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37 Mediterranean-Inspired Desserts So Decadent You'll Practically Be Able To Smell The Sea

Travel from France to Turkey to Greece, right at home.

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greek yogurt panna cotta topped with honey, raspberries, and blackberries
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

From luscious Italian gelato to crispy and sweet Greek loukoumades to decadent French profiteroles, we can all agree–the Mediterranean coast KNOWS its desserts. Featuring ingredients like olive oil, yogurt, toasty nuts, honey, and shatteringly crisp phyllo dough, these desserts are usually lighter and take just a bit more prep than other desserts, often serving to make them feel extra special. They’re also often the type of thing you’re more likely to find in a bakery or at the end of a special restaurant meal, but trust us—these 37 Mediterranean-inspired desserts are worth attempting to make at home.

Looking for a project that’s guaranteed to impress? Look to France and Italy for remarkable, show-stopping desserts like macarons, zeppole, cream puffs, chocolate soufflé, and cannoli. These admittedly take a bit of expertise, but just remember: practice makes perfect, and sometimes it’s the imperfect bakes that end up tasting the best.

Need something a little simpler, but that’s still worthy of a special occasion? Try your hand at making tiramisu (basically the OG icebox cake), walnut & pistachio baklava, or our pineapple granita. They’re super tasty, but with some short-cuts and hacks that don’t take all your energy in the kitchen.

Craving a sweet treat you can return to again and again? A slice of our honey cake, our warm figs with Greek yogurt, our olive oil chocolate chip cookies, or an affogato are the perfect sweet treat to take the edge off your day. Close your eyes, and imagine the ocean—the Mediterranean’s just a bite away.

1

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies

chocolate chip cookies topped with flaky sea salt
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Those who say that butter makes everything better are, well, not wrong, but we’re willing to bet they haven’t been brave enough to sub in olive oil instead. Enter: these secretly healthy, but no less delicious olive oil chocolate chip cookies.

Get the Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

2

Flan

one large flan on a plate topped with caramel and sliced
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Ultra-creamy with a rich caramel sauce, a slice of flan just might be one of the most luxurious desserts there is. If you’ve never attempted making this dessert homemade, no stress: We’ve got all of our top tips here to nail every aspect from the rich and creamy custard to the simple, classic caramel.

Get the Flan recipe.

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3

Warm Figs With Honey & Greek Yogurt recipe

greek yogurt on a plate topped with honey, sliced figs and nuts
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Indulge in the perfect ending to any meal with a delightful bowl of warm figs dressed in a citrus honey and served with a touch of Greek yogurt. The juicy, sweet figs pair flawlessly with the zesty orange, creating a heavenly flavor combination.

Get the Warm Figs With Honey & Greek Yogurt recipe.

4

Olive Oil Cake

olive oil cake
Erik Bernstein

If you've never used olive oil in your baking, this tender cake is where you should start. In this recipe, the oil also adds heaps to the flavor profile: the orange and lemon zest play perfectly with the grassy, bright flavors of the olive oil.

Get the Olive Oil Cake recipe.

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5

Honey-Roasted Pears

sliced pears roasted and caramelized in the oven with lemon zest
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Lusciously glazed with honey, these roasted pears showcase elegant flecks of vanilla bean and are finished with colorful lemon zest and a dusting of fresh thyme. Serve them with a scoop of cool dairy, like vanilla ice cream or sweetened Greek yogurt, and a smattering of granola sprinkled over top.

Get the Honey-Roasted Pears recipe.

6

Loukoumades

loukoumades
PHOTO; ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLIST; TAYLOR ANN SPENCER

You'll find fried pillows of goodness in cultures around the globe—like the Ghanaian bofrot, NOLA beignets, Indian jalebi, and Italian zeppole. Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt are known for their loukoumades (Turkey calls them lokma) as their version of these wildly delicious donuts that you'll often see dripping in chocolate, honey, and pistachios.

Get the Loukoumades recipe.

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7

Ma'amoul

ma'amoul cookies with powdered sugar
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Ma’amoul cookies are a type of Middle Eastern butter cookie that is usually filled with a variety of dried fruits or nuts. Made with semolina flour, the shortbread-like exterior has a slight crunch to it, giving way to a softer filling.

Get the Ma'amoul recipe.

8

Tiramisu

ladyfingers soaked in coffee layered with cream topped with a dusting of cocoa powder
PHOTO: ERIK BERNSTEIN; FOOD STYLING: LENA ABRAHAM

When rich coffee flavor, homemade mascarpone cream, and rum combine, an absolute dream layered dessert is born. Filled with so many flavors, tiramisu still somehow tastes light, with soaked ladyfingers that practically melt in your mouth upon the first bite.

