European Desserts, Sweets & Snacks

These German sweet rolls are soft and tender and couldn’t be easier to make at home. Perfect for breakfast, brunch or to enjoy with afternoon coffee or tea.

If you’re part of my International Baking Club you’ve heard me declare my love for German Quark. So I thought I’d share seven ways I use Quark in both sweet and savory meals and snacks – often as a healthier substitute for things like mayo, sour cream, and cheese…

This is for you if you want to make homemade clotted cream! In this article I share all the details about what works and what doesn’t. Read on for answers to some frequently asked clotted cream questions and about the clotted cream experiments that led to my now perfected recipe.

Sugar, water and a slice of lemon are all you need to make this amazingly delicious Golden syrup. Save yourself money and make it at home with this easy recipe and troubleshooting guide!

If you like cheesecake, you’ll love this quick and easy Crustless German Cheesecake made with Quark. Not sure what Quark is or where to find it? Keep reading!

To kick off the new year I’ve got a delicious Italian recipe to share with you: my friend Chicca’s Italian Almond Chocolate Cake.  I’ve made this cake twice now and I’m sure you’ll love it. It’s easy to make. It’s not super sweet – no icing needed, just a dusting of powdered sugar. You can even make …

Today’s International Baking Adventure is Lebkuchen Cookies — a German Christmas baking favorite! These soft, flourless cookies are filled with ground hazelnuts and almonds, candied citrus, and topped with chocolate or sugar glaze.

Made with fragrant Dutch Speculaas Spice, these delicious cookies deserve a spot on your holiday baking tray! Included in this recipe are two ways to make Speculaas Spice Cookies – thin and crispy or soft and chewy. Both are super easy. You’ll love them! A while back I shared how to make Dutch Speculaas Spice …

This German Käsekuchen (German Cheesecake) is made with Quark and has a hint of lemon. One bite and you’ll swear you’re in Germany! There are many variations of German cheesecake. This version is light, fluffy, and has a crust. If you’re looking for a denser cheesecake or a simpler and faster one without a crust, check …

These German Gebrannte Mandeln (almonds roasted in cinnamon and sugar) taste just like what you’d find at a German Christmas Market! They’re quick and pretty easy to make on your stove at home. Whether you miss the German Christmas markets or just want to make something new, try these almonds. You’ll love them!  When I …

Yes, you can make homemade crème frâiche! My easy homemade crème frâiche recipe is effortless — all you need is milk, buttermilk, and a jar. After making crème frâiche at home you’ll never want to buy it again! Wondering What to Do with Crème Frâiche? I’d never heard of crème frâiche until I moved to …

This authentic German Apfelkuchen (apple cake) recipe features a moist custard cake topped with tender fresh baked apples. Using simple pantry ingredients, this cake is easy to whip up for a spontaneous afternoon Kaffee und Kuchen! I’ve got another delicious German dessert recipe for you! A reader emailed me recently looking for a recipe for …

If you’re looking for single-serve, no churn, easy 5-minute ice cream recipes you can make in a jar, you’re in the right place! All summer long I’ve been making lots and lots of no churn ice cream. I tried several methods (you can read about my experiments here), and once I figured out the recipe …

You only need five ingredients and one bowl to make this easy traditional Irish Soda Bread! Whether you make it with currants (my favorite), raisins, dried cranberries or plain, I’m sure you’ll love it. Then, if you’ve got leftovers, make my one bowl Irish Soda Bread Pudding – it makes a delicious dessert, afternoon snack …

  Creamy, chocolatey, and full of toasted hazelnuts, this homemade Nutella is out of this world! You only need a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes to make this amazing chocolate hazelnut spread. Confession: I love Nutella. Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) used to be something I only ate in Germany but nowadays you can easily …

I started drinking tea when I moved to Germany as a teenager, and quickly became a fan of all kinds of German tea. Especially German chamomile and peppermint on cold winter evenings. It seemed like everyone I met in Germany had both in their kitchen cupboards at all times. These days, so do I. But …

I’ve got two very simple and super tasty holiday treats for you! First up is Golden Syrup Chex Mix and then, for the chocolate lovers, Speculaas Spice Muddy Buddies. You can whip these up in just a few minutes and are perfect for holiday office parties, watching cheesy holiday movies on Netflix or for snacking …

German Rum Balls (Rumkugeln) are a Christmas favorite! These no-bake treats couldn’t be easier to make and are perfect to bring to holiday parties, to add to your cookie tray or for delicious post-dinner snacking. You can make chocolate rum balls with or without hazelnuts and adjust the rum flavor to your liking.  Tips for …

Buttery yeast bread with candied zest, sliced almonds, rum-soaked raisins, currants, and dried cranberries (and marzipan if you like it) topped with a buttery layer of powdered sugar – one of the best German Christmas treats!  This is a robust Stollen tutorial. If you want to go right to the recipe, click on “Jump to …

Since golden syrup is one of the IDB’s most popular recipes, I thought I’d share an easy dessert that uses golden syrup and is out of this world delicious: mini treacle tarts!  These individual treacle tarts are two bites of buttery, lemony deliciousness. The slightly salty almond shortbread crust pairs well with the sweet filling. …

These light and fluffy scones are so easy to make – with or without currants! They’re the perfect vehicle for clotted cream, lemon curd, jam or even German plum butter. Would you believe that I never liked scones until I visited the UK – when I promptly fell deeply in love with current scones, clotted …

An easy and delicious no bake Estonian cake, perfect for summer!

