centre of the galactic cluster", Tetsa River is a must stop on the northern cinnamon bun trail. Much as we loved the ambiance and sense of humour evident in this charming and cozy spot-so much that we stopped there coming and going- their cinnamon buns were just a little too sweet for our taste. Fans of the commercial "cinnabon" would love them.  The bread was excellent and very fresh- I am sure they had just come out of the oven . They are also very gooey. I mean VERY gooey.  I would advise a knife and fork. No raisins either. These people also sell homemade bread which is delicious. A beautiful spot in in an old log building where you can just imagine yourself snuggled up by the fire on a cold winter night. The staff are lovely. 





Giant Cinnamon Buns, Braeburn Lodge, Yukon

The proprietors of the Braeburn Lodge pride themselves on the size of these ginormous buns. This spot on the Klondike Highway between Whitehorse and Dawson City is a favourite on the Yukon Quest international dogsled race. These buns are so famous, they have even named the airport the "Cinnamon Bun" airport!  They are huge. Like the size of your head. You could easily split one four ways. But they were not fresh. The dough was dry and not all that tasty. The cinnamon ratio was fine and there was some icing to compensate for the dryness, but we were pretty disappointed. 




Do you have a favourite northern cinnamon bun that I haven't mentioned?  Drop me a comment and I will check it out on our next northern trip!  Guaranteed we will be doing a bit more exploring soon?

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