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The Alligator Jaw Pastry is a total childhood throwback! This amazing treat is a triangle-shaped glazed pastry filled with delicious cherry buttercream frosting. Give this one a try!
Featured with this recipe
Alligator Jaws were my #1 favorite pastry when I was growing up. Hands down. In the small town where we grew up, there was an amazing little bakery just off of Main Street called Ron & Chris Bakery. We all loved going there for donuts, cookies, and freshly made sandwiches.
Their cherry chocolate chip cookies, ribbon sandwiches, and strawberry cream cheese croissants were among our favorites, but the alligator jaw pastry was the absolute best!
What Are Alligator Jaws?
What are Alligator Jaws exactly? Allow me to enlighten you. An Alligator Jaw is a triangle-shaped glazed pastry filled with a delicious cherry buttercream frosting. They are heavenly (super-rich, but heavenly all the same).
From looking at the photo, it’s probably clear how it got its name. I can almost imagine the jaws snapping!
A Childhood Favorite
A few years ago, I went to Cedar City, my hometown, with my heart set on getting an Alligator Jaw Pastry for old-times sake. To my dismay, the bakery was no longer open. I almost cried. Okay, I may have actually cried.
The more I have looked, the more I discovered that Alligator Jaws are one of those things that everyone in Cedar City knows about, but very few people outside of Cedar have even heard of.
It is the same with Ribbon Sandwiches. Who knew Cedar City had so many tasty foods that no one else has heard of?
Ingredients
Dough:
- Yeast
- Warm water
- Milk – lukewarm
- Sugar
- Salt
- Egg
- Shortening
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil – for frying
Glaze:
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
Cherry Buttercream Frosting:
- Maraschino cherries – from a jar
- Maraschino cherry juice – from a jar
- Butter – softened to room temperature
- Powdered sugar
Creating the Alligator Jaw
That being said, there is no recipe to be found anywhere out there for Alligator Jaws. UNTIL NOW! I couldn’t go one more day without having an Alligator Jaw, so I came up with my own recipe. Lucky for me, it tastes just like the original.
To all my friends in Cedar City, here is our recipe for Alligator Jaws. Trust me, they taste just like the Ron & Chris Bakery original. I know there is a grocery store in Cedar City that sells them, but these are better!
To everyone else outside of Cedar City who has never heard of an Alligator Jaw pastry before, you are in luck! You don’t have to go on any longer wondering what an Alligator Jaw is or what it tastes like. You can try it out for yourself!
Can you tell how excited I am about this recipe? Not only do I love how delicious they are, but I also love the great memories they bring back from when I was a kid. I’m glad I can now share them with my family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Alligator jaws is a triangular-shaped pastry/doughnut that is cut open and stuffed with delicious buttercream inside. With a little imagination, you can imagine the shape of an alligator’s mouth snapping shut!
Probably the easiest way to fry donuts is in a deep fryer. A typical electric deep fryer can hold up to 15 cups of oil. As a general rule, however, whether you are using a deep fryer, pan, or pot – you will typically want it to be no more than a third to a half full of oil.
To get perfectly light and crispy donuts that aren’t too dense, greasy, or tough, you want the oil to be between 350 to 375 degrees. If the frying oil is too cool, the donuts will absorb too much oil and turn out tough and greasy. Too hot, and the donuts will dry out and be overcooked.
Read More: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas (with Pictures + Simple Recipes)
More Pastry Recipes to Try:
- Pumpkin Pasties
- The Very Best Lemon Bars
- Raspberry Oatmeal Bars
- Blueberry Coffee Cakes
- Danish Pastries
- Pumpkin Scones
- Mini Fruit Tarts
How to Make Alligator Jaws Pastry
Alligator Jaws Pastry with Cherry Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1 tablespoon Yeast
- 1/8 cup water warm
- 3/4 cup milk lukewarm
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons shortening
- 3 cups flour
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the glaze:
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
For the Cherry Buttercream Frosting:
- 6 maraschino cherries from a jar
- 2 tablespoons juice from maraschino cherries from the jar
- 1/2 cup butter softened to room-temperature
- 1 pound powdered sugar
Instructions
For the Dough:
- Dissolve yeast in water in a mixer. In a separate bowl, combine milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and add to yeast water.
