30 Amazing Australian Desserts For You To Make At Home

When it comes to desserts, no one loves their regional dessert more than Australians. Their desserts are unique and incorporate a variety of ingredients and flavors.

Many of Australia’s popular desserts are based on their snacks, either using the snacks themselves in the recipe or their defining flavors.

Australia’s desserts are unique because of Australia’s culture. As a country, Australia sees a lot of immigration, so many cultures and lifestyles get integrated into what they consume.

The hot weather also impacts the desserts that they eat, so many of them have fruits and cooling ingredients. You will often see desserts that are served warm or cold, rather than hot.

To demonstrate Australia’s large amount of flavors and desserts, we have curated a list of our favorite Australian desserts for your to try to make at home.

1. Fairy Bread 

Anywhere else in the world may see fairy bread as a weird snack, but trust us, to Australians it is the taste of childhood.

It is very simple to make, only requiring 3 ingredients and no baking skills.

All you need to do is get sliced white bread, cover one side in butter, and cover that side in sprinkles. Leave no bit of butter visible as it acts as the glue to stick the sprinkles on the bread.

While you could theoretically use any sprinkles you like, rainbow sprinkles are traditional. 

You can’t go to a children’s birthday party in Australia without seeing some fairy bread, and we believe it is a custom that should spread around the world.

It is pretty, sweet, and has a variety of textures. From the soft bread to the slightly crunchy sprinkles, fairy bread is a winning dessert that anyone can make.

2. Carrot Cake 

Carrot cake is beloved all over the world, and this includes Australia. 

Despite using a lot of grated carrots in the batter, the cake doesn’t end up tasting heavily like carrots. Instead, the natural sugars of the carrots come out and give the cake a wonderfully sweet flavor that is unlike any other cake.

The carrots also help to keep the cake very moist, when nuts have been added to the carrot cake, you get a wonderful texture difference.

Of course, no carrot cake is complete without cream cheese frosting.

3. Cherry Ripe Balls 

These are no-bake, bitesize snacks that are perfect to make and enjoy at home or give as a gift to friends and family.

They use cherry ripe chocolate bars to give them that distinct cherry flavor. Marie Biscuits are also in the balls to make them mouldable.

To pair with the cherry flavor, other ingredients like coconut and dark chocolate are included.

4. Iced VoVo Tart 

Iced VoVo biscuits are a classic Australian treat, they are distinct for their pink coloring, red stripe down the center, and a dusting of coconut.

The flavors of the biscuit are used in the tart, as well as the biscuits themselves being a part of the base.

You have that iconic pink marshmallow filling on top, and then raspberry jelly layered on that. The jelly is made out of frozen raspberries so you get the natural flavors from the fruit.

Pink cream is used to decorate the top (leaving a strip of red jelly visible), and then the whole thing is dusted with coconut.

5. Louise Cake 

This is a layered cake that looks extremely elegant and is a sure crowd-pleaser. You can serve it warm or cold, depending on the weather.

The bottom layer of the cake is a cookie crumble base that is slightly crispy. Then raspberry jam is layered on top and finally, the whole thing is topped with meringue and coconut.

6. Vanilla Slice 

These are a classic Australian dessert and can be made in under 30 minutes. The top and bottom layers are crispy thin puff pastry layers that pair great with the filling.

The filling is a creamy vanilla pudding that is subtly sweet and delicious.

The slices are dusted in powdered sugar to give them that finished look, and also give you an excuse to lick your fingers afterward.

7. Mango And Kiwi Ice Pops

These ice pops are the perfect way to beat the Australian heat. They are made with refreshing fruit that gives the ice pops stunning layers of bright colors.

While the mango is bright enough by itself, green food coloring has been added to the kiwi to give it a bolder color, of course, this is completely optional.

Along with the kiwi and mango, pineapple juice is included in these ice pops to enhance the tropical flavors.

These ice pops are made with frozen kiwi and mango, so you are able to make them year-round.

8. Milo Balls 

Milo is possibly the most popular drink powder in Australia, it is malt flavored and is beloved by both kids and adults.

These Milo balls are super easy to make and only require 4 ingredients, Milo powder being one of them.

The base of the balls is plain cookies, with sweetened condensed milk used to make them  form a mouldable dough. The flavorings are Milo and desiccated coconut, with the balls being rolled in extra coconut.

9. Monte Carlos 

These are ridiculously cute and easy sandwich cookies.

The outer cookies are small and are flavored with coconut and vanilla. Two cookies are then sandwiched together with a raspberry jam and vanilla cream filling.

10. Vegemite Brownies 

While these may sound weird, somehow they work.

