The Atlas · Spain's Sweet Table

Spanish Desserts & Sweets

80 of Spain's 456 ranked dishes are sweets, 17.5% of the whole cuisine. By our raters the best is Basque Cheesecake, the crustless, scorch-topped cake from a San Sebastián bar, Nº 362 worldwide.

80 dishes ranked·17.5% of the cuisine·2,658 diner ratings·Top rank Nº 362

Spanish sweetness runs on almonds, eggs, lard and cinnamon, and it splinters by region rather than gathering into one national showpiece. 80 of Spain's ranked dishes sit here, from the yeasted Ensaïmada de Mallorca coiled in lard to the almond Tarta de Santiago stamped with its cross. Many are convent recipes older than the recipes that record them.

The single best-rated is a newcomer: Basque Cheesecake, born decades ago at San Sebastián's La Viña bar and only lately a global obsession, sitting at Nº 362 worldwide. Fame runs elsewhere. The most-reviewed sweet here is the Galician Empanadas at Nº 1067, a pastry more savoury than sweet, with 243 ratings against the cheesecake's 2,658. The deepest seam is Catalan, home of coca and mel i mató. Read them below: the signature sweets, by region, or the complete list of all 80.

The Signature Sweets

Twelve signature sweets in rank order, four told in full, then eight more from the pastry counter.

Basque Cheesecake, cheese dessert from Spain
Plate ICheese Dessert · San Sebastián

1Nº 362 worldwide

Basque Cheesecake

Cheese Dessert · San Sebastián

The burnt Basque cheesecake, born at a San Sebastián bar: a crustless cake baked hot and fast so the top scorches dark and the center stays barely set and molten. Simple, eggy, and rich, it went from a local secret to a global obsession in a few years.

★ 4.2|89 ratings

Empanadas, pastry from Spain

2EmpanadasNº 1,067

Pastry · Galicia

The Galician original: a flaky pastry pie folded around a hot filling, born as portable food for working people and named from empanar, to coat in bread. It crossed to Latin America and multiplied, but the crescent hand-pie starts here in northwest Spain.

★ 4.0|243 ratings

Coca, sweet pastry from Spain

3CocaNº 1,256

Sweet Pastry · Catalonia

Catalonia's shape-shifting pastry, sweet or savoury, open or closed, landing somewhere between flatbread, pizza and cake. The sweet version bakes from butter, eggs, sugar and flour, then gets a topping of pine nuts, marzipan, cream or candied fruit. The star of the Catalan baking counter.

★ 4.0|36 ratings

Pastissets, cookie from Spain

4PastissetsNº 1,313

Cookie · Valencian Community

Spanish powdered-sugar cookies from the Valencian Community, made with lard, butter, egg yolks, flour, cinnamon and lemon peel, then cut, baked golden and buried in icing sugar. Some cooks swap in olive oil or anisette. Best served in the afternoon beside a cup of tea.

★ 4.0|8 ratings

  1. Ensaïmada de Mallorca, sweet pastry from Spain5

    Ensaïmada de Mallorca

    Nº 1,505

    Sweet Pastry · Mallorca★ 3.9

  2. Tarta de Santiago, cake from Spain6

    Tarta de Santiago

    Nº 1,543

    Cake · Galicia★ 3.9

  3. Quesada pasiega, cheese dessert from Spain7

    Quesada pasiega

    Nº 1,550

    Cheese Dessert · Cantabria★ 3.9

  4. Alfajores (Spain), dessert from Spain8

    Alfajores (Spain)

    Nº 1,642

    Dessert · Andalusia★ 3.9

  5. Mel i mató, cheese dessert from Spain9

    Mel i mató

    Nº 1,813

    Cheese Dessert · Catalonia★ 3.9

  6. Flaó de Ibiza, cheese dessert from Spain10

    Flaó de Ibiza

    Nº 1,946

    Cheese Dessert · Ibiza★ 3.9

  7. Paparajotes, dessert from Spain11

    Paparajotes

    Nº 2,266

    Dessert · Region of Murcia★ 3.8

  8. Piononos, sweet pastry from Spain12

    Piononos

    Nº 2,360

    Sweet Pastry · Province of Granada★ 3.8

The Gazetteer

Where Spain's sweets are made

The regions of Spain with the deepest dessert traditions. Choose one to filter the complete ledger below.

Placed dishes only · top 6 regions

  7. Another 11 ranked dishes are logged simply as pan-Spanish, with no single regional home.

The Complete Ledger

All 80 Spanish desserts & sweets in the world ranking, every entry.

