Best Ukrainian Desserts – Найкращі українські смаколики (десерти)

Special place in Ukrainian rich and diverse cuisine is taken by sweets. In today’s post, we will learn the most well-known Ukrainian desserts.

Солодкі вареники (з ягодами) (varenyky)

Sweet varenyky (with berries)

The most beloved dessert in Ukraine. Varenyky originated from pagan times when they were a part of rituals, and nowadays are the national dessert of Ukraine.

E.g. У ресторані (at the restaurant):

Принесіть (bring), будь ласка, вареники з вишнею. –

I’d like to order varenyky with cherries.

Btw check out my varenyky recipe in this video lesson 🙂

Сирники (syrnyky)

Baked or fried pancakes with cottage cheese, flour, eggs, salt, and sugar. Well known dessert in Ukraine and abroad.

E.g. Вдома (at home):

Давайте приготуємо сирники на сніданок. –

Let’s cook syrnyky for breakfast.

Налисники (млинці) (nalysnyky, mlyntsi)

Pancakes

Rolled thin crêpes with cottage cheese or/and berries, jam originally nowadays might be filled with chocolate and bananas. The other popular fillings include mushrooms, chicken, cheese, and all kinds of vegetables.

E.g. У ресторані (at the restaurant):

Які налисники у вас є сьогодні? Чи є у вас налисники з домашнім сиром і ягодами? –

What kind of nalysnyky (pancakes) do you have today? Do you have cottage cheese and cherries nalysnyky?

Вергуни (хрусти) (verhuny, khrusty)

Angel Wings

They are known in the English-speaking world as “angel wings” and were brought by migrants from the Eastern Europe. It is a sweet crisp pastry made out of dough which is shaped into thin twisted ribbons, fried or baked, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

E.g. У магазині (at the shop):

Скажіть, будь ласка, скільки коштують вергуни? –

Tell me please how much does verhumy cost?

Сочники (sochnuky)

Small cones, made of soft sweet dough and cottage cheese filling. Sometimes sochnuky are filled with different berries and fruits: cherries, strawberries, blueberries etc.

E.g. У магазині (at the shop):

Скажіть, будь ласка, чи свіжі у вас сочники? –

Tell me please are the sochnuky fresh?

Київський торт (Kyivskyi tort)

Kyiv cake

Was made in Kyiv in 1956 but still is one of the symbols of the Ukrainian capital. It has got two airy layers of meringue with hazelnuts, chocolate glaze, and a buttercream-like filling.

E.g. У магазині (at the shop):

Запакуйте, будь ласка, київський торт. Це подарунок для моїх батьків в Америку. –

Please pack the Kyiv cake. It is a present to my parents in America.

Сирна запіканка (syrna zapikanka)

Sweet cheese casserole

Baked sweet curd with cottage cheese. Ukrainians often eat it for breakfast, as a dessert or simply as a snack.

E.g. Вдома (at home):

Моя мама часто готує сирну запіканку, коли ми приїздимо додому. – My mum often cooks syrna zapikanka when we come home.

Паска (Paska)

Easter bread

It is a traditional Ukrainian sweet yeast cake which is baked specifically for Easter. People usually bake a lot of them to eat not only themselves, but to treat friends, colleagues, and relatives.

E. g. Вдома (at home):

У цьому році треба напекти багато пасок, тому що до нас приїздять родичі з Полтави. –

This year we need to bake a lot of paskas because relatives from Poltava are coming.

What Ukrainian sweets have you tried? What desserts do you like?