European Christmas Desserts Map, 56 Sweet Treats by Country

Key points from the map

• The map places 56 Christmas sweets on 32 countries and nations, from Norway and Finland in the north to Malta, Spain and Portugal in the south.
• Italy has the most entries (six), followed by France and Spain (five each).
• Greek melomakarona and Albanian baklava have the highest ratings on the map, 4.4 out of 5.
• Norwegian serinakaker and English Christmas pudding have the lowest, 2.9.
• Bûche de Noël appears twice, for France and for Belgium. 8 treats carry no rating.

Every treat on the map, by country

Names and ratings as printed on the TasteAtlas map. The ratings are TasteAtlas audience scores out of 5 at the time the map was made; they can change on the TasteAtlas site.

Country	Christmas treats on the map (TasteAtlas rating out of 5)
Norway	Serinakaker (2.9), Smultring (3.3)
Sweden	Klenät (3.0), Knäck (3.8)
Finland	Joulutorttu (4.1)
Estonia	Kringel (3.9)
Latvia	Piparkukas (3.6)
Lithuania	Šakotis (4.2)
Denmark	Æbleskiver (4.1), Risalamande (4.1)
Scotland	Dundee cake (3.3)
Ireland	Christmas cake (no rating shown)
England	Mince pie (3.5), Christmas pudding (2.9)
Netherlands	Oliebollen (4.0)
Belgium	Bûche de Noël (3.9)
Germany	Stollen (3.7), Engelsaugen (3.9), Lebkuchen (3.7)
France	Bûche de Noël (3.9), Bredele (3.9), Marron glacé (3.8), Guinettes (no rating shown), Pompe à l’huile (3.0)
Switzerland	Hefekranz (3.9)
Austria	Vanillekipferl (4.2)
Poland	Piernik (4.1), Makowiec (3.9), Makówki (3.3)
Ukraine	Kutia (3.3)
Czech Republic	Perník (4.0)
Slovakia	Medovníčky (no rating shown)
Hungary	Mákos bejgli (3.9)
Romania	Pelincile Domnului (4.1), Cozonac (4.1)
Slovenia	Potica (4.2)
Croatia	Paprenjaci (3.5), Fritule (3.9)
Serbia	Slatka česnica (no rating shown)
Bulgaria	Tikvenik (4.1)
Albania	Baklava (4.4)
Greece	Melomakarona (4.4), Karydopita (3.8)
Italy	Panettone (3.7), Pandoro (4.1), Torrone (3.4), Struffoli (3.5), Papassini (3.1), Cuccidati (no rating shown)
Malta	Qaghaq tal-ghasel (no rating shown)
Spain	Casadiella (no rating shown), Neula (3.8), Buñuelo (3.8), Turrón (3.8), Alfajores (no rating shown)
Portugal	Aletria (3.4)

What some of the best known treats are

Stollen (Germany). A fruit bread of nuts, spices and dried or candied fruit, often coated with icing sugar and often containing marzipan. In Germany at Christmas it is called Weihnachtsstollen or Christstollen [1].

Panettone (Italy). A sweet bread and fruitcake associated with Milan, usually made for Christmas and New Year. Although it looks like bread, in Italy it is treated as a dessert [2].

Bûche de Noël (France and Belgium). A sponge cake rolled and iced to look like a log. It emerged in the 19th century, probably in France, and is served especially in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland [3].

Melomakarona (Greece). Egg shaped biscuits made mainly from flour, olive oil and honey, dipped in honey syrup after baking and topped with walnuts. They are a traditional Christmas sweet in Greece [4].

Christmas pudding (England). A boiled or steamed pudding of dried fruit, suet, breadcrumbs, flour, eggs and spice, served as part of Christmas dinner in Britain. Eliza Acton wrote the first recipe for a dish called “Christmas pudding” in 1845 [5].

Turrón (Spain) and torrone (Italy). The same Mediterranean nougat, made of honey, sugar and egg white with toasted almonds or other nuts, eaten around Christmas in Spain and Italy [6].

Joulutorttu (Finland). A star or pinwheel shaped puff pastry filled with prune jam, often dusted with icing sugar [7].

Notes on this infographic

• Oliebollen. The map lists these Dutch doughnuts as a Christmas treat, but they are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Eve [8].
• Spelling. The map prints some names without their accents, for example Piparkukas for the Latvian piparkūkas and Qaghaq tal-ghasel for the Maltese qagħaq tal-għasel. Melomakarona is split across two lines as “Melomak-arona”. The table keeps the map’s spelling.
• Ratings. 8 treats show no rating badge: Christmas cake (Ireland), Guinettes (France), Medovníčky (Slovakia), Slatka česnica (Serbia), Cuccidati (Italy), Qaghaq tal-ghasel (Malta), Casadiella (Spain), Alfajores (Spain). The map does not say why.
• Selection. One or a few treats are shown per country, so the map is a sample, not a complete list of each country’s Christmas sweets.

Questions about European Christmas desserts

What are the highest rated Christmas desserts in Europe?

On TasteAtlas's map of 56 European Christmas sweets, Greek melomakarona and Albanian baklava have the highest ratings, 4.4 out of 5. Close behind at 4.2 are Lithuanian šakotis, Austrian vanillekipferl and Slovenian potica. The ratings are TasteAtlas audience scores at the time the map was made and can change on the TasteAtlas site.

What are the traditional Christmas desserts in Italy?

Italy has six Christmas treats on the map, more than any other country: panettone (3.7), pandoro (4.1), torrone (3.4), struffoli (3.5), papassini (3.1) and cuccidati, which has no rating. The ratings are TasteAtlas scores out of 5. Panettone is a sweet bread and fruitcake associated with Milan, usually made for Christmas and New Year, and in Italy it is treated as a dessert [2].

What is the lowest rated Christmas dessert in Europe?

Norwegian serinakaker and English Christmas pudding share the lowest rating on the TasteAtlas map, 2.9 out of 5. Christmas pudding is a boiled or steamed pudding of dried fruit, suet, breadcrumbs, flour, eggs and spice, served as part of Christmas dinner in Britain [5]. Eliza Acton wrote the first recipe for a dish called "Christmas pudding" in 1845 [5].

Are oliebollen eaten at Christmas?

Oliebollen are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve, not at Christmas [8]. The TasteAtlas map nonetheless lists these Dutch doughnuts as the Netherlands' Christmas treat, with a rating of 4.0 out of 5. The map shows only one or a few treats per country, so it is a sample rather than a complete list of each country's Christmas sweets.

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Stollen.
2. Wikipedia, Panettone.
3. Wikipedia, Yule log (cake).
4. Wikipedia, Melomakarono.
5. Wikipedia, Christmas pudding.
6. Wikipedia, Turrón.
7. Wikipedia, Joulutorttu.
8. Wikipedia, Oliebol.
9. TasteAtlas, tasteatlas.com, creator of the map.

Last reviewed 30 October 2026