Ready for a whirlwind tour of Europe, one bite at a time? Forget packing your bags, because I’ve got the ultimate culinary adventure right here.
This list of 30 European desserts brings the best of the best straight to your kitchen, so get ready to whip up some magic!
1. Cannoli
Cannolis might appear to demand a lot of hard work and effort, but that’s not at all the case. The reality is that they’re really easy to prepare, taking only 15 minutes.
Though, the drain time requires about 12 hours, so be sure to keep that in mind when making these for an event or specific time. However, in the event that you use store-bought shells, you only have to strain the ricotta cheese overnight, then combine it with the rest of the ingredients.
After that, mix well, pipe the mixture into the shells, and add even more sugar and chocolate chips if desired. Now you have sweet and tangy, creamy and crispy cannoli in just 15 minutes.
2. Swiss Pears and Chocolate
All you need to make this sweet, creamy treat is four ingredients and absolutely zero cooking. Perhaps you think that pears and chocolate aren’t a good match if you’ve never had them together before.
Actually, they make a superb combo. Pears are tart and sweet, and they go together perfectly with the chocolate, especially when you melt it in with the pears’ heavy syrup.
It is truly an unbeatable treat.
3. Bulgarian Honey Cookies
You might think that these are just chocolate-dipped Vanilla Wafers at first glance, but the truth is that they’re quite different. They’re soft and chewy, for one, but they’re also sweeter thanks to their rich honey flavor.
The cinnamon adds a nice bit of spice, and the chocolate adds a little extra sweetness. What I really appreciate is the cute appearance that makes them look like a man with a bowl cut.
I’m a big fan of these tasty treats, especially when they’re dipped in tea.
4. Eton Mess
Ever wondered why this dessert is called a mess? It’s quite simple: Because it’s a messy bowl of scrumptious food.
In addition to being gluten-free, you also don’t even need to bake it. The only thing you’ll do is mix everything—strawberries, raspberries, caster sugar, heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, and meringues—in a bowl.
If you’re a fan of fruit with whipped cream, you’ll certainly be a fan of this simple-to-make dessert.
5. Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)
It’s as simple as can be, yet every single bite is positively divine. The only downside is that the recipe only makes 12 treats as it’s written, but you’ll definitely need way more than that because eating just one (or two, or three) of these is virtually impossible.
6. Chocolate Vanilla Berry Panna Cotta Tart
You have to look at this panna cotta tart if you care just as much about what your dessert looks like as you do about how it tastes. I’m telling you, this is really a stunning dessert, not to mention the fact that it tastes fantastic.
The vanilla panna cotta and chocolate pie crust blend together perfectly, and the honey-sweetened berry sauce is unbelievably delightful. After you decorate with your favorite berries, you’re all ready to go.
7. Arroz Con Leche
You might know Arroz con Leche, or rice with milk, as something else: delicious, creamy rice pudding. It’ll only take you about 2 or 3 minutes of prep time with 25 minutes left for it to cook, and when it’s ready, you can serve it warm if you like that, which is how I prefer it.
There’s simply no beating how easy it is to prepare and how great it tastes.
8. Apple Strudel
There’s so much more to this than just the delightful crust and powdered sugar topping. There are also apples, butter, raisins, cinnamon, and sugar.
You’ll find each and every component of this strudel delightful, and each bite will practically melt on your tongue.
9. Italian Hot Chocolate
This is destined to be the thickest, richest hot chocolate you’ll ever make, and after you see just how thick it is, you’ll realize why it’s not for drinking.
If you happen to be looking for something to dip fruit, pretzels, or cookies into, this is definitely the recipe you want.
10. Madeleines
What we have here are French classics: buttery, sugar-coated cookies shaped like seashells. Every single bite is a little bit sweet and possesses just a bit of lemon zest.
If you happen to need some brunch snacks or cookies to have with coffee or tea, these are definitely something I recommend.
11. Palmiers
Palmiers call for only three ingredients and need less than 30 minutes to make, so if you’ve never had them before, you should definitely give them a try. The lack of extra frills means that they’re delightful in spite of their simplicity.
They taste precisely as buttery as only puff pastry dough can be, and they have a light dusting of sugar to make them even more delightful.
12. Melopita (Greek Honey Pie with Ricotta Cheese)
Although it may look like cornbread, melopita is both moister and lighter, not to mention sweeter by leaps and bounds. You’ll find that it’s buttery, and the honey flavor comes through subtly but deliciously.
Topping with pomegranate seeds is optional, but you’ll definitely find that they add vibrancy and tartness that makes the pie so much better, so I definitely recommend them.
13. Churros
With their crispy, sugar-coated outsides and their soft, fluffy insides, churros always hit the spot. With every single bite, they give you a satisfying crunch that then practically melts on your tongue.
They’re even better with the rich, decadent chocolate dipping sauce, which, frankly, might just be paradise in a bowl.
14. Stroopwafel
These immensely great stroopwafels feature wafer-thin, crispy waffle cakes with a filling that consists of molasses, brown sugar, syrup, and cinnamon. I guarantee you’ll only need to know that much.
It tastes like every single bite is crunchier and sweeter than any of the bites before it. By the time you’re done eating one, you’ll likely be in a state of bliss.
15. Speculaas
While these thin, crispy cookies aren’t all that sweet, the wonderful mix of spices will more than make up for it. They practically explode with flavor because of the ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
For a pretty finishing touch, try adding the almonds right in the middle. With a cup of coffee or tea, or even a tall glass of milk, you can sit back and savor every bite.