Vegemite is a yeast spread, that has a strong salty flavor. It is commonly eaten for breakfast on a slice of toast with butter. It is also rich in B vitamins that help with metabolism and the creation of red blood cells.

When used in brownies, you get this incredible fudginess to them and the saltiness of the Vegemite enhances the sweet flavor of the brownies.

The brownies are made with rich dark chocolate, and then the whole thing is topped with brown butter cream.

11. Mini Hot Jam Doughnuts 

Doughnuts aren’t as difficult to make as many people think and can make a fantastic snack to serve guests.

They are fluffy, hot, and filled with delicious jam. You can use any flavor you like but raspberry is recommended.

Once you have fried your donuts, make sure you roll them in sugar so they stick to the hot dough and give the outside a slight crispiness.

12. Enormous Neenish Tart 

Neenish tarts are a common Australian dessert, and this one is big enough to feed the whole family and more.

You get a flakey pastry made from almond meal that has layers of raspberry jam and cream filling on top of it.

Of course, the tart has to have the iconic dual-toned icing on top. The brown side is colored with cocoa powder and then the pink half simply uses food coloring.

13. Wagon Wheel Slice 

These slices are based on the popular treat Wagon Wheel. These are chocolate cookies that are sandwiched with marshmallow and jam, and then the whole thing is coated in chocolate.

This recipe is a relatively healthy take on the classic Australian treat. 

The cookies are replaced with a biscuit made with almonds, coconut, and rice malt syrup. The jam is a strawberry chia jam, that has extra fresh strawberries included.

Cacao powder is used instead of cocoa powder which gives it a slightly more bitter taste that is akin to dark chocolate.

14. Rocky Road 

When it comes to no-bake treats, rocky road is one of the best. They are bars of many different flavors that somehow all work together. 

They combine chocolate, marshmallows, cherries, peanuts, and desiccated coconut together into a bite of different flavors and textures.

Rocky road is simple to make, making it perfect for snacks or as gifts to others.

15. Pavlova 

This is the quintessential Australian dessert and is perfect for any summertime dinner party.

It consists of a large meringue base that has a chewy inside, but a crispy outside. The whole thing is then topped with cream and fresh fruit. If you want to be extra fancy, then you can also do a layer of lemon curd under the cream.

The fruit is seasonal to what you can get fresh but usually consists of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.

16. Kingston Biscuits 

These sandwich biscuits consist of nutty cookies and a chocolatey and fruity filling.

The biscuits are made with cashews, almonds, and coconut which are then all sweetened with maple syrup and honey.

The chocolate cream center is made with dark chocolate, sweetened with honey, and then mixed with your favorite fruit spread.

17. Red Lolly Custard Tarts 

This recipe creates the cutest pink tarts, which are each topped with a raspberry.

The creamy custard also uses red lollies in its filling, which is what gives them its gorgeous pink color.

18. ANZAC Biscuits 

ANZAC stands for Australian New Zealand Army Corps. These biscuits were allegedly made by the wives of abroad soldiers during WW1 because the ingredients didn’t spoil easily and could survive transportation.

These days the biscuits are usually made as gifts and every family has their own variation of the recipe they make. Typically, they are made from oatmeal and coconut and have a chewy yet buttery consistency.

19. Caramel Slice 

These slices have layers of different textures that make them addicting and delicious.

The bottom layer is a coconut biscuit base that also has cornflakes in it to give it a unique crunch.

Then the biscuit is topped with a homemade caramel filling. Caramel is very easy to make at home and is a lot better than store-bought sauce.

The whole slice is then topped with a layer of dark chocolate, which helps to offset the sweetness of the caramel.

20. Chocolate Crackles 

These are super simple to make, they are great to make with children. They are mainly rice cereal, which is where the crackle part comes in. if you can’t find rice cereal, then you can use any plain flavored cereal that can provide a crunchy texture.

The rice cereal is then mixed in melted chocolate, which helps them all stick together.

There are also additional flavors mixed in like powdered sugar for sweetness, cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor, and coconut which pairs beautifully with the chocolate.

It is recommended that you serve these in cupcake cases as they can get slightly messy when biting into them.

21. Macadamia And Lemon Myrtle Shortbread 

Shortbread is simple to make, ending in a buttery and crumbly consistency that is perfect for any sweet tooth. This recipe takes the classic shortbread to the next level.

First, there are toasted macadamia nuts in it. Macadamia nuts are perfect in desserts giving a crunch and also a mild nutty flavor. Then, ground lemon myrtle leaf is added.

Lemon myrtle leaf gives it a strong lemon flavor, without the acidity.

This is a slice-and-bake kind of dessert, meaning that the shortbread dough is rolled into a log, and then discs are cut off in order to be baked. This method makes it very easy to freeze and then bake on a later day.

