It’s a shame that Polish desserts are not more famous and renowned than they are.
Polish dessert recipes are hearty and delicious!
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From poppy seed rolls to dried fruit cookies, you’ll want to make these mouth-watering treats.

I’m sure you’re pretty tired of the same old desserts, so come and explore the culinary traditions of Poland with me.
These recipes may not be as quick as some of your favorite desserts, but trust me when I say that they are worth it!
Plus, taking the time and attempting to try them guarantees that they are made with lots of love, right?
Take a break from your usual chocolate cakes and sugar cookies and try some of these traditional treats from Poland!
1. Kołaczki: Polish Cream Cheese Cookies
These vibrant and colorful cream cheese cookies make me giddy and happy! My guests are just as thrilled, too, because these are so delicious!
The kołaczki is called a cookie, but it’s buttery and flaky.
There’s really no need to get into the complexities of whether it’s really a cookie or a pastry, because the only info you need is that it tastes good.
There are a lot of filling options to choose from, like berries, nuts, or even cheese.
It can get a little overwhelming, but that’s also what makes it such a hit with the crowd. Everybody loves options.
2. Polish Coffee Cake
It’s always exciting to try someone’s family recipe, especially one that has been passed down from generation to generation!
Try this Polish version of coffee cake. This recipe is an interesting take on coffee cake because it uses yeast. Don’t be intimidated because the waiting is the only hard part here.
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Once you’ve tried this, you won’t be able to forget the taste and crunch of the heavenly crumb topping that perfectly offsets the soft and moist cake.
3. Szarlotka: Apple Tart
The Szarlotka can best be described as the less sweet cousin of the American apple pie.
Let’s just say she’s the mature one who need not try too hard. You can totally enjoy this delicious Polish treat without having to worry about the sugar!
You can also whip this up if you have something come up last minute.
This apple tart only uses pantry ingredients along with granny smith apples, so you’re basically good to go anytime.
4. Sernik: Cheesecake
Sernik is one of the most common desserts served in Poland, and it’s one with so much history. Polish people have been making them since the 17th Century!
The authentic recipe uses twaróg, a sweet curd cheese, as its key ingredient. But don’t worry, there are a lot of alternatives available if you can’t find the traditional Polish cheese.
5. Pączki: Donuts
Pączki was made by the Polish during their last chance to indulge before the fasting days of Lent.
These discs of yeast dough are fried to golden brown perfection. It’s up to you whether you make them oozing with filling or simply tossed in sugar. They taste amazing either way.
This is the ultimate treat, but good things take time, so plan ahead.
6. Papal Cream Cake
This cake was renamed papal cream cake when St. John Paul II expressed his love for these treats. I can’t blame him because each slice of this cream cake tastes like heaven.
The cake comprises layers of puff pastry and vanilla cream filling topped with powdered sugar.
Sounds simple enough, right? Try this easy-to-follow recipe, and you’ll impress at your next gathering.
7. Polish Mountain Cream Cake
Let this Polish mountain cream cake take you on a trip to the terrain of the Polish Highlands. This cake looks like snow-capped mountain peaks, hence its name.
With every bite, you’ll be rewarded with a rich and indulgent custard cream. It’ll be all gone before you know it. It’s hard to get this one wrong.
8. Polish Mazurkas
Polish Mazurkas are a holiday staple in Poland, but the colorful mix of dried fruits reminds me a lot of summer as well.
These stunning cookies are sure to stand out anywhere you bring them. Like the namesake Polish folk dance, these cookies let you experience a dance of flavors, from fruity to buttery!
People won’t be able to help themselves from grabbing one.
9. Polish Crepes
I’m pretty sure you already know what a crepe is. In fact, you probably LOVE crepes.
I mean, who doesn’t? They’re so simple and versatile. You can add sweet or savory fillings, depending on your mood.
Polish crepes give you a little bit of both. The quark cheese filling is sweetened for that perfect balance of sweet and savory.
The crepes are best served with jam. They’re the perfect breakfast food!
10. Polish Plum Cake
When it comes to baking, plums are so underrated! The sweet and sticky plums in this cake go so well with the crunch from the almonds, creating an interesting texture.
Prepare to have your kitchen filled with the dreamy aroma of sweet plums, nuts, and cinnamon.
The texture is a win; the scent is a win, and the taste is definitely a win. What are you waiting for?
11. Polish Poppy Seed Roll
I have found the perfect companion for my afternoon tea and when I’m winding down with some wine!
The mixture of the nuts, raisins, and dried fruit with the poppy seeds gives you a unique taste you’ll crave.
Although these Polish poppy seed rolls are usually made during the holidays, they are a great snack to make and keep for whenever!
