The best Polish desserts, sweets and candies you must try!

Poland is famous for its delicious cuisine but also is home to a wide variety of delicious candies and sweets, and it can be hard to choose which ones to try. From traditional pastries to modern desserts, from traditional hard candies to chocolates and wafers, there's something for every sweet tooth in Poland. Here are some of the best Polish desserts, sweets and candies that you simply must try:

The best polish desserts

Makowiec

This sweet pastry is a must-try for anyone visiting Poland. It's a roll of poppy seed filling wrapped in a flaky pastry dough. It's traditionally served at Christmas and other special occasions, but can be found in many bakeries year-round.

Sernik

Sernik is a polish-style cheesecake. This traditional and delicious dessert is made with a sweet polish farmer’s cheese and there are many varieties and different recipes. Sernik can be made with a shortcrust or sour cream base (or even without one) and if often topped with a layer of fruit (such as blueberries or cherries) but also chocolate, nuts or meringue. It's a traditional sweet that is often served at special occasions and holidays.

Pączki

Pączki are a type of traditional Polish doughnut that are particularly popular in the run-up to Fat Thursday, which is the last day before the start of Lent. They are typically made from a rich, sweet dough that is deep-fried and then filled with a variety of fillings such as fruit preserves or custard. Some pączki are also topped with powdered sugar or icing.

Kremówka

Kremówka is a traditional Polish sweet pastry that is made with a puff pastry base and a custard filling. The custard filling is made with egg yolks, sugar, milk, and vanilla. The pastry is then dusted with powdered sugar on top. Some variations may include a layer of fruit preserves or chocolate on top of the custard. Kremówka is considered a classic Polish pastry and is often found in bakeries and cafes in Poland. It's also known as "Napoleonka" or "Kremówka Papieska" because it is said to be a favorite pastry of Pope John Paul II, who was of Polish origin.

Szarlotka

Szarlotka is a traditional Polish apple pie that is made with a pastry crust and a filling of sweetened and spiced apples. It's a very popular dessert in Poland and is often served with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. It's a classic and beloved polish dessert, that can be found in many bakeries and cafes, also is a common addition to the menu for family meals and special occasions.

Wuzetka (W-Z)

Wuzetka is a traditional Polish cake, also known as "Vuzetka," which originated in Poland in the 20th century. It is a layered cake, consisting of a chocolate sponge cake bottom and a cream filling. The cake is usually covered with a chocolate glaze and sometimes decorated with fruit or nuts. It is a very popular dessert in Poland and can be found in many bakeries and cafes.

The best polish sweets and candies

Prince polo

Prince Polo is a brand of chocolate-covered wafer rolls that originated in Poland. They are made from a thin, crispy wafer filled with a soft chocolate cream and then coated in dark chocolate.

Similar to Prince Polo are Princessa or Grzeski wafers - both also of Polish origin.

Pierniki

Pierniki (also known as "gingerbread") is a traditional Polish sweet. It is a type of gingerbread that is often flavored with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and sometimes with additional ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, chocolate or fruit filling. They can be made in various shapes, sizes and designs depending on the occasion and can be soft or hard in texture.

Krówki

Krówki are a traditional Polish sweet that are made from a type of fudge. They are small, rectangular-shaped sweets that are made with milk and sugar, and sometimes flavored with vanilla. The name "krówki" literally means "little cows" in Polish. They are very popular in Poland and often enjoyed as a sweet treat, and are also used as a topping on ice creams and other desserts.

Torcik Wedlowki

Torcik Wedlowski is a traditional Polish sweet that originated from the famous Wedel confectionery in Poland. It is a wafer torte with peanut buttercream filling in between the layers, covered with dark chocolate. Wedel is a well-known confectionery company in Poland, that was founded in 1851, they are famous for their chocolate and sweets, and Torcik Wedlowski is one of their most popular and iconic creations.

Ptasie Mleczko

Ptasie Mleczko is a soft, foamy mousse covered with chocolate. There are many different flavours of this traditional Polish sweet: vanilla, chocolate, cream, coffee, caramel, lemon and lots of others.

Delicje

Delicje are small circular cakes made of three components: a sponge base, layer of a fruit jam (usually apricot, orange or cherry - there are many other flavors too) and a layer of chocolate.

Malaga, Tiki Taki i Kasztanki

Trio of delicious chocolates with original fillings: cream with raisin pieces and a hint of alcohol, nut and coconut, and cocoa with crunchy wafers - these are the most iconic Polish candies of all time.

Malaga is a praline with a distinctive crescent shape with semi-liquid creamy filling, stuffed with ripe rasins, covered with dark chocolate.

Tiki Taki - chocolates with a distinctive large form and shell shape. This praline has two layers filling - peanuts and coconut, covered with dark chocolate.

Kasztanki (which literally means little chestnuts) - another shell-shaped chocolates which are made of a cocoa cream mixed with crunchy wafer chunks, covered with dark chocolate.

Chałwa

Chałwa is a popular, traditional Polish sweet that is similar to a nougat candy. It's a confectionery that is made of a mixture of sugar, honey, and sesame seeds. The mixture is then shaped into a rectangular shape, and often cut into small pieces. The texture is usually chewy and can be a bit sticky, the flavor is sweet and nutty.

Kukułki and Raczki

Both are caramels with a proven traditional recipe, made by hand. The crispy shell of sweet caramel hides the filling. Kukułki (cuckoos) have a cocoa filling with a delicate hint of alcohol, while Raczki (crawfish) has a nut filling complemented by a hint of rum.

These are just a few of the many delicious Polish desserts and sweets that you can try. Whether you're a fan of pastries, doughnuts, chocolates, wafers or other types of sweets and candies, you're sure to find something to satisfy your sweet tooth in Poland.