Desserts around the world

Explore each country’s desserts, with photos and clear steps.

40 recipes · 20 countries

Desserts from Saudi Arabia

Hunaini

Soft dates melted in ghee and mixed with crumbled whole wheat bread, scented with cardamom and saffron — a warm winter sweet eaten with coffee.

⏱ 50 min+ 15 min waiting• Easy

Saudi

Qassim Kleija

Tender cardamom-and-cinnamon cookies filled with date paste and stamped with traditional patterns — the classic companion to Arabic coffee.

⏱ 1 h 25 min+ 30 min waiting• Medium

Desserts from Kuwait

Recipes from Kuwait

Kuwaiti

Darabeel

Paper-thin, crisp sheets of cardamom-and-saffron batter, rolled into fingers while hot and served with tea.

⏱ 55 min+ 20 min waiting• Medium

Kuwaiti

Ranginah

Soft dates stuffed with walnuts, covered with flour toasted in ghee and scented with cardamom, then cut into squares — a quick, no-oven sweet.

⏱ 38 min+ 30 min waiting• Easy

Desserts from UAE

Recipes from UAE

Emirati

Khabees

Flour toasted golden, bound with ghee and sugar syrup and scented with saffron, cardamom and rose water — a warm, crumbly sweet that melts in the mouth.

⏱ 40 min• Easy

Emirati

Luqaimat

Small dough balls, crisp outside and airy inside, fragrant with cardamom and saffron, drizzled with date syrup and sprinkled with sesame.

⏱ 50 min+ 1 h waiting• Medium

Desserts from Oman

Recipes from Oman

Omani

Omani Halwa

A glossy, dense, caramel-coloured sweet cooked from starch, sugar and ghee with constant stirring, perfumed with saffron, cardamom and rose water and studded with nuts.

⏱ 1 h 35 min• Advanced

Omani

Coconut Qashat

Golden, crunchy clusters of shredded coconut cooked in sugar syrup and scented with cardamom, saffron and rose water.

⏱ 30 min+ 30 min waiting• Easy

Desserts from Syria

Recipes from Syria

Syrian

Damascus Harissa

A dense Levantine semolina cake with crisp edges, baked with ghee and yogurt, then soaked in orange-blossom syrup, with an almond on every piece.

⏱ 1 h 15 min+ 1 h 30 min waiting• Easy

Syrian

Date Maamoul

Crumbly semolina and ghee cookies filled with cinnamon-scented date paste, pressed in a carved mould and baked until golden underneath — the Levant's classic Eid sweet.

⏱ 1 h 20 min+ 8 h 30 min waiting• Medium

Desserts from Lebanon

Recipes from Lebanon

Lebanese

Meghli

A smooth, cinnamon-brown Lebanese pudding of rice flour cooked with caraway, cinnamon and anise, served cold under coconut and soaked nuts.

⏱ 1 h+ 3 h 30 min waiting• Easy

Lebanese

Sfouf

A simple Lebanese semolina cake, bright yellow from turmeric and scented with anise, made without eggs and topped with pine nuts.

⏱ 55 min+ 30 min waiting• Easy

Desserts from Palestine

Recipes from Palestine

Palestinian

Nablus Knafeh

A layer of ghee-crisped kataifi pastry over melted, stretchy white cheese, soaked in syrup and topped with pistachios — a home oven version.

⏱ 1 h 15 min+ 4 h waiting• Medium

Palestinian

Qatayef

Small pancakes cooked on one side only, filled with walnuts and cinnamon, sealed into half-moons, fried until golden and dipped in syrup.

⏱ 1 h 25 min+ 30 min waiting• Medium

Desserts from Egypt

Recipes from Egypt

Egyptian

Basbousa

Egyptian semolina cake with coconut, butter and yogurt, baked until golden and soaked in syrup, with an almond on each piece.

⏱ 1 h+ 1 h 15 min waiting• Easy

Egyptian

Om Ali

Baked puff pastry broken up with nuts, raisins and coconut, soaked in sweetened milk and baked until the top is golden and bubbling.

⏱ 55 min+ 10 min waiting• Easy

Desserts from Morocco

Recipes from Morocco

Moroccan

Chebakia

Moroccan flower-shaped sweets of spiced sesame dough, fried until deep amber, dipped in orange-blossom honey and sprinkled with sesame.

⏱ 2 h 5 min+ 30 min waiting• Advanced

Moroccan

Kaab el Ghazal

Delicate Moroccan crescents of thin, supple dough wrapped around ground almond paste scented with orange blossom water, baked until just cooked and still pale.

⏱ 1 h 45 min+ 30 min waiting• Advanced

Desserts from Iraq

Recipes from Iraq

Iraqi

Carrot Halawa

Grated carrot cooked with sugar and ghee until thick and glossy, scented with cardamom and rose water, then cut into squares and topped with coconut and almonds.

