Persian desserts are undoubtedly unique, delicious and flavorful. Every single dessert is slightly different in flair depending on where it comes from. We’ve rounded up 12 of the best Persian Desserts that are easy to make at home.
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Popular Persian Desserts
Persian Style Baklava
This Baklava is like a slice of heaven! This pasty is made from flaky and crispy layers loaded with toasted nuts and soaked in a flavorful syrup. To top it off, it is enclosed in beautiful aromas of rose water, cardamom and nutty brown butter. It is not too sweet and it makes for a different twist on your normal dessert.
Persian Walnut Cookies
These Persian walnut cookies contain just 4 ingredients, are gluten free & simple to prepare. They make for a tasty treat at any time.
Ranginak (Persian Date Cake)
Raginak is a Persian Dessert that is typically eaten with a cup of tea. This sweet and delicious dessert is a must-try. It is simple to make and you only need a few ingredients including dates, walnuts, butter, flour and a few spices.
Persian Almond Cookies
Ghorabieh (also written Qurabiya) is an almond macaroon with origins in Tabriz, Iran. Tabriz is located in the Eastern Azerbaijan province of Iran where it is well-known for its tasty dishes, amazing restaurants and a great variety of pastries and sweets. The bakeries, or “ghanadi”, in Tabriz produce hundreds of Ghorabieh every single day. These cookies that are soft and disk-shaped are common “soghati” among Tabriz tourists.
Persian Ice Cream with Saffron and Rosewater (Bastani)
Try a more exotic dessert with this No Churn Persian Ice Cream infused with Saffron and Rose Water (bastani). It’s easy to make your own at home and the best part is that you can do it without an ice cream machine.
Red and Green Fruit Salad with Persian Fairy Floss
Bring some festivity to your party with these heavenly strands of Persian fairy floss. This festive fruit salad adds tons of joy and fun, making it perfect for the holiday season.
Halva
Halva is a middle eastern dessert with popularity in Israel, Greece, Turkey, and other countries. This dessert consisting of tahini and honey or sugar is sweet and nutty with a texture that is crumbly yet soft. It pairs nicely with coffee and is the perfect afternoon snack!
Persian Saffron Pudding
This exotic golden dessert combines two traditional Persian treats. This first is sholeh-zard which is a sweet rice pudding consisting of saffron and other spices. The other is fereni dagh which is a smooth, sweet pudding that contains rice flour, rosewater and spices. Fusing the unique flavors of sholeh-zard with the smoothness of fereni dagh results in a wonderful dessert.
Saffron Zulbia
This dessert checks off many boxes! It is a crunchy treat soaked in saffron syrup that is typically served with Persian black tea. Anyone you make this for will be blown away. It can be difficult to find good zoolbia but this easy recipe is exactly what you need to help you make amazing zoolbia.
Persian Love Cake with Pistachios and Rosewater
You will quickly love this Persian Love Cake! This cake is made from semolina and almond meal that has citrusy hints and subtle spices. It is then soaked with hot syrup to give it that distinct moistness and sweetness.
Walnut Filled Persian Pastry
Qottab is a Persian pastry from Iran. It is a traditional treat loaded with walnuts and cardamom inside of a delicate and flaky dough. This is the perfect Persian dessert!
Persian Rice Cookies
These Persian rice cookies are popularly eaten on Persian New Year and several other celebrations. It’s easy to see why this dessert is so loved. They are fragrant, crumbly and subtly sweet, making them a traditional Middle Eastern treat.
Persian Dessert Baklava Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz phyllo dough thawed
- 16 oz walnuts
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter melted
- optional melted chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor, add walnuts, ground cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Blend until walnuts are well chopped.
- Place 8 layers of phyllo dough on the baking sheet, brushing each layer with melted butter.
- Spread 2/3 cup of the walnut mixture on top of the dough evenly.
- Add another 5 layers of the phyllo dough and brush each layer with butter.
- Add another 2/3 cup of the walnuts. Repeat until you use up all the dough and walnut mixture.
- Cut the assembled baklava into squares with your desired sizes.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let it cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate or your favorite syrup. Serve and enjoy!
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