Christmas is a time of joy and happiness, and one of the best part of this time of the year is the abundance of sweets and treats. There are endless desserts from around the world that you can enjoy during the festive season. 

Rice Pudding 

Rice Pudding is a traditional Christmas dessert in Sweden that contains a whole almond, which according to tradition brings good luck to whoever finds it. If the person who finds the almond is single, they are about to meet their significant other in the new year. 

Yule Log

This French piece of art, this cylindrical cake that resembles a tree trunk is dedicated to an ancient European tradition where they would burn logs during the winter solstice, and later became associated with Christmas celebrations. It is filled with cream, while the chocolate glaze symbolizes the bark of trees and the edible decorations resemble leaves, pine cones, and other pieces of nature. 

Panettone

In Italy and its neighboring counties, one of the most popular Christmas sweets is Panettone , a sweet bread made with dried fruits and candied orange peel. It originated in Milan and serving it alongside a glass of sparkling wine or champagne brings out the best of it. 

Stollen

Stollen is a German dessert made with a colorful collection of walnuts, raisins, forest fruits, orange and lemon zest, traditional Christmas spices such as cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and nutmeg, rum or cognac, and plenty of butter. The original shape of Stollen was a large braid and symbolized baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. 

Linzer Cookies 

Linzer cookies originated in Austria, but they are also popular in many European cities, especially during Christmas and New Year’s. They are made from flour, butter, egg yolks, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nuts. The filling is usually apricot or blackberry jam. 

Krumkake

Krumkake means curled cake in Norwegian, and is essentially a traditional cookie waffle that is eaten during Christmas. They are extremely light and crispy and are made with flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream. They can also be filled with cream or chocolate. 

Speculaas 

These biscuits are found in the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as in western and southern Germany. They usually depict characters and symbols related to Saint Nicholas. 

Zimtsterne 

Another Germany delicacy, Zimtsterne is shaped like a star and has a crispy texture. The flavors of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, anise, and fennel make it a perfect treat for the holiday season. The dough for these cookies is made almost entirely from crushed nuts, mainly almonds and hazelnuts. The frosting is applied before baking and is made of sugar mixed with egg whites.

Kourabies and Melomakarono

A double entry because there's not one household in Greece that has only one of them. Kourabies is a crunchy and buttery cookie, made with roasted almonds, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Melomakarono is a soft and syrupy cookie, made with honey and sprinkled with walnuts. Both of them are an iconic part of the Christmas celebrations in Greece, with their fans having a friendly feud each year about which treat is the best.