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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
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.
MOST ICONIC Krapfen
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Austrian cuisine prides in their old traditional pastry desserts, and the delicate strudels are surely the most popular variety. Even though it is not as famous as the apple filled version, topfenstrudel is regarded as one of Austria’s favorites.
Made with soft, mildly sweetened quark cheese which is folded with the elastic and almost see-through dough or puff pastry, the strudel is baked until a crispy golden crust is formed on top. Raisins, apricots, and peaches are occasionally added to the quark cheese mixture, which is gently spiced with vanilla or lemon.
MOST ICONIC Topfenstrudel
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Mohnzelten is the name of a sweet Austrian pastry that's a specialty of the Waldviertel region. It consists of potato dough that's filled with poppy seeds. The dough is made from a combination of boiled potatoes, flour, butter, eggs, cream, salt, and baking powder, while the filling consists of butter, poppy seeds, honey, sugar, cinnamon, rum, and grated lemon zest.
Once filled, mohnzelten are shaped into flat balls that are baked until golden brown. They're often taken on picnics and road trips as nutritious and filling snacks. Although the poppy seed version is the original, there are also versions with strawberries or nuts.
MOST ICONIC Mohnzelten
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Millirahmstrudel, a classic Viennese dessert, is a milk-cream strudel made from phyllo dough with sweet bread, raisins, and cream filling. The strudel is baked in an oven and served warm with hot vanilla sauce. Although the first written recipe for a milk-cream strudel dates back to 1696, many ascribe the invention of this dessert to a 19th-century restaurant located just outside Vienna.
MOST ICONIC Millirahmstrudel
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Bauernkrapfen is a traditional pastry that is especially popular in the regions of Styria and Carinthia. They are similar to doughnuts and are often enjoyed as a treat during carnivals, festivals, and other celebratory events. These pastries are made by first forming a yeasted dough into a ring shape, then frying it in oil until golden brown.
After frying, the bauernkrapfen are usually dusted with powdered sugar, though some versions may be filled with jam, similar to a jelly doughnut. Like many traditional dishes, there can be variations in the recipe for bauernkrapfen depending on the region or the personal preferences of the cook.
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Kiachl is a traditional pastry from the Tyrol region in Austria. It's a type of fried yeast dough pastry often enjoyed during the Christmas season and at local festivals. When making kiachl, a yeasted dough is left to rise, then shaped into a round, flat form with a depression in the middle.
The dough is then deep-fried in hot lard or oil until golden brown. After frying, kiachl can be served as a sweet and savory, depending on the topping. Sweet kiachl is dusted with powdered sugar and often served with a side of cranberry jam or other fruit compote.
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Puppenkrapfen are small, traditional Austrian pastries that resemble miniature krapfen. It is prepared with enriched yeasted dough that is deep-fried until golden brown, then dusted with powdered sugar. The doughnuts can be filled with jam (marmalade in Austria), with apricot jam being the favorite.
The name translates as "doll doughnuts" owing to its small size. Puppenkrapfen are often enjoyed during festive occasions and holidays, especially carnival time, offering a delightful combination of a crispy exterior and a sweet, fruity filling. They are a popular treat in Austrian bakeries and at celebrations.
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Topfengolatsche is a traditional pastry, part of the broader category of golatschen, which are sweet, folded pastries. It is filled with topfen (a type of soft, fresh cheese similar to quark or ricotta) mixed with sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla, and rum-soaked raisins.
The pastry dough is typically yeast-based or made from puff pastry, and it is folded around the creamy filling before being baked until golden. Topfengolatsche is a popular treat in Austria, often enjoyed as a breakfast pastry or dessert.
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 9 Austrian Sweet Pastries” list until February 14, 2025, 1,337 ratings were recorded, of which 1,108 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.