Ukraine may be one of the largest countries in Europe, but it isn’t typically a big hit with tourists. This is a shame because Ukraine has a lot to offer.
In particular, Ukraine has an incredibly diverse cuisine that includes some of the best desserts found anywhere in the world. Decadent, sweet, addictive, and easy to make, you seriously need to try some Ukrainian desserts.
Today, we want to give you a chance to. If you’re bored of making the same desserts, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done the hard work and compiled a list of 13 easy Ukrainian desserts you need to try.
In this post, we’ll show you each dessert, telling you more about what they offer. Our list is full of tasty treats so you might want to grab a quick snack before we get started!
1. Syrnyky
The first Ukrainian dessert on our list is syrnyky. Syrnyky is a versatile dessert that can be eaten any time of day.
In fact, a lot of Ukrainians also eat it for breakfast. If you’ve never heard of this dessert before, let us explain.
Syrnyky is a fried curd cheese pancake. They resemble fluffy pancakes we have at home, but are instead made with rich and creamy curd cheese.
To give the pancakes a sweeter taste, they are usually topped with jam and honey. Sugar is added to the mix too. In terms of texture, these pancakes are soft, fluffy, delicate, and crisp.
2. Old-Fashioned Honey Babka
If you want to go traditional with your Ukrainian desserts, you have to make this old-fashioned honey babka cake. This dessert is essentially a honey cake topped with rich and creamy cream cheese.
Despite the cake’s intense flavors, it is actually a fairly light dessert. This is in most parts down to the lightness and fluffiness of the cake. It’s also beautifully moist. When baked properly, the cake has a luxurious color.
3. Verhuny
Next up, we have verhuny. Verhuny is a traditional Ukrainian dessert typically served around Christmas. A type of cookie, this dessert is a simple, yet elegant pastry recipe that is made from kefir dough.
They have an intricate shape that can be achieved by cutting the dough into strips. The strips are then pulled through a slash to form a knot.
The cookies are then fried to give them that crispy texture and a golden-brown color. For extra sweetness, coat the cookies in powdered sugar.
4. Nalysnyky
Nalysnyky isn’t too different from syrnyky. Like the syrnyky, nalysnyky is made using a base of cottage cheese and raisins. They can also be made using apple and cinnamon.
This dessert resembles rolled-up pancakes. They are golden-brown in color, fluffy, soft, and sweet.
The beauty of rolling this dessert is that you don’t have to worry about making them perfectly round. You will have to master the art of flipping them though.
Top the pancakes with cream cheese, vanilla extract, and sugar for the best flavors.
5. Yabluchnyk
A lot of Ukrainian desserts are similar to desserts eaten all over America. Yabluchnyk is a fine example of this.
Yabluchnyk is the Ukrainian version of apple pie. It is one of the simplest desserts you can make because it requires so few ingredients.
The ingredients you need to make this unbelievably good, sweet dessert are sugar, flour, baking powder, apples, cinnamon, butter, cream, eggs, and salt. The pie is complete with a cinnamon and sugar topping.
6. Makivnyk
The next dessert we have for you is makivnyk. Immediately, you’ll notice about this dessert is its powerful colors. The rolls have a vibrant orangy-brown crust and a monochromatic center.
The black swirl in the center of the rolls provides an awesome appearance. This look is perfect for parties. Luckily for us, it tastes great too. These rolls are light, savory, and delightfully nutty.
7. Varenyky With Cottage Cheese Or Cherries
No Ukrainian food list is complete without varenyky. Most people would think of this dish as potato or cabbage-stuffed dumplings, however, a cherry or cottage cheese filling makes them perfect for dessert.
Filling the dumplings with cherries before topping them with sugar makes a super simple, quick, and easy dessert that packs a punch.
The cherries offer a lush tang, whilst the sugar balances things out. This combined with the savory flavor of the potato and dough also works wonders with the other ingredients.
8. Ukrainian Christmas Cake
If you want to bring something new to the table this Christmas, give this Ukrainian Christmas cake recipe a try.
Despite being a Christmas-themed dessert, this dessert is eaten right the way through the year in Ukraine to celebrate special occasions.
It is commonly known by the name perekladanets. It does take time to make but the results are worth the effort.