12. Polish Gingerbread Cookies
Spoil your loved ones this Christmas with these special Polish gingerbread cookies! They might just become a new tradition for you and your family.
One thing you need to know: the cookies are required to mature for at least three days for the best results.
I know. The thought of baking cookies and having to wait for days before you can enjoy them sounds preposterous, but you’ll be thanking yourself come the hectic holiday season.
You’ll get to make these in advance without having to worry in the midst of all the bustle.
13. Polish Angel Wings
Each bite of Polish angel wings or Chrusciki will have you hearing angels sing.
These thin, crispy, sugar-dusted treats are unlike any other. They’re so light and delicious. It’s impossible to eat just one!
14. Polish Lemon Babka
Is it bread? Is it cake?
That’s still up for debate, but it won’t even matter once you try a slice of this lemon Babka.
This Polish Easter tradition has the perfect hint of tangy lemon to the sweetness of the cake.
The bread is soaked in the lemon syrup to achieve that perfect citrus flavor. Then it’s topped with a milky glaze that’s also lemon-infused!

14 Most Popular Polish Dessert Collection
Looking for easy-to-make Polish desserts? From cake to cookies to crepes, these traditional Polish dessert recipes couldn’t be better.
Ingredients
- (Video) How to Make Rogaliki- An Easy Polish Pastry Recipe
Directions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a Polish treat in 30 minutes or less!

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FAQs
What is the typical desert in Poland? ›
Karpatka, a crispy, creamy traditional Polish dessert, is one of the most popular sweet treats in Poland. It is usually composed of two layers of choux pastry filled with a generous amount of vanilla milk pudding or fragrant custard cream.
Is baklava a Polish dessert? ›It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. The pre-Ottoman origin of the dish is unknown, but, in modern times, it is a common dessert of Turkish, Iranian and Arab cuisines, and other countries of the Levant and Maghreb, along with the South Caucasus, Balkans, and Central Asia.
What are Polish pastries called? ›Paczki are Polish doughnuts. Usually full of jelly or some kind of sweet filling, they are known to draw lines around the block this time of year.
What is the most popular desert in Poland? ›A baked cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts in Poland, made primarily by using twaróg, a type of fresh cheese. Apple cake called szarlotka or jabłecznik is made from sweet crust pastry and spiced apple filling.
Does Poland have a dessert? ›Szarlotka is a popular dessert that you can find in a pinch almost anywhere in Poland. Given its prevalence in their bakeries and restaurants, this delicious Polish treat is considered to be one of the country's favorites.
What are the 4 types of deserts? ›There are four types of deserts: subtropical deserts are hot and dry year-round; coastal deserts have cool winters and warm summers; cold winter deserts have long, dry summers and low rainfall in the winter; polar deserts are cold year-round.
What is the most popular chocolate in Poland? ›The most popular brand of chocolate was Milka, followed by E. Wedel and Kinder in Poland in 2022.
What is the popular cake of Poland? ›Poland is famous for its babka cakes, poppy seed streusel-style cakes, and their decadent and colorful traditional Easter cake called Mazurek.
What are Polish donuts called? ›Pączki are very rich donuts, deep fried and then filled with fruit or cream filling and covered with powdered sugar or icing.
What is Polish coffee cake? ›Polish Coffee Cake, a.k.a. “Placek” is lightly sweet bread studded with dried fruit and a sugary topping. Traditionally made in 3's to represent the Holy Trinity at Easter time.
What is ice cream called in Poland? ›
This frozen treat is so common that lody, the Polish word for ice cream, is possibly the first word you'll learn after you arrive.
What is Polish tree cake? ›A type of spit cake made with butter, eggs, flour, sugar, and cream, its irregular shape resembles a tree with knots. It became popular in Poland during the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1791), but its origins are subject to controversy.
What is a Polish bagel called? ›An obwarzanek krakowski (Polish pronunciation: [ɔbvaˈʐanɛk kraˈkɔfskʲi], plural: obwarzanki krakowskie [ɔbvaˈʐaŋkʲi kraˈkɔfskʲɛ]; also spelled obarzanek) is a braided ring-shaped bread that is boiled and sprinkled with salt and sesame or poppy seeds before being baked.
What are the simplest dessert? ›The simplest dessert and one of the best are fruits because they are nutritious, appetizing, and easy to prepare and serve. Baked and soft custards vary in so many ways. Creamy, delicate, baked custards may be served in their baking cups or may be unmolded and served with fruit garnishes or with dessert sauces.
What is America's least favorite dessert? ›- Cake. Dirt Cake. ...
- Cake. Angel Food Cake. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ...
- Cookie. Graham Cracker. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ...
- Dessert. Capirotada. MEXICO. ...
- Fruit Salad. Ambrosia Salad. Southern United States. ...
- Dessert. Candied Apples. Newark. ...
