Craving something sweet and a little different? Look no further than Portuguese desserts! From creamy custards to rich chocolate treats, there’s a flavor for everyone.
Get ready to explore a world of deliciousness with these 25 must-try recipes!
1. Walnut and Apple Cake
It seems that the number six must be lucky, because this cake calls for only six different things and less than 30 minutes of your time to throw it all together. As a long time fan of coffee and walnut cake, I knew that when I saw this fruity treat, I’d have to try it.
Rather than what you may get in a coffee cake, the walnuts act here much like the ground almonds would in any other cake. To top it all off, they even manage to give the cake a much more buttery flavor.
2. Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)
Probably one of the most well-known Portuguese desserts, these custard tarts are small, sweet, and super creamy. Unlike those British custard tarts that go the shortcut route using standard pastry, these get their flaky, lightly crisp finish from puff pastry.
You’ll have to use warm milk and flour as a thickener to get your custard made. Don’t forget to temper those yolks and mix until you get the consistency just right!
3. Portuguese Lemonade Recipe
With summer fast approaching, you might be on the lookout for a fun, tasty drink to serve at the next BBQ. Lemonade is always going to be a hit, and making it yourself is a great way to keep out any nasty additives that might be hiding in those store-bought options.
For the ultimate citrus flavor, this version relies on both lemon and lime. And if you want to make it just for the adults, add in some vodka or white rum.
4. Pao De Lo (Portuguese Sponge Cake)
Portuguese Pao de lo is a lot like angel cake because they both get that lift from whipped eggs. This easy, no-fuss cake makes use of just six ingredients: eggs, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest.
It’s great for any occasion! Dust it with some powdered sugar, or easily add fruit or whipped cream to spruce it up a bit.
5. Sonhos (Portuguese Doughnuts)
I’ve always thought of donuts as dreamy: light, sweet, versatile, colorful, and just the cutest dessert out there. Well, the Portuguese must agree with me because these little donuts are also known as sonhos… or, dreams.
You’ll likely find that recipe looks familiar. And that’s because these are actually little balls of choux pastry—or cream puff—that are fried and then covered in sugar. Quick, needing no yeast, and best served warm.
6. Bolos De Arroz (Gluten Free Portuguese Rice Cake)
Now, if that cake that I mentioned before was too dense for you, I would highly recommend this rice cake. It’s made with rice flour and is sweet, light, and so buttery!
I really love the crunch you get from all of the extra sugar that they sprinkle on top of these! Typically, they come made in individual servings, and you can very easily use a muffin tin to recreate them yourself at home.
7. Orange Roll
I had actually never even heard of these orange rolls before! Though I’ve made rolls that are similar, none have been this moist. If you ask me, the orange flavor is super unique, and we don’t use it enough in baking.
This cake has so much tenderness to it that you won’t even really need a frosting filling. Of course, you can never really go wrong with it, and if you did, simple vanilla would be a great choice.
8. Xadrez Cake (Checkerboard Cake)
You might have already guessed, but xadrez simply means chess. This fun cake may seem pretty complicated, but it isn’t so bad once you start to get the hang of it. I do really like the looks of the chocolate and vanilla cakes, but you could definitely use something else, like a strawberry cake, to get a better contrast.
The real trick to this, however, is freezing your cakes to make cutting them more manageable. And if you can find a cutter that’s big enough, it’ll be even easier.
9. Eggless Chocolate Mousse
Honestly, I’d never given any real thought to the inclusion of eggs in my chocolate mousse before I tried to hand one to a friend who was pregnant. After that oops, I made sure to find an eggless mousse recipe for my next dinner.
Rich, intensely chocolatey, and super fast, this recipe is pretty great. The most you’ll have to do is melt the chocolate and whip the cream. Though, do be sure that you omit the booze if you’re serving someone who’s expecting.
10. Pão de Deus (Portuguese Bread)
Since pão de deus means ‘bread of the gods,’ you just know it’ll be good! The addition of lemon zest, vanilla, and a splash of rum right in the dough make it heavenly.
In addition to all of those, it even has a coconut crust that ends up golden and toasted in the oven. Even though they’re sweet, these still make an excellent side to your dinner, especially if you’re eating something sweet and salty.
11. Caramelized Apple Cake
Caramelized upside-down cakes are always such a big hit to serve! The fruit caramel doesn’t just look fantastic once inverted, it also seeps into the cake, making it flavorful and so very moist.
When you go to the store, if you can’t find liquid caramel, just use a layer of brown sugar or even a layer of caramel on the bottom. Though it doesn’t need it, some whipped cream really makes all the fruit flavors pop.
12. Arroz Doce (Portuguese Rice Pudding)
When it comes to rice pudding, I’ve eaten it all the time, no matter the hour, whether it was warm, cold, cinnamon, coconut milk, fruit, or even chocolate. I’m obsessed!
This recipe includes lemon peel with the milk, leaving every bite with a light citrus note. In order to emphasize any chocolate chips you might add, you could also use some orange peel. While technically, you can use any kind of rice you want, your best option will always be short grain.
13. Queijadas (Portuguese Cheesecake Tarts)
These single-serve cheesecakes known as Queijadas have such heavenly caramelized tops. It might look a bit like pastéis de nata, but there are actually some key differences between the two.
