The Canal Street area is notorious for knockoff handbags and watches — and now, fake Cronuts.
A bakery is being accused of peddling an unofficial version of the world-famous croissant-doughnut hybrid created and trademarked by Soho baker Dominique Ansel.
“Customers say they taste the same, and they are only two dollars,” crowed a saleswoman hawking the baked goods as “Cronuts” at City Éclair bakery on Hester Street in Little Italy Sunday morning.
Businesses worldwide — from a Big Apple Food Emporium to a Dunkin’ Donuts in South Korea — have released their own versions of the hit pastry with names like The Big O and New York Pie Donuts.
But since the trademark became official in January 2014, no one else has tried to use the name Cronut — until City Éclair did, a spokeswoman for Dominique Ansel told The Post.
“We will pursue every single case of infringement,” she said. “It’s something the legal team is very adamant about.”
Even the Soho bakery’s Web site warns, “Please be wary that if you don’t see the Dominique Ansel Bakery Affiliation, it is not a Cronut®.”
City Éclair, meanwhile, had a sign on its front door advertising “Cronuts” and a signboard outside that read, “New! Cornut $2 each.”
“We’re finished with Cronuts. We’ll take the sign down now,” said a man who identified himself as City Éclair’s owner at the store Sunday.
By Monday morning, there were no knockoff Cronuts in sight, and the signboard had disappeared.
The genuine Cronut was a sensation when the Dominique Ansel Bakery introduced it in May 2013, with long lines of foodies camping outside to taste the $5 treat.
Cronut-crazy celebs included actress Emma Roberts, who sparked outrage when she tried to cut in line, and Posh Spice, who tweeted out a photo of a box of “Cronuts” — only to have Dominique Ansel tweet back that they weren’t the real deal.
Early on, other US bakeries began peddling their own versions using the name Cronut, but they stopped after Dominique Ansel Bakery announced it was trademarking the name, a bakery spokeswoman said.
One Cronut fan bashed City Éclair Sunday for its alleged infringement.
“It’s a cheat, in my opinion, because they are cashing in on the craze,’’ Fady Fadelallah, a 28-year-old smoke-shop owner, said as he walked out of Dominique Ansel.
Additional Reporting by Kenneth Gargar