These easy German hazelnut cookies are delightfully light, buttery cookies packed with flavorful chopped hazelnuts. I always associate cookies with Christmas in Germany. The first year I lived in Hamburg, my German host mom made all kinds of delicious holiday cookies. I was always so happy when she’d bring out a selection of traditional German …

Since British golden syrup is one the most popular recipes on the IDB (right up there with German “Bee Sting” Cake and Crustless German Cheesecake), I’ve been testing out recipes that use this popular buttery caramel flavored syrup. Today I’ve got these super easy and super delicious Golden Syrup Cookies for you. Even better, I …

When I was in Iceland a few years ago (on a stopover after a work trip to the Netherlands) I was super excited to try authentic Icelandic skyr yogurt. I love yogurt, quark, and creme fraiche, and I was pretty sure I’d swoon over real skyr…and I was right. Skyr is so smooth, thick, and …

Looking for a simple, no bake dessert that you can whip up in less than 10 minutes? One that only requires a few basic ingredients, can be customized in many various ways, and is sure to please kids and adults alike? Give these Golden Syrup Rice Krispie Cakes a try! Since they’re so easy to …

This easy plum cake is a popular dessert in Germany (it’s called Zwetschgenkuchen or Pflaumenkuchen in German). Filled with fresh plums and topped with streusel, it’s the perfect summer treat. To make it extra delicious, serve with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure …

If you like crepes, you’ll love this French mille crepes cake! This delicious cake is comprised of 20 tender crepes, a luscious lemon whipped cream filling in-between each and every crepe, and fresh strawberries. I drizzled golden syrup over the strawberries and added a few hazelnuts to give the cake a little something extra. This …

What’s better than a delicious cookie? A delicious cookie that looks like you spent hours making them but only requires two ingredients and is actually a cinch to make. French Palmiers are that cookie! Click here to pin this for later! What are French Palmiers? French Palmiers are a crunchy, buttery, sweet “cookie” made from …

  A few days ago I got a huge chocolate craving but a piece of chocolate just wasn’t going to do it. I wanted something warm, you know? I usually make tea in the afternoons (this Dutch fresh mint tea is one of my favorites) but I decided to splash out and make French style …

This post contains affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase or sign up for a program, I may earn a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I became a hot tea lover while living in Germany, and often enjoyed a cup of Pfefferminztee in the evenings. So when I was …

  When I think of Christmas in Europe, I think of fragrant speculaas spice mix (called speculoos in Belgium and spekulatius in Germany). Traditionally, you’ll find speculaas spice in Dutch windmill cookies, biscoff cookies, cookie butter spread, and German spekulatius spice or Dutch speculaas spice cookies. But you can use speculaas spice mix in so many other …

When I was an exchange student in Hamburg many years ago, my German host mom introduced me to one of my favorite summertime treats: Eiskaffee (German iced coffee). On the hot summer afternoons I was around the house she’d get this twinkle in her eye and ask me if I’d like a “calorie bomb.” Indeed, …

Today we’re taking a delicious trip to the Netherlands for a quick and easy sweet treat: Dutch Hagelslag. You only need three ingredients and there’s no baking required! What is Dutch Hagelslag? Basically it’s Dutch chocolate sprinkles on bread. A simple but delicious treat! I first came across hagelslag a couple years ago in the …

This post contains affiliate links, meaning, if you click through and make a purchase or sign up for a program, I may earn a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I always travel with chocolate. Please tell me I’m not the only one who gets chocolate cravings in the middle of a …

  Delicious, creamy, rich European style butter…easy to make and so worth making from scratch. The secret? Culture the cream before churning the butter! Pin This for Later! I didn’t eat real butter on the regular until I moved to Germany as a teen. I love the rich taste and creamy texture of European style butter, …

As I mentioned in my last post, with all of the holiday baking I’ve done these past few months, I’m craving lighter desserts. Or even no desserts! (What?) In all honesty, I’m really craving salads right now. So, over the next few weeks I’m making up lots of international “basics” – things that I can eat …

Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake) is my kind of dessert. It’s is a beautiful French Christmas cake that looks impressive but is actually very easy to make!  I’ve made made Bûche de Noël before but I’ve never made one with meringue mushrooms, so I decided to give it a try. It’s worth the effort …

Mincemeat pie reminds me of my Mom. It’s always been one of her favorite holiday treats. Growing up, she tried to convince me that it’s delicious. It’s a sweet mincemeat, not savory, she’d tell me. I’d try a bite here and there but couldn’t be swayed. I never thought I’d like anything mincemeat…until a few years …

These crunchy, caramel-flavored, nut-filled traditional Danish cookies are sure to become a staple on your Christmas cookie plate!  I discovered Danish Brunkager cookies through a friend who lives in Copenhagen. When I asked her about the best Danish cookies for Christmas, she recommended I make Brunkager. I’m so glad I did! These cookies are easy …