- Slowly add flour and mix on low until dough is smooth and elastic.
- Cover with a clean dish towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Roll dough out on a floured surface until it is about ½ inch thick. Cut into tall triangles (about 2-3″ wide by 4″ tall)
- Place on a cookie sheet allowing enough room to let them rise. They rise for about 30 min.
- Prepare glaze while rising (see below).
- Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees. Slowly transfer the triangles with spatula to the hot oil and fry 30 seconds each side until lightly golden brown.
Glaze:
- Combine milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat until warm. Sift confectioners’ sugar into milk mixture. Whisk slowly, until well combined.
- Remove the glaze from the heat. Dip fried triangles into the glaze, 1 at a time, and set on a draining rack placed in a half sheet pan until cooled.
For the Cherry Buttercream Frosting:
- In a food processor, process the cherries with the cherry juice (about 5 pulses).
- Place the processed cherries in a mixing bowl and combine with butter and about 1 cup powdered sugar.
- When well combined and smooth, add remaining powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach a good frosting consistency.
- Add more cherry juice if it gets too dry.
To Assemble:
- Cut each triangle horizontally from the smallest point of the triangle to the back being careful not to cut it all the way through, making it look like an “alligator jaw”.
- Open the “jaws” and spoon a good spoonful of frosting between each half and spread evenly. Place top half back down and serve.
Hi! Ron’s granddaughter here! Fun fact, the sign should have read ‘Ron and Crys’ for my grandma, Crystal, but they misspelled it as Cris and they just went with it. Also, they weren’t glazed, just the frosting inside. The original Parson’s Bakery in Richfield, where this recipe was gifted to him by the owner, did glaze theirs.
Sadly, he passed away earlier this month, but I know his memory will live on in those that were lucky enough to enjoy his delicious treats.
Hi Samantha – thank you so much for sharing your insight on this recipe! I am so sorry to hear about your grandfather. I will always remember riding my bike up to the bakery and trying to decide which baked treat I wanted for the day. There were no bad choices! The cookies, breads, sandwiches… EVERYTHING was SO GOOD! Even in high school we would walk to to Ron and Cris (now I know it should be “Crys”) and get the turkey sandwich with the sweet pickles. I have never been able to duplicate how good that sandwich was! Your grandfather is a true legend in Cedar City and he no doubt will be remembered for generations. I know every time I have an alligator jaw or a cookie with cherry chips I will always think of him. Thanks so much for reaching out! – Erica
Oh Yes!!! We have heard of Alligator Jaws a little farther north in American Fork! Maybe it’s a Utah thing, then again. Only our jaws are covered in chocolate and filled with whip cream or Bavarian cream or even both. There is only one bakery I can find that makes them anymore which is the Maceys grocery store in Pleasant Grove. Not great for the diet but awesomely wonderful for the soul!!! Thank you for the memories and the recipe!!
I was crushed when Ron and Chris Bakery closed their doors. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I can’t wait to make some.
I’m excited to try these… I also agree with Aimee someone needs to figure out the cherry chip cookie recipe from Ron and Chris, or maybe you already have? If you do, let me know!
I have lived in Cedar City most of my life and these are my all time favorite sin wagon treat!! The ones at Lin’s are heavily glazed, which make them diabetes in a box(way too sweet). Ron & Chris’ are the gold standard for these heavenly pillows of goodness. Now if we could come up with the cherry chip cookies they made 🙂
Omg!!!! I’m from cedar and have been craving alligator jaws!! Along with anything from Ron and Chris. I am so very thankful that you shared your amazing recipes!!
Now if you could please open your own bakery with all the yummy stuff they had!
Thank you again!!
