Christmas Desserts from Around the World

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Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the world, but the Christmas treats that we eat vary from country to country.

Swiss roll, Christmas cake, yule log, and Italian panettone aren’t the typical sweets you’d find at an American holiday party.

My great-grandparents shared many wonderful dishes from Italy and Greece. And I’ve always been interested in learning new traditions & creating memories for my children. I believe in handing down the classic recipes from our ancestors.

And so, this list of Christmas goodies is sure to inspire classical holiday traditions. I’m sharing several decadent recipes from some really talented bloggers.

collage of christmas desserts from around the world

Traditional Christmas desserts

You’ll find more than 40 Christmas sweet treats here. Perhaps, it will bring back a little nostalgia with recipes from your youth. This list is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

And if you’re looking for a fun new tradition to try with the family, one of our favorites is to make this healthy hot chocolate recipe and go for a drive to look at the Christmas lights in town!

Another favorite is to cozy up with one of these wholesome Christmas movies while snuggling up with our favorite Christmas cookies.

The list below has so many wonderful Christmastime dishes and traditions to celebrate the holidays.

Greek Butter Cookies

These delicious Greek Butter Cookies are made with a few simple ingredients and make a great treat with a cup of coffee or tea. And they also make a nice addition to your Christmas baking tradition.

Vegan Christmas Cake (Irish-style)

A vegan twist on Darina Allen’s fabulous traditional Irish cake, this dark luscious vegan Christmas cake is worth the effort!

Healthy Chocolate Raspberry Tart

This decadent healthy chocolate raspberry tart recipe is the perfect sweet treat you need. And made without refined sugars too!

Swedish Heirloom Cookies

Whether you call these by Swedish Heirloom Cookies or by many of their other names (Snowballs, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Russian Tea Cakes), you just need to try them. The buttery almond flavor melts in your mouth

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Inspired by the traditional dessert from France, these dark chocolate truffles make an excellent sweet treat that are actually pretty good for you – with antioxidant-rich dark chocolate!

Walnut Crescent Cookies

Easy walnut crescent cookies dusted with vanilla sugar to make for Christmas. They are crumbly, nutty, powdered sugar-topped little crescent-shaped cookies.

Apple Cinnamon Bûche De Noël recipe (Yule log)

This Apple Cinnamon Bûche De Noël recipe is the Ultimate Yule log if you want to make a really fancy and delicious Christmas cake this year!

Risalamande – The Traditional Danish Pudding Recipe Served On Christmas

Risalamande, which translates to “rice with almonds”, is a type of rice pudding enjoyed by Scandinavian countries; especially during Christmas time. You’ll need a special dessert rice, milk, almonds, sugar, vanilla extract or fresh vanilla pods. Serve with cherry sauce or a jam of your liking.

Cannoli Filling Dip

This easy to make cannoli filling makes a delicious dessert and you can use it several ways. From stuffing it inside of cannoli shells, enjoying it with graham crackers, or right off of the spoon!

serving bowl with the cannoli filling cream and broken up waffle cones to the side.

Pastel de Tres Leches Cake

This easy pastel de tres leches cake is a sweet, decadent dessert recipe! Serve with fresh strawberries or blueberries for the win.

Swedish Saffron Cake (Saffranskaka)

An easy cake recipe for the holidays! Swedish Saffron Cake (Saffranskaka), is a moist and deliciously soft cake that’s great for breakfast, snack or dessert!

Healthy Hot Chocolate

Hot chocolate doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Learn how to make a healthy hot chocolate that’s deliciously sweet, easy to make, and full of good for you ingredients!

holding a white mug of homemade hot chocolate with whipped cream on top

Healthy Peppermint Mocha Recipe

Creamy, smooth and refreshing, this peppermint mocha recipe is certainly a treat that you need during the cold winter months. It’s ultra satisfying without all of the unnecessary ingredients.

two coffee mugs with healthy peppermint mocha topped with homemade whipped cream and crushed candy cane pieces.

Berliner Kranz Cookies – traditional recipe

Berliner Kranz Cookies Norweigan Christmas Cookies or “Berlin Wreaths”. They’re made into wreath shapes & decorated with red & green sugars.

Moist Dark Chocolate Banana Bread

The sweetness of banana bread with chocolate chips is irresistible. Learn how to make this deliciously moist chocolate chip banana bread here.

slices of banana bread with chocolate chunk pieces on parchment paper.

Gingerbread Hummus

This dessert hummus tastes like gingerbread cookie dough. It’s sweet with those classic gingerbread spices like ginger, nutmeg & maple syrup.

The Best Cranberry Orange Bread

Moist & delicious Cranberry Orange Bread recipe with Orange glaze and a wonderful festive decoration is the ultimate holiday favorite!

Honey Butter Cookies (no processed sugar!)

These honey butter cookies are perfectly soft and incredibly delicious. But best of all, they are free of processed sugar and easy to make!