- Dessert. Jell-O. Utah. ...
- Cookie. Fortune Cookie. California.
The Błędów Desert is Central Europe's largest accumulation of loose sand in an area away from any sea, deposited thousands of years ago by a melting glacier. It occupies an area of 32 km2 (12 sq mi).
How many deserts are in Poland? ›8 DESERTS. There are no deserts in Poland.
What are sweet names in Polish? ›Traditional romantic: kochanie (love), księżniczko (princess), królowo (queen), maleńka (little one), laleczko (little doll), serce (heart), jedyna moja (my only one), słoneczko (little sun), skarbie (treasure), laska (babe) etc.
What is pudding in Polish? ›pudding (dessert):
deser m.
Pierogi is undoubtedly Poland's most famous and simple comfort food. But after tasting one of these delicious filled dumplings, you're likely to find yourself craving more. Perogis can be cooked or fried; stuffed with meat, vegetables, cheese, fruit, chocolate; accompanied by a sour cream topping or just butter.
What is the 7 largest desert? ›
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is the seventh largest desert in the world. It is located in Southern Africa, covering most of Botswana, as well parts of Namibia, and South Africa.
Animals that live in deserts include lizards, geckos, toads, jackrabbits, camels, snakes, spiders and meerkats.
Are there 23 deserts in the world? ›There are 23 deserts in the world. What are the most famous deserts in the world? Some famous deserts in the world are the Sahara, Antarctic, Arctic, Gobi and Namib deserts.
What candy is popular in Poland? ›The most popular brand of candies was Orbit, followed by Haribo and Kinder Niespodzianka in Poland in 2022.
What candy is made in Poland? ›Wedel's Ptasie Mleczko, Wawel's assorted chocolate candies, Delicje cookies, Prince Polo or Krówki, for many of us, Polish chocolates and candies are tied to some of our most delightful memories of childhood (and beyond!).
What is a typical breakfast in Poland? ›8:30 – 'Śniadanie' (breakfast)
Poles often start the day with meat or eggs. They commonly have what they call 'a sandwich', meaning a slice of bread topped with cold cuts or kiełbasa, or scrambled eggs. There can also be a side of dairy – either kefir, or quark cheese mixed with radishes.
The babà as we know it today was originally a naturally leavened cake from Poland (babka ponczowa), passed through France before arriving in Naples. It is said that Stanislaus Lesczynski, king of Poland from 1704 to 1735, invented it by accident in the early eighteenth century.
What is the number 1 cake in the world? ›According to Islamic tradition, ashure – which is frequently dubbed "Noah's Pudding" – was prepared as a celebratory dish by the prophet's family after surviving the great flood and washing up on Mount Ararat, on the fringes of what is today the north-eastern borderlands of Turkey.
What food is Polish on Fat Tuesday? ›Fat Tuesday, or as it is lovingly called in many areas of Michigan, Paczki Day. This day is celebrated by indulging in the traditional Polish jelly-filled pastry known as a pączek (PON-check). The more commonly used name for these is pączki (POONCH-kee), which is the plural pronunciation for this sweet treat.
What are 12 donuts called? ›
Instead, a lot of bakeries will give you an extra donut to create what's known as a "baker's dozen." That's 13 amazing donuts for the price of 12. What a deal! A baker's dozen isn't limited to just donuts, though.
What does paczki mean in Polish? ›Paczki is a Polish word (already in its plural form, paczek is the singular form) meaning package. Traditionally paczki are made before the Catholic Lent holiday in preparation for Easter. Families were to use all of their sweets and butters before the religious holiday; so paczki were created.
Why is it called Dump Cake? ›A dump cake is an American dessert similar to a cobbler but with a cake-like topping. It is so named because it is prepared by "dumping" ingredients (typically canned fruit or pie filling, followed by a boxed cake mix) into a cake pan without mixing.
What is the name of Polish bread? ›Type | Bread |
---|---|
Course | Breakfast, Brunch |
Place of origin | Poland |
Region or state | Central Europe |
Created by | Polish Jews |
Gugelhupf (Gugelhupf) A Gugelhupf is a southern German, Austrian, but also a Swiss term for a type of cake known in the US as a Bundt Cake. Gugelhupf consists of a soft yeast dough with raisins and almonds in it and is baked in a special form known in the US as a Bundt Pan.
What is sour cream called in Poland? ›Sour cream on the other hand (śmietana in Polish) is a product made by adding lactic acid bacteria to the sweet cream.
What is the 3 flavor ice cream called? ›Neapolitan ice cream is a staple of the freezer aisle. Chocolate, vanilla and strawberry are served together — but not mixed or swirled, no, instead, these three flavors are presented in three perfect sections without any packaging dividing them.
