30 mouth-watering Christmas sweets from around the globe

When the holiday season rolls around, countries across the globe bring out their favorite sweet treats to celebrate Christmas. From delicate pastries to rich, nutty confections, these festive desserts reflect regional traditions and flavors. So if you’re looking for some international inspiration for your baking this year or are simply curious, read on.

A Christmas staple in both Spain and Italy, turrón is a nougat confection that comes in two main varieties: turrón blando (soft) and turrón duro (hard and crunchy). Made with almonds, honey, sugar, and egg whites, it strikes the perfect balance of sweet, nutty, and chewy.

A quintessential Canadian Christmas treat, butter tarts are small pastry shells filled with a gooey mixture of butter, sugar, and eggs. Variations include the addition of raisins, pecans, or a splash of maple syrup. The filling is sweet, sticky, and caramel-like, while the flaky crust offers the perfect contrast.

This tall, dome-shaped sweet bread is a Christmas icon in Italy. Panettone is light and airy, studded with candied fruits, raisins, and sometimes chocolate chips. Its subtle sweetness and fluffy texture make it perfect for breakfast with coffee or as a dessert served with mascarpone cream. The process of making panettone involves a slow rise, which gives it its signature soft crumb.

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Often referred to as German gingerbread, lebkuchen are soft, spiced cookies made with honey, nuts, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. They’re sometimes coated in chocolate or decorated with icing. A staple at Christmas markets, these chewy, aromatic treats come in heart, star, and round shapes.

The Bûche de Noël, with origins in Franc but enjoyed in many countries, is a showstopping dessert shaped like a Yule log. Made from a light sponge cake rolled with buttercream or ganache, it’s decorated to resemble a real log with bark-like textures, meringue “mushrooms,” and powdered sugar “snow.” This decadent treat combines rich chocolate with a festive presentation perfect for the holiday table.

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Down under, Christmas falls in the summer, and pavlova is the dessert of choice. This meringue-based treat is crisp on the outside and soft, marshmallowy on the inside. Topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits like strawberries, kiwi, and passionfruit, it’s a light, refreshing, and colorful addition to the holiday table.

Translating to 'Christmas wreaths,' kerstkransjes are delicate, buttery cookies often adorned with slivered almonds or a sprinkle of sugar. Traditionally hung on Christmas trees in Dutch homes, they are enjoyed throughout the holiday season. These golden, crunchy delights have a rich, almond-like flavor, making them perfect with coffee or hot cocoa.

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This warm, spongy dessert is a Christmas favorite in South Africa. Malva pudding is baked to a golden perfection, with apricot jam giving it a sweet and tangy flavor. After baking, it's soaked in a rich, creamy sauce made of butter, cream, and sugar, making it irresistibly moist. Served hot, often with custard or vanilla ice cream, it’s the ultimate treat for a South African festive table.

Stollen is a dense, yeasted fruit bread dusted with powdered sugar to resemble snow. Packed with candied fruits, nuts, and sometimes marzipan, it’s traditionally enjoyed throughout Advent and Christmas in Germany. The slightly sweet and buttery bread, with bursts of chewy fruit, pairs beautifully with a warm cup of mulled w i n e.

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A Christmas classic, sugar cookies are a blank canvas for holiday creativity. Made with a simple mix of flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla, they’re often cut into festive shapes like stars, trees, and reindeer. Decorated with colorful icing and sprinkles, these cookies are as much a holiday activity as they are a treat. Soft yet slightly crisp, they’re sweet, buttery, and perfectly nostalgic.

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These crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth cookies are a Christmas tradition from Spain but enjoyed around the world. Made from flour, sugar, and lard or butter, polvorones (or mantecados) can be flavored with cinnamon, almonds, or citrus zest. Their powdery texture (which gives them their name, meaning “dusty”) makes them a delicate, lightly sweet treat. Just make sure to squish them before eating!

Kourabiedes are Greek almond cookies traditionally enjoyed at Christmas. Made with butter, flour, and ground almonds, these crescent-shaped cookies are dusted generously with powdered sugar, creating a snowy effect. Their crumbly texture and rich, nutty flavor make them a festive favorite similar to Polvorones. This is the Greek spelling, but they are also enjoyed across the Balkan, Arab and Ottoman cuisines.

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Bibingka is a traditional Filipino rice cake made from glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar. It’s often cooked in banana leaves and topped with salted eggs, grated coconut, and butter. This sweet, slightly savory treat is commonly eaten after Christmas Eve Mass, offering a warm and comforting taste of Filipino holiday tradition.

Piernik is a range of Polish gingerbread cakes or cookies enjoyed during the Christmas season. Made with honey, spices like cinnamon and cloves, and sometimes filled with jam or covered in chocolate, it’s a fragrant and festive favorite. The cake version is moist and dense, while the cookies are often cut into shapes and beautifully decorated. They are also enjoyed in surrounding countries.

