Traveling to Switzerland and you want to try all the best desserts in the country? Then you are certainly in the right place because this detailed guide covers all the most delicious, mouth-watering Swiss desserts you can get your hands on!
From apple strudel to Zuger kirschtorte, we rounded up all the best local treats you should try when traveling in Switzerland. This guide also includes both regional and seasonal desserts, so you might not be able to find everything on this list. Whenever you visit Switzerland, you’ll never be short of delicious desserts!
Table of Contents
Apple Strudel
A fruity dessert like apple strudel is a popular dessert in Switzerland and one you should definitely try. You’re most likely to find this delicious dish in German-speaking parts of Switzerland. The dish is very similar to the Ottoman baklava, which came to Austria through Turkish and Hungarian cuisines.
Apple strudel is a type of filo pastry with a delicious apple filling. The pastry is stuffed with apples, rolled, and baked until the top is a nice golden color. When perfectly baked, the pastry is flaky and crispy, but the stuffing inside is soft and sweet. Apple strudel is usually served with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, vanilla sauce, or custard, with some icing sugar on top.
This delicious Swiss dessert can be found in most places throughout the country, but it’s most common in the areas that are heavily influenced by German culture. It’s also one of the more affordable Swiss desserts, so a great sweet treat for travelers who don’t want to spend a fortune on food in Switzerland.
Swiss Chocolate
It’s no secret that the Swiss make some of the best chocolate in the world. From Lindt to Toblerone, some of the world’s most iconic chocolate brands originated in Switzerland. The country is famous for its many chocolatiers, so Swiss chocolate is without a doubt one of the most delicious Swiss desserts you should try in the country.
Chocolate is ubiquitous in Switzerland, so whether you’re exploring big cities or hidden villages – you’ll always find delicious local chocolates to try. Sure, you could just eat the chocolates in the supermarket like Lindt, Frey, Toblerone and the like. However, the best Swiss chocolates are usually in the big cities, and you can do chocolate city tours that allow you to explore all the top chocolatiers in one location.
Also, don’t think that Swiss chocolate is just chocolate bars. Pralines, truffles, biscuits, spreads, and many more varieties of chocolate desserts are all very common in the Alpine country.
Torta di Pane Ticinese
Torta di Pane Ticinese is a type of sweet bread cake that is popular in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, more specifically in the canton of Ticino. It’s one of the delicious Swiss desserts that are unique to a certain region and that you should try if you get a chance.
These delicious traditional swiss cakes have many different variations, but the base is always stale bread. It’s one of those tasty desserts that were born in an attempt to let nothing go to waste, and it’s an excellent dish to make if you want to use up any old bread you have around the house. The bread should be soaked in milk until it softens up, then it’s mixed with dry fruit and nuts, spiced with cinnamon and lemon zest, and the entire mixture is bonded with an egg.
If you happen to be traveling through Ticino, don’t forget to ask for this traditional Swiss dessert. You should be able to find it in most local restaurants, especially the family-run establishments that serve traditional Swiss delicacies.
Berliner
Berliner is a fancy name for a donut made from sweet yeast dough. This is a German type of donut that doesn’t have a hole; instead, the dough is fried in some sort of oil or fat, filled with jam or marmalade, and served with powdered (or regular) sugar on top.
Berliner donuts are made with a range of different fillings, but raspberry jam is one of the most popular options in Switzerland. If you visit artisanal donut shops in bigger cities, you’ll find some unique flavors that are anything but traditional.
These donuts are most common in the German-speaking parts of Switzerland. They’re not exactly popular desserts in the sense that you won’t find them on the menu of every Swiss restaurant, but you can often find them in bakeries and pastry shops. If you’re looking for the most delicious Swiss desserts that are budget-friendly, definitely try the Berliner!
Brunsli
Brunsli are traditional Swiss chocolate cookies that are usually made for Christmas. If you travel to the country in the winter and you decide to visit some of the countless Christmas markets in Switzerland, you’ll see these delicious cookies everywhere. They’re usually known as the Basler Brunsli because they’re extremely common in Basel, so if you happen to visit that Swiss city you might be lucky enough to find them even before Christmas.
These sweet treats are made with flour, almonds, chocolate, and cinnamon. An egg is usually added to bond the ingredients, and after the dough is formed, the cookie cutters are used to create all sorts of shapes of these delicious cookies.
Also, these Swiss chocolate desserts are naturally gluten-free, so they’re perfect if you’ve got dietary restrictions. They contain dairy though, so they’re not entirely vegan or suitable for people with a lactose allergy.
Apricot Cake
An apricot cake is a type of sponge cake that’s very popular in Switzerland. The dessert is German in origin, so it’s most common in the northern part of the country, where the population is mostly German-speaking. Also, there are many iterations of this famous dessert, so you can have anything from a traditional apricot sponge cake to a decadent apricot tartlet.
The cake is extremely simple to make because it’s just sponge cake with some pureed apricots mixed in with the batter, and sliced apricots on top. Apricot jam is sometimes added over the sliced apricots to make the flavor even more intense, and the cake is often served with powdered sugar on top, especially if the apricots in it aren’t very sweet.
