✔ Updated · 35 desserts grouped by type, with a holiday guide
Spanish desserts lean on a short list of pantry staples I always have: eggs, milk, sugar, almonds, olive oil, citrus and cinnamon.
The most popular Spanish desserts are flan (caramel custard), churros con chocolate, crema catalana, arroz con leche (rice pudding), tarta de Santiago (almond cake), torrijas (Spanish French toast) and turrón (almond nougat). Most are built on eggs, milk, sugar, almonds and citrus, and many are tied to holidays: turrón and polvorones at Christmas, torrijas and pestiños at Easter.
- Most famous: flan and churros con chocolate.
- Best custard: crema catalana, Spain's answer to crème brûlée.
- Best cake: tarta de Santiago or burnt Basque cheesecake.
- Christmas classics: turrón, polvorones, mazapán and roscón de Reyes.
From those come silky custards like flan and crema catalana, almond cakes like tarta de Santiago, fried sweets such as churros and torrijas, and crumbly holiday cookies like polvorones. Below are 35 traditional Spanish desserts, grouped by type, with where each comes from and when it's usually eaten, plus a guide to the sweets that belong to Christmas, Three Kings Day, Easter and All Saints' Day.
Custards and Puddings
Creamy, egg-rich custards and milk puddings are the backbone of Spanish desserts, and nearly every family has a version of at least one of these. Flan is the one I make most. For more Mediterranean sweets built on honey, nuts and filo, see our Greek desserts.
1. Flan
Spain's best-known dessert: a baked custard of eggs, milk and sugar, turned out of its mold so the amber caramel runs down the sides.
2. Crema Catalana
A Catalan custard flavored with lemon peel and cinnamon, cooked on the stovetop and finished with a crackly, caramelized sugar crust.
3. Natillas
A soft, pourable stovetop custard with cinnamon and lemon zest, served chilled in small bowls, often topped with a crisp Maria cookie.
4. Arroz con Leche
Creamy rice pudding simmered slowly in milk with lemon peel and cinnamon; in Asturias it is finished with a caramelized sugar top.
5. Tocino de Cielo
An Andalusian custard made with egg yolks and sugar syrup instead of milk, so it is dense, glossy and very sweet, set over caramel.
6. Leche Frita
Literally fried milk: a thick milk and cornstarch pudding chilled, cut into squares, coated in flour and egg, fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
7. Cuajada
Sheep's milk set with rennet into a soft, slightly tangy curd, traditionally served in small clay pots with honey and walnuts in Navarre and the Basque Country.
Cakes and Tarts
8. Tarta de Santiago
A moist Galician almond cake made with ground almonds, eggs, sugar and lemon zest, decorated with the Cross of St. James in powdered sugar.
9. Burnt Basque Cheesecake
A crustless cheesecake from San Sebastián, baked very hot so the top caramelizes deep brown while the center stays soft and creamy.
10. Quesada Pasiega
A dense, custardy cheesecake from Cantabria made with fresh cheese or curds, butter, eggs, sugar, lemon zest and a little cinnamon.
11. Técula Mécula
A rich almond and egg yolk tart from Olivenza in Extremadura, baked in a thin pastry case until golden and fragrant.
12. Bizcocho de Aceite
A light, everyday Spanish sponge cake made with olive oil and citrus zest instead of butter, eaten for breakfast or merienda.
13. Pantxineta
A Basque pastry from San Sebastián: crisp puff pastry filled with pastry cream and topped with toasted sliced almonds and powdered sugar.
14. Brazo de Gitano
A thin sponge cake rolled around whipped cream, custard or chocolate truffle filling; the name means gypsy's arm, and every region has a favorite version.
15. Sobaos Pasiegos
Rich, dense butter sponge cakes from the Pas valleys of Cantabria, flavored with lemon zest and a splash of rum or anise, baked in paper cases.
Fried Sweets
16. Churros con Chocolate
Ridged sticks of simple flour-and-water dough fried until crisp, sprinkled with sugar and dunked in thick, spoonable hot chocolate.
Get the recipe →17. Torrijas
Spain's Easter French toast: thick bread soaked in milk with cinnamon and lemon, dipped in egg, fried and finished with sugar or honey.
18. Buñuelos de Viento
Light, hollow fritters of fried choux dough, often filled with custard or cream and eaten around All Saints' Day.
19. Pestiños
Andalusian fried dough twists flavored with anise, sesame and orange, glazed with honey or rolled in sugar at Christmas and Easter.
20. Frixuelos
Thin Asturian crepes, similar to French crêpes, served rolled with sugar, honey or cream, especially during Carnival.
21. Rosquillas
Ring-shaped doughnuts scented with anise and lemon zest, fried and rolled in sugar; Madrid sells plain and iced versions for the San Isidro festival in May.
22. Flores Manchegas
Crisp, lacy flower-shaped fritters from La Mancha, made by dipping a decorative iron in thin batter, frying it and dusting with sugar or honey.
Cookies and Pastries
23. Polvorones
Very crumbly Andalusian shortbread made with toasted flour, lard, sugar and almonds, wrapped in paper and eaten by the dozen at Christmas.
