Sweet world: 25 dessert recipes from around the globe

Let’s start with a confusing one! These may be called Afghan biscuits, but they’re not from Afghanistan — they’re a New Zealand treat! Crushed cornflakes and cocoa make up the base of these cookies, which are topped with a chocolate icing and halved walnuts. Just a Mum’s Kitchen can explain how to make them and reiterate the mysterious origins of the name.

Straight out of Argentina, these small sandwich cookies are filled with dulce de leche and coated in shredded coconut. They’re sure to impress nearly anyone, and you can make 50 of them in under an hour with this recipe from Vintage Kitchen Notes.

If you’re unfamiliar with babka from Polish or Ukrainian Jewish cuisines, you might know it from the famous “Seinfeld” episode, “The Dinner Party.” As the show states, the best version of this sweet, braided bread is chocolate, which is why we’ll refer you to this chocolate babka recipe from Tori Avey so you can make it yourself.

You’ve likely tried (or at least heard of) baklava, but have you ever considered making it at home? Store-bought dough makes this version from Simply Recipes a snap, but the presentation — featuring phyllo layered with honey, nuts, and spices — is sure to impress your guests…or your family…or just yourself!

You’ve probably had Italian shaved ice. You may have had Hawaiian shave ice. But have you tried Korean shaved ice? It’s milk-based and includes toppings like fruit, fruit syrup, sweetened condensed milk, and even beans! This mango bingsu recipe from Beyond Kimchee uses red bean paste and doesn’t require a special machine — just a blender and a freezer. 

These Brazilian brigadeiro beauties are chocolate BOMBS! Similar to a truffle, they are rich, dense, and look like something you’d get at a high-end chocolatier…but they’re actually easy to make, requiring only five simple ingredients and about 45 minutes of prep and cooking time. Get the scoop from I Heart Brazil.

Cannoli — with their creamy filling and delicate exterior — seem like a dessert that can’t possibly be made at home, but this recipe from Cooking Classy (and some inexpensive cannoli forms) can make it all happen. The process is more time-consuming than many other options on this list, but we assure you it’s worth it…and your guests will be shocked that your dessert is homemade.

Castella, also known as kasutera, is a moist, slightly sweet sponge cake made with flour, sugar, eggs, and a honey syrup, but no butter or oil of any kind...other than non-stick spray, of course. This dessert is an important part of Japanese history, and Just One Cookbook breaks it down for you right here.

This Spanish, Portuguese, and Mexican dessert is easier than it looks! (It’s also even tastier than it looks.) And the best part is that you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen, as this recipe from Cooking Classy only calls for butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, egg, vanilla, and some oil. 

We’re down for any dessert that requires a blowtorch — especially one as delicious as crème brûlée. Don’t be intimidated by the fancy multi-accented name or the necessary firepower, as this five-ingredient version from The Recipe Critic is so easy that even a first-timer can handle preparing this famous French dish.

Dadar gulung (which translates to “rolled pancake”) is a popular Indonesian snack that resembles a blintz — except it’s bright green! Pandan paste provides the hue, and the filling consists of palm sugar and coconut. If you can make pancakes, you can handle this version from So Yummy Recipes.

Just look at these adorable little pineapple cakes from Taiwan! Known as fènglísū locally, they have a buttery, shortbread-like exterior that’s packed with a dense filling of fresh pineapple — this recipe from Kavey Eats calls for 3 cups of the fruit!

Gajar ka halwa is a mouthful to say, but it’s also a mouthful of deliciousness. This traditional North Indian dessert is made by simmering grated carrots with water, milk, ghee, sugar, and cardamom, and topping the finished product with nuts and sometimes raisins. This page from Swasthi’s Recipes gives you four different ways to prep this dessert so you can choose whichever works best for you!

A popular dessert in South Asian culture, gulab jamun (“rose water berry”) involves reducing milk down to a soft dough, but many chefs opt to instead use milk powder, as the reduction process can be tedious and time-consuming. After the dough balls are formed, they are fried in oil or ghee and covered in a sweet sugar syrup that makes them irresistible. Get the details from Hebbars Kitchen.

Kardinalschnitten, or "cardinal slices," is a traditional Viennese dessert that consists of meringue layered between slices of sponge cake, with yellow and gold colors reminiscent of the Catholic church. Plus, berries provide a pop of red! Culinary Talks can talk you through the process.

Lokum is probably the most popular dessert to come out of Turkey, and if that name doesn’t ring a bell, we should mention that it’s also known as “Turkish delight.” These soft, slightly chewy jelly candies come in a seemingly endless number of varieties that include fruit, nuts, and/or various spices. A Spicy Perspective can show you how to make a version with rosewater, raspberry and orange extracts, and chopped pistachios. 

Ma’amoul, or maamoul, are butter cookies stuffed with nuts and/or dates. These treats hail from the Arabian Peninsula and are especially popular around Easter, Purim, and Eid, as well the winter holiday season. They look unassuming but are actually packed with flavor, as the dough also contains rose water or orange flower water. Get the details on this date dessert via The Delicious Crescent.

One of the most popular South African desserts is malva pudding, but despite the name, don’t expect to find this pudding in any snack pack. Instead, malva pudding is a sort of sponge cake made with apricot and topped with custard or ice cream — which is closer to the British definition of pudding. Food.com has a super-moist version here.

Mille-feuille (or "thousand sheets") looks as fancy as it sounds but you don’t have to be a French pastry chef in order to make it. This recipe from Preppy Kitchen will walk you through making the cream, the flaky layers, the glaze, and assembling the entire thing.

Mochi is becoming more and more mainstream, so we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re already familiar with these Japanese rice cakes. These sweets are especially popular during New Year celebrations, but with this recipe from Tasting Table — and the necessary ingredients of red bean paste, rice flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and strawberries — you can make your own at home anytime.

You’d think Canadians would welcome an opportunity to fire up the oven or some other heat-generating appliance, yet the Nanaimo bar — named for the city in British Columbia from which it originates — is a no-bake dessert. Once named Canada’s favorite confection, these bars have a chocolate-coconut wafer base, a layer of custard in the middle, and a chocolate ganache topping. Cooking Classy can show you how it’s done.

Meringue fans will go mad for this one. In Australia and New Zealand, there’s a traditional dessert that’s made up of meringue topped with whipped cream topped with fruit. As Natasha’s Kitchen will tell you in this recipe, the meringue is the best part, as it’s crisp on the outside yet soft and fluffy on the inside.

Whether you eat them for dessert, breakfast, or anytime in between, we recommend adding a poffertjes recipe to your rolodex. These mini pancake puffs are a classic Dutch treat and street food, and they’re customizable to your liking — this recipe from Tara’s Multicultural Table suggests strawberries and a Nutella drizzle!

Don’t worry, Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte has a much simpler name: Black Forest cake. Although there is, in fact, a Black Forest in Germany, that’s not where the name comes from. Instead, the dessert is named after a type of liquor called Schwarzwälder Kirsch, which is made from cherries and is an important ingredient in the torte. In keeping with tradition, you’ll need some kirsch for this recipe from Also The Crumbs Please.

You probably think of nougat as the fluffy, whipped stuff inside a Three Musketeers or Snickers bar, but Italian nougat is much chewier, or even hard and crunchy, in some cases. (You’ll also find variations of this nut-filled nougat in Spain and Portugal.) Try this version from xoxoBella, which recommends roasted almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans…or all of the above.