22. Gaytime Truffles 

Golden Gaytime is a popular ice cream treat in Australia, and this truffle recipe uses them to make these truffles sweet and creamy.

The ice cream is melted into a sauce that is used in these truffles, this way you don’t have to worry about working fast before the ice cream melts.

To make this dessert even more Australian, Caramilk chocolate is also used. This is a mild caramel chocolate bar that is quite sweet and has an appealing beige color.

Malted milk chocolate powder and malted milk biscuits are also used to make these bitesize treats.

23. Mango And Coconut Three Milk Cake 

This cake is moist, refreshing, and perfect to wow your guests with.

It utilizes fresh mango, lime, and 3 different types of milk.

The whole cake is decorated with a beautiful swiss meringue frosting that is creamy and light.

The cake is also decorated with coconut and mango, which not only look stunning but also gives your guests an idea of what flavors they can expect to find in the cake.

24. Homemade Tim Tams 

If you ever get the opportunity to go to Australia, you need to try a Tim Tam. They are considered to be the biscuit of Australia and are super chocolatey and delicious.

If you aren’t fortunate enough to go to Australia, don’t worry, we have a recipe for you to make Tim Tams at home, no matter what country you are in.

Tim Tams are chocolate cookies, with a chocolate cream filling, that is surrounded by chocolate. The filling is also flavored with malted milk powder, which is beloved in Australia.

While you can just eat these cookies, a common way to do so is with something called the Tim Tam Slam.

This is when you bite off either end of your Tim Tam and then use it as a straw to drink your beverage (preferably milk or coffee). That way the insides become slightly soft and infused with the flavors of your drink.

25. Mint Slice Cookies 

Mint and chocolate is one of the best year-round flavor combinations, and these cookies prove it. You get a soft cookie, that has delicious peppermint cream in the center. 

The cookies end up looking more like a patty once they’re baked and coated with chocolate.

They are super easy to make and are a must when you are craving something minty.

26. Espresso Martini Ripple Cakes 

These ripple cakes look super fancy and are great to serve at an elegant dinner party, despite how easy they are to make. The joy of these cakes is that they are small, so everyone gets their own personal cake.

They have a strong coffee flavor, using both instant coffee powder and coffee liquor, this means these aren’t suitable for those under drinking age as each cake layer is soaked in strong coffee-flavored alcohol.

The coffee scene in Australia is rapidly increasing, which is why coffee-flavored desserts are becoming more and more popular.

The layers include Choc Ripple biscuits, and also have the warming flavor of cinnamon throughout.

27. Mango And Passion Fruit Australian Mess 

This is an Aussie take on the classic British dessert, Eton mess.

Eton mess is essentially what happens when you mess up making a pavlova. It is crushed meringue mixed with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Instead of the typical strawberries in Eton mess, this variation uses mango and passionfruit. The whipped cream has also been enhanced with a vanilla bean which also gives it appealing black speckles throughout.

28. Violet Crumble Cheesecake 

This cheesecake has been made with Violet Crumble chocolate bars, which are flavored with honeycomb and toffee.

The cheesecake is a no-bake recipe, so is super easy to make and can be made and then left in the fridge until you are ready to eat it in a couple of hours.

29. Jelly Slice 

This jelly slice provides super bold layers that are visually appealing, and also delicious to eat.

A biscuit base is used as the bottom layer, then white milk jelly is the middle layer. It is then all topped with raspberry jelly.

It is simple to make and is sure to please everyone.

30. Homemade Lamingtons 

Nothing says Australian dessert more than Lamingtons. They are small cubes of cake that come in a variety of flavors, most predominantly in coconut.

They are super soft and have chocolate icing on the outside that helps the coconut stick to them.

Lamingtons are easy and fun to make at home, allowing you to experiment with different flavors and create your own perfect Lamington.

Are there any European desserts that are similar to the Australian desserts listed?

Are there any European desserts that are similar to the Australian desserts listed? European cuisine indeed offers a delectable assortment of treats that can rival Australian desserts. From the indulgent French crème brûlée to the delicate Italian tiramisu, the best european desserts offer a wide range of flavors and textures that are bound to satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth.

Final Thoughts

The number of cultures in Australia is evident in their desserts. They are unique to Australia and are beloved by anyone who lives there.

As you can see from the above recipes, some common flavors that are repeated include chocolate, coconut, and raspberry. Many of their storebought snacks include these flavors and then their desserts are based on these snacks.

Hopefully, you can now bring some of the classic flavors of Australia to your kitchen and appease any guests you have over with your amazing desserts.

Frequently Asked Questions