Get your tastebuds ready for a serious trip to Hungary. From crepes overflowing with jam to cakes stacked high with layers, this country boasts some of the most decadent sweets on earth.
I have handled the dessert menu for your next Hungarian-themed party.
This cuisine takes sweets very seriously, including the famous seven-layer dobos torte filled with chocolate buttercream. You will find plenty of plums, poppy seeds, and jams in these recipes.
These distinct ingredients create mouthwatering treats that might just become your new favorites. There are 26 stunning options on this list, so let’s get baking.
1. Hungarian Chestnut Cake
You do not see chestnuts starring in American desserts very often, but you really must try this one. The recipe skips flour entirely, so the texture ends up incredibly fudgy.
Flavors of butter, chocolate, rum, and chestnuts shine without any wheat to dull them. A decadent chocolate glaze pours right over the top.
To make it even better, you finish it with whipped cream and chocolate-coated candied chestnuts.
2. Hungarian Chocolate Biscuits
If you love sandwich cookies, you will adore these buttery rounds. They are soft and packed with chocolate flavor.
A sweet buttercream frosting fills the center of each biscuit. These munchies are totally addictive and make a great change from standard Oreos.
The ingredient list is basic and the process is super simple.
3. Chimney Cake (Kürtőskalács)
One look at the cylindrical shape explains the name immediately. While we call it a cake, this treat is actually a type of bread.
The exterior is lovely and sticky with a satisfying crunch. You roll the dough in sugar and a walnut mixture to get that unique finish.
Since the center is hollow, you can fill it up with custard, whipped cream, or ice cream.
4. Apple Strudel (Almás Rétes)
Rétes is a popular style of strudel found throughout Central Europe. The traditional Hungarian version features a creamy apple filling rather than a chunky one.
Cinnamon and brown sugar flavor the fruit while raisins add a chewy contrast. You do not even need to make the thin pastry dough from scratch.
Pre-made puff pastry works perfectly for this recipe.
5. Hungarian Walnut Rolls
These terrific Christmas cookies will bring you some serious holiday cheer. They look a bit like croissants and feature a wonderfully flaky texture.
The dough uses cream cheese for a rich flavor with a hint of tartness. A delectable walnut filling provides a crunchy, sweet contrast to the tender pastry.
Every single bite is sure to make you smile.
6. Dobos Torta
We should finish this list with a bang. Dobos torta might just be the most iconic sweet in Hungary.
It features seven layers of decadent chocolate cake filled with buttercream. A glazed caramel frosting tops the whole thing off.
You can even coat the glaze with ground nuts for extra texture.
7. Hungarian Chocolate Coconut Balls
You are missing out if you have never tried coconut and chocolate together. Treat your taste buds by whipping up a batch of these spheres.
Kókuszgolyó combines crushed biscuits with sugar, butter, chocolate, and sour cherry juice. You shape the mixture into balls and finish them with a coating of grated coconut.
It is pure paradise.
8. Hungarian Baked Dessert Noodles (Rakott Teszta)
Baked dessert noodles are incredibly unique. Give them a try and they might just change your life.
This dish, called Rakott metelt, layers egg noodles with a mixture of sour cream, cottage cheese, butter, sugar, eggs, and raisins.
While it has many elements, they all taste fantastic together. Since it is carb-heavy, you can serve it for brunch or breakfast.
9. Hungarian Shortbread
This sweet treat features two layers of crumbly shortbread with a jam filling sandwiched in the middle. It is a simple dessert that will knock you off your feet.
I cannot get enough of the unbelievably fluffy dough texture. Even without the fruit preserve, these bars would be amazing.
10. Butterhorn Cookies with Walnuts
While technically cookies, these treats resemble crescent rolls. You roll the dough with walnuts and cinnamon sugar before baking it to golden perfection.
This snack pairs perfectly with coffee for breakfast or dessert. Sour cream in the dough makes the final result extra chewy, flaky, and crispy.
11. Hungarian Sweet Pancakes (Palacsinta)
Palacsinta acts as the Hungarian version of French crepes. They are just as delightful and soft.
Unlike standard crepes, you roll these instead of folding them in half. The filling uses a soft cottage cheese called turo.
A dusting of powdered sugar provides a sweet balance to the salty cheese.
12. Hungarian Poppy Seed Bread Pudding
Poppy seeds are a standard ingredient in Central Europe symbolizing wealth and fertility. People believe they bring fortune, so families often serve them at Christmastime.
You will find them in cakes, strudels, and this pudding. Mákos guba uses a crescent roll known as kifi for the bread base.
