Type of dish

Desserts and sweets

Cakes, biscuits, puddings and sweets for holidays and every day – often with honey, nuts, coconut or sweetened milk.

36 dishes · 50 countries

dessert · vegetarian Malva pudding South Africa A moist apricot-jam sponge soaked while hot in a butter, cream and sugar sauce, served with custard.
dessert · vegan Ladob Seychelles Ripe plantains or breadfruit simmered in coconut milk with sugar, nutmeg and vanilla.
dessert · vegetarian Om Ali Egypt A baked pudding of puff pastry pieces in sweet milk and cream with nuts, raisins and coconut.
dessert · vegetarian Brigadeiro Brazil Soft chocolate truffles of condensed milk, cocoa and butter, rolled in chocolate sprinkles.
dessert · vegetarian Dulce de leche Uruguay, Chile, Argentina … A thick caramel spread of milk slowly simmered with sugar, used on bread, in biscuits, cakes and ice cream.
dessert · vegetarian Alfajores Argentina, Peru, Uruguay Two crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth cornflour biscuits sandwiched with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut.
dessert · vegetarian Apple pie United States Flaky butter pastry filled with cinnamon-spiced apples under a pastry lid – the dessert that became a symbol of America.
dessert · vegetarian Butter tarts Canada Small pastry tarts with a runny filling of butter, brown sugar, syrup and egg, often studded with raisins.
dessert · vegan Tembleque Puerto Rico A smooth, wobbly pudding of coconut milk set with cornflour and dusted with cinnamon – Puerto Rico's festive dessert.
dessert · vegetarian Guava duff Bahamas A roll of dough filled with guava, steamed and served in slices with a warm buttery sauce.
dessert · vegetarian Gulab jamun Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan … Fried milk-dough balls soaked in a warm syrup scented with cardamom and rose water.
dessert · vegan Daifuku Japan Soft, chewy mochi cakes made from glutinous rice flour and filled with sweet red azuki bean paste.
dessert · vegan Mango sticky rice Thailand Sticky rice soaked in sweet coconut milk, served with slices of ripe mango and a lightly salted coconut cream.
dessert · vegetarian Halo-halo Philippines Shaved ice with milk layered over sweet beans, fruit, jellies, ube and leche flan, crowned with ice cream.
dessert · vegetarian Baklava Türkiye, Kosovo, Cyprus … Dozens of layers of paper-thin pastry with walnuts or pistachios, baked in butter and soaked in syrup.
dessert · vegan Churchkhela Georgia Walnuts threaded on a string, dipped again and again in thickened grape must and dried – Georgia's sweet “sausage”.
dessert · vegetarian Knafeh Palestine A hot dessert of stretchy melted cheese under a crisp pastry layer, soaked in syrup and sprinkled with pistachios.
dessert · vegetarian Luqaimat Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates Small fried dough balls, crisp outside and fluffy inside, drizzled with date syrup and sprinkled with sesame.
dessert · vegetarian Tiramisu Italy Sponge fingers soaked in espresso, layered with a cream of mascarpone and eggs and dusted with cocoa.
dessert · vegetarian Torta Tre Monti San Marino A round cake of thin wafers layered with hazelnut and chocolate cream and coated in chocolate.
dessert · vegetarian Churros with chocolate Spain, Mexico Crisp fried sticks of choux-like dough, dunked in thick hot drinking chocolate.
dessert · vegetarian Pastel de nata (Portuguese custard tart) Portugal Flaky puff-pastry tarts filled with egg custard, baked until blistered and dusted with cinnamon.
dessert · vegetarian Fritule (Croatian doughnut bites) Croatia Little fluffy doughnut bites with raisins, citrus zest and a splash of rum, dusted with icing sugar.
dessert · vegetarian Potica (Slovenian nut roll) Slovenia A festive yeast cake rolled into a spiral around a filling of walnuts and honey.
dessert · vegetarian Pączki (Polish doughnuts) Poland Fluffy fried balls of rich yeast dough filled with rose-petal jam and glazed or dusted with icing sugar.
dessert · vegetarian Dobos torte Hungary Thin layers of sponge filled with chocolate buttercream and crowned with a crisp sheet of caramel.
dessert · vegetarian Kama (roasted grain flour with kefir) Estonia A blend of roasted barley, rye, oat and pea flours stirred into kefir with honey and berries.
dessert · vegetarian Crêpes France Paper-thin pancakes with butter and sugar, jam or chocolate spread, from a street stand, a crêperie or the home kitchen.
dessert · vegetarian Black Forest gateau Germany Chocolate sponge soaked in kirsch and layered with sour cherries and whipped cream, covered in chocolate shavings.
dessert · vegetarian Sachertorte Austria A moist Viennese chocolate cake with a layer of apricot jam beneath a firm, glossy chocolate glaze.
dessert · vegetarian Apple strudel Austria Paper-thin, hand-stretched pastry rolled around apples with cinnamon, raisins and buttery toasted breadcrumbs.
dessert · vegetarian Liège waffle Belgium A dense, yeasted waffle studded with pearl sugar that caramelises in the iron into a crunchy coating.
dessert · vegetarian Stroopwafel Netherlands Two thin, crisp waffles sandwiched with a thick, cinnamon-scented caramel syrup.
dessert · vegetarian Swedish cinnamon bun Sweden A cardamom-scented yeast bun rolled with butter and cinnamon and topped with coarse pearl sugar.
dessert · vegetarian Pavlova New Zealand, Australia A large meringue with a crisp shell and a soft, marshmallowy centre, topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
dessert · vegetarian Lamington Australia Squares of light sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in desiccated coconut.