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What to eat in Europe? Top 100 European Sweet Pastries

Last update: Wed Jan 29 2025
Top 100 European Sweet Pastries
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01
Pastel de Belém
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Pastel de Belém is a traditional egg custard tart and a predecessor to the famous pastel de nata. The tarts are made with a pastry shell that's filled with a combination of milk, eggs, sugar, lemon, and cinnamon. The first recipe for pastel de Belém dates back to 1837 when it was produced by the monks of the Jerónimos monastery.


Only the custard tarts produced at the Fábrica Pastéis de Belém can be called pastel de Belém, while all the others, produced by other patisseries in Lisbon are called pastel de nata. Regardless of the name, these tarts can be served hot or cold and in 2009, The Guardian listed pastel de Belém as one of the 50 'best things to eat' in the world.

MOST ICONIC Pastel de Belém

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02

Sweet Pastry

LISBON DISTRICT, Portugal
4.6
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Pastel de nata is a traditional egg custard tart that is popular throughout the world. It is believed that for the best result, the filling should not be too sweet and should not have flavors of lemon nor vanilla. Instead, the tarts should be sprinkled with cinnamon and, ideally, paired with a cup of coffee.


Originally, this treat was made before the 18th century by Catholic monks and nuns in Santa Maria de Belém in Lisbon. The tart was made from leftover egg yolks that were used in the clearing of wines and starching of clothes. Later on, the clerics made a deal with a nearby bakery to start selling pastel de nata commercially, and the product was a huge success. 
VARIATIONS OF Pastel de nata

MOST ICONIC Pastel de nata

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03

Sweet Pastry

THESSALONIKI, Greece
4.6
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Trigona panoramatos is a traditional sweet pastry originating from the outskirts of Thessaloniki. These crispy and buttery triangular (cone-shaped) phyllo pastries are typically soaked in syrup and filled with creamy custard. The custard is usually made with a combination of egg yolks, flour, butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream.


The phyllo triangles are baked until golden brown, dipped in cold syrup consisting of sugar and water, and then filled with the chilled custard. Trigona is often garnished with chopped nuts before consumption.

MOST ICONIC Trigona panoramatos

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04
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These flaky, golden-colored, crescent-shaped pastries are best made with pure butter and a slightly sweet yeast dough. If made properly, the yellow-white interior should be just the slightest bit elastic when pulled from the center, ready to be covered with a pad of butter or some fresh jam.


Experts agree that the croissant was heavily influenced by Austrian kipfels. This pastry originated in 1683 as a celebration of the Austrian victory over the Ottoman Empire, its shape supposedly mimicking the crescent moon found on the Turkish flag. 

MOST ICONIC Croissant

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05
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Pączki are traditional Polish doughnuts are made from yeast-leavened dough that's rich in eggs, sugar, milk, and fats. A touch of spirit, such as rum, is often added to the dough for pączki to prevent the absorption of oil during frying. They are darker and larger than their Austrian cousin krapfen and often ball-like in shape rather than round.


Traditional fillings are plum preserve and rose jam. They are placed at the center of the dough and then wrapped around it to make a ball-like shape. Pączki are much more than just a tasty treat; they hold cultural significance in Poland and among Polish communities worldwide. 
06

Sweet Pastry

MACEDONIA, Greece
4.5
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Bougatsa is a traditional, rustic Greek pie consisting of a phyllo pastry layered with a filling of semolina custard, although there are variations with minced meat or cheese. The name of the dish is a derivation of the Ottoman word pogatsa, denoting a pie filled with cheese.


Bougatsa has origins from the Byzantine period, when Constantinople was Greek, and it began as a dough that was stuffed with numerous sweet and savory fillings. Over time, bougatsa evolved to incorporate a thinly rolled, hand-made phyllo pastry. As many Turkish immigrants settled in Northen Greece, bougatsa became a specialty of Serres and Thessaloniki. 

MOST ICONIC Bougatsa

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07
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The cinnamon roll or kanelbulle is a famous Swedish pastry made with yeasted, butter-rich, sweetened, and cardamom-flavored dough and has a cinnamon, butter, and sugar filling. Traditionally, kanelbulle will also have pearl sugar on top, although some variants can have either cardamom sugar or slivered almonds instead.


Cinnamon rolls are typically associated with fika, a well-established Swedish coffee-and-cake form of socializing. Although the origin of these tasty swirls is still subject to considerable debate, the pastry has its own day in Sweden – October 4th, known as Cinnamon Roll Day.

