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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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