I agree. Lin’s used to make a Similar alligator jaw but it did not taste the same as Ron and Chris
In Salt Lake City, my fave was the Rose Park Bakery and their alligators were filled with a stabilized whipped cream and the top was glazed with chocolate. They’d sell the day-olds for 5 cents. Heaven!
I am so excited to try this out. I grew up in New Harmony so I spent most of my time in Cedar City. I was also terribly sad when I found out Ron & Chris had closed. The Alligator Jaws were the best!! After several years away, I moved back to So. Utah and now live in St. George. I found your site by searching for ribbon sandwiches since we can’t get them from Ron & Chris anymore. So happy I found your site!
Do you fry all of the jaws before you dip them in the glaze, or one at a time?
Can you make alligator jaws the day before and have the pastry still look puffy?
Yes. However, like any donut and pastry, they taste better fresh. I would for sure serve it within a day of making it. Thanks for asking!
Yum!!!
I grew up in Grand Forks ND and ate lunch, sometimes, at Piggy Wiggly. As you did, I did also, I went back years later to see if I could get the recipe for Alligators. The baker had long since retired and the recipe was nowhere in sight. Now I have your recipe!! The one thing that doesn’t match up is that I recall a creamy filling. Any ideas?
Thanks Sheila
This cherry buttercream was the filling at our hometown bakery, but I also recall a creamy custard-like filling in alligator jaws at a local grocery store. We don’t have a recipe on our site for this, but if you want a more creamy custard filling, this recipe may work for you: https://www.countrycleaver.com/2014/01/vanilla-bean-pastry-cream.html
I remember them with the vanilla cream in the middle from Grand Forks , N.D also. But I believe we got ours from Whitney’s bakery 35 + years ago. They were amazing and always delicious.
I have never heard them called this! I love it!
This looks so fun to make! And that colour is perfect for Valentine’s Day! Trying it this weekend.
Thank you for this! I too remember my favorite alligator jaws from Ron & Chris Bakery in Cedar from when I grew up in Parowan. Had no idea that it was a Cedar City special or that the bakery had closed. I suddenly got a hankering for that frosting & found this page when I searched for it.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! We had bakery here in the town where I grew up that made them! My all time favorite! The bakery has long since closed. But I went to scool with the son of the owners, he also worked at the bakery, but I can’t get him to give up the recipe! So I’ve been looking for years! Only difference is theirs had a really light butthercream with raspberry jam on the top of the filling & they were dusted with powdered sugar! So I’m going to try and adapt it to my memory! Thank you!
I just wanted to say that it has been fun to see this recipe and the finger sandwich recipe. When you were talking about them, I thought, “i know that sandwich (and alligator jaw)”. I went to college in Cedar City, my friend who grew up there worked at Ron and Chris’ bakery. They needed extra help so I worked there for a while also-I helped make some of those sandwiches for a summer.. It was fun to hear you talk of these recipes and your memories of Ron and Chris’ Bakery.
That is so cool that you worked there for a while! Our sister-in-law worked there too. Small world! We loved Ron and Chris’ and are so sad it’s not there anymore. Hopefully these recipes can keep those fun memories alive!
I miss Ron and Chris bakery
Me too! So many great memories going there!
I’m a native of Cedar City now living in Arizona. I may have missed this, but what size pan did you use for frying and approximately how much oil do you use?
Thank you so much for perfecting the recipe and for sharing it. 😍
Hi Jeanene– fellow Cedarian 😉 We actually have a deep fryer that works best for this. We have about a quart of oil in it. You can use a large skillet and 2-3 cups of oil (just enough so the dough will float in the oil… does that make sense?)
I worked at Ron and Chris bakery for a year while attending SUU. I talk to my kids all the time about the alligator Jaws and raisin filled cookies. I have to say I’ve tried to find this recipe for years and just could NOT find one that sounded anywhere close to how we made the ones at Rons. I’m happy to report that this is exactly what I remember. Except I do believe we added a splash of almond flavoring to the doughnut glaze. I’ll have to make this and let you know. I’m so excited I found this. And I can hardly believe it’s from someone that had actually experienced the goodness of Ron and Chris Bakery ❤️
Thank you so much for this comment! I am so excited for you to try this recipe! Thanks for the heads-up about the splash of almond, we will have to try that next time. That totally makes sense! We loved Ron and Chris Bakery and we all have so many fond memories of it. Such a great place! What years did you work there?