80 entries
  1. 362 Basque Cheesecake Cheese Dessert San Sebastián ★ 4.2
  2. 1,067 Empanadas Pastry Galicia ★ 4.0
  3. 1,256 Coca Sweet Pastry Catalonia ★ 4.0
  4. 1,313 Pastissets Cookie Valencian Community ★ 4.0
  5. 1,505 Ensaïmada de Mallorca Sweet Pastry Mallorca ★ 3.9
  6. 1,543 Tarta de Santiago Cake Galicia ★ 3.9
  7. 1,550 Quesada pasiega Cheese Dessert Cantabria ★ 3.9
  8. 1,642 Alfajores (Spain) Dessert Andalusia ★ 3.9
  9. 1,813 Mel i mató Cheese Dessert Catalonia ★ 3.9
  10. 1,946 Flaó de Ibiza Cheese Dessert Ibiza ★ 3.9
  11. 2,266 Paparajotes Dessert Region of Murcia ★ 3.8
  12. 2,360 Piononos Sweet Pastry Province of Granada ★ 3.8
  13. 2,667 Técula mécula Tart Extremadura ★ 3.8
  14. 2,777 Pastel cordobés Cake Province of Córdoba ★ 3.8
  15. 2,779 Greixonera de brossat Cake Mallorca ★ 3.8
  16. 2,802 Tortos asturianos Fried Dough Asturias ★ 3.8
  17. 2,888 Turrón de Jijona Dessert Jijona ★ 3.8
  18. 2,895 Panellets Dessert Catalonia ★ 3.8
  19. 2,968 Borrachuelos Fried Dough Province of Málaga ★ 3.8
  20. 3,015 Churros Sweet Pastry Spain ★ 3.8
  21. 3,240 Soplillos Dessert Province of Granada ★ 3.8
  22. 3,241 Gató d'ametlla Cake Valldemossa ★ 3.8
  23. 3,384 Huesos de santo Dessert Community of Madrid ★ 3.8
  24. 3,425 Crema Catalana Custard Catalonia ★ 3.8
  25. 3,624 Xuixo Sweet Pastry Province of Girona ★ 3.7
  26. 3,633 Roscos fritos Sweet Pastry Andalusia ★ 3.7
  27. 3,737 Coca de llanda Pastry Province of Valencia ★ 3.7
  28. 4,063 Leche frita Deep-fried Dessert Province of Palencia ★ 3.7
  29. 4,072 Sobao pasiego Dessert Cantabria ★ 3.7
  30. 4,405 Mona de Pasqua Cake Catalonia ★ 3.7
  31. 4,474 Tortas locas Sweet Pastry Province of Málaga ★ 3.7
  32. 4,737 Mantecados de Estepa Cake Estepa ★ 3.7
  33. 4,804 Bienmesabe Dessert Canary Islands ★ 3.7
  34. 4,997 Arnadí Cake Province of Valencia ★ 3.7
  35. 5,227 Mostachos de Utrera Cookie Utrera ★ 3.6
  36. 5,624 Ponche Segoviano Cake Segovia ★ 3.6
  37. 5,629 Costrada Sweet Pastry Alcalá de Henares ★ 3.6
  38. 5,656 Casadielles Sweet Pastry Asturias ★ 3.6
  39. 5,935 Flores de hojaldre Sweet Pastry Alcalá de Henares ★ 3.6
  40. 6,104 Coca de San Juan Cake Catalonia ★ 3.6
  41. 6,396 Postre de músico Dessert Catalonia ★ 3.5
  42. 6,430 M Melocotones al vino Dessert Aragon ★ 3.5
  43. 6,467 Rosquillas de Alcalá Sweet Pastry Alcalá de Henares ★ 3.5
  44. 6,612 Natillas Custard Spain ★ 3.5
  45. 6,766 Rosquillas de Santa Clara Sweet Pastry Madrid ★ 3.5
  46. 7,080 Mantecadas de Astorga Cake Astorga ★ 3.5
  47. 7,112 Fartons Dessert Alboraya ★ 3.4
  48. 7,163 Tocino de cielo Dessert Jerez de la Frontera ★ 3.4
  49. 7,476 Tortilla de manzana Dessert Asturias ★ 3.4
  50. 7,480 M Marquesas Cookie Sonseca ★ 0.0
  51. 7,524 Melocotón en almibar Dessert Province of Málaga ★ 3.4
  52. 7,604 Almendrados Cookie Spain ★ 3.3
  53. 7,771 Carquinyolis Cookie Catalonia ★ 3.3
  54. 7,774 Bizcocho de aceite Cake Spain ★ 3.3
  55. 7,822 Yemas de Santa Teresa Dessert Ávila ★ 3.3
  56. 7,834 P Peras estofadas Dessert Province of Málaga ★ 3.3
  57. 7,912 Neula Cookie Catalonia ★ 3.3
  58. 7,949 Turrón Dessert Spain ★ 3.2
  59. 8,161 Polvorón Cookie Andalusia ★ 3.2
  60. 8,205 Roscón de Reyes Sweet Bread Spain ★ 3.2
  61. 8,218 Pestiños Sweet Pastry Andalusia ★ 3.1
  62. 8,242 Arroz con leche Pudding Spain ★ 3.1
  63. 8,261 Quince Paste Dessert Spain ★ 3.1
  64. 8,327 Frangollo Dessert Canary Islands ★ 0.0
  65. 8,371 Rosquillas Sweet Pastry Spain ★ 3.1
  66. 8,459 Alfajor de Medina Sidonia Dessert Medina Sidonia ★ 0.0
  67. 8,496 Magdalenas Dessert Spain ★ 3.0
  68. 8,587 Hojaldres de Astorga Sweet Pastry Astorga ★ 2.9
  69. 8,820 Peladillas Dessert Valencian Community ★ 1.8
  70. 8,983 Orelletes Sweet Pastry Catalonia ★ 0.0
  71. 9,066 M Mató de Pedralbes Custard Barcelona ★ 0.0
  72. 9,998 B Bica blanca Cake Spain ★ 0.0
  73. 10,026 Toledanas Sweet Pastry Toledo ★ 0.0
  74. 10,202 Flaons de Morella Sweet Pastry Morella ★ 0.0
  75. 10,215 F Figues albardaes Deep-fried Dessert Province of Castellón ★ 0.0
  76. 10,261 Tarta de Mondoñedo Cake Mondoñedo ★ 0.0
  77. 10,361 N Nicanores de Boñar Sweet Pastry Boñar ★ 0.0
  78. 10,727 Y Yemas del tajo Dessert Ronda ★ 0.0
  79. 10,745 A Alajú Dessert Province of Cuenca ★ 0.0
  80. 10,829 T Tarta Malagueña Cake Province of Málaga ★ 0.0