16. Serradura
Although this simple dessert takes only 20 minutes to prepare, you’ll need to let it chill out for a few hours prior to serving. With just a few minimal ingredients, this dessert requires absolutely no cooking: Marie biscuits, sweetened condensed milk, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract.
What you’ll want to do is whip it up, ensure it looks pretty, and then let it rest in the fridge for a few hours. Take it out about 15 minutes prior to serving and top it with anything you like.
Truthfully, it’s pretty hard to find anything as tasty, creamy, and sweet.
17. Buche De Noel
And if you decide that you want to skip out on all the holly berries, mushrooms, and other decorations shown in the picture, don’t sweat it. This recipe is really just for a log-shaped chocolate dessert that’s remarkably simple to make.
While doing the extras is certainly an option, people will definitely love it with only the log itself. Its rich, decadent flavor is bound to be a hit, no matter whether it looks more like a log or more like a chocolate pumpkin roll.
18. Rødgrød Med Fløde
Please, don’t ask me to say this dessert’s name aloud; I have no clue how to do it. But what I do know is that I usually finish eating it not long after I make it, so I simply call it Danish red berry pudding.
This pudding has it all: It’s thick, creamy, cool, and jam-packed with currant and berry flavor.
19. Macarons
Even though they’re soft and sweet, chewy and nutty, macarons can often be a pain to prepare. You’re in luck, though, as this recipe is actually “foolproof.”
As long as you make sure to follow all the instructions, you should have no problem making these lovely pink, raspberry-flavored cookies.
20. Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake
What the Swedish call a kladdkaka, I would call gorgeous. I’m telling you, the Swedish sticky chocolate cake possesses a deep, dark chocolate color that works incredibly well with the berries and powdered sugar that are placed on top.
What’s more, it only uses everyday kitchen staples: eggs, butter, flour, sugar, cocoa, vanilla extract, and salt. Both ways taste awesome, so go ahead and serve it warm for a thick, fudgy cake, or you can serve it cold for the crispy edges and a gooey, chocolate lava cake-like filling.
21. Tiramisu
The heavy cream, ladyfingers, chocolate, cocoa powder, rum, and mascarpone in tiramisu really leave very little to dislike about it, unless you’re vegan. But even if you are, you can now relish the same incredible, creamy layered cake without any of the dairy.
It takes some time and effort to prepare, but you’ll come to understand why it was worthwhile after your first bite.
22. French Chocolate Truffles
If you’ve never had real French chocolate truffles, you’re surely missing out, but this recipe can help to correct that any time you feel like making them. It really doesn’t get any better than these delectable, bite-sized mouthfuls since they’re chocolatey and soft, and all they need are just four ingredients.
That means that you can make these tonight as long as you have some cocoa powder, heavy cream, semi-sweet chocolate, and vanilla extract.
23. French Apple Cake
This will be the softest, most fluffy cake with the greatest apple flavor you’ll ever prepare, and if you or anyone you know enjoys apples, you’ll totally love it. I have to tell you that it looks, and is, plain and simple, but when something tastes this amazing, it really doesn’t need any fancy frills.
24. Strawberry Fool
This 20-minute dessert is super convenient: all you need is some strawberries and cream. As Emeril would say, it will be time to “kick it up a notch,” and to do this, what you’ll want is strawberries, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract, and oh, yeah, some more strawberries, too.
If there’s such a thing as the ultimate dessert, this may be it.
25. Arnhemse Meisjes
With only five ingredients, these flat, sugar-crusted cookies are both zesty, sweet, and spicy all at the same time. Even with only five ingredients, they’re robust and flavorful, making for a spectacular taste.
With every bite, you’ll get a bit of vanilla, a bit of zesty lime, and some spice and piney flavor from the cardamom and cinnamon. Because the cookies use puff pastry dough, they’re super crispy and thin, and you’ll find them amazing no matter what.
26. Almond Cranberry Biscotti
Since I’m on the topic of coffee and tea snacks, there’s just no way that I can go without mentioning biscotti. Its crunchy texture and subtly sweet flavor are simply too good to not mention, and these are especially delicious since you’ll add cranberries and almonds to them.
Everybody will love the tart, nutty flavor that this gives the biscotti.
27. Romanian Fried Doughnuts (Papanasi)
It might not seem so appetizing to have cheese-filled, fried doughnuts covered in runny, sticky jam, but believe me when I say that these are fantastic! Not only are they rich and decadent, but their perfect balance of tanginess and sweetness prevents them from falling too far to either side.
Not only that, but they look absolutely great, and I can make them in as little as an hour. Everyone who sees these things thinks that I put way more time and work into them than I actually did.
28. Chocolate Gelato
Truthfully, you could just save some cash and prepare your own since all it takes to make the most smooth and creamy chocolate gelato possible are cocoa powder, sugar, whole milk, cornstarch, and bittersweet chocolate. I promise you that gelato is far better than ice cream, so why would you not want to spend your time with this dessert?
29. Linzer Cookies
If you think of Linzer cookies as having a nutty taste, this recipe may completely stun you at first. With only jam in the middle and powdered sugar on top, these are pure shortbread goodness.
The lack of nuts is surely made up for by both the rich buttery flavor and the flaky crust. Plus, the sticky jam filling certainly doesn’t hurt things, either.
30. Affogato
Prepare to be blown away because this is really pretty awesome. Just pour hot espresso over a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream, and if you want, add chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or any other toppings.
But with only two ingredients, you can make this in seconds. And just like that, you can create an unbelievably delicious dessert.
That is, if you like ice cream, but you don’t exactly love it.