Best Finnish desserts and where to try them

Freshly baked cinnamon rolls might just be the most comforting treat there is. The Finnish cinnamon roll, known as korvapuusti, is a soft pastry filled with sugar, cinnamon, and butter, and topped with pearl sugar.

There are many great places to try Finnish cinnamon rolls around the country. In Helsinki, Café Succès has been an institution since 1957, famous for its enormous cinnamon rolls. Stylish St. George Bakery offers a modern twist, baking theirs with sourdough. Café Regatta serves their korvapuusti with sea views. This quirky red cottage café is so popular that on sunny weekends, there might be a queue outside (but it’s worth the wait).

In Turku, Café Art by the scenic Aura River pairs small-roastery coffee with homemade cinnamon rolls. In Tampere, Bakery Café Puusti is a tiny artisan bakery where korvapuusti is the star. And up north in Rovaniemi, Kahvila-Konditoria Antinkaapo is a family-run bakery serving award-winning cinnamon rolls in a warm, homely setting.

Finnish forests offer an abundance of fresh berries, such as bilberries, lingonberries, and cloudberries, and these natural sweets often find their way into delicious pies and pastries.

Perhaps the most beloved is mustikkapiirakka, a traditional pie made with tangy bilberries (small blueberries) and a sweet, buttery crust. Mustikkapiirakka is best served with vanilla custard, whipped cream, or ice cream. Another delicious bilberry dessert is the rye-crusted mustikkakukko or rättänä, as it's known in the Savo region.

You don’t have to step into a forest to taste these berry-filled delights. In Helsinki, try Avikainen, a traditional bakery in the heart of the trendy Kallio district. In Lakeland, the romantic Tertti Manor in Mikkeli is a charming foodie destination as well as the nearby Kenkävero (especially for mustikkakukko lovers). In the northern city of Oulu, Tähtitornin kahvila is a delicious summer café and bookstore set in a historic building.

Don’t forget to check out Finland’s traditional market halls – known as kauppahalli. These traditional halls offer a chance to shop for both baked goods and fresh berries under one roof. You'll find traditional kauppahallis in cities like Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Kuopio, Vaasa, and Oulu.

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Munkki, a deep-fried pastry covered with sugar, comes in many sizes and forms. Some resemble doughnuts, and others are large, flat pies filled with jam.

You can find munkkis all over Finland and some regions have their own special versions. Perhaps the most famous is the lörtsy in Eastern Finland – a deep-fried pastry filled either with meat or jam. No visit to Savonlinna is complete without tasting an authentic lörtsy at the market square!

Another must-visit is Pyynikin Munkkikahvila in Tampere, perhaps the most famous munkki café in Finland. Their fresh doughnuts are popular with visitors and locals alike. If you're travelling through the Lakeland region and can’t get enough of these treats, head to Kuopio and try Hanna Partanen’s traditional pastries, with a history that goes back more than 100 years.

No coffee break in Finland is complete without a pulla, a soft, cardamom-flavoured sweet bun.

There are many kinds of buns, but perhaps the most classic is the voisilmäpulla — literally a “butter eye bun.” It’s a soft bun baked with a dollop of butter and sugar (“the eye”) in the center, and it melts in your mouth. Another traditional shape is a pullapitko. It's a braided sweet bun made with the same cardamom dough, often topped with pearl sugar, jam, or custard.

If you visit Finland in winter, you’re in for a seasonal treat. Laskiaispulla, the Shrove bun, is a big, fluffy bun filled with whipped cream, and either raspberry jam or almond paste. Finns are passionate about which filling is better. You might need to try both and pick a side!

You’ll find pullas in cafés and bakeries all over the country. Fazer Café is a safe bet — this iconic Finnish bakery and confectionery brand has locations in all major cities. You can also pick up pullas at most supermarkets.

Besides laskiaispulla, there’s another sweet treat that gets Finns through the winter. In February, we celebrate our national poet, J. L. Runeberg (1804–1877). But what people really love is the Runeberg torte, runebergintorttu, a pastry named after his wife Fredrika, who was also a well-known writer.

The Runeberg torte gets its unique taste from almond and a hint of arrack or rum, and it’s topped with raspberry jam and sugar icing. According to legend, a cup of coffee, a splash of punch, and a Runeberg torte were the poet’s favorite breakfast.

These tortes are enjoyed in Finland only in January and February. For the most authentic experience, visit the charming cafés in the Old Town of Porvoo, where the Runeberg family lived in the 1800s. Tea and Coffee Room Helmi feels like stepping back in time to Runeberg’s era, and Café Fanny serves Runeberg tortes all year round.

Thin, golden, and slightly crispy around the edges, letut are Finland’s answer to pancakes or crepes but with a rustic, Nordic twist. Traditionally fried over an open fire in a cast iron pan – known as muurinpohjaletut – these delicate treats are a beloved part of Finnish summer culture.

Finnish pancakes are typically served warm with a generous dollop of strawberry jam and a spoonful of whipped cream. You’ll often find them at outdoor markets (tori in Finnish), cafés, and summer festivals.

The Åland region has its own, unique and delicious version of a pancake called – quite simply – the Åland pancake. This pancake is a hearty, oven-baked treat made with cardamom, traditionally served with prune jam and whipped cream. You can get these from most cafés in the Åland islands.

Finland is the home of Santa Claus, so our Christmas desserts and treats deserve a special mention. And in Finland, it’s not really Christmas without gingerbread cookies and joulutorttu – a flaky, buttery pastry traditionally filled with plum jam. Both are best enjoyed with glögi, the Finnish version of mulled wine.

You’ll find these treats at Christmas markets and cafés across the country before the holidays. If you really want to get into the Christmas spirit, head to Rovaniemi, the official hometown of Santa Claus!

Salmiakki — salty liquorice

Finns, like their Nordic neighbours, have a special love for candy, especially salmiakki (black, salty liquorice). The distinctive flavour of salmiakki comes from sal ammoniac, ammonium chloride. It's an acquired taste and not for the faint of heart. Finns adore salmiakki so much that you can find it in ice cream, chocolate bars, and pastries, too. Perhaps a taste of salmiakki  will bring out your inner Finn?

Finnish chocolate

After tasting Finnish chocolate, there’s no going back. Maybe it’s the high-quality milk, maybe the craftsmanship but there’s something about Finnish milk chocolate that just melts perfectly on your tongue. The most iconic brand is Fazer chocolate, easily spotted by its classic blue wrapping dating back to the 1920s. Brunberg from Porvoo, as well as Panda are beloved classics, too. Finland is also home to many small-batch, artisanal chocolatiers. Try some of the local flavors while you’re at it — like blueberry yogurt, raspberry, buckthorn, spruce, and salty liquorice.

Ice cream

Did you know that Finland consistently ranks in the global top five for ice cream consumption? It's no wonder – Finnish ice cream is fresh, creamy and made with high-quality local dairy. Flavours are natural and often inspired by Nordic nature: think strawberry, blueberry pie, or raspberry. You’ll also find more unusual options like spruce, or even tar. In the summer, ice cream stalls pop up everywhere: by beaches, in market squares, and along scenic trails.