The 20 Wildest Christmas Sweets From Around the Globe You’ve Gotta Try

Think Christmas cake, and you might picture the Bûche de Noël - aka the Yule Log. This French classic is a light sponge cake rolled to look like a log (hello, nature vibes!), smothered in chocolate or coffee buttercream that looks like tree bark. Bonus points if it’s decked out with powdered sugar snow or meringue mushrooms. Talk about festive flair!

These Latvian cookies pack a punch with ginger, pepper, and cozy spices that scream holiday vibes. Perfectly sweet, perfectly spicy, and 100% snack-worthy during Christmas time.

Seven layers of fluffy sponge cake filled with rich chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel glossy goodness. It’s like the fancy cake everyone wishes they had at their holiday party.

These golden cookies are soaked in honey and sprinkled with spices like cinnamon and cloves. Easy to love and impossible to forget - they make Greek homes smell like Christmas itself.

This fluffy dome-shaped cake from Milan is packed with raisins and candied fruits (or sometimes chocolate - lucky us!). It’s proof that good things come to those who wait, since it needs a few rounds of proofing before the big bake.

Dense, fruity, and packed with dried fruits and spices, this pudding has a rich flavor thanks to brandy and some secret holiday magic. Brits can’t imagine Christmas without it!

Bolo Rei means 'King Cake,' and it looks like one with a hole in the middle representing a crown. This colorful fruit cake is all about tradition and flavor, symbolizing the gifts given to baby Jesus. Fancy AND tasty?

Crunchy layers of flaky phyllo dough packed with nuts and drenched in sweet syrup. It’s a classic Middle Eastern treat that’s all about that crunchy-sweet combo.

Imagine a trifle but with oats, fresh raspberries, malt whisky, honey, and cream layered up for a fancy finish. Perfect for Christmas or any fancy Scottish feast!

This cake is a sponge dream soaked in three kinds of milk. Sweet, rich, and super popular at any celebration - thanks to a clever recipe drop from a milk brand in the 1950s.

Soft, chewy rice balls filled with peanut paste, served in a ginger syrup that warms you up from the inside. People eat these during festivals to celebrate family unity. Sweet and meaningful!

From smiling little men to candy-covered houses, gingerbread is basically the poster kid for Christmas treats. Sweet, spicy, and way too cute to eat (but you’ll eat them anyway).

Sweet rice cake with creamy coconut milk and topped with cheese and sometimes salted eggs. It’s a wild combo but somehow totally works. Cozy Filipino holiday vibes right here.

Literally called Dream Cake, this Danish delight has a story as sweet as its taste. Layers of cake topped with a buttery, dreamy coconut topping that’ll make you believe in cake dreams.

Cardamom-spiced shortbread layers filled with prune jam, served with vanilla snow and a rhubarb vodka sauce. It’s a fancy cake perfect to beat the cold with style.

Chocolatey, smooth, and yes, made with stout beer! Despite the booze, this cake is all about rich flavor with zero bitterness. A surprisingly tasty Irish holiday treat.

Small, soft cookies sprinkled with poppy seeds, these are a staple of Lithuanian holiday tables. Bite-sized, slightly sweet, and full of tradition. Perfect snack alert!

Chocolate, marshmallows, nuts, coconut, and chewy candy all rolled into one crazy delicious no-bake bar. This Aussie fave is perfect for when you want something sweet without turning on the oven.

Layered cake soaked in syrup, topped with rice pudding, eggs, and cinnamon, with sweet raisins hiding inside. Sounds fancy? Yup. Tastes amazing? Oh yeah.

This ain’t your grandma’s fruitcake. It’s packed with nuts, fruits, and all sorts of tasty surprises that make a little slice go a long way. Intense flavor alert!