If you have a sweet tooth and are looking for some new desserts to tantalize your taste buds, our collection of the 25 best sugary international snacks will keep you satisfied all year long. If you’re not hungry now, you will be by the end of this list.
1. Poland’s Poppy Seed Rolls
Poppy seeds are a common feature of Eastern European baking, perhaps because they are a symbol of wealth as the tiny seeds represent coins. The Polish dessert makowiec, a poppy seed roll, is a delicious example.
Traditionally made for the holidays, makowiec is made by spreading sweet poppy seed paste onto yeasted dough and rolling it up for baking. When sliced, the striking black and white swirl looks impressive and appealing.
2. Spain’s Tarta de Santiago
Originating from Galicia, a region in the north-west of Spain, this light almond cake dates back to the middle ages. Famed for its moist texture and delicate flavors, the Tarta de Santiago is a popular snack for pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago, the 500-mile Spanish pilgrimage that ends in the city of Santiago de Compostela. This sweet treat is traditionally topped with a powdered sugar depiction of St. James’ cross.
3. Japan’s Mochi
From sushi to ramen, Japan is famous for mouthwatering savory dishes, but sweet tooths out there will be happy to know that Japanese desserts are just as delectable. This sweet dumpling is made of glutinous rice and is traditionally filled with red bean paste. However, these days, it’s often filled with pretty shades of ice cream and is sometimes decorated with adorable kawaii characters.
4. The Indian Subcontinent’s Gulab Jamun
These deep-fried dough balls made from milk solids could be described as a sort of doughnut and they are certainly just as tasty. Soaked in an aromatic syrup infused with flavors such as rose water, green cardamom, and saffron, this popular dessert has a smooth outside and a light, moist middle.
5. France’s Crème Brûlée
Crème Brûlée is a favorite with foodies around the world. This baked custard is traditionally made with heavy cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla and topped with a hard layer of caramelized sugar. The joy of this simple, elegant dessert is in the contrast of the warm, crunchy topping and the rich, creamy custard.
Although it is a popular dessert and is widely-considered to be French, both Spain and England also claim that the classic pudding originated in their countries.
6. Germany’s Black Forest Cake
Also known as Black Forest gâteau or schwarzwälder kirschtorte, this classic German layer cake is a chocoholics delight. This decadent chocolate cake is saved from being overly sweet by the layers of tart black cherries and kirsch that cut through the lashings on whipped cream.
Although there are several theories as to how this sponge cake got its name, many people believe it was inspired by the traditional costume worn by women in the Black Forest Region of Germany consisting of a black dress, white blouse, and red pom-pom hat.
7. Iceland’s Happy Marriage Cake
This unusually-named cake, hjónabandssæla in Icelandic, is more similar to what we would call a pie in the US.
Hjónabandssæla is made from a crumbly oatmeal pastry that’s broken up into the pie’s filling as well as forming the base, and a deliciously tart rhubarb jam. It pairs wonderfully with a dollop of skyr, a yogurt-like fresh sour milk cheese that has been part of Icelandic cuisine for thousands of years.
8. England’s Banoffee Pie
As the snappy portmanteau suggests, banoffee pie is made from bananas, toffee, cream, and either a shortcrust pastry or biscuit base. This much-loved sweet treat was created in 1971 by the owner of The Hungry Monk, a restaurant in the south of England, and has remained a firm favorite ever since.
9. Malawi’s Sweet Potato Cookies
Mbatata, sweet potato cookies, hail from Malawi, known as the “Warm Heart of Africa” because of its people’s kindness. This affectionate name is why mbatata are traditionally heart-shaped. These soft cookies are almost cake-like in texture and have a mild, naturally sweet flavor.
10. Armenia’s Gata
Often considered Armenia’s national dessert, gata is a deliciously light flakey pastry with a sweet vanilla taste. This scrumptious pastry is made from flour, butter, egg whites, and matzoon, an Armenian fermented milk product. It typically takes two days to prepare and bake. If you’re a baker looking for a new recipe to try, gata is the perfect challenge.
11. Mexico’s Tres Leches Cake
An ideal dessert for dairy-lovers, this tasty Mexican cake literally translates as “three milks.” Unsurprisingly the cake is named because the sponge is traditionally steeped in three types of milk: cream, evaporated, and condensed milk. This luxurious, rich treat is popular throughout Latin America and is well worth trying if you have a sweet tooth.