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It’s worth noting that this delicious Swiss dessert is both seasonal and regional. That means you’ll have the best luck finding it in the German-speaking parts of the country in the summer months when the apricots are in season. You might be able to find versions of it in colder weather, but it won’t taste as good as a cake made with fresh summer apricots.
Spitzbuben Cookies
Spitzbuben cookies are Swiss jam cookies traditionally made for Christmas. If you happen to visit the country during the season of Christmas markets, you’ll see these cookies everywhere. They’re delicious and a perfect little treat for people who like fruit-flavored desserts.
The cookie dough is soft and flaky, and the cookies are filled with a delicious fruit jam. There are many varieties depending on the jam inside, so there are bound to be at least a couple of flavors you will like. Spitzbuben cookies are usually served sprinkled with powdered sugar.
It’s worth noting that these cookies are a popular sweet treat in Switzerland, but they’re rarely served in restaurants. You can usually find them on sale in supermarkets – they’re sold in bigger packs, and they’re generally quite affordable.
Zuger Kirschtorte
Zuger Kirschtorte is one of the most popular Swiss desserts around. It is a traditional Swiss layer cake that was invented by a pastry chef in Zug. This is an authentic Swiss dessert made from sponge cake, nut meringue, and buttercream, and flavored with cherry brandy.
Heinrich Höhn invented this dessert back in 1921, and for a while, he manufactured it with Jacques Treichler, his successor. During the peak time of their business, they would manufacture more than 100,000 of these delicious cakes in a year. Conditorei Treichler is still in operation in Zug, and it’s absolutely the best place to visit for a slice of Zuger Kirschtorte.
You can most likely find this delicious dessert in restaurants and patisserie shops throughout the country, but none will be as good as the real deal in Zug.
Carac
Carac is a puff pastry dessert popular in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It’s a type of Swiss pastry with shortbread pie crust, fondant, chocolate, and cream. The crust is filled with a chocolate ganache made from chocolate and cream, which is then covered with either a green fondant or icing.
Although Carac is most common in western Switzerland, you can find it in most patisserie and pastry shops in the country. It’s such a popular Swiss dessert that some of the country’s renowned chocolatiers have their take on it, the most notable of which is Sprüngli.
In general, you will have the most luck finding delicious carac in Geneva. The French-speaking Swiss town is known for amazing restaurants and patisserie shops that serve all the most-famous local delicacies, including delicious Swiss desserts.
Schoggibirnen
Schoggibirnen is another Swiss dessert great for people who like a combination of fruit and chocolate. The dessert is made with steamed pears covered in chocolate sauce, which tastes as delicious as it sounds.
Chocolate pears are a popular homemade dessert because it’s so easy and quick to make. You can just use canned pears and drench them with a chocolate sauce, which is made by melting chocolate and butter together. Because it’s such a simple recipe, this dessert isn’t served in many Swiss restaurants.
You’ll have better luck finding Schoggibirnen in the more traditional establishments, which are thoroughly focused on serving delicious Swiss staples. Also, it’s worth noting that chocolate fondue is a kind of a variation of this dish, especially when the pot of melted chocolate is served with sliced-up fresh pears.
Swiss Meringue
There are many different iterations of meringue, but there’s something special about Swiss meringue. It’s silkier and denser than French meringue, and it is usually used as a base for buttercream frostings. Swiss meringue can also be used as a topping on cupcakes and pies, and it can also be baked on its own to create meringues.
Many chefs argue that Swiss meringue is better than both Italian and French versions – it can be stored in the fridge longer than Italian meringue, and it’s got a better texture for frosting than French meringue. It could be that the people are just a bit subjective when it comes to a local dessert, but you shouldn’t knock anything before you’ve tried it.
Meringue cakes, cupcakes, and even crunchy meringues can be found in most pastry shops throughout the country, regardless of the exact region. Just avoid any sketchy places – the meringue is made with egg whites and sugar, and it tastes best when it’s eaten on the same day it’s made.
Bündner Nusstorte
Bündner Nusstorte is a traditionally nut-filled pastry that originated in the Graubünden canton, hence the name. It was invented sometime in the 1920s, but the first widely available iterations of it weren’t on the market until the 1960s.
Also, it’s worth noting that there are many recipes for Nusstorte that date back to the 19th century, but they’re different from modern iterations. The first versions of the recipe had nuts mixed in with the dough, while in the modern recipe, the nuts are used to create a sweet, caramelized filling that the shortbread pastry is stuffed with.
The modern Nusstorte was developed in the Engadine region, and the recipe slowly spread throughout Switzerland. Nowadays, it’s a very popular dessert in the country and you can have it in most places, whether you’re eating your way through the bigger cities or exploring the more remote villages.
It’s also worth noting that, because of the nature of the nusstorte’s ingredients, this dessert can stay fresh for months. That’s why you can find it throughout Switzerland during any season, and why it’s readily available in many Swiss online shops that ship products all over the world.
