A smile may be the universal language of kindness, but dessert is the universal meal. And thanks to all the sweet tooths across the globe, our favorite dessert recipes range from classic French crème brûlée to North African semolina-coconut cake and a New Zealand pavlova flecked with Australian Tim Tams. Try your hand at our 22 best dessert recipes from around the world.
Classic American French Cream Pie
Classic French Banana Cream Pie
This nearly forgotten recipe comes to us from the beloved Ships Diner in Los Angeles that closed in 1995. The whipped cream filling doesn’t require any cooking—no custard here—while some slices of banana and toasted almond add texture and flavor. A fast, easy-to-make pie from a bygone era that deserves a comeback. Get the recipe for Classic French Banana Cream Pie »
The whipped cream filling doesn't require any cooking—no custard here—while some slices of banana and toasted almond add texture and flavor. A fast, easy-to-make pie from a bygone era that deserves a comeback. Classic American French Cream Pie
Argentinian Giant Apple and Dulce de Leche Pancake
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Giant Apple Pancake With Dulce de Leche
Soft apples with a hint of tartness balance a bittersweet caramelized crust, spurred on by rich dulce de leche. Get the recipe for Argentinian Giant Apple and Dulce de Leche Pancake »
French Meringue Floating in Crème Anglaise
Sprinkled on top of these delicate meringues—which float in a vanilla custard—are praline roses, caramel-coated almonds dyed a bright pink. Get the recipe for French Meringue Floating in Crème Anglaise »
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Japanese Mochi
For this dessert, from cookbook author Hiroko Shimbo, adzuki bean paste is wrapped in an extremely tender, sticky rice dough called gyūhi. The toasted green soybean flour that is dusted over the sweet is reminiscent of the revered bird, shaded in greens. Get the recipe for Japanese Mochi »
French Eclairs
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When it comes to eclairs, homemade is always better. Bakeries have to chill their filled eclairs, which makes for soggy centers and mushy crusts; you can freshly fill yours at home and eat them right away. Get the recipe for French Eclairs
Chinese Rice Cakes Stuffed with Coconut and Brown Sugar (Yi Bua)
Like a tropical version of mochi, these chewy rice cakes, often eaten on sweltering Hainan days with a tall glass of coffee, hold a brown sugar and coconut filling. Get the recipe for Chinese Rice Cakes Stuffed with Coconut and Brown Sugar (Yi Bua) »
Turkish Black Mulberry Soup with Kaymak Ice Cream
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Black Mulberry Soup with Kaymak Ice Cream
This pleasantly tart soup is a welcome break from super-sweet desserts. The accompanying ice cream is made from kaymak, a traditional Turkish dairy product; crème fraîche makes a good substitute. Get the recipe for Black Mulberry Soup with Kaymak Ice Cream »
This pleasantly tart soup is a welcome break from super-sweet desserts. The accompanying ice cream is made from kaymak, a traditional Turkish dairy product; crème fraîche makes a good substitute. Get the recipe for Turkish Black Mulberry Soup with Kaymak Ice Cream »
Italian Baked Pears and Prunes with Red Wine Sauce
Baked Pears and Prunes with Red Wine Sauce
Taking poached pears to the next level, in this dessert, whole Bosc pears are cooked in a red wine syrup, with succulent prunes adding complexity to the sauce. Get the recipe for Baked Pears and Prunes with Red Wine Sauce »
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Get the recipe for Sticky Rice and Almond Cake (Nian Gao)
Sticky Rice and Almond Cake (Nian Gao)
Matt Taylor-Gross
This chewy steamed cake, with flavors of almond and caramel, is traditionally eaten for the Lunar New Year. Eat it warm or let the cake cool completely, then cut into slabs, batter with beaten egg, and fry them until crisp. Get the recipe for Sticky Rice and Almond Cake (Nian Gao) »
Israeli Cashew Baklava
Cashew Baklava
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Brown sugar, cinnamon and nutty, rich cashews are rolled into tight baklava cigars in this eminently snackable dessert. Get the recipe for Cashew Baklava »
North African Semolina-Coconut Cake with Orange and Rose Waters
Semolina-Coconut Cake with Orange and Rose Waters
This North African cake is baked with dried coconut and sweetened condensed milk and then soaked in a fragrant lemony syrup with orange blossom and rose waters. Get the recipe for Semolina-Coconut Cake with Orange and Rose Waters
Slovenian Layered Strudel Cake (Prekmurska Gibanica)
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Layered Strudel Cake (Prekmurska Gibanica)
Able to be assembled up to 2 days prior to baking, this multilayered pastry cake is stuffed with poppy seed, walnut, cottage cheese, and tart apple fillings. Get the recipe for Layered Strudel Cake (Prekmurska Gibanica) »