24. Ensaimada
A coiled, feather-light sweet pastry from Mallorca made with saïm (lard), baked golden and buried under powdered sugar.
25. Miguelitos
Squares of flaky puff pastry from La Roda in Albacete, filled with pastry cream and dusted generously with powdered sugar.
26. Perrunillas
Crumbly lard-based cookies from Extremadura and Castile, flavored with lemon and cinnamon and topped with a little sugar.
27. Fartons
Long, soft, sugar-glazed sweet buns from Alboraya near Valencia, made for dunking into a glass of cold horchata de chufa.
28. Magdalenas
Small, lemony Spanish muffins with tall domed tops, made with olive or sunflower oil and eaten for breakfast dunked in coffee or hot chocolate.
29. Piononos
Bite-size rolls of syrup-soaked sponge filled with cream and crowned with toasted custard, a specialty of Santa Fe near Granada.
30. Carquiñolis
Crunchy twice-baked Catalan almond biscuits, similar to Italian biscotti, made for dipping in sweet wine, coffee or hot chocolate.
Holiday and Convent Sweets
31. Turrón
Spain's Christmas nougat: hard Alicante turrón studded with whole almonds, or soft, smooth Jijona turrón made from ground almonds and honey.
32. Panellets
Small Catalan marzipan balls of almond, sugar and egg, rolled in pine nuts and baked golden for All Saints' Day on November 1.
33. Yemas de Santa Teresa
Bite-size candied egg yolk sweets from Ávila, cooked with sugar syrup and lemon, rolled into balls and dusted with powdered sugar.
34. Roscón de Reyes
A ring of soft enriched bread perfumed with orange blossom water, topped with candied fruit and sliced almonds and often filled with cream, eaten on January 6.
35. Mazapán de Toledo
Toledo's protected-origin marzipan of ground almonds and sugar, shaped into small figures or crescent-filled anguilas and eaten at Christmas.
Spanish Desserts by Holiday
Many Spanish sweets are seasonal, so what you find in a Spanish bakery depends a lot on the calendar. I love that about them.
| Occasion | Desserts on this list | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas | Turrón, polvorones, perrunillas, pestiños, mazapán | Sold in boxes and trays from late November |
| Three Kings Day (January 6) | Roscón de Reyes | Hides a small figurine and a dried bean |
| Easter (Semana Santa) | Torrijas, pestiños, buñuelos | Fried sweets dominate during Lent and Holy Week |
| All Saints' Day (November 1) | Panellets, buñuelos de viento | Panellets are a Catalan Castanyada tradition |
| St. Joseph's Day (March 19) | Crema catalana | Also called crema de Sant Josep in Catalonia |
| Year-round | Flan, natillas, arroz con leche, churros, magdalenas, bizcocho | Everyday desserts, cafés and breakfast |
Tips for Making Spanish Desserts at Home
- Use citrus peel, not just juice. Strips of lemon or orange peel steeped in the milk give custards and rice pudding their classic Spanish flavor.
- Cook custards gently. Flan bakes in a water bath, and crema catalana and natillas thicken over low heat with constant stirring so the eggs don't curdle.
- Fry at the right temperature. Churros, torrijas and buñuelos fry best in oil at about 350 to 375°F; cooler oil makes them greasy.
- Use good almonds and olive oil. They are the main flavor in tarta de Santiago, turrón and bizcocho, so quality shows.
- Plan ahead. Flan, tocino de cielo and leche frita need several hours in the fridge to set, so make them the day before.
More Recipes to Explore
Looking for something savory first? Try our Spanish appetizers. For more sweets from the Spanish-speaking world, browse our Mexican desserts, and pair fartons or churros with a glass of homemade horchata.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular dessert in Spain?
Flan is the most widespread Spanish dessert, found on almost every restaurant menu as the classic postre casero. Churros con chocolate are the most famous sweet snack, while crema catalana, arroz con leche and tarta de Santiago are close behind in popularity.
What is the difference between crema catalana and crème brûlée?
Both are custards with a caramelized sugar top, but crema catalana is cooked on the stovetop, thickened with cornstarch and flavored with lemon peel and cinnamon. Crème brûlée is baked in a water bath and usually made with cream and vanilla, giving a richer custard.
Are churros Spanish or Mexican?
Churros are traditionally Spanish, where they are eaten for breakfast or a late-night snack dipped in thick hot chocolate. Mexico and other Latin American countries have their own popular versions, often rolled in cinnamon sugar or filled with cajeta, chocolate or cream.
What desserts do Spaniards eat at Christmas?
Spanish Christmas tables are known for turrón (almond nougat), polvorones and mantecados (crumbly shortbread), marzipan and perrunillas. On January 6, Three Kings Day, families share a roscón de Reyes, a ring-shaped sweet bread decorated with candied fruit.
What is a typical Spanish dessert after dinner?
At home or in a casual restaurant, dinner usually ends with fresh fruit, a yogurt, flan, natillas or arroz con leche. More elaborate cakes and pastries are typically saved for weekends, celebrations or the afternoon merienda with coffee.
Churros. I had the best ever Churros in Sitges, Spain. Sold next to the beach. Filled with Custard. Whish I knew how to make them. Why did Covid stop us from flying….