Craving something sweet? From syrup-soaked biscuits and pastries to creamy custard cakes and super-sticky doughnuts, we've got everything you need to embrace Greek desserts all day, every day.
Bougatsa is, arguably, one of Greece’s greatest gifts to the culinary world. Layers of buttered filo encase a sweet semolina custard which is baked into a golden flaky pie. Dusted with icing sugar and cinnamon, it’s the perfect accompaniment to, well, just about anything..jpg?imwidth=1280)
Sweet semolina filo pie (bougatsa) Source: Alan Benson
Deep-fried until puffed and golden, drizzled in honey and sprinkled with nuts and cinnamon, loukoumades come in a variety of shapes but are often bite-size balls, making them even more impossible to resist. #howmanycanyoudo
Loukoumades Source: Supplied
If you’re looking for the ultimate Greek sweet, look no further than portokalopita. This crisp, syrupy, custardy concoction makes perfect use of Greece’s famed yoghurt, which is strained to remove the whey to create a thicker, creamier result. Believed to hail from Crete, this rich pie makes use of the island’s orange bounty, resulting in a refreshingly zesty dessert that’s delicious served warm in winter or chilled with ice-cream in summer - or all year round!
Source: Brett Stevens
Somewhere between a pancake and a fritter, these golden puffs of fried dough have been a popular breakfast food in Greece since the 6th-century BCE. They are often topped with cinnamon, fruit, nuts, sheep’s milk cheese and honey. #doughit.jpg?imwidth=1280)
Greek fried dough with cheese and honey (lalangia) Source: Chris Chen
A traditional Greek biscuit that is soaked in a syrup of diluted honey and sprinkled with crushed walnuts. They have a sweet walnut filling and while the Greek name for them translates to "honey macaroons", they are nothing like the traditional macaroon. The trick is to make them soft but not soggy, light but not falling apart. #justright
Honey cookies with walnuts (melomakarona) Source: SBS
The Greeks really know how to make a lemon cake and this syrup-soaked yiaourtopita is going to quickly become one of your all-time favourites #werecallingit. These little handfuls are more-ishly tangy, and the lemon icing makes them all the more mouth-puckering.
The not-so-sweet truth. Source: Alan Benson
Known as or ladies’ fingers, these sweet fried treats are a loved by all generations of Greeks. The pastry pillows are filled with cinnamon-sprinkled walnuts, fried, then soaked with a citrusy sugar syrup. Plus, they're dairy-free friendly!
Source: Sean Fennessey
Galaktoboureko is made a little differently from island to island in Greece. The thick and creamy custard sitting between two sheets of sugar-syrup-soaked filo is a Greek classic. Sometimes made with orange blossom, this recipe keeps it simple with traditional vanilla and if you need us we'll be sticking our forks into this right about now.
Source: Alan Benson & Ben Dearnley
In Greece, this crustless sesame cheesecake is traditionally made with myzithra, a fresh cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk. If you can't find it, fresh ricotta makes a great substitute..jpg?imwidth=1280)
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Source: Chris Chen
