Having a sweet tooth and being passionate about travel, I decided to collaborate with other travel bloggers to compile a list of the best desserts in the world. So here it is, my dear readers! May this post encourage you to travel for food. Disclaimer: we are not responsible for any cavities you may get as a result of reading this article. 😛 Special thanks to the following bloggers: Alessandra from An Expat Diary, Sophie from Solo Sophie, Brittany from The Sweet Wanderlust, Cathy from Roar Loud, Dot from Dot On Her Way, Gabriella from Local Nomads, Sarah from Travelosio, Jessica from The Jessica Journey, Rob and Nat from Love and Road, Sonal from Drifter Planet, Kristin from SG Dive Girl, Michael from Live, Travel, Teach, Nam from Laugh, Travel, Eat, and Justine from Jusz Travel.
Macarons
“One of my favourite desserts is definitely macarons, especially the French ones. I understand that macarons are not one of the healthier sweets, as it is mainly made of sugar, but when it is done right, it just tastes so delicious that I end up forgetting about any diet I am in! The usual ingredients are confectioners’ sugar, almond flour, egg whites and food colouring. I love the fact that it comes in different flavors and pistachio gotta be my favourite one. The best ones I have tried so far are from Ladurée and Un Demanche a Paris.” -Alessandra from An Expat Diary
“Is there anything more French than the humble macaron? The best selling ‘cookie’ in France, year on year is this delectable sweet treat- yep, I had no idea that the macaron was a cookie until recently either! Made from two meringue shells filled with a sweet creamy centre, the macaron was only made into a ’sandwich’ during the 1900s. Prior to this it did not include a filling! Despite the fact that you can’t visit Paris without a macaron pit stop, ironically the Macaron didn’t even originate in France! Instead, they were thought to have come from monasteries in 8th century northern Italy. Catherine de Medici brought the sweet dessert with her to France in the 15th century.” -Sophie from Solo Sophie
Neverland Freakshake
“I heard that Melbourne is the place-to-be for foodies and it has not disappointed! From eight-course dessert-only meals to fairy floss-topped everything, Melbourne is a sweet place to be. After seeing gorgeously over the top Freakshakes on Instagram, I decided to give one a try—and as a Texan, I am a true believer that bigger is better! This Neverland Freakshake is composed of three kinds of ice cream, rimmed with Nutella and gummy bears, and topped with whipped cream, Maltesers, Tim Tams, Snickers, a lollipop, and fairy floss. And yes, it tasted just as good as it looked. Now I’ve made it my mission to try all the Freakshakes in town.” -Brittany from The Sweet Wanderlust
Portuguese Queijadas
“Dessert is my favourite part of any meal, so going to the Azores was heaven. They believe dessert isn’t just for after dinner. In the Azores, dessert comes after every meal…even breakfast! Dessert is also a snack in between meals. Like I said, it is heaven. My favourite dessert was the Portuguese Queijadas, a small cupcake like pastry that is unlike anything in this world. A crisp outer layer of sugary goodness keeps the middle soft and delicious. Sometimes they are coated in powdered sugar to finish off this treat perfectly. I’m a chocolate lover at heart yet I love these non-chocolate desserts as much as any decadent chocolate creation. Portuguese Queijadas are made of eggs, butter, flour, milk, vanillin and sugar. They may not be made with many ingredients but they are simply perfect!” -Cathy from Roar Loud
Chinese Egg Tarts
“You can find these delicious pastries at any authentic Chinese bakery or dim-sum restaurant all around the world. The best ones, of course, are found in Hong Kong. They are usually enjoyed during breakfast or for dessert at the end of an afternoon tea. Luckily, egg tarts can be made at home from simple ingredients like sugar, flour, eggs, and milk. However, it is difficult to perfect. They taste amazing from its crispy pastry cup with sweet custard egg filling. There can be different versions of egg tarts such as Hong Kong-style where the custard is smoothed over at the top. The Portuguese egg tarts feature a caramelized custard top. Either way, this dessert will definitely please any sweet-tooth.” -Dot from Dot On Her Way
Mango Sticky Rice
“Mango sticky rice is such a simple dessert, but that’s what makes it so delicious. It starts with the lightly sweet, sticky rice, a driving life force in Thailand, cooked with a salty, sweet coconut milk. The rice is topped with juicy yellow mango and drizzled with a sweet coconut cream. Finally, the dish is topped with crispy mung beans. Each ingredient is great on its own, but together they all form a heavenly combination. A dessert fit for the gods. I fell in love with this decadent dessert when I was living in New York. There, a plate could run you as much as $10. Luckily, in Thailand, you can get a decent sized portion for around $2. You’ll rarely find a night market without a mango sticky rice cart, and you’ll rarely find a mango sticky rice cart without a line. Don’t worry, it’s worth the wait.” -Gabriella from Local Nomads
“A bed of sticky rice is infused with sweetened coconut milk topped with slices of freshly cut mango and sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds to add a crunchy texture. You may also occasionally find a vendor offering other fruits with sticky rice in place of, or together with mango such as banana and coconut. I love it because it is a great way to fill up or as an energy snack when I am out seeing the sights in Thailand.” -Sarah from Travelosio
