Romanians love a good cup of coffee, especially in the afternoon accompanied by a delicious sweet. Even without coffee, Romanian desserts are honestly top-notch. When you visit Romania, you must try the desserts, it will make you fall in the love with this country (if you are not in love with it already!).
They say the way to a person’s heart is through the stomach, and you will see that this rings true when it comes to Romanian desserts! Read below for the list of the best desserts to try when you visit Romania!
Papanași
This is a Moldavian classic: it is fried dough in the shape of a donut (though it tends to be lighter than an American donut). It is topped with fruity jam and a light sour cream (again, the sour cream is not quite like American sour cream – it is lighter and tastes more similar to yogurt). Restaurants serve this all over the country and it is absolutely delicious!
Kürtőskalács
This dessert originated in Transylvania. You might have heard of these referred to as “chimney cakes.” They are tall, hollow treats made out of sweet dough. Rolls of dough are wrapped around a cone-shaped spit and then rolled in sugar. They are roasted over charcoal and lightly covered in melted butter. They become crispy and shiny on the outside, and soft on the inside. They are often served with ground walnuts or ground cinnamon (or both!).
Mucenici
This is a light dessert made out of dough that is shaped into the number eight. The pieces of dough are either baked into a bread or boiled with a sweet syrup. It is prepared with walnuts and is light enough to be eaten for breakfast. This dessert is not just a Romanian specialty, but it also has a special significance to it. It is prepared every March 9th, in commemoration of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste.
This is a Christian holiday, remembering the 40 Roman soldiers who died in 320 by Licinius, who was Roman emperor from 308-324 A.D. He killed these 40 Roman soldiers because they refused to give up their Christian faith. Mucenici is in the shape of an eight because it is believed that the soldiers were in prison for eight days.
Cozonac
Be on the lookout for this sweet bread if you are visiting Romania around Christmas or Easter. This is a sweet bread baked in a loaf. It is rich and buttery and is very similar to the French brioche bread. It is normally swirled with a chocolate cream and filled with different sweets, depending on the variety: raisins, nuts, poppy seed cream, Turkish delights, and others! And while you can buy these loaves at stores or bakeries, the best is definitely homemade cozonac – just ask your Romanian friends!
Placinta cu mere
If you use an online translator, you will find that this dessert means “apple pie,” but this translation does not capture the dessert to its fullest. This is basically a sheet cake with an apple center. The cake layers are somewhat similar to the texture and flavor of fluffy pancakes, and the center is made out of shredded baked apples, often with raisins added. It is topped off a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
Prajitura Razuita cu Gem
This is basically a sheet cake filled with plum jam and walnuts. Again “sheet cake” does not quite capture this dessert, because the dough is more buttery and dense than a typical cake. This dessert is kind of like a cross between shortbread bars and cake. It is made with a delicious layer of dough, filled with the plum walnut mixture, and topped with some shredded dough. Everything is baked together, and the result is a scrumptious and fruity treat!
Spuma de Capsuni
This one translates to “strawberry foam” and it is basically a strawberry mousse. This dessert is a Romanian summer classic, the perfect light treat to enjoy on a hot summer’s day. This is a super simple dessert to make, and the best part is that you do not need to bake or cook it – because, let’s face it, who wants to turn on the oven during the summer??
Galuste cu Prune
This is another delicious summer treat: Romanian plum dumplings. This is a Transylvanian tradition, but it is now served all over Romania. These are sweet potato dumplings filled with an entire plum. The plum is coated with the potato dumpling dough and then dipped in breadcrumbs and the result is pure deliciousness!
Clatite Brasoveana
“Clatite” means pancake, and the kind of pancake that we are talking about here are crepes. Yes, we know that crepes are not originally Romanian, but Romanians do eat their fair share of these delicious treats! You can find crepe stands all over Romania, with your choice of sweet or savory crepes.
A Romanian classic is “Clatite Brasoveana.” This is a crepe filled with a mixture of either pork or beef with mushrooms and cheese. Once filled, they are dipped in an egg batter and then fried. If you have any crepes in Romania, you should definitely have a Clatite Brasoveana!
Tort Joffre
Calling all chocolate lovers! This is a chocolate buttermilk layer cake filled with chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate buttercream. It is a chocolate lover’s dream! It was originally created for the Casa Capsa restaurant in Bucharest, and got its name because it was created in honor of a visit by the French Marshal Joseph Joffre, just after World War I.
It was such a hit that it lives on to this day and is served beyond just the Casa Capsa. If you want to try the original cake, go visit the Casa Capsa, otherwise be on the search for this cake at other restaurants and bakeries.
This sums up all the classic Romanian desserts! We would like to add, however, that throughout Romania there are tons of bakeries that bake a wide variety of fresh breads daily. The breads and pastries in Romania are cheap too, so feel free to walk into a local bakery and buy whatever catches your eye!