Canada is known for a lot of delicious treats – maple syrup, Beaver Tails, poutine and even, Coffee Crisp. But did you know that the crispy wafer chocolate combination was first produced in Toronto? Here’s the story.

One of the country’s most beloved and iconic treats is a Canadian original since 1939, according to Nestlé Canada.

For years, Canadians have enjoyed the coffee-flavoured, chocolate-wafer combination, that is unique to the country.

But its ancestry dates back years, having begun in the U.K. in the 1930s.

The sweet taste of history

It was first known as a chocolate bar named Rowntree’s Wafer Crisp.

It was then later introduced to Canadians as Biscrisp. “In 1938, a coffee variation was added to the line of flavoured Biscrisps and eventually became known as Coffee Crisp,” shared Nestlé Canada in an email to Curiocity.

“By 1948 Coffee Crisp was one of Canada’s most popular confectionery products, a position it has maintained throughout the years.”

More than 153 million of these bars are produced in Canada every year and Halloween happens to be one of its peak times. Coffee Crisps have only been made in one factory across the country and that’s right in Toronto at 72 Sterling Road.

Throughout the years there have been limited-edition releases like the fruit-flavoured Coffee Crisp bars in Orange and Raspberry back in 2001, and most recently its Coffee Shop-inspired flavours like Carmel Iced Cappuccino, Vanilla Iced Cappuccino and Pumpkin Spiced Latte.

That’s not to mention the other variations released like Coffee Crisp Thins and Stix, Coffee Crisp Pops, bite-sized Coffee Crisp.

The wafered chocolate along with other chocolate favourites like Kit Kat, Aero, and Smarties are produced in Toronto, too.

Did you know that Smarties is one of Nestlé Canada’s oldest brands? We’d love to spill more but that’s a story for another time.

Who knew supporting Canadian brands tasted so good?

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Karen Doradea

Karen Doradea

Senior Staff Writer, Toronto – Karen is a multimedia journalist based in Toronto. With a strong knowledge of reporting and editing through all forms of media, she has a true passion for storytelling. She carries several years of journalistic experience and has covered the Toronto scene from local stories to national news. When Karen isn’t publishing fire content, you can find her binge-watching sitcoms on Crave, at a must-try restaurant, or scrolling endlessly on TikTok looking for the next best thing – News never sleeps.

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