A bear claw donut is a type of pastry that is similar in shape to a bears claw, hence the name. It is a sweet, yeast-raised pastry that is a type of Danish, originating in the United States during the mid-1910s. The pastry is made from dough and almond paste, and raisins are often used as well. The dough is rolled out, layered with filling, folded over, and cut into separate pastries. The pastry can be curved into a half-circle at this point, which causes the "toes" to separate, evoking the shape of a bears toes.

Bear claw donuts may also be made in a shape similar to that of the pastry, and they can have various fillings such as apple pie-style, butter pecan, dates, cream cheese, grape, or cherry. They are often dusted with cinnamon and topped with icing. The filling is typically sweet almond paste, which is made from flour, unsalted butter, yeast, half and half, sugar, salt, and egg.

Bear claw donuts are not quite a doughnut and not quite a Danish, but they hold their own sweet spot in the vast world of assorted pastries. They are a popular pastry in the United States and have been a household favorite for almost 100 years.