I was there summer of 1993-summer of 1994, when I moved home and got married. Absolutely loved working there and adored both Ron and Chris ❤️
Erika my son is a current resident of Cedar City and I want him to try the alligator jaws. Can you tell me where to tell him to go to buy some? I will be trying your recipe. They sound delicious!
Hi Andy– you can still find them at Lins grocery store as far as I know!
Dicks grocery store in Bountiful also makes them. They are not as good as Ron & Chris’s but they are close. Dicks also makes a version that has a custard filling mixed with a butter cream frosting. They were really good.
My grandparets owned a bakery in St. George and they made alligator jaws! I was just telling my husband that they were my very favorite thing to get when we went to Grandpa’s bakery, and I’ve never seen them again anywhere else! So my husband got online and found this! I’m so excited to try these, and that someone else on the planet knows about alligator jaws!!!
Must just be a So. Utah thing! Aren’t they the BEST??
Oh my goodness thanks so much have been trying to find this for years
They are amazing! We had to start making them because we couldn’t buy them anymore.
These look like Cheese Pockets that a local bakery here makes, except of course the filling is a sweet creamy (bakery?) cheese. Did the same restaurant/bakery that you used to get these from have anything like that?
I honestly don’t think they had them filled with cheese but that sounds delicious. Almost reminds me of the cream cheese filled pretzels at Disneyland. Those are SOOOO good and the filling is slightly sweet, even though it is cheese.
Back in the 50’s at the Holland Bakery in Sunnyside, WA they also had Alligator Jaws, but instead of the glaze they were dusted with powdered sugar and the filling was made up like a marshmallow frosting (but shiny-like a 7 min. frosting-but didn’t harden). I loved them! When I went back to Sunnyside in the early 70’s the owner had retired and the Alligator Jaws that was sold wasn’t anything like the original!! What a bummer! I’m so glad to have found this recipe. Maybe one day I’ll try to duplicate the filling they used. At least I have the pastry recipe. Thanks!
Let us know what you think if you make them! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
OMG, both my sisters and myself and my brothers ate these as kids in Sunnyside, WA. in the 50’s and 60’s. We have search high and low for them since. We are planning a alligator jaw baking day party! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!
Glad you found this recipe! You are very welcome! Let me know what you think!
I was so excited to see this recipe!!! I too loved the alligator jaws & cherry chip cookies from Ron & Chris! Our next-door neighbors were his granddaughters so once in a while we got to go in there and hang out with them at his bakery ! I served his Ribbon sandwiches as part of the refreshment for my wedding reception!
So, I made this recipe tonight. Pretty darn delicious!!! It was so fun to be able to share this with my kids! I’m excited to try the ribbon sandwiches. Thanks again ????
Yay!!! So glad that you liked it! Thank you for coming back and leaving a comment to let us know! You are going to love the ribbon sandwiches. My kiddos gobble them up.
I’m a Cedar native as well and never realized that the these gems were so unique until I never could find them anywhere.
So I decided to make these for the Super Bowl tonight. They turned out pretty good, and pretty authentic so I would say the recipe is pretty close to what I remember. I would post a picture of how mine turned out if I could.
Thank you so much for this comment! Great idea to make them for the super bowl! If you want to post a picture you can post it on Instagram and use the hashtag #favoritefamilyrecipes — we would love to see it! Or you can email it to us and we can post it on our Instagram.
There were two bakeries that I know of in Utah that made Alligator Jaws, Ron & Chris’ and Parsons Bakery in Richfield. They must have had the same recipe because both tasted the same. I LOVED both of those bakeries! Thank you for working to come up with a recipe. I can’t wait to try it!