12. Vietnam’s Three Color Dessert
Che ba mau, or three-color dessert, is a kind of dessert cocktail and may be one of the strangest desserts on our list for Americans, but it’s a refreshing snack perfect for the summer months.
The three colors the name refers to are red, yellow, and green. The yellow layer is made from mung beans, the green layer from pandan jelly, and the red layer is red beans. The whole concoction is topped off with coconut sauce and shaved ice, creating an eye-catching dish.
13. Ghana’s Brukina
This highly-nutritious dessert drink is made from ground millet and pasteurized milk and is particularly popular in Ghana’s northern regions. This sweet drink is so creamy it’s hard to believe that it’s one of the healthier snacks from around the world. Brukina is a refreshing choice all year round but is especially welcome in the hotter months.
14. Russia’s Napoleon Cake
In Russia, Orthodox Christmas was prohibited for much of the 20th century, and as a result, New Year became the biggest holiday on the calendar. One of the most popular dishes on the New Year’s table is the towering Napoleon cake, made from exceptionally thin layers of puff pastry dough similar to the French mille-feuille.
15. Italy’s Tiramisu
Italy has so many outstanding desserts to choose from, it’s impossible to say which is the best, but tiramisu is probably the most loved around the globe. Both rich and light with an unforgettable coffee flavor, it’s unsurprising that this sweet treat is one of our favorites.
16. Portugal’s Pasteis de Nata
Sweet, creamy custard cupped in a delicate, flakey pastry shell, these mini Portuguese tarts are a true delight. They are best served warm with a sprinkling of cinnamon alongside a strong Portuguese coffee.
17. Australia’s Lamingtons
Although summery pavlova is probably Australia’s most internationally famous dessert, the mouthwatering morsel known as lamingtons gives most candy from around the world a run for its money. These bite-sized squares of vanilla sponge covered in chocolate and sprinkled with desiccated coconut were supposedly invented by the French pastry chef working for Lord Lamington from leftover sponge cake in the late 1800s.
18. Turkey’s Turkish Delight
Just as the name suggests, this snack really is a delight to eat, especially with some of Turkey’s famously strong black tea or coffee. Also known as lokum, this unusual treat is often flavored with rosewater or citrus fruits and combined with chopped dates or nuts.
19. South Africa’s Malva Pudding
This warm, gooey sponge cake is a wonderful winter delicacy. Made with delicious apricot jam and served with custard or creamy sauce, this dish is the ideal comfort food.
20. Wales’ Welsh Cakes
Welsh cakes may look a bit like flat scones, but these yummy snacks are cooked on a cast-iron griddle rather than in the oven. They are made from flour, butter, eggs, milk, and spices and are usually sprinkled with sugar. Welsh cakes are so packed with flavor that there’s no need to accompany them with any kind of sauce.
21. Peru’s Picarones
Peru’s answer to the doughnut is made with squash or sweet potato and served with chancaca, a sweet sauce made from raw, unrefined sugar that’s typically flavored with orange peel.
22. Brazil’s Brigadeiros
Commonly eaten at celebrations, these Brazilian truffles are made of condensed milk, powdered chocolate, and butter. They are often beautifully presented and covered in different types of sprinkles.
23. Belgium’s Waffles
We eat waffles so often in America that it’s easy to forget that they originate from the other side of the Atlantic. Waffles were first created in the Middle Ages as street food sold outside Belgian churches, and they’ve been loved ever since.
24. Egypt’s Om Ali
Translating as “Ali’s mother,” there are numerous versions of this bread pudding-like dessert, though it traditionally contains puff pastry, vanilla, raisins, coconut flakes, and nuts. This hearty dish makes a fantastic breakfast alternative.
25. Jamaica’s Peanut Drops
If you love peanut brittle, you’ll go crazy for peanut drops. These addictive crunchy snacks are made by boiling roasted peanuts with ginger, water, and brown sugar. The ginger adds a delightful zing to the classic peanut-sugar combination.
Explore New Tastes Every Month
Have we whetted your appetite with this diverse list of traditional desserts from around the world? If so, why not try our international snack box?
At MunchPak, we love helping you explore the world through delicious food. With each monthly delivery, you will receive a brand new collection of yummy snacks from across the globe.