What is a Milkbar in Poland? ›A bar mleczny (literally translated as "milk bar" from Polish) is a Polish cafeteria which during the Communist era provided government-subsidized traditional Polish cuisine at low cost. The name comes from cheese cutlets, which were often sold when meat was rare.
What is Buddha cake? ›gtor-ma, sacrificial cakes used in Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies as offerings to deities. The unbaked cakes are prepared by kneading parched barley flour and butter into the shapes of cones, decorated with pats of butter.
What is Firefly cake? ›This has a layer of our Chocolate Truffle Cake and a layer of our Sour Cream Pound Cake covered and filled with our signature Caramel icing.
What is Elvis Presley cake? ›
Elvis Presley cake is made with a simple yellow cake mix that's doctored up with pineapple chunks to make an incredibly moist cream cheese frosted cake with chopped pecans sprinkled on top. Starting with a cake mix and ending with pineapple, homemade cream cheese frosting, and pecans.
What is a flagel bagel? ›A phone call to David's Bagels confirmed my hunch—a flagel is a bagel that's flattened after it's been boiled and before it goes into the oven. According to Village Voice food critic Robert Seitsema, the flagel was born in Brooklyn at Tasty Bagels in the early nineties amidst the low-carb diet craze.
What is it called when you put cream cheese on a bagel? ›In American Jewish cuisine, a bagel and cream cheese is sometimes called a "whole schmear" or "whole schmeer". A "slab" is a bagel with a slab of cream cheese on top. A "lox and a schmear" is to a bagel with cream cheese and lox or “Nova” smoked salmon.
What are black bagels called? ›Black Russian Bagels are the perfect bagel: deep, dark, and pumpernickel crusted with Everything Bagel Topping.
What food is Poland most famous for? ›Pierogi is undoubtedly Poland's most famous and simple comfort food. But after tasting one of these delicious filled dumplings, you're likely to find yourself craving more. Perogis can be cooked or fried; stuffed with meat, vegetables, cheese, fruit, chocolate; accompanied by a sour cream topping or just butter.
What is the national dish of Poland? ›Bigos stew is the national dish of Poland. It can be made with any kind of meat from pork to rabbit or venison, but should always have spicy Polish sausage.
What product is Poland known for? ›Poland is famous for its national ceramics, the characteristic decorative elements of which are blue or brown ornaments. The pottery is made in the city of Boleslawiec - a tradition which has been passed down from generation to generation for several centuries, and is famous all over the world.
What fruit is Poland known for? ›We are the largest grower of apples, sour cherries, raspberries, currants and high bush blueber- ries in the EU. Poland is also a significant producer of strawberries, gooseberries and chokeberries. Fruit growing is a significant direction of agricultural production in Poland.
What do Polish people eat at Christmas? ›Today's Christmas dinner usually opens with cold plates, including varieties of soused herring, followed by borscht or mushroom soup, and then the hot dishes: often carp, pierogi stuffed with sauerkraut and mushrooms, and croquettes. Dessert usually comes as gingerbread, poppy seed cake, kutya or sour cheesecake.
What is Polish street food? ›Zapiekanka, also known as Polish pizza is popular Polish street food. You'll love this Polish open sandwich is topped with mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, and more!
What are the 12 Polish dishes? ›
- Red borscht with mushroom dumplings.
- Cabbage with mushrooms.
- Vegetable salad.
- Carp, fried or baked, in aspic.
- Mushroom and cabbage pierogi.
- Cabbage rolls stuffed with buckwheat groats.
- Herring.
- Mushroom soup.
Speaking of restaurants, most will offer some sort of lunch special: a soup and a main course, sometimes with a dessert, at an affordable price. Fare at this meal is essentially Mittel-European with cabbage slaw, cabbage rolls, or some sort of stuffed dumplings.
What do Polish have for Sunday dinner? ›Millions of Poles will repeat the Sunday dinner ritual craving such classics as rosół, barszcz, mielone or gołąbki.
What is the DNA of Polish people? ›Most Polish mitochondrial DNA falls under the groups H1, J1, T, and U5. These mtDNA haplogroups are common in most European and Slavic peoples. Consequently, it might be somewhat difficult to determine Polish ancestry or even affirm your Polish genetics if you're female.
How do you deal with Polish people? ›- Rule number one: POLES ARE JUST WRONG, THAT'S ALL. ...
- Rule number two: Start a conversation by impressing Poles with your knowledge of Polish. ...
- Rule number three: Use pidgin English since Poles don't really dig the language and please, don't forget to tell them about that.
- CHRISTMAS BAUBLES.
- GINGERBREADS.
- POLISH SWEETS.
- POLISH CHRISTMAS CAROLS (CD)
- POLISH BOOKS (and ebooks)
- Traditional Polish Christmas Gifts – Summary.