Able to be assembled up to 2 days prior to baking, this multilayered pastry cake is stuffed with poppy seed, walnut, cottage cheese, and tart apple fillings. Get the recipe for Slovenian Layered Strudel Cake (Prekmurska Gibanica) »
Korean Rice Cake
Korean Rice Cake
Korean rice cakes, known as songpyeon, are half moon-shaped dumplings that are stuffed with fillings like sweet potatoes, chestnuts, red beans, or nuts, and then steamed and served with honey. Get the recipe for Korean Rice Cake »
Korean rice cakes, known as songpyeon, are half moon-shaped dumplings that are stuffed with fillings like sweet potatoes, chestnuts, red beans, or nuts, and then steamed and served with honey. Get the recipe for Korean Rice Cake »
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The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
We've found that rolling these cookies into bigger portions, then refrigerating them for at least 2 hours before slightly under-baking them at 350°, results in incredibly gooey, soft chocolate chip cookies. Get the recipe for The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies »
Indian Goan Coconut Cake (Baath)
Goan Coconut Cake (Baath)
A hint of rosewater adds sweet, floral aroma to this moist, dense semolina cake, packed with four types of coconut. Refrigerating overnight gives the semolina time to soak up the sweet coconut liquid, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb. Get the recipe for Goan Coconut Cake (Baath) »
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A hint of rosewater adds sweet, floral aroma to this moist, dense semolina cake, packed with four types of coconut. Refrigerating overnight gives the semolina time to soak up the sweet coconut liquid, resulting in a softer, more tender crumb. Get the recipe for Goan Coconut Cake (Baath)
Phillippine Fruit Salad
Phillippine Fruit Salad
“When I introduce this dish to my friends for the first time, they are confused and a little hesitant to eat it. Once they try it, though, they fall in love.” – Leah Cohen of Pig & Khao. Get the recipe for Phillippine Fruit Salad »
Simple fruits cut and covered in sweet condensed milk sauce. Get the recipe for Phillippine Fruit Salad »
Chilean Baked Custard with Caramel Sauce (Leche Asada)
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Baked Custard with Caramel Sauce (Leche Asada)
This classic custard is ubiquitous in Chile, where it is served in cups for a quick afternoon snack or baked in a larger pan for a family-style dessert. Get the recipe for Baked Custard with Caramel Sauce (Leche Asada) »
Swedish "Gooey" Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)
Swedish "Gooey" Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)
Swedish “Gooey” Chocolate Cake
Chef Magnus Nilsson's wife likes to serve this beloved Swedish cake, similar to a fudgy American brownie, chilled, but it's just as good piping hot from the pan with a scoop of ice cream. Melting the butter in this recipe first and then stirring it with the other ingredients helps ensure that as little air as possible gets incorporated into the batter. The result: a gooey, more moist cake. Get the recipe for Swedish "Gooey" Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka) »
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Crème Brûlée
Crème Brûlée
Crème Brûlée
Beating egg yolks with sugar until pale and fluffy is the key to the smooth texture in this rich, classic French dessert, as made by Dennis Wist, father of Saveur Art Associate Allie Wist. Get the recipe for Crème Brûlée »
Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage)
Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage)
This delightfully basic white sponge cake, encrusted with a coconut and brown sugar topping, is a dream to make and eat.
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This delightfully basic white sponge cake, encrusted with a coconut and brown sugar topping, is a dream to make and eat. Get the recipe for Danish Dream Cake (Drømmekage) »
Burmese Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin)
Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin)
This sticky-sweet cake, made with semolina flour and coconut milk, is commonly served at holidays and special occasions in Myanmar. Get the recipe for Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin) »
This sticky-sweet cake, made with semolina flour and coconut milk, is commonly served at holidays and special occasions in Myanmar. Get the recipe for Burmese Sesame-Topped Semolina Cake with Coconut (Shwekyi Senyinmakin) »
Australian Tim Tam Pavlova
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Pavlova, a traditional Russian dessert, gets an addition from a chocolatey Australian favorite. The thing that differentiates this classic kiwi dessert from a meringue is the addition of vinegar: it helps give the outside a lovely crunchy shell, while the inside remains soft. Get the recipe for Australian Tim Tam Pavlova »
