Persian sweets are among the most famous and beloved desserts in the Middle East and even worldwide. With a rich history and exceptional flavors, these sweets rank as some of the most recognized desserts globally.
For instance, Isfahan’s Gaz stands out as one of the most renowned Iranian confections, exported to over 26 countries, including the UK, Germany, and Canada, as well as Kuwait, Georgia, and the Netherlands, where it enjoys immense popularity.
In Iran, these sweets are an essential part of hosting major occasions like Nowruz, Yalda, and weddings.
Many of these desserts are made with nutrient-rich ingredients such as walnuts and eggs, which not only enhance their flavor but also offer numerous health benefits. From Persian Baklava to Zoolbia Bamieh, a staple during Ramadan, Iranian sweets showcase a delightful mix of tradition and taste.
1 | Sohan e Qom |
2 | Noon khamei |
3 | Cake yazdi |
4 | Koloocheh |
5 | Nan berenji |
6 | Baslogh |
7 | Ghottab |
8 | Kaak |
9 | Persian baklava |
10 | Zoolbia bamieh |
In this article on the Meals Cook site, we want to introduce you to the top 10 Persian sweets. So be with us. We hope you like it.
Table of calories Persian sweet
how many calories are in Persian sweets? You may also wonder how harmful it is to eat these sweets and how many calories you should burn. I have prepared a complete table of these sweets’ calories, which you can see below.
Persian sweet | Calories per 100 grams |
Sohan | 500 kcal |
Noon khamei | 500 kcal |
Cake yazdi | 450 kcal |
koloocheh fooman | 414kcal |
Nan e berenji | 221kcal |
Baslogh | 380 kcal |
Ghottab | 480 kcal |
Kaak | 351 kcal |
Baghlava | 500kcal |
zoolbia bamieh | 296 kcal |
shirini zaban | 253 kcal |
Shirini nargili | 476kcal |
Shirini gerdooee | 343 kcal |
In another article, I have fully discussed the calories in Iranian food, which you can read: How Many Calories in Persian Food?
1. Sohan e Qom _ A Nutty Saffron Delight from Qom
Sohan e Qom is the main souvenir of the city of Qom and one of the most famous traditional sweets of Iran. It is attributed to the Qajar period.
There is a story that the representative of Naser al-Din Shah came on behalf of the Shah to open the new court of Hazrat Masoumeh in Qom, and after having lunch, he made a sweet halva made with pistachios. It was made and brought to him.
He liked it so much and said this halva took away our tiredness like sohan, and from that time, the name of this sweet became attractive.
Today, Sohan Qom has many fans in different countries, especially in Arab countries, and earns a lot of foreign currency for the country every year.
Sohan Qom is one of the most delicious Persian sweets. It is usually served as an evening meal with tea. This sweet has been prepared by hand and traditionally.
They still prepare delicious and delicious sohans in many workshops using traditional and old methods.
Of course, nowadays, the number of workshops that cook Sohan with automatic and industrial machines is much more than in traditional and old workshops.
The main ingredients in Sohan are wheat germ and wholemeal flour, prepared with saffron, pistachio, and sugar. You have probably tasted the unique taste of Sohan at least once.
2. Noon Khamei _ Persian Cream Puff
The title of the most popular Persian sweet goes to noon khamei.In some places like Mashhad, it is also called grenade cake.
This wonderful sweet is made by filling puffed bread with pastry cream. Sometimes, this cream can be honey, Nescafe, or even saffron.
Whatever it is, I am sure you also love noon Khamenei. Some sources attribute the origin of this sweet to northern Italy, but it has been prepared in Iran in the past.
3. Cake Yazdi – Iranian Traditional Cupcake
The most nostalgic cakes and sweet among Iranians is are cake Yazdi. Up to now, whatever we have said about the taste of the confectioners of this city, it is still not enough.
Adding cardamom and rose water to this wonderful cake separates it from other cake yazdi you have eaten in different cities.
The art of Yazdi confectioners in creating a balance between the use of primary ingredients and aromatic ingredients in this Persian sweet is also commendable. Eating this cake in Yazd evokes a different taste than other cake yazdi.
The famous cake yazdi is used in religious ceremonies in ancient times. This sweet is one of the cheapest traditional Iranian sweets produced in all the cities of Iran and has many fans.
Ingredients of cake yazdi are flour, eggs, sugar, butter, milk, and cardamom, and in some cases, it also has some raisins or pistachio pieces.
Cake Yazdi is one of the first examples of cupcakes in the world, and a special example is made with condensed yogurt and saffron, which looks like a dessert.
4. Persian Koloocheh – A Classic Cookie with Walnut Filling
Koloocheh fooman is a traditional Gilaki Persian sweet that has been prepared since long ago in Gilan, especially Foman city and it is completely of Iranian origin.
The distinguishing feature of this popular Iranian cookie from other cookies is the seal-like design that is placed on it.
Foman cookie consists of two layers. The middle layer is filled with walnuts, cardamom, nutmeg, oil, etc.
the top layer is dough. This cookie was originally prepared at home, but today it is produced in confectioneries in Gilan province.
This Persian sweet is very delicious and popular.
5. Nan e Berenji – Rice Flour Cookies from Kermanshah
Maybe we all know nan berenji and if we haven’t tried it, we have heard its name. Kermanshah province has unique Persian sweets which may be their flagship is nan berenji.
Since Kermanshah nan berenji is one of the most famous souvenirs of this city today, many types of it are sold in this city.
The combination of rice flour and sugar powder with layers of Iranian saffron and cardamom aroma will captivate your mind so much that every time you eat nan berenji Kermanshah your mind will take you to Kermanshah and Taq Bostan.