Questions, Answered

Spanish desserts & sweets, frequently asked, answered from 2,658 ratings.

What is the best Spanish dessert?
By our diners' ratings it's the Basque Cheesecake, Nº 362 worldwide, the crustless cake baked hot so the top burns dark and the middle stays molten. Behind it come the Galician Empanadas, the Catalan Coca, and the powdered-sugar Pastissets of Valencia.
What is Spain known for in desserts?
Almonds, eggs and lard, worked into regional pastries rather than one national sweet. Spain fields 80 ranked desserts, from the coiled Ensaïmada de Mallorca to the almond Tarta de Santiago and the honey-and-fresh-cheese mel i mató. Convent kitchens shaped much of the tradition.
What is the most famous Spanish dessert?
By number of ratings it's the Empanadas of Galicia, with 243 ratings, well ahead of any other sweet here, though it reads more savoury than sweet and ranks Nº 1067. Fame and score rarely line up: on score the Basque Cheesecake leads with far fewer votes.
What is a Basque cheesecake?
It's a crustless cheesecake from San Sebastián, mixed from cream cheese, sugar, eggs and cream, then baked hot and fast. The high heat scorches the top dark while the centre stays barely set and molten. Born at the La Viña bar, it now ranks Nº 362 in the world, Spain's best-rated sweet.
Which region of Spain has the best desserts?
By our data Catalonia has the deepest bench, with 10 ranked sweets led by coca, the Catalan pastry that shifts between flatbread and cake. Province of Málaga follows with 5, its borrachuelos, and Andalusia with 4, home of the almond-and-honey alfajor.
Where else should I look for great desserts?
The pastry nations, above all. Worldwide the department runs to 2,151 sweets from 154 countries, topped not by Spain but by Algeria's almond makroud el louse at Nº 8. Nearer home, Italy fields 305 ranked desserts, France 114 and Portugal 53. See Desserts & Sweets worldwide.

This Department, Elsewhere

Desserts & sweets from Spain's neighbours, ranked the same way.

ItalianDesserts & Sweets305CroatianDesserts & Sweets74PortugueseDesserts & Sweets53GreekDesserts & Sweets49SerbianDesserts & Sweets17SlovenianDesserts & Sweets14MalteseDesserts & Sweets10BosnianDesserts & Sweets10MacedonianDesserts & Sweets5CypriotDesserts & Sweets4AlbanianDesserts & Sweets4SammarineseDesserts & Sweets3KosovarDesserts & Sweets1
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