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The Hungarian version of the famous cremeschnitte goes under the name krémes, meaning creamy. It combines two layers of puff pastry held together with a generous amount of smooth pastry cream. Though the recipe has been slightly modernized, the classic krémes pastry cream should be light and airy, while the top is usually dusted with powdered sugar.
Traditionally served cut into large, rectangular slices, the dessert is a Hungarian classic and a staple at numerous pastry shops throughout the country.
MOST ICONIC Krémes
View moreKrapfen was probably the first European-style doughnut to appear, followed by similar varieties in other countries. These pastries are traditionally prepared with leavened dough that is deep-fried until golden and crispy on the outside, while they remain soft, light, and airy on the inside.
Though krapfen can be prepared plain, they are most often filled or topped with jams, and vanilla or chocolate custards, while the top is usually dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with chocolate. The origin of the word krapfen dates back to 9th century, and the recipes in German can be found as early as the 14th century.
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Rákóczi túrós is a Hungarian curd cheese cake. The base is a thin shortcrust pastry, followed by a layer of sweetened curd cheese that is topped with meringue. This tasty cake is named after János Rákóczi, a Hungarian master patissier who invented it for the 1958 Brussels World Expo.
The dessert became an instant hit, and nowadays it can be found in almost every pastry shop in Hungary.
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This Hungarian tube-shaped pastry popularly known as chimney cake traces its origin to the medieval era Székely Land—back then a part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The first known recipe titled Kürtős kaláts’ à la Mrs Poráni was found in a 1784 cookbook written by Transylvanian countess Mária Mikes de Zabola.
The pastry shells are made from sweet yeast dough that is rolled in granulated sugar, basted in melted butter, and spit-roasted over charcoal. Freshly baked, kürtőskalács shells can be topped with additional ingredients such as ground walnuts or powdered cinnamon, but they're also often filled with ice cream or whipped cream.
MOST ICONIC Kürtőskalács
Even though its name translates to somló dumpling, this classic Hungarian dessert is actually a trifle cake made of several layers of sponge and custard cream, studded with raisins soaked either in rum or the sweet Tokaji Aszú wine, then topped with whipped cream.
Somlói galuska was invented in the 1950s—the novel dessert was first envisioned by Károly Gollerits, then headwaiter at the famous Gundel restaurant in Budapest, and later created by Gundel's master pastry chef József Béla Szőcs, whose cake became an award-winner at the Brussels World’s Fair of 1958.
Île flottante or floating island is a popular dessert originating from France, consisting of meringues that are poached in vanilla custard and often topped with caramel sauce and toasted almonds. The meringues are usually made from whipped egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract.
This classic dessert is one of the staples of French comfort food, although it is popular internationally, sometimes with small tweaks and variations, in countries such as Austria (Schneenockerln), Hungary (Madártej), Croatia and Serbia (šnenokle), and Italy (uova di neve).
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Gesztenyepüré is a sweet treat consisting of puréed, sweetened chestnuts topped with whipped cream. It is very popular in Hungary, but it was first discovered in an Italian cookbook from 1475. This dish is made by mixing chestnut purée, sugar, and rum together and then placing it in a ricer.
Besides whipped cream, it can also be topped with cocoa powder and cherries. The original version was later adapted into a traditional, seasonal French dessert named Mont Blanc, while Hungarians introduced their variation in the 18th century.
MOST ICONIC Gesztenyepüré
Aranygaluska, translated as golden dumplings, is a traditional dessert that is believed to have influenced the invention of the popular American monkey bread. It is prepared with soft balls of yeasted dough that are dipped in butter, rolled in a mixture of sugar and ground walnuts, then tightly assembled in a round tin and baked until golden brown and caramelized.
The bread is derived from the Jewish culinary tradition, and after it was brought to America, it was popularized by Nancy Reagan in the 1950s, when she served it at the White House. The cake is often served lukewarm and whole, allowing the guest to tear the individual golden dumplings.
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This decadent Hungarian dessert is said to have been invented by Budapest confectioners in the 19th century. It is named after a member of the Esterházy dynasty, Prince Paul III Anton Esterházy de Galántha, a nobleman and diplomat, and also a well-known gourmand.
Traditionally, Esterházy torta consists of several layers of almond meringue and a rich, cognac-spiked vanilla buttercream, although in modern versions almonds are often replaced with either walnuts or hazelnuts. The cake is topped with a white fondant icing and decorated with chocolate in either a spiderweb or chevron marbling style.
MOST ICONIC Esterházy torta
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Dobostorta is a round cake consisting of six thin sponge cake layers and five layers of chocolate buttercream. As an attempt to make a cake that would be able to keep longer than usual, the Hungarian confectioner named József C. Dobos first introduced the Dobostorta at the National General Exhibition of Budapest in 1885.
To prevent it from drying out, the cake also has a glistening layer of hard caramel on top, while the sides are often coated with ground nuts. Before it hardens, the layer of caramel should be cut into slices with a special Dobos knife, and the pieces of caramel are then arranged on top of the cake.
MOST ICONIC Dobostorta
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 30 Hungarian Desserts” list until March 15, 2025, 3,643 ratings were recorded, of which 2,700 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.