Nan e berenji is considered the main souvenir of the city of Kermanshah, and it has also been registered nationally. This delicious sweet consists of wheat flour, Kermanshahi oil, egg, and rose water. This lovely delicacy dates back 150 years to the Qajar era.
6. Baslogh – The Almond-Filled Sweet of Maragheh
Baslogh is considered a souvenir of two cities from Iran: Maragheh and Malair. A Persian sweet that is very similar to Rahat al-Holghom in terms of texture, but the preparation method is very different from Rahat al-Holghom.
Baslogh ingredients include starch and date juice filled with almonds or walnuts. It takes up to three months to prepare baslogh traditionally and to keep it fresh, it is hung with string.
7. Ghotab – A Sweet Nutty Pastry from Yazd
The most famous sweet in Yazd is Ghotab. If you have been to Yazd even once, you have tried this delicious sweet. The history of this Yazdi Persian sweets dates back to the Qajar period and today, it can be purchased in two types: Yazdi ghotab and honey ghotab.
Persian Ghotab like Kermani Kolompeh is a type of nutty pastry whose outer layer is made of wheat flour and eggs along with milk, and its core is made of almond powder, cardamom powder, and sugar powder.
Ghotab is fried in oil and finally coated with powdered sugar. The difference between Yazdi ghotab and honey ghotab is that it uses honey instead of powdered sugar.
Today, you can find it in all cities of Iran. Traditional ghotab yazd has a crispy and delicious outer layer of dough filled with almond powder, cardamom, powdered sugar, and sometimes walnuts.
If you pass through Yazd city, besides ghotab, try pashmak, nan panjereh, and cake Yazdi. The wonderful taste of these sweets will bring you back to this city.
8. Persian Kaak – The Crispy Cardamom-Scented Sweet of Kermanshah
Another pastry masterpiece of Kermanshah is Persian Kaak. If you go to Kermanshah, buy Kaak Kermanshah as a souvenir with the nan berenji.
The aroma of cardamom is so evident in this Persian sweet that it makes you fall in love. Of course, this sweet is also made in Shiraz and Khorramabad, called Yokheh, and slightly differs from Kaak.
Kaak is made from wheat flour and eggs, cardamom, and powdered sugar, which is finally formed into thin layers of dough that stick together. The texture of this sweet is very crispy and fragile. This sweet has been prepared in Kermanshah for many years and is very old.
Almost only the people of Kermanshah know how to cook this sweet. For this reason, it is not abundant in other cities like other sweets.
To eat it, you either have to travel to Kermanshah. Crispy and tasty kaak bites are mostly served in the evening and with Iranian tea.
9. Persian Baklava –
Did you know that the people of Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, and Russia also know Iranian baklava? Of course, this delicious traditional Persian sweet is also abundant in Kashan, Qazvin, Gilan, and Tabriz, although their shape and taste may differ slightly.
Persian Baklava is made in lozenge, roll, and square shapes and is a staple of weddings, holidays, and special parties in these regions.
The unique taste of this tasty souvenir is due to the extraordinary combination of rose water, wheat flour, pistachio powder, cardamom, and almond powder.
Baklava has many fans not only in Iran but also in the world. The people of Yazd first prepare the basic dough for baking this sweet, called “Lavash Baklava,” and then prepare it.
10. Zoolbia Bamieh – Best Sweet for Ramadan
Zoolbia Bamieh are 2 inseparable members of Iftar tables in Ramadan month in Iran. It is very easy to cook this popular sweet and serve it during Ramadan and other times of the year. Bamieh is very similar to Arabic Legimat sweets.
Zoolbia and bamieh have existed since the time of Naser al-Din Shah and it is impossible to find an exact date of the origin of these two delicious and hearty sweets.
List of Persian Nowruz Sweets
In the table below, I have mentioned all Iranian sweets that can be used for Nowruz
1 | Shirini nokhodchi or Nana nokhodchi |
2 | Shirini keshmeshi |
3 | Shirini Mashhadi or Shirini morabaii |
4 | Shirini Gerdooee |
5 | Shirini danmarki |
6 | Shirini venizi |
7 | Shirini konjedi |
8 | Shirini Mikado |
9 | Kolompeh |
10 | Persian Kaak |
11 | Haji Badam |
12 | Baslogh |
13 | Shirini nargili |
14 | Ghottab |
15 | Shirini pofaki |
Conclusion :
Iranian sweets are a great taste and experience from the world of traditional and very special sweets that you got to know in this article.
Whether you enjoy a soft Koloocheh or the nutty richness of Sohan Qom, Iranian sweets bring a delightful experience that reflects Iranians’ love for taste, tradition, and celebration.
Did you enjoy getting to know the top 10 Iranian sweets?
Share your experiences and questions in the comments. We’d love to hear your thoughts and see photos of your creations on social media!
Hi dear
It was useful article and i enjoy it
I had made these 3 sweets before and i think they are so hearty and delicious
Noon khamei,cake yazdi and zoolbia bamieh
Thanks for information about them and their reciepes
Hi
We are so glad and proud that you are read our article and like it
I suggest you try other sweets in this article and share your experience with us
Hi mohsen ,what is the most famous persian sweet in Iran?
Hi dear karen, In my opinion, the most famous Iranian sweets are the sweets of Qazvin and Yazd cities, such as persian Kak, baklava ghazvini, ghottab and baklava yazdi.
Hello and courtesy. Really, for me, who has been away from Iran for 40 years, seeing these sweets gave me a wonderful feeling.
I used to live in Yazd and when I see this article that most of the famous Iranian sweets and souvenirs are related to my city, I feel proud of myself.
Thank you for taking me back 40 years with your detailed information and I got a very good feeling from this article
Hello, dear Nahid
I completely understand your feeling because I have been away from Iran for 25 years
I am very happy that I could give you that good feeling
Hoping for a good day for everyone