The best holiday dessert in 22 countries around the world
AUSTRALIA: Many Australians opt for a light pavlova — or berry dessert — after dinner. Pavlova is essentially a large meringue that has been topped with fresh cream and berries.
AUSTRIA: Little vanilla crescent cookies called vanille kipferl adorn bakeshop windows and family kitchens throughout the holiday season in Austria. They're similar to a shortbread cookie and made with vanilla and almonds.
Source: Food52
BELGIUM: Speculaas is a thin, crunchy cookie typically eaten before St. Nicholas' feast in the Netherlands. The cookies are created using intricate wood molds and are similar in taste to gingerbread cookies.
Source: Saveur
BRAZIL: Rabanada is a Brazilian version of French toast served around Christmastime. Instead of maple syrup, rabanada is topped with a syrup made from spiced port wine.
Source: Flavors of Brazil
CANADA: Chicken Bones, a spicy cinnamon hard candy filled with bittersweet chocolate, is a holiday favorite in Canada. Chicken Bones are a polarizing candy — a lot of Canadians either love them or hate them.
Source: The Globe and Mail
COLOMBIA: Many Colombians serve arroz con leche, or rice pudding, for dessert on Christmas. Every family has their own recipe, but it's typically made from milk, spices, raisins and rice.
Source: Only in South America
CROATIA: You can expect to find a bowl of fritule sitting out in every Croatian household during the holiday season. Fritule are mini fried doughnuts, similar to a beignet, except they're made with rum, citrus zest, and raisins, and topped with powdered sugar.
Source: My Croatian Experience
CZECH REPUBLIC: Wander around any holiday market in Prague, and you'll be sure to find a stand that sells trdelnik, or chimney cakes. Dough strips are covered with sugar, cinnamon, and nuts and baked wrapped around a cylinder.
Source: Every Day Is A Food Day
ENGLAND: Figgy pudding, also known as plum pudding and Christmas pudding, is a classic English Christmastime dessert. This cake-like treat is made with dried fruits, spices, and lots of alcohol. So much alcohol, in fact, that you can actually set it on fire, which many people do.
Source: NPR and Hungry History
FRANCE: Calissons are a smooth, chewy, almond-flavored candy made with candied fruit and ground almonds, then topped with a thin layer of white icing.
Source: Marvellous Provence
GREECE: A Greek Christmas wouldn't be complete without a fresh batch of melomakarona, or honey walnut-spiced cookies. These cake-like cookies are made with ingredients that are native to Mediterranean cuisine, like honey, olive oil, and nuts.
Source: My Greek Dish
GERMANY: Lebkuchen is a soft, cakey cookie that dates back to the 1300s. The cookie is heavily spiced and gets its sweetness from the added honey and layer of icing on top.
Source: Saveur and German Food Guide
HUNGARY: Beigli is a baked pastry roll traditionally filled with a walnut or poppy seed paste.
Source: The Hungarian Girl
ICELAND: Laufabrauð, or leaf bread, is literally as thin as a leaf. During the holiday season, families gather to make these crispy, thin, pattern-adorned flatbreads.
Source: Icelandic Review
IRELAND: Fruit, sherry cream, custard and sponge cake are all piled into a trifle dish during the holiday season in Ireland. Trifle is often served as a lighter alternative to Christmas pudding.
Source: Zester Daily and BBC Good Food
ITALY: Panettone literally means "big bread," and it wouldn't be considered Christmas in Italy without it. Panettone can come in lots of different flavors, but the traditional panettone is a sweet bread that has candied oranges, lemon zest and raisins in it. This fluffy bread takes at least 12 hours to rise, but when it's finally ready to eat, the whole family enjoys it.
Source: Delallo and Italy Magazine
JAMAICA: No Christmas on the island would be complete without a slice of boozy Jamaican Christmas cake. It’s filled with a mixture of dried fruit and lots of rum.
Source: Martha Stewart
MEXICO: Buñuelos can be found throughout Mexico, and like a lot of foods, they vary by region. In Oaxaca, where they are particularly popular during Christmastime, they look like discs of fried dough that have been dusted with sugar. When Oaxacans finish eating their buñuelos, it's tradition to smash their plate on the ground and make a wish.
Source: Go Mexico
NORWAY: An almond ring cake called kransekake is popular for all big occasions, Christmas included. A traditional cake consists of 18 wreaths that are decorated with mini Norwegian flags and decrease in size as they go up.
Source: Visit Norway
POLAND: Kolaczki are jam-filled holiday cookies that are especially popular after the big Polish Christmas Eve dinner called the Wigilia.
Source: Eastern European Food
SPAIN: In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Spanish supermarkets will be lined with varieties of turrón, a Spanish nougat that is especially popular during the holiday season. There are two types: turrón de Alicante (hard nougat), and turrón di jijona (a soft variety).
Source: Food and Wines from Spain
SWEDEN: The day of St. Lucia kicks off the holiday season in Sweden, and to help celebrate, saffron buns are traditionally served. These rolls get their beautiful golden color from the the saffron-infused dough.
Source: Saveur
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