The 7 Most Delightful Traditional Christmas Desserts Worldwide

The holiday season is a time to celebrate life’s pleasures, and what brings more happiness than dessert?

But where do these Christmas desserts originate, and how did they become festive favorites? Here’s a useful guide to some of the most delicious traditional Christmas sweets you may not know about, plus the exciting part: where you can taste them yourself.

1. Bibingka, Philippines

Bibingka is a delightful sweet rice cake enjoyed during the Christmas season, which starts in September in the Philippines. The batter is traditionally placed in a terracotta dish lined with a banana leaf and steamed in a clay oven with hot coals above and below.

These sticky cakes were originally offered to deities or gifted to esteemed guests. Today, bibingka remains a beloved treat among Filipinos, commonly eaten for breakfast or after dawn masses during the festive season. It’s also enjoyed in certain regions of Indonesia.

Where to try it: Cafe Via Mare in Manila.

2. Buñuelos, Mexico

These airy, crispy, sweet discs are a cherished holiday treat in Mexico. Originating from Spanish colonial influences, buñuelos are crafted from fried dough that is either dusted with sugar or drizzled with piloncillo syrup (derived from cane sugar). The specific recipe and shape differ from region to region. For example, in Tabasco, a version resembling the original is made, while in Veracruz, you’ll find variations with flavors like sweet potato, pumpkin, or almond; some are shaped into small balls or donuts, fried in lard, and covered in sugar. In other Latin American countries, like Colombia, buñuelos are typically round and stuffed with cheese.

Where to try them: Street food vendors throughout Mexico serve them during the Christmas season.

3. Kahk, Egypt

In Egypt, the tradition of making kahk (cookies) dates back to the time of the pharaohs. Images depicting women preparing kahk have been discovered on the walls of ancient temples in Thebes and Memphis.

Historically, kahk were frequently filled with dates and figs. Today, these shortbread-like cookies are often adorned with geometric designs and filled with various ingredients such as dates, pistachios, and walnuts, or flavored with spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and sometimes fennel seeds, anise seeds, and mahlab (ground sour cherry pits).

Kahk is enjoyed by both Muslims and Coptic Christians to celebrate the conclusion of Ramadan and Advent fasting, as well as during various festivals. Coptic Christians commonly present a box of kahk as a gift when visiting friends and family during Christmas.

Where to sample this treat: Visit Zack’s Bakery Cafe or the famous Khan Al Khalili bazaar, both located in Cairo.

4. Rose cookies, India

Rose cookies are a beloved Christmas treat in the Indian state of Goa, which was under Portuguese rule for nearly 500 years. Known as rose de coque in Portuguese and Goan, these are not true cookies but rather fried dough flavored with cardamom and vanilla. The distinctive rose shape is created using a cast iron mold with a rounded, floral pattern. After frying, rose cookies are often coated with or dusted in icing sugar.

Where to enjoy this dish: Head to Nicolau Bakery in Raia, Goa.

5. Malva pudding, South Africa

Malva pudding, known as malvapoeding in Afrikaans, is a luscious, sweet cake deeply embedded in South Africa’s Cape Dutch heritage, particularly beloved in Cape Town. Although it's not exclusive to Christmas, its richness makes it a favorite for special celebrations. Referred to as lekker (meaning delicious) pudding, this classic dessert is made with apricot jam and a hint of malt or balsamic vinegar for a caramelized finish. Variants may include ginger, brandy, or Amarula liqueur. After baking, the warm cake is soaked in a creamy sauce, allowing it to transform into a delectably sticky pudding as it cools.

Where to sample it: Visit De Oude Cafe and Restaurant or Willoughby & Co in Cape Town.

6. Stollen, Germany

This cake-like bread, rich in fruits and nuts and dusted with icing sugar, hails from Dresden. Its protected geographical designation ensures that only stollen produced in or near the city by certified bakers can be deemed authentic.

During the Middle Ages, stollen was a dense bread made from oats, flour, and water, typically consumed during Advent fasting. In 1490, a papal decree allowed bakers to incorporate butter and other rich ingredients like raisins, marzipan, and candied orange peel—previously banned during Advent—into their Christmas bread. By 1560, bakers in Dresden began presenting enormous stollen to Saxony's rulers each Christmas. In 1730, Saxon leader Augustus the Strong commissioned a stollen designed to feed 24,000 people, reportedly made with 36,000 eggs and weighing an incredible 1.8 tonnes.

The grand stollen tradition continues today with the annual Dresden Stollenfest, celebrated on the Saturday before the second Advent, which falls on December 9 this year.

Where to enjoy it: Join the festivities at Stollenfest or visit Schlosscafé Emil Reimann, both located in Dresden.

7. Beigli, Hungary

This sweet, rolled pastry features a rich filling of poppy seeds or walnuts and is a beloved Christmas staple in Hungary. The term beigli is derived from a German-Yiddish word meaning 'horseshoe' or 'to bend.' According to folklore, walnuts are believed to ward off magic spells, while poppy seeds, brought by the Ottomans, signify prosperity. A similar dessert, flódni, layers apple, walnut, and poppy seeds in a traditional Jewish-Hungarian treat.

The familiar Christmas delicacy we know today arrived in Hungary in the late 19th century, during the era of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Originally a home-baked family tradition, beigli eventually became popular in cukrászdas, or pastry shops.

Where to enjoy it: You can find these festive treats at Christmas markets or visit Édeském Cukrászda and traditional restaurants like Rosenstein, both in Budapest, for their festive menus.