# The best traditional Spanish desserts

Spain's best-loved traditional desserts, from crema catalana to Easter torrijas, chosen from those that repeat across cookbooks, the press and tourism guides.

- 515 votes · 17 items
- Jan 1, 2026 · Carla Gallego
- https://even.best/en/l/84/the-best-traditional-spanish-desserts

## Top 15

1. **Tarta de Santiago** (60 · ▲65 ▼5) — Galician cake of ground almonds, egg and sugar, flourless, with the cross of St James stencilled in icing sugar; PGI since 2010.
2. **Crema catalana** (49 · ▲52 ▼3) — Custard of yolks, milk, cinnamon and lemon under a sugar crust burnt with an iron; typical of St Joseph's Day.
3. **Torrijas** (35 · ▲38 ▼3) — Day-old bread soaked in cinnamon milk, dipped in egg and fried; the Easter sweet.
4. **Flan** (32 · ▲32 ▼0) — Set custard of egg, milk and sugar with caramel; the quintessential set-menu dessert.
5. **Churros with chocolate** (25 · ▲30 ▼5) — Fried dough strips or loops to dip in thick chocolate; breakfast and snack all over Spain.
6. **Leche frita** (21 · ▲27 ▼6) — Thick milk custard cut into squares, breaded, fried and dusted with sugar and cinnamon.
7. **Arroz con leche** (21 · ▲24 ▼3) — Rice slowly cooked in milk with cinnamon and lemon; in Asturias it is served with a burnt top.
8. **Natillas** (21 · ▲23 ▼2) — Milk and egg-yolk custard with cinnamon and a María biscuit on top.
9. **La Viña cheesecake** (19 · ▲25 ▼6) — The 'burnt' cheesecake from La Viña bar in San Sebastián, now a worldwide phenomenon.
10. **Fartons with horchata** (19 · ▲22 ▼3) — Long glazed buns from Alboraya for dipping in tiger-nut horchata.
11. **Filloas** (13 · ▲18 ▼5) — Galician crêpes typical of carnival, sweetened with sugar or honey.
12. **Quesada pasiega** (13 · ▲17 ▼4) — Cantabrian cake of fresh cheese, butter, egg and lemon from the Pas valleys.
13. **Bienmesabe canario** (13 · ▲14 ▼1) — Cream of almond, egg yolk and honey from La Palma or Tenerife.
14. **Ensaimada de Mallorca** (11 · ▲17 ▼6) — Spiral of flaky dough made with lard, dusted with icing sugar; PGI.
15. **Tocino de cielo** (9 · ▲17 ▼8) — Egg yolks and syrup set in a bain-marie, convent sweet from Jerez.
16. **Pantxineta** (9 · ▲14 ▼5) — Puff pastry filled with custard and topped with almonds, from San Sebastián.
17. **Carquiñolis** (9 · ▲12 ▼3) — Hard Catalan almond biscuits for dipping in sweet wine.

How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.