Long John (doughnut)

The Long John is a bar-shaped, yeast risen doughnut either coated entirely with glaze or top-coated with cake icing. They may be filled with custard or cream. The term Long John is used in the Midwestern U.S. and Canada, and has been used in Texas.

In other parts of the United States and Canada, such as the Mid-Atlantic and Central Canada, Long Johns are sometimes marketed as "éclairs"; the two pastries look similar but are created with different types of dough (steam-puffed vs. yeast-risen) and sometimes different fillings (the éclair may have chiboust cream). The éclair has (usually chocolate) fondant icing.

On the American West Coast and British Columbia, Long Johns are called bars or bar doughnuts, such as the maple bar (topped with a maple glaze ) and the chocolate bar. Filled Long Johns are called filled bars, or filled bar doughnuts. For example, an unfilled (or even custard-filled) Long John with maple-flavored icing is called a maple bar in California. They may also be topped with chopped bacon and called a maple bacon bar. Maple bars are prominent on the West coast of the United States; they are also known as a maple-glazed Long John, Maple-Creamstick or maple Bismarck.

Some parts of the American Midwest also call this type of pastry a finger doughnut or cream stick when filled.