Gelato
“Out of the 38 countries I visited, gelato in Florence, Italy takes the win for my favourite dessert. Venchi, my favourite gelato shop, is home to richest and creamiest gelato. My favourite flavor is torrone, which is an Italian nougat candy, usually made up of sugar, pistachios, and almonds. Not only is this flavour unique, it is something you can only find in Italy. I fell in love with their gelato while studying in Florence, and now each trip back is not complete without a visit to Venchi! Traveler tip: the high piles of gelato in the shops may look visually appealing, but the authentic gelato are the ones that lay flat in the case. Many gelato shops will add artificial filler to the batch to make it look high and fun in the cases, but for true Italian gelato, choose the shops that are flat laying!” -Jessica from The Jessica Journey
Gelato di Parmigiano
“We have been eating so many good food during our almost three years of full time travelling that it was hard to nominate the best one. But last month in Macau, China, we tried a dessert that became our top sweet food from all times. It is not a traditional food from Macau, but it was divine and deserves the mention as one of the best desserts in the world. Think about a parmesan cheese ice cream not too sweet and not too salty, frozen to perfection. The scoop was served on the top of a sugar and spices crumbles and on the side, a bowl of hot strawberry soup that you must pour on the top of the ice cream. Seriously, that dessert was mouth watering, an explosion of flavours. We ate it at the Bene Restaurant at the Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel. The Italian restaurant is open to the public, and it is definitely one of our recommendations of what to eat and things to do in Macau.” -Rob and Nat from Love and Road
Cheese Ice Cream
“Ever heard of cheese ice cream? Apparently, it is a big rage in the Philippines and this flavor is available almost everywhere. The first time I tried it was when my husband bought a cone on Alona beach, Bohol. Much to his dismay, he never got his cone back after I had the first bite. It had many small pieces of real cheese which tasted surprisingly good as dessert.” -Sonal from Drifter Planet
Matcha Parfait
“My dessert favourite would have to be the Matcha parfait. Matcha green tea desserts are now trending in Asia, combining a light refreshing taste, beautiful colours, and health benefits that come from it being packed with antioxidants. Layers of Japanese sweets such as mochi (Japanese chewy rice balls) and red bean paste are stacked in a cup and topped with a serving of Matcha soft serve. Other options for toppings include cornflakes, cake, chestnuts, and jelly. They all work together to create a unique explosion of flavour and textures with each bite. It is not only beautiful, but incredibly yummy too!” -Kristin from SG Dive Girl
Rice Cakes
“South Koreans absolutely LOVE rice cakes. They make them out of a few different ingredients but it always includes mashed rice. Traditionally, it is made with a wooden mallet and walked into submission as natural flavours are added. Koreans go nuts for the chewy texture regardless of how they taste and some even prefer the bland white original rice cake known as tteokbokki. You can often find sweeter versions that add fruit or the sweet Asian red bean after the rice is sufficiently mushy. If it is holiday season, then there might even be elaborate decorations adorning these snacks. Rice cakes can be eaten all year round but they are especially popular around Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving), Christmas, and Lunar New Year. You will see gift boxes of the treats lining every store during busy holiday seasons and rice cakes are found just about every family gathering. I hear they are also popular in other Asian countries but I’m not sure that anyone else has quite the craze over rice cakes as Koreans do!” -Michael from Live, Travel, Teach
Egg Waffle
“Egg waffle, for those who have not heard of it before, is a cross between waffle and pancake with a special egg or bubble shape. Made with eggs, flour, butter, sugar and milk. It originated in the 1950s on the streets of Hong Kong and has become one of the favourite snacks of Hong Kongeses. In fact, it is so popular that you’ll find it in China Town around the globe. Their biggest selling point is the texture of crispiness on the outside but chewiness on the inside. Many stores have added innovative fillings inside to add to its appeal such as matcha, chocolate, cheese and even meat floss! It is also an extremely photogenic snack with its egg shape and there are shops that combine it with ice-cream and toppings to make it even more glamorous. It is best to try the original flavour first before dipping your money into the other flavours.” -Nam from Laugh, Travel, Eat
Halo-Halo
“A trip to the Philippines will be incomplete without trying our famous dessert called Halo-Halo or if one would have to translate it literally, it means ‘mix-mix’ which means it is a combinations of a variety of ingredients one would never even think of mixing together! The usual ingredients in a halo-halo are ice, evaporated milk, sweet beans, jellies, sweetened bananas, sweetened strips of coconut, and to make it even more special, there can be leche flan, ube or purple yam, and ice cream. It is also pretty colourful which makes it Instagram-worthy!” -Justine from Jusz Travel
Thanks for including us, I love my sweets! Ready to try the rest on this yummy list!
Cathy recently posted…Mount Pico Reaching the Top of the Azores