German Christmas Cake (Stollen Recipe)

You’ve never tried Stollen? You’re missing out! This German Christmas treat is packed with candied fruits and marzipan.

Italian Anise Cookies

These classic Italian anise cookies are tender, easy, and covered in a glaze with sprinkles. Enjoy these cookies during the holidays or year-round.

German stollen with prunes

Stollen is Germany’s Christmas cake – this version made with prunes, lemon zest & cardamon. Wonderfully aromatic, moist & delicious, and easy to make too.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Skillet Cookie

Decadent giant chocolate chip cookie recipe that is sure to win over your entire family. It is both soft and sweet, plus incredibly simple to bake in a cast iron skillet!

slice of skillet cookie with glass of milk in background

Traditional Christmas Pudding

It wouldn’t be Christmas without this traditional steamed pudding – packed with dried fruit, nuts, spices and with a hidden silver sixpence for good luck.

Traditional Czech Kolachkes

Traditional Czech kolachkes (kolache cookies) filled with jam, cheese or nuts and dusted with powdered sugar, a favorite at Christmas time!

Brandy Aged Fruitcake

Brandy Aged Fruitcake is so rich & delicious. Brandy softens the fruit and mellows the cake part of the fruitcake. You’ll become a fruitcake convert.

Speculoos – Speculaas

Speculoos, also known as Speculaas or Dutch Windmill Cookies, are a holiday cookie that is traditionally made for the Feast of St. Nicholas in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria.

Icelandic Christmas Cookies

Icelandic Christmas cookies with meringue, cornflakes and chocolate are easy and delicious. These traditional Christmas cookies are Marens Kornflexkokur.

English Christmas Trifle

Trifle is a classic English dessert, with layers of pound cake, Creme Anglaise, fresh fruit, and whipped cream. This holiday trifle uses raspberries and poached pears, making it as delicious as it is beautiful.

Low Carb Gingerbread Cookies Keto, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free

German Gingerbread Cookies: Easy to make those homemade Low Carb Gingerbread Cookies are a must on every Christmas table in most of the European Countries.

Italian Butter Cookies

These Italian Butter Cookies are perfect anytime. Serve them as a holiday cookie or with tea or coffee in the afternoon. Yes now these are the cookies that every Italian loves and knows how to make.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with Toffee Sauce

Sticky Toffee Pudding is a deliciously moist, date-speckled cake drenched in a warm butterscotch-toffee sauce and iconic in Britain, Scotland and Ireland!

Traditional Lussekatter, Swedish saffron buns

Traditional Swedish saffron bun called Lussekatter (named after Lucia cats) is the ultimate saffron-infused fluffy yeasted brioche to try!

Greek Almond Cookies (Amygdalota)

Greek Almond Cookies (Amygdalota) are crunchy, chewy classic Greek cookies made with only 5 ingredients, and they’re naturally gluten-free!

Napoleon Dessert | Classic French Pastry

Sheets of puff pastry layered with vanilla pastry cream. The classic French Napoleon (Mille Feuille) is one of the most delicious desserts you can make.

Delicious Breudher Cake with Blood Orange Glaze

This Delicious, buttery Sri Lankan Breudher Cake is a yeasted cake that’s soft & bread-like, and is covered in a citrusy blood orange glaze!

Instant Pot Arroz con Dulce Instant Pot Arroz con Dulce

Fragrant with warm spices and ginger, this Instant Pot Arroz con Dulce (Puerto Rican Rice Pudding) gets its creamy richness from coconut milk and eggs. Your Instant Pot/pressure cooker saves you the time spent stirring at the stove, and the resulting pudding will rival the best!

Chocolate, Caramel & Peanut Pavlova

If you love Picnic chocolate bars… then say hello to the most delicious CHOCOLATE, CARAMEL & PEANUT PAVLOVA!!! A super easy 10 minute dessert!

Cozonac Recipe – Romanian Sweet Bread

Cozonac or Romanian sweet bread: this is the most traditional Romanian pastry, a soft yeast dough with a sweet walnut filling.

German Christmas Cookies: Lebkuchen

German Christmas Cookies: Lebkuchen. Authentic recipe of the most popular German cookies: spicy, soft and incredibly flavorful. Spice mix recipe provided.

Christmas Fruit Mincemeat Pies

Christmas Fruit Mince Pies are sweet, fruity and traditionally served not only on Christmas, but Easter as well.

Buche de Noel Recipe in 3 Days

A chocolate Buche de Noel cake recipe with Hazelnut Cream. It’s made from a rich cholate sponge cake, filled with a light and fluffy chocolate hazelnut pastry cream, and decorated with the most charming homemade forest-themed confections. Learn how to make this show-stopper across 3 days to help manage the prep!

How to make Dutch Letter Pastries

Dutch Letter Pastries are one of the most beloved holiday desserts of all time. These traditional pastries are light and airy and are filled with a delicious marzipan filling.