Often compared to baklava, the dessert features crunchy layers of dough, with each layer offering something different. Some layers contain dates and walnuts, whilst others call for apricot, cinnamon, and sugar.
9. Cheesecake Tarts
A popular dessert in Ukraine is these delicious, and quite frankly adorable cheesecake tarts.
Aside from looking and tasting the part, this is a great dessert to make if you find yourself in need of a quick and easy recipe.
Excluding the toppings and fillings, you only need seven ingredients to make these cheesecakes.
Shaped like cupcakes, these cheesecakes are tangy, sweet, and buttery. The crust around the outside of each cheesecake gives this dessert a unique twist.
When it comes to toppings, you can use chocolate chips, jams, berries, and jellies.
10. Ukrainian Waffle Cake
If you’re a fan of sugar waffles, you’ll love this Ukrainian waffle cake recipe.
This recipe shows you how to make one big sugar waffle. The key ingredients you need to make this monster dessert are butter, lemon juice, and condensed milk.
The end result is an impressive dessert with a tart and sweet flavor. The texture of this dessert is what steals the show. The waffle is extremely crunchy, just like sugar waffles should be.
11. Pampushyky
It isn’t truly Christmas in Ukraine until the Pampushyky desserts come out. Pampushyky is simply a Ukrainian donut with a jam filling. The best thing about these donuts is that they can be stuffed with whatever filling you like.
Some examples of popular fillings include cherries, apple jam, poppy seeds, and custard. We can recommend a rose jam filling as it tastes super sweet and floral.
You can bake or deep fry the donuts. They should then be topped with icing sugar.
12. Khrustyky
Next, we have khrustyky. Khrustyky is a Ukrainian fried cookie dessert that’s incredibly indulgent.
The cookies are made using a simple recipe that includes whipping cream, white sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla, and flour. This makes it super easy to make big batches of these cookies in little time.
Once fried, the cookies take on a golden-brown color. They are crispy on the outside and slightly fluffy in the center. To give the cookies more sweetness, a generous serving of icing sugar is sprinkled over the top.
13. Paska
The final dessert on our list is a fantastic paska recipe from the Spruce Eats. Paska is a sweet Easter bread traditionally baked at Easter. It is usually baked and taken to church with a variety of other dishes.
Traditional paskas are filled with raisins and nuts. They are then decorated with a sweet frosting made from water and powdered sugar.
Finally, this sweet treat is topped with vibrant sprinkles. More often than not, religious symbols also adorn the bread.
Are there any Danish dessert recipes that are similar to Ukrainian desserts?
Are there any Danish dessert recipes that are similar to Ukrainian desserts? If you’re craving a taste of Denmark, there are delicious danish dessert recipes that can satisfy your sweet tooth. While the flavors and ingredients may differ, both cuisines excel at creating delightful desserts. Whether it’s the Ukrainian medovik or the Danish æbleskiver, these delectable treats will transport you to their respective culinary traditions. Enjoy the best of both worlds with these mouthwatering delights.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most popular dessert in Ukraine is varenyky. In particular, varenyky filled with cherries is the most enjoyed dessert in the country.
Not only will you find this dessert in most Ukrainian restaurants, but you’ll also find it in most grocery stores too.
Like most countries, sweets are a big hit in Ukraine. Ukraine has a huge variety of sweets to choose from. Sweets made from chocolate, milk, honey, nuts, and cherries are extremely popular.
Ukraine’s national dish is borscht. For those that don’t know what it is, borscht is a famous beet soup. Other national favorites include cabbage rolls and varenyky.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, 13 easy Ukrainian desserts you need to try. As you can see from this list, there is a wide range of unique desserts we can make to impress our friends and family.
Most Ukrainian desserts aren’t too different from desserts we already make at home. They simply have a Ukrainian twist.
No matter what sort of dessert you like, you should be able to find something you enjoy on this list.
We’ve looked at sweet cakes, crunchy cookies, Christmas desserts, and savory delights. All you have to do now is choose the dessert you want to try first.
Good luck!
13 Easy Ukrainian Desserts You Need To Try
If you want something different from what you normally make for dessert, look at this post. Here, we look at 13 Ukrainian desserts that are easy to make.
Ingredients
Directions
- Pick a recipe from above
- Click the recipe name and visit the website
- Collect the ingredients and the food
- Enjoy – don’t forget to leave a review
Recipe Video
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