⏱ 1 h 10 min+ 2 h waiting• Easy

Iraqi

Iraqi Zalabia

Lacy spirals of light fermented batter fried until golden and crisp, then dipped in cool syrup scented with rose water and cardamom.

⏱ 1 h+ 1 h waiting• Medium

Desserts from Yemen

Recipes from Yemen

Yemeni

Bint Al-Sahn

Paper-thin layers of dough brushed with ghee, baked until puffed and golden, then drenched in honey and sprinkled with nigella seeds.

⏱ 1 h 20 min+ 1 h 15 min waiting• Advanced

Yemeni

Rawani

A light, spongy semolina cake made with whipped eggs and cardamom, soaked in syrup straight from the oven until soft and moist.

⏱ 1 h+ 30 min waiting• Easy

Desserts from Thailand

Recipes from Thailand

Thai

Mango Sticky Rice

Steamed sticky rice soaked in sweetened coconut milk, served with ripe mango slices, a thick coconut sauce and toasted sesame.

⏱ 50 min+ 4 h 20 min waiting• Medium

Thai

Tub Tim Grob

Crunchy water chestnut cubes dyed red and wrapped in a soft, clear coating, served in sweet coconut milk over crushed ice.

⏱ 45 min+ 30 min waiting• Medium

Desserts from Indonesia

Recipes from Indonesia

Indonesian

Dadar Gulung

Thin green crepes made with pandan juice and coconut milk, rolled around coconut cooked in palm sugar.

⏱ 1 h 5 min+ 15 min waiting• Medium

Indonesian

Klepon

Small green glutinous rice balls coloured with pandan juice, filled with palm sugar that melts inside, and rolled in coconut.

⏱ 50 min• Medium

Desserts from India

Recipes from India

Indian

Gulab Jamun

Soft milk-powder dumplings fried slowly to a deep golden brown, then soaked in syrup scented with cardamom, rose water and saffron.

⏱ 55 min+ 2 h 10 min waiting• Medium

Indian

Kheer

Basmati rice simmered slowly in milk until creamy, scented with cardamom and saffron, and finished with almonds, pistachios and raisins.

⏱ 1 h 5 min+ 30 min waiting• Easy

Desserts from China

Recipes from China

Chinese

Mango Pomelo Sago

A chilled dessert of blended mango and coconut milk with clear sago pearls, topped with diced mango and pomelo.

⏱ 40 min+ 1 h 10 min waiting• Easy

Chinese

Tangyuan

Soft white glutinous rice balls filled with sweet black sesame paste, served hot in a ginger and brown sugar syrup.

⏱ 1 h+ 20 min waiting• Medium

Desserts from Japan

Recipes from Japan

Japanese

Dorayaki

Two soft, golden honey pancakes sandwiched around a filling of sweet red bean paste (anko).

⏱ 45 min+ 15 min waiting• Medium

Japanese

Strawberry Daifuku

Soft, chewy white mochi wrapped around a whole strawberry coated in sweet red bean paste.

⏱ 45 min• Medium

Desserts from Türkiye

Recipes from Türkiye

Turkish

Pistachio Baklava

Thin, crisp layers of phyllo brushed with ghee, filled with ground pistachios and soaked in a light lemon syrup.

⏱ 1 h 45 min+ 4 h waiting• Medium

Turkish

Sütlaç (Turkish Rice Pudding)

Turkish-style rice pudding: creamy and smooth with tender grains of rice, served cold with a dusting of cinnamon.

⏱ 55 min+ 3 h waiting• Easy

Desserts from Italy

Recipes from Italy

Italian

Panna Cotta

A smooth, creamy vanilla dessert set with plant-based agar-agar instead of gelatin, served with a fresh strawberry sauce.

⏱ 30 min+ 3 h waiting• Easy

Italian

Tiramisu (alcohol-free)

Layers of espresso-dipped ladyfingers and light mascarpone cream under a dusting of cocoa — no alcohol, with the egg yolks gently cooked over steam.

⏱ 40 min+ 6 h waiting• Medium

Desserts from USA

Recipes from USA

American

New York Cheesecake

A dense, creamy baked cheesecake on a crisp buttery biscuit base, tasting of cream cheese and vanilla with a hint of lemon.

⏱ 1 h 55 min+ 8 h waiting• Medium

American

Fudgy Brownies

Dense, moist American chocolate squares with a thin, shiny crackly top.

⏱ 45 min+ 1 h 30 min waiting• Easy

Desserts from Mexico

Recipes from Mexico

Mexican

Churros

Golden fried dough sticks, crisp outside and soft inside, rolled in cinnamon sugar and dipped in chocolate sauce.

⏱ 50 min+ 10 min waiting• Medium

Mexican

Mexican Flan

A silky custard of condensed milk, evaporated milk and eggs, crowned with a golden caramel sauce.

⏱ 1 h 30 min+ 6 h waiting• Medium