To start, the pastry is a more standard tart shell, with a simple shortcrust that won’t need to be sweetened. As for the filling, rather than an egg custard, a tangy ricotta and goat cheese mix will be sweetened with cinnamon and sugar.
14. Honey Cake
When I was traveling, one of the biggest things I noticed was that so many European countries use honey in a lot of their baking. Of course, I’m talking about natural, homegrown honey – not that processed stuff you can find at the store. I promise you, the flavor is so different, and it does something to make a cake so much more special.
This recipe even calls for olive oil. If you want, you can even use standard neutral oil, which will make that honey flavor all the more pronounced. As always, to make it truly authentic, try to buy your honey straight from a local farm.
15. Traditional Brigadeiros (Brazilian Fudge Balls)
You might not even realize it, but these are likely among the most popular Portuguese desserts out there. Brigadeiros come in so many delicious variations, but if it’s your first time, you’ll have to start with a classic.
The base of these chocolate fudge balls is made with sweet condensed milk, chocolate powder, and butter—though sometimes even egg. You’ll need to cook the mix until it is thick, and then roll it into balls once cool enough to handle.
16. Bolo Rei (Portuguese Kings Cake)
In many European countries, King’s Day on January 6th is the biggest holiday celebration. Though some still celebrate Christmas Eve, you’ll find all kinds of festivals popping up that first week of January. One of the most traditional foods for this celebration is Bolo Rei.
This sweet bread, which uses a yeast base, makes use of candied fruits, nuts, lemon zest, and wine. Grab a slice, and you might even find a fava bean or even a small toy.
17. Bolo Nega Maluca (Brazilian Chocolate Cake)
If you make this particular cake with the ingredients listed, you’ll find that it is much sweeter than the chocolate cake that you’re probably used to. Most of the difference has to do with the cocoa used. Standard chocolate cakes call for baking cocoa, which tends to be very rich and unsweetened, but here, something like Nequick—a drinking cocoa—will need to be used instead.
If you want, feel free to stick to your ordinary cocoa, though. It will end up delicious either way!
18. Portuguese Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
This cheesecake recipe really isn’t all that different from most others that you might find. It makes use of a lovely biscuit base, a sweet strawberry topping, and a creamy no-bake filling.
In Portugal, however, they tend to use Maria biscuits in the base, which just have a lighter taste than our graham crackers. You’ll find that they’ll also add some gelatin into that strawberry topping in order to get you those clean slices that are always so satisfying.
19. Bolo de Amêndoa (Portuguese Almond Torte)
If you just so happen to be looking for something that doesn’t make use of gluten, then look no further than this almond and lemon cake! With a super moist but still dense texture, this almond torte is everything that I love. Just don’t try to make it if you want something light and airy.
The use of whipped egg whites does give it some measure of lightness, and the almonds manage to create such a lovely texture. Don’t forget to serve this with some fresh fruit and some whipped cream.
20. Azorean Biscoitos (Portuguese Biscuits Recipe)
These cookies, that have a light citrus zest, are a true staple in the great majority of Portuguese homes. They’re very light, very tender, and come across a whole lot like shortbread.
What makes them so easy to spot is their distinctive ring, and even though they typically aren’t served with a glaze, you could really easily put something sweet over the top if you wanted to.
21. Receita De Gelado Com Morangos (Portuguese Strawberry Ice Cream)
You really don’t have to make cooking eggs and using a fancy ice cream maker part of your homemade ice cream plans. When it comes to this recipe, whipping up some cream and condensed milk, and then letting it freeze is all you’ll have to do.
This cheesecake-like ice cream uses crushed biscuits as a layer inside, and then you can top the whole thing with a simple puree of strawberries and sugar.
22. Serradura Dessert (Sawdust Pudding)
Do not let the name make you think otherwise because this simple dessert is definitely worth a try! The name comes from the use of crushed cookies, which look much like sawdust as they layer in the dish.
Though you might be able to find some substitutes, the best choice here would be Maria cookies. Should those fail you, try a shortbread cookie or even graham crackers if that’s what you have.
23. Portuguese Carrot Cake Recipe
I’ve actually heard some people complain about carrot cake being too busy with all of its nuts and carrots and raisins. I really don’t get it, but I suppose that I can see how some people might just like something more straightforward. If that sounds like you, this cake is definitely it!
Again, it makes use of just six different things and will leave you with such a light sponge. This one does, however, mix things up a little in the mixing. Make sure that you put your carrots into a food processor with the eggs, oil, and sugar for two minutes before you mix in the dry.
24. Chocolate Salami
Don’t go on thinking that there’s meat in this because there definitely isn’t! It actually gets the name from its look—much like a slice of salami! These no-bake cookies are so simple to just throw together, and you can change them up so easily.
I love using digestive biscuits and hazelnuts, but I’ve even made this using shortbread and pistachios, too. Just be sure that you give it a few hours in the fridge to set if you want to get those slices. I’ve even put these in my Christmas boxes before because I can make them without taking up all that valuable oven space!
25. Classic Caramel Flan
It’s funny, but for some reason, flan just isn’t really all that popular around the States. Though I’ve definitely had it in places like the UK, Thailand, Spain, Italy, and Hong Kong. Let’s change that!
Flan is silky smooth and bursting with that caramel flavor that is so sweet. If you happen to really like crème brûlée, you are going to love this recipe.
Top tip: Keep an eye on that caramel! How