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The star ingredient in this rich cake is a pasta variety called makaruli—in shape similar to penne or ziti. Traditionally prepared in round cake tins, a thin layer of dough is used as a base, while the cooked makaruli are then layered inside with a fragrant mixture of ground almonds or walnuts, grated chocolate, cinnamon, and lemon zest.
The entire combination is doused in a blend of melted butter and eggs, and the cake is neatly wrapped with the dough. As the name suggests, this cake is the signature dessert of the city of Ston, but it is commonly prepared and enjoyed throughout the region.
MOST ICONIC Stonska torta
This tart with a long tradition originates from the town of Imotski, and consists of a shortcrust pastry base and a flavorful almond filling. Both are heavily seasoned with various spices and different types of alcohol, from prošek or white wine in the pastry to maraschino cherry liqueur used in the filling.
Another important element of this cake is the elaborate woven lattice top which is typically studded with whole almonds.
MOST ICONIC Imotska torta
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This Croatian pastry is a traditional delicacy that is mainly associated with the island of Krk. Presnac was created as a way to utilize the once abundant fresh sheep cheese and to create a unique, authentic dessert. The dish is assembled out of a pastry base that holds the creamy, lightly sweetened cheese filling.
Though tradition suggests only sheep cheese, modern variations often replace it with fresh cow cheese and usually alter the filling with eggs and lemon zest. Presnac was traditionally prepared during the Carnival season, but nowadays the locals use every opportunity to make this specialty and to keep the tradition alive.
MOST ICONIC Presnac
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Kroštule are traditional Croatian pastries originating from the regions of Istria and Dalmatia. They are made by deep-frying ribbon-shaped dough. The dough consists of flour, sugar, egg yolks, oil, and milk. It is traditionally flavored with lemon zest, limoncello, or orange liqueur.
Kroštule are sprinkled with powdered sugar while they are still warm. Nowadays, these deep-fried pastries are typically associated with the festive carnival season.
MOST ICONIC Kroštule
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Rozata is a type of custard pudding made with a few basic ingredients — eggs, milk, and sugar, which are flavored with a local rose liqueur known as Rozalin. The creamy mixture is baked in caramel covered ramekins, and the process results in a custard that is generously covered with a sweet caramel topping.
The dessert originates from the town of Dubrovnik where it has been prepared since the Middle Ages, but the simplicity of ingredients and the method of preparation is what helped in keeping this dessert unchanged for centuries. Due to the refreshing combination of lemon zest, rose liqueur, and caramel, rozata is a dessert that is best enjoyed on hot summer days.
MOST ICONIC Rozata
View moreMandulat or bademovac is a traditional dessert from Dalmatia, similar to Italian torrone and Turkish halva. This no-bake cake is made with honey and almonds, a combination resulting in an incredibly sweet and caloric treat that can be consumed as a dessert or as a healthy snack.
MOST ICONIC Mandulat
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Skradinska torta is a unique Croatian cake originating from Skradin, hence the name. Although endless debates about certain ingredients (orange zest, lemon zest, Maraschino, mint, cinnamon) still exist, it is believed that only a few women from Skradin still have the original recipe.
The base is made with eggs, sugar, rose liqueur, honey, and ground walnuts. After it has been baked, the cake is glazed with a combination of dark chocolate, milk, and butter, and it is then garnished with chopped and whole walnuts. In the 15th century, the cake was made by brides-to-be just before their first wedding night.
MOST ICONIC Skradinska torta
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Čupavci are traditional Croatian cakes that are also popular in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and throughout the Balkans under different names. They consist of a sponge cake that is dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with finely desiccated coconut. Čupavci are extremely popular due to their climate suitability as they don't dry out when cut into bite-sized squares and covered in coconut.
A very similar cake can also be found in Australia and New Zealand in many supermarkets, cafés, and bakeries, and it's known as lamington, but this variety is often made with a layer of fruit jam, unlike its European counterpart. In Croatia, čupavci are a Christmas staple.
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Zagrebačka kremšnita is just one of many cremeschnitte varieties. It is a specialty of Zagreb, hence the name. This decadent cake consists of a thin layer of puff pastry that is topped with vanilla custard cream, a layer of whipped cream, and a top layer of chocolate glaze that separates this variety of cremeschnitte from the rest.
It was invented during the early 1980s by Stjepan Vincek, the owner of Slastičarna Vincek, who claims that more than 300,000 of these treats are sold per year from his establishment.
MOST ICONIC Zagrebačka kremšnita
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Paprenjaci are traditional Croatian biscuits with honey and black pepper. They were usually prepared throughout the year, although they are mostly associated with Christmas time and winter. Originally, these were simple, square-shaped biscuits with various decorations on top such as religious or pagan symbols, but today they can be shaped in many different forms.
The most popular varieties include biscuits with pepper, from the city of Zagreb, and the ones from the island of Hvar, where they are made with a combination of spices, but without pepper.
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 “21 Worst Rated Croatian Desserts” list until February 15, 2025, 2,546 ratings were recorded, of which 1,790 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.