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This creamy rice pudding is a beloved Christmas dessert in Denmark. Risalamande is made with rice, milk, vanilla, and whipped cream, and it's often topped with a warm cherry sauce. The fun tradition involves hiding a whole almond or coin in the pudding — whoever finds it wins a small prize!

In Serbia, Česnica is a traditional Christmas bread or sweet cake prepared with a coin and other objects hidden inside. Made with simple ingredients like flour, sugar, and occasionally honey, it can be both sweet and savory depending on the household. At the beginning of Christmas dinner, the česnica is rotated three times counterclockwise, before being broken among the family members. The person finding the coin is believed to be lucky for the coming year.

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A modern Christmas favorite, peppermint bark combines layers of dark and white chocolate topped with crushed peppermint candy. The contrast between the creamy chocolate and the cool, crunchy peppermint makes it irresistible. Easy to make at home, it’s a festive treat often gifted in tins or served as a sweet after-dinner indulgence. See also: Candy canes.

Black Cake is a Christmas favorite across the Caribbean, where it is also known as R u m cake or Christmas cake. All of the versions are essentially fruit cakes made with puréed dried fruit soaked in spirits. After, the cakes are again soaked in r u m after baking, making them incredibly moist and tasty.

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The 'King Cake' of Portugal, bolo rei, is a festive, crown-shaped bread made with dried fruits, nuts, and a touch of b r a n dy. A small trinket or fava bean is traditionally baked into the cake. Whoever finds it is tasked with baking or buying the next year’s bolo rei. It’s rich, sweet, and visually stunning, topped with candied fruit. Versions are also enjoyed in Spain, Latin America, and France.

Joulutorttu are star-shaped Finnish pastries filled with prune jam. Made from flaky, buttery dough, these golden treats are dusted with powdered sugar to resemble snowy stars. The combination of sweet prune filling and crisp pastry makes them a holiday staple across Finland.

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A Swiss Christmas classic, Basler Läckerli are chewy, spiced cookies made with honey, almonds, candied peel, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Originating from Basel, they’re cut into small squares and have a slightly sticky, caramelized texture. Perfect for pairing with mulled w i n e or hot cocoa.

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A quintessential British Christmas treat, mince pies are small, buttery pastries filled with mincemeat—a mix of dried fruits, spices, sugar, and sometimes a splash of br a n dy. While modern versions no longer contain actual meat, the filling is rich, fruity, and fragrant.

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Divinity is a fluffy, nougat-like candy that has been a Southern Christmas classic for generations. Made with sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, and a hint of vanilla, it’s often studded with pecans or walnuts. Light and airy with a delicate sweetness, it’s a unique treat enjoyed alongside other holiday sweets like fudge and pralines.

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These Greek Christmas cookies are soft and syrup-soaked, made with semolina, olive oil, honey, and warm spices like cinnamon and cloves. After baking, they’re drenched in honey syrup and sprinkled with crushed walnuts, offering a sweet, sticky, nutty bite of Christmas tradition.

Pfeffernüsse are small, round cookies spiced with cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper. The name translates to “pepper nuts,” a nod to their bold, peppery flavor and their nut-sized shape. These bite-sized treats are often dusted with powdered sugar and have a soft, cake-like texture that pairs perfectly with coffee or tea. Similar cookies are enjoyed in other nations as well.

Fudge is a Christmas tradition across the U.S., loved for its melt-in-your-mouth texture and decadent flavor. Made with butter, sugar, milk, and chocolate (or other flavors like peanut butter, peppermint, or caramel), it’s often prepared in big batches to share with family and friends.

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Mazapan (marzipan) is a beloved Christmas treat across Spain, especially in Toledo, where the tradition dates back centuries. Made from finely ground almonds, sugar, and (sometimes) egg whites, mazapan is often shaped into small, festive figures. Its smooth, dense texture and sweet almond flavor are to die for. Marzipan is also indulged in elsewhere and can even be used as an ingredient in other Christmas baking.

These delicate crescent-shaped pastries are a Christmas staple in many Balkan households. Kiflice are made with a buttery dough and filled with sweet ingredients like plum jam, ground walnuts, or poppy seeds. Lightly dusted with powdered sugar, they melt in your mouth with a tender, flaky texture.

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Buñuelos are deep-fried dough balls made with corn flour and cheese, giving them a slightly salty and sweet flavor. In Colombia, they’re a must-have Christmas treat, often enjoyed with a cup of hot chocolate santafereño (hot chocolate with cheese). Crispy on the outside and fluffy inside, they’re perfect for holiday gatherings.

Gingerbread cookies are a classic Christmas treat across the world but date back to 15th-century England when Elizabeth I requested gingerbread figures made in the likeness of some important guests. Today, they are shaped into gingerbread men, homes, or festive designs, they’re spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and molasses.

Photo: Michael Carruth / Unsplash

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