Eight finalists chosen in Canadian doughnut invention contest, chosen by Jason Priestley

Canadians have submitted more than 63,000 doughnut creations to a competition for a champion dessert, according to Tim Hortons, and voters must now choose between flavours such as banana, crab-apple and the astronomically-inspired Oreo Borealis.

Sadly, none of the eight finalists is a maple-syrup-back-bacon-beer-flavoured fritter.

The coffee shop chain is offering $10,000 to the winner of its Duelling Donuts contest and it could add the winning doughnut to its menu. Tim Hortons released the list of eight finalists on Monday, chosen with the help of the Canadian Beverly Hills 90210 star Jason Priestley.

Priestley's doughnut adventures began in February, when he appeared on an episode of How I Met Your Mother that mocked Canada's love for the double double and the Timbit.

Priestley said on the show he "crammed a Timbit into a strawberry vanilla and invented 'The Priestley.'"

Tim Hortons drooled over the idea — baking a batch that same week — and not because a chocolate Timbit soaked in doughnut jelly is the best flavour combination ever conceived. Because it was marketing gold.

The company announced its Duelling Donuts competition in June, and voting will end on Aug. 18.

The finalists are the Oreo Borealis, Monkey-C Donut, Monkey Do-nut, the Tortoise Torte, The Sweet & Salty, Mr. Velvetere, Dark Chocolate Cherry Chunk, Don't Touchie My Dutchie and S'more of It.