Cookies, cakes, puddings and more - it doesn't matter where you are in the world, there are delicious Winter holiday desserts around the globe! Find out more.
Dulce De Leche Bread Pudding (Mexico)
Cinnamon and dulce de leche make this bread pudding from Mexico one of the best seasonal desserts to hit your mouth. If you don't know what dulce de leche is, just think of a creamier caramel sauce and you're pretty close.
Dulce de leche and cinnamon make this bread pudding a seasonal fave
Amaretti Cookies (Italy)
Almonds and amaretto make these Italian cookies perfect with a cup of hot chocolate, coffee (for the adults) or a cup of tea to warm you up. If you're not a baker, no worries, they're often sold at Christmas time in decorative holiday tins, and since they're dense they stay good for a long time.
Amaretti are traditional Italian cookies
Linzer Pinwheels (Austria)
Germany, Finland and Austria have some of the best holiday cookie traditions, and Austria's Linzer pinwheels are at the top o the bunch. Butter cookie spirals with raspberry preserves, these are a treat to bite in to (and a nice break from spicy cakes and chocolates at the holidays.)
These red and white cookies are festive treats
Plum Almond Kuchen Roll (Germany)
A tender, fruit and nut filled pastry that can be sliced like a large cake or loaf of bread, the Kuchen roll is a German holiday classic.
Plum Kuchen is a traditional German Christmas cake
Christmas Pudding (England)
It wouldn't be a holiday dessert list without the English Christmas pudding on here. This dessert dates all the way back to medieval England, and unlike other traditional cakes, this one is boiled! Seems weird right? But it works! The fruits and nuts are held together this way, and many people light this cake on fire before serving it and cover in a creamy sauce.
Traditional English Christmas pudding
Buche De Noel (France)
This French Christmas cake is made to look exactly like a log you might find in the forest! Bakers use special techniques to roll the cake, make the icing look like bark, and even dust it with sugar to look like fresh snow. The rolls inside the log are usually yellow cake and buttercream chocolate.
Buche de Noel is Holiday log cake made to look just like a log
Natilla (Colombia)
In Columbia holiday festivities always include a sweet custard called Natilla. Natilla is easy to make at home, and great to share with neighbors - some Latin grocery stores even carry it ready-made.
Natilla is a sweet custard from Colombia
Pan De Pascua (Chile)
Pan de Pascua is like a traditional fruit cake - except way better! Spices, walnuts, raisins, dried fruit and ginger are thrown into the batter, and the result is a sponge-like holiday dessert to die for! This tradition started with German immigrants, but over the years has become a Chilean staple.
Pan de Pascua is Christmas cake from Chile
Joulutortut (Finland)
Pinwheel shaped cookies filled with prune jam and dusted with sugar, these delectable desserts are found in Finland. They're best served hot right out of the oven.
Joulutortut are prune preserve filled pinwheel cookies
Have Your Say
Which Winter holiday dessert do you like the best? Let us know in the comments section below!