MOST ICONIC Kanelbulle

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08

Sweet Pastry

ALONISSOS, Greece and  one more region
4.5
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Fouskakia are traditional Greek donuts or loukoumades that are prepared on the islands of Skopelos and Alonnisos, in the northwest Aegean Sea. The name of this specialty derives from the Greek word foúska, meaning a bubble, referring to the typically small spherical shape of the fluffy fried pieces of dough which resemble bubbles.


These donuts are typically made with a simple batter of flour, water, and yeast, and once deep-fried in oil, they’re usually eaten while still warm. Fouskakia are usually enjoyed drizzled with honey on top and sprinkled with cinnamon or nuts, although they can also be accompanied by scoops of ice cream on the side.

09

Sweet Pastry

VIENNA, Austria
4.4
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A traditional pastry dessert with a rich and vivid history, apfelstrudel (apple strudel) is one of Austria's most popular delicacies. This sweet treat consists of thin layers of dough filled with a flavorful apple filling. Its story starts with the invention of baklava, a filo pastry popular in the Balkans and the Middle East.


Since baklava requires very thin dough, similar to strudel, the technique was likely perfected by either the Ottomans or the Greeks. It is believed that strudel arrived in Hungary first, then Austria, due to the fact that the Ottomans had constant interactions with the Habsburgs. 

MOST ICONIC Apfelstrudel

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10

Sweet Pastry

TUSCANY, Italy
4.4
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Italian deep-fried doughnuts known as bomboloni are one of the traditional sweets of the Carnival season, but nowadays they can be prepared throughout the year. Even though bomboloni are said to be of Tuscan origin, they are commonly sold as a snack in numerous pasticcerias, bakeries, and coffee shops throughout the country.


However, in Tuscany and further to the north of Italy, bomboloni are simply sugar-coated, while in Lazio these delectable treats take on a more decadent appearance, as biting into their sugary crust reveals a silky cream on the inside. The so-called bombolone Laziale is typically filled with either classic custard cream called crema pasticcera, or sometimes even chocolate cream. 

MOST ICONIC Bomboloni

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Sweet Pastry
LIMBURG, Netherlands
4.4
14
15
Sweet Pastry
AUSTRIA  and  7 more regions
4.3
16
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18
Sweet Pastry
FRANCE  and  one more region
4.3
19
20
Sweet Pastry
DOUARNENEZ, France
4.3
21
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24
Sweet Pastry
CZECH REPUBLIC
4.3
25
Sweet Pastry
ZEELAND, Netherlands
4.3
26
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35
Sweet Pastry
FRANCE  and  one more region
4.2
36
Sweet Pastry
POLAND  and  one more country
4.2
37
Sweet Pastry
CZECH REPUBLIC  and  one more region
4.2
38
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42
Sweet Pastry
AZORES, Portugal  and  one more region
4.2
43
Sweet Pastry
CAMPANIA, Italy
4.2
44
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47
Sweet Pastry
VIENNA, Austria  and  one more country
4.2
48
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50
Snack
CRETE, Greece
4.2
51
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53
54
Sweet Pastry
NORTH MACEDONIA
4.2
55
56
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58
Sweet Pastry
GREECE  and  7 more regions
4.1
59
Sweet Pastry
HUNGARY  and  one more region
4.1
60
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63
64
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66
Sweet Pastry
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina
4.1
67
68
Sweet Pastry
LOWER AUSTRIA, Austria
4.1
69
Sweet Pastry
SOUTHERN SAVONIA, Finland
4.1
70
Sweet Pastry
SKOPELOS, Greece
4.1
71
Sweet Pastry
SANTARÉM DISTRICT, Portugal
4.1
72
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77
Sweet Pastry
SINTRA, Portugal
4.0
78
79
Sweet Pastry
SANTA FE, Spain
4.0
80
Sweet Pastry
PORTUGAL  and  one more country
4.0
81
82
Sweet Pastry
SARDINIA, Italy
4.0
83
84
85
86
87
Sweet Pastry
COPENHAGEN, Denmark
4.0
88
Sweet Pastry
BORDEAUX, France
3.9
89
90
91
Sweet Pastry
POLAND  and  2 more regions
3.9
92
Sweet Pastry
NORTHERN EUROPE
3.9
93
94
Sweet Pastry
DALMATIA, Croatia
3.9
95
96
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98
Sweet Pastry
GREATER POLAND VOIVODESHIP, Poland
3.9
99
100
Sweet Bread
ROANNE, France  and  one more region
3.9

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 100 European Sweet Pastries” list until January 29, 2025, 20,012 ratings were recorded, of which 15,269 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.

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European Sweet Pastries