The seeds add a lovely crunch and nuttiness.
13. Hungarian Apple Cake
Almas pite behaves more like a pie than a cake. The apple filling sits sandwiched between two layers of ground walnuts.
You cut the result into squares and dust them with powdered sugar. It is an interesting spin on a classic that is definitely worth trying.
14. Strawberry Cake
This is not your standard strawberry cake. Layers of biskvit hold a filling of fresh strawberry puree.
A mixture of cream cheese, sugar, and whipped cream acts as the frosting. Think of the biskvit as a sponge cake that is easier to make.
The recipe is fool-proof and needs only sugar, eggs, and flour.
15. Gerbeaud Cake (Traditional Hungarian Cake with Walnut and Almond Jam Filling)
Gerbeaud cake is moist and rich with thick layers of walnut and jam filling. Dark melted chocolate frosting covers the top.
The cake layers are actually shortcrust pastry, giving it a wonderfully crumbly and crispy texture. A Swiss-born Hungarian confectioner named Emil Gerbaud invented this phenomenal dessert in the 18th century.
16. Beigli (Traditional Hungarian Nut Rolls)
Beigli is another popular pastry roll served during the holidays. It is easy to see why given the dynamic textures and flavors.
Incredibly soft bread surrounds a sweet, nutty walnut filling. The concept is simple, but the flavor is fantastic.
17. Hungarian Plum Dumplings (Szilvás Gombóc)
When I hear about dumplings, I usually picture savory biscuit dough balls. In this case, the dumplings use a potato-based dough and hide a sweet plum filling.
This treat is seriously delightful and unique. After cooking, you coat the balls in cinnamon sugar and breadcrumbs for extra flavor and crunch.
18. Kakaós Csiga (Hungarian Chocolate Rolls)
If you want dessert for breakfast, let me suggest a serving of kakaos csiga. These Hungarian chocolate rolls are worth waking up early for.
This staple pastry bursts with chocolatey goodness. You see this ubiquitous treat everywhere in Hungary, from bakeries to supermarkets.
19. Hungarian Apple Pie (Almás Pite)
Also known as apple squares or apple cake, this pie is a beloved classic. Let’s take a second to appreciate how breathtaking these bars look.
The distinct layers are beautiful and the powdered sugar dust adds elegance. Do not let the appearance fool you, though.
Almas pite is a cinch to make.
20. Hungarian Walnut Torte
This Hungarian walnut torte is an ultra-rich confection. It features four layers of chewy, soft walnut torte holding a filling of creamy chocolate pudding.
Unlike a cake, a torte uses little to no flour. It relies on ground nuts for structure, giving it much more flavor and texture.
21. Basic Hungarian Sponge Cake (Piskotatekercs)
This recipe teaches you to make a sponge cake base for roulades and layer cakes. It also serves as the foundation for piskotatekercs, a delectable cake roll stuffed with whipped cream and jam.
The key is folding the flour into the batter in small amounts. That technique creates a wonderfully fluffy and light consistency.
22. Kolachy Cookies
Kolachy is a Christmas pastry featuring a cream cheese dough and a sweet filling. The dough is super fluffy and light while the cream cheese provides a tart, rich flavor.
You can use any type of preserve for the filling. Poppyseeds and nuts work great, too.
23. Hungarian Golden Pull-Apart Cake with Walnuts and Apricot Jam (Aranygaluska)
Aranygaluska goes by many names, including butter puffs, monkey bread, and golden dumpling cake. I prefer to call it “happiness you can eat cake.”
There is something totally irresistible about these treats. The melt-in-your-mouth consistency and the walnut sugar coating make it extremely addictive.
24. Hungarian Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake is just as beloved in Hungary as it is in the US. This decadent dessert might just replace your current favorite recipe.
The chocolate sponge is drenched in rum syrup, making it unbelievably moist. Coffee makes it extra chocolatey, and the ganache features rum for a mind-blowing finish.
25. Hungarian Treasure Cookies
These Hungarian treasure cookies hide a surprise sweet filling that makes them truly precious. The dough is chewy, buttery, and sweet with a hint of tartness from cream cheese.
A thick jam filling greets you upon the first bite. You can use any preserve you wish, though a nut filling tastes amazing as well.
26. Túrógombóc
These classic Hungarian dumplings contain a cottage cheese filling and a breadcrumb coating. The texture and flavor combinations create a wonderful explosion in your mouth.
They are technically a dessert, but they are not too sweet. You can even eat them as part of a main course.