Cinnamon Sugar Beaver Tails

A great pastry from my childhood. These beavertails were a must have growing up in Ottawa, Canada and going skating on the Rideau Canal.

Cinnamon Sugar Beaver Tails? What the heck is that and what is it doing on a Food blog? Well because Canadian Beaver Tails are a popular pastry in my birthplace of Ottawa, Canada (home of the NHL Hockey Team the Ottawa Senators). Everyone needs to try a beaver tail once in their life.

Growing up in Ottawa, I spent many hours skating on the world's longest skating rink, the Rideau Canal. They used to have these little huts on the ice that sold coffee, hot apple cider and… beaver tails.

At the time it was a yummy pastry that you could get with different toppings like jam, sugar, and cinnamon or garlic and cheese. Apparently, it's now big business.

When I started writing my cookbook and launching this food blog, I was on a mission to find an authentic Beaver Tail recipe. After experimenting with different techniques, this is the recipe that I believe is the closest to the beavertails I had 40 yrs ago.

So whether you spell it beaver tails or beavertails, this is one dessert recipe you will not want to miss!

By the way, have you tried one of the most popular recipes on this blog yet? Then you must try my Cinnamon Donut Bread. Similar to this beaver tail recipe in that they are both cinnamon sugar-coated.

Looking for another delicious pastry dessert you can make in the comfort of your own kitchen? Then check out my Awesome Baklava recipe.

📋 What Ingredients do I need

You will need the following ingredients for this recipe: Active Yeast, White Sugar, Milk, White Sugar, Salt, Vanilla Extract, Eggs, Canola Oil, All Purpose Flour, Corn Oil, White Sugar and Ground Cinnamon.

🥣 How to Make a Cinnamon Sugar Beaver Tail

In a large bowl, mix the yeast, warm water, and 1/4 Tsp of sugar. Allow the water mixture to stand a couple of minutes to allow the yeast to swell and dissolve. Depending on various factors (temperature, humidity, etc.) this could take as long as 10 minutes.
Add the 1/3 Cup of sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, oil, salt, and most of the flour to the yeast mixture. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes using a dough hook, adding flour as needed to form a firm smooth, elastic dough.
Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Place a warm towel on top of the bowl and "seal". If you are not going to use the dough right away, you can refrigerate the dough at this point. Let rise for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Gently deflate the dough. (If the dough is coming out of the fridge, allow to warm up for about 40 minutes before proceeding).
Pinch off a golf ball-sized piece of dough. Roll out onto a floured surface into an oval and let rest, covered with a tea towel, while you are preparing the remaining dough.
Heat about 4 inches of corn oil in the fryer (or whatever you usually use for frying). The temperature of the oil should be about 385 degrees.
Stretch the ovals into a tail shape, like a beavers tail, thinning them out and enlarging them as you do. Add the dough pieces to the hot oil one at a time.
Turn the beaver tail once to fry until both sides are a deep brown. Lift the beaver tails out with tongs and drain on paper towels.
Fill a large bowl with a few cups of white sugar and cinnamon. Toss the beaver tails in the sugar mixture, coating both sides and then shake off the excess.

🍳 Recipe Card

Cinnamon Sugar Beaver Tails

A great pastry from my childhood. These beavertails were a must have growing up in Ottawa, Canada and going skating on the Rideau Canal.

4.41 from 47 votes

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Prep Time 2 hrs

Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 25

Calories 141 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Warm Water
• 5 Tsp Active Yeast
• 1/4 Tsp White Sugar
• 1 Cup Warm Milk
• 1/3 Cup White Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Egg(s)
• 1/3 Cup Canola Oil
• 5 Cups All Purpose Flour
• Corn Oil
• White Sugar
• Ground Cinnamon

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, mix the yeast, warm water and 1/4 Tsp of sugar. Allow to stand a couple of minutes to allow yeast to swell and dissolve. Depending on various factors (temperature, humidity, etc.) this could take as long as 10 minutes.
• Add the 1/3 Cup of sugar, milk, vanilla, eggs, oil, salt, and most of the flour to the yeast mixture. Knead for 5 to 8 minutes using a dough hook, adding flour as needed to form a firm smooth, elastic dough.
• Place dough in a lightly greased bowl. Place warm towel on top of bowl and "seal". If you are not going to use the dough right away, you can refrigerate the dough at this point. Let rise for about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Gently deflate dough. (If dough is coming out of the fridge, allow to warm up for about 40 minutes before proceeding).
• Pinch off a golf ball sized piece of dough. Roll out onto a floored surface into an oval and let rest, covered with a tea towel, while you are preparing the remaining dough.
• Heat about 4 inches of corn oil in fryer (or whatever you usually use for frying). Temperature of the oil should be about 385 degrees.
• Stretch the ovals into a tail shape, like a beavers tail, thinning them out and enlarging them as you do. Add the dough pieces to the hot oil one at a time.
• Turn the beaver tail once to fry until both sides are deep brown. Lift the beaver tails out with tongs and drain on paper towels.
• Fill a large bowl with a few cups of white sugar and cinnamon. Toss the beaver tails in the sugar mixture, coating both sides and then shake off the excess.

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 3gFat: 3gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 149mgPotassium: 52mgSugar: 3gVitamin A: 35IUCalcium: 17mgIron: 1.2mg

Any nutritional information provided on this site is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.

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