Yum! I have never been to Parson’s but I keep hearing about it. Sounds like a must try next time I’m in Richfield 😀
Unfortunately, it closed down several years ago. =( Like you, I cried when I went back home and they were gone.
Ron worked at Parson’s. He’s originally from Glenwood. This recipe and others were gifted to him by the talented bakers he learned from before opening Ron & Cris in Cedar. 🥰
I just made them! They were amazing!
Thanks you for letting us know! How are you Jake? It has been forever! I hope you shared some with Rachel! I know she wanted to try them ???? -Erica
These aren’t unique to Cedar City. Parson’s Bakery in Richfield also had them for years, until they went out of business. They do seem to be unique to Utah, though. I now live back east, where people look at you like you have cherry frosting coming out of your ears if you ask for an alligator jaw. 🙂
Oh! And I’ve seen them with little frosting dots on top for the eyes. 😀
Yeah I have seen that too! I think that’s a cute idea.
Yeah, they would do a star swirl on top and put a maraschino cherry in the middle for eyes. I LOVED those from Parson’s in Richfield!
Haha yeah so true! That’s totally how my husband looked at me when I was trying to explain them!
Thank you so much for the recipe! We grew up in St George and went to Neilsons Bakery and got these all he time. We also loved their donut holes! What cedar store still sells them? Thanks again!
I think Lins and Smiths still sell them. I think their frosting is different though… Doesn’t quite taste the same as R&Cs
I too grew up in St. George and would get them at Neilson’s Bakery! We got such a kick out of seeing them for the first time and hearing their funny name. What a fun memory your post brought back!
THANK YOU! I have been dreaming about these for almost 40 years. I could not remeber where I had them but I have been hunting for them ever since. Trust me when I tell you that NO OTHER BAKERY ON EARTH has these!
They are frustratingly difficult to find– which is why I had to come up with my own recipe haha
Do you happen to have the cherry chip cookie recipe? I miss those like crazy!
I wish! The tough thing with those is finding the cherry chips. Those things are impossible to find!
M husband bought me a case of them during the holidays, I have 1 bag left, n I hate cherry flavored anything! I love your site n all you share!! Thank you!!
The case being cherry chips.
We had these same Alligators in Richfield at Parsons Bakery. From when I can remember in the 70’s until they went out of business. They really are a special treat.
It’s so sad that all these amazing bakeries have closed 🙁 they were all so loved by the communities
They still sell them at Parson’s bakery in Bountiful!
Have you figured out a recipe for Ron’a brownies. So glad to have found this site via FB. Can’t wait to start trying them. Thanks for your efforts.
Thanks Suzette! Glad you found us too! For the brownies… It has been so long since I have had them and the flavor isn’t as distinct as the alligator jaws, so I don’t have a duplicate. I will do my best to try though!
Loved these as a kid! Thank you! Now we just need cherry chip cookies! They were my absolute fav! ????
Right? The cherry chip cookies were awesome! Next on my list to figure out!
Oh my! I want to pull one off the screen and eat it! Frosting filled donuts of any kind are one of my “can’t pass it up” eats. That filling looks divine!
I couldn’t agree more! I am a total “filled doughnut” girl!
I will have to try these! I lived in Cedar for almost 6 years but never went to that bakery – I think I passed it quite a few times before it closed, but never knew it was such a hidden gem! I heard Garden House went out of business too, and they had the best soup I’ve ever had, so if you ever feel like figuring out any of those recipes… 😀
Isn’t it crazy that Cedar has so many gems? The bakery, Pastry Pub, Don Miguel’s, RUSTY’s (their Coconut Shrimp is the best I have ever had)! So many great local places!
Definitely, I have really missed Pastry Pub for sure!
Sounds fun. My brother and his family lived by Delta, wonder if they ever happen upon them.
Thank you. I have been looking around for this recipe and had resigned myself to never having a suitable substitute (because the Linn’s ones aren’t the same). I will have to try it out!
So true– the Lin’s ones are ok.. but they are no Ron & Chris!
yeah ron and chris alligators were the best, we get ours at lins now!