Get the Tiramisu recipe.

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9

Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta

greek yogurt panna cotta topped with honey, raspberries, and blackberries
PHOTO: RACHEL VANNI; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

Panna cotta is a creamy, rich, chilled dessert often found throughout Italy. We put a slightly more nutritious spin on the popular dessert by incorporating Greek yogurt and honey into the recipe—the result is a treat that isn’t overly sweet, perfect for enjoying again and again.

Get the Greek Yogurt Panna Cotta recipe.

10

Halva

halva
ANDREW BUI

A Middle Eastern treat made from tahini, halva has a similar texture to fudge, but isn’t as sweet or rich. Our top tip for making it? Be careful to not overstir, or it may become too crumbly and won't hold together very well—stir just long enough until the mixture thickens.

Get the Halva recipe.

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11

Cream Puffs

cream puffs
PHOTO: ROCKY LUTEN; FOOD STYLING: ADRIENNE ANDERSON

If you’re looking to get started in the world of pastry making, then there is no better place to start than cream puffs. They combine two basic pastry components: a pâte à choux, a dough used in a lot of French pastry applications made of flour, butter, milk, water, and eggs, and pastry cream.

Get the Cream Puffs recipe.

12

Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies

pistachio chocolate chip cookies
Joel Goldberg

Think of your favorite chocolate chip cookie… whatever they are, we’re here to tell you, they can ALL be improved by the addition of one simple ingredient—ground pistachios. Pistachios add a slightly sweet, almost buttery nutty flavor that will make your cookies feel a little bit elevated, but still just as classic and comforting.

Get the Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.

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13

Gelato

gelato
PHOTO CREDIT: ANDREW BUI; FOOD STYLING: SPENCER RICHARDS

Those who hail from Italy particularly love gelato, savoring flavors like nocciala (hazelnut), pistachio, and fregola (strawberry) as they walk through the piazzas of Rome, Florence, or Milano. If you can't make it to Italy, our homemade gelato recipe will at least make you feel like you're living your best life, right at home.

Get the Gelato recipe.

14

Zeppole

zeppole
Andrew bui

It’s time to say ciao to your new favorite Italian treats, zeppole! Zeppole are tiny fried donuts rolled in a sugar mixture, and we can’t get enough of them. Try them with chocolate sauce for a more decadent dessert to finish off the night.

Get the Zeppole recipe.

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15

Walnut & Pistachio Baklava

baklava
Joel Goldberg

Sticky and rich, baklava is a dessert made of layered sheets of phyllo dough, nuts, spices, sugar and/or honey. It’s served all over the Middle East, Turkey, and Greece. Feel free to use whichever nuts you like the most.

Get the Walnut & Pistachio Baklava recipe.

16

Pineapple Granita

granita
Lucy schaeffer

Simple to make and easily modified, granita is perfect on its own as a light palate cleanser or dressed up with whipped cream and toppings. This pineapple version is big on tropical flavors, with heavy notes of vanilla and toffee thanks to a splash of rum and a scoop of dark brown sugar.

Get the Pineapple Granita recipe.

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17

Italian Rainbow Cookies

italian rainbow cookies
Lucy schaeffer

In this Italian classic, almond-flavored cakes are sandwiched between chocolate with layers of raspberry and apricot jam. It's true, these do take some patience, but we promise, it's VERY worth the effort.

Get the Italian Rainbow Cookies recipe.

18

Tahini Cookies

tahini cookies
Lucy Schaeffer

Tahini cookies are kind of like a more grown up version of your favorite peanut butter cookie. They're soft with a slight chew, while the sesame seeds on the outside add a slight crunch. They might just make you start using tahini in all of your baking projects, and not just hummus.

Get the Tahini Cookies recipe.

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19

Spumoni Ice Cream Cake

spumoni ice cream cake
Suzanne Clements

Inspired by the trio of flavors common in Italian spumoni, or molded gelato, this ice cream cake demands attention. With 6 whole pints of ice cream, it feeds a big, hungry crew.

Get the Spumoni Ice Cream Cake recipe.

20

Financiers

financier cakes with topped with raspberries, pistachios, and almonds
PHOTO: LUCY SCHAEFFER PHOTOGRAPHY; FOOD STYLING: MAKINZE GORE

Bring a petite taste of France into your kitchen with a batch of these nutty financier cakes. Unlike madeleines (their cookie cousins), financier batter is made with almond flour, nutty browned butter, and egg whites to keep them light and airy. The edges will be slightly chewy and crisp, and the insides will be moist.

Get the Financiers recipe.

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