Wales is a small country with a big personality. The coast and the mountains meet to create a picturesque landscape. Everything in Wales, down to the language, is unique and charming. Nothing is as enchanting as the Welsh desserts. The culture has grown around these sensational Welsh sweets and a plate of dessert in Wales is a plate of their delightful Celtic culture.
What Is Special About Welsh Desserts
Welsh cuisine is a celebration of humble local flavors but with flavorful flair, and that goes doubly for Welsh desserts. Classic technique meets modern comforting flavor in Welsh sweets. Their desserts take influences from Welsh agriculture, tradition, and geographic neighbors.
Wales has a cold climate but some cold-hardy fruits and grains can thrive here, these are featured heavily in their desserts. Strong fruits like apples can thrive here, as well as honey-making bees. Always-available dried fruits are a common inclusion in Welsh desserts.
All the sweet treats in Wales offer wonderful sugary comfort even on the coolest day.
Most Famous Welsh Desserts
Pwdin Eva
If you enjoy apple cobbler this will tickle your sweet tooth. It is a delectable traditional Welsh dessert that celebrates one of the fruits that thrives in Wales, the apple.
The most famous Welsh apple is the Bardsey apple; locals love it for its sweet flavor and crispy texture. This apple is a common addition to this comforting dessert in Wales.
Pwdin Eva is a cakey pudding that bears a resemblance to a cake-based cobbler. It uses a base of delicious local apples baked in layers of sweet and warmly spiced sponge cake. The cake maintains a nice moist texture that compliments the bite of the apple.
You can find these delicious Welsh desserts in restaurants across Wales. They are also commonly served at family celebrations.
Traditional Welsh Desserts
Welsh Cheese Cakes
These Welsh treats have a misleading name because there is no cheese in these sweets. Cheese cakes are a hybrid of cake and pastry. They use a flakey pastry crust with a luscious jam filling.
The filling is topped with a tasty cake batter that bakes into a golden crown for these delicious Welsh desserts. Try them with a cup of black tea for a sweet bite of Welsh life.
Welsh Plum Pudding
For many locals in Wales, the Christmas celebration would be incomplete without a delectable plum pudding. These classic Welsh desserts belong to the U.K.’s classification of puddings, meaning they are a more cake-like dessert with a moist center.
The decadent flavor of sweet plums makes this pudding so sweet it is no wonder that it is used as a celebratory dessert. Have a bite of this over-the-top Welsh dessert to stay warm on the coldest nights in Wales.
Amber Pudding (Custard Tart)
This creamy dessert is a favorite of Welsh locals. Amber puddings are Welsh desserts that combine rich, decadent custard with the citrusy flavor of grapefruit.
This tart’s flaky crust is filled with a custard cream made with grapefruit marmalade. It gives this tart a bright bite that cheers the eater instantly. It is the perfect way to enjoy local dairy with a sweet twist.
Aberffraw Biscuits (Welsh Cookies)
Many countries within the United Kingdom have their version of the classic shortbread cookie, these cookies are the Welsh version of shortbread.
Aberffraw biscuits are seashell-shaped shortbread with a special place in the hearts of locals; these sandy treats have been baked in Wales since the 13th century! These Welsh cookies can be found in bakeries nationwide and are a teatime staple.
Welsh Cakes
Teisen Mel (Honey Cake)
These Welsh cakes make wonderful treats on a Welsh afternoon. Teisen mel or honey cakes are a beautifully traditional Welsh dessert made from a batter that is spiced with warm spices and sweetened with honey. It is a beautifully moist treat perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up or evening dessert in Wales. Some even have it as part of their breakfast in Wales.
Cacen Gneifio (Shearing Cake)
This dessert has roots in the pastures of Wales. Cacen gneifio or shearing cake was originally made as a treat for sheep farmers during the shearing season. The first shearing cakes would have used bacon instead of butter.
This rich cake has evolved from the original version but stayed delicious. The buttery cakes are seasoned with caraway seeds to make lightly sweet and creamy Welsh cakes.
Teisen Lap (Plate Cake)
These Welsh desserts date back centuries and are believed by locals for their lush flavor. Teisen lap are traditional Welsh cakes baked on a plate or pie pan. The cake is seasoned with tea and spices and polka-dotted with dried currants and raisins.
Some confuse this with bara brith but teisen lap is more frugal and restrained in its flavor, also it does not have the yeast that bara brith does. Every piece of teisen lap is a humble and delicious slice of traditional Welsh desserts.
Patagonian Welsh Black Cake
This traditional treat is a Welsh fruit cake. Patagonian Welsh black cakes were created when Welsh settlers in Patagonia first baked this cake to use what little they had but years later they are still being eaten and loved today.
This is a sort of kitchen-sink-style fruitcake, there is a little bit of everything in there, from cherries to dried fruit, nuts, spices, molasses, and more. This funky fruit cake can be found in tea shops and at holiday celebrations in Wales.
Sticky Pear Pudding
Pears are a very easy-to-find fruit in Wales and these floral fruits grace many Welsh dessert recipes, but none as sweet as the sticky pear pudding.
These modern Welsh desserts twist up the classic Welsh sticky toffee pudding by adding delicious local pears. It is a match made in heaven with the pears and toffee striking a luxurious note.
These deliciously updated Welsh desserts can be found on dessert menus and are best enjoyed with a fine spirit.
Discovering Traditional Welsh Desserts
Wales is a country full of myth and tradition; desserts are an integral part of Welsh cuisine.
Exploring Wales is such an adventure and at the end of every great adventure is a sweet reward. Every bite of Welsh dessert tastes as gorgeous as the Welsh countryside. Dive into delicious Welsh desserts and discover all the sweet flavors of traditional welsh baking!
