The best Persian desserts based on their authentic and delectable taste are Ranginak, Bastani Akbar Mashti, Sholezard, Koloocheh, Gaz, Zoolbia-Bamieh, Faloodeh Shirazi, Sohan, Halva, Baklava, Qottab, Nan-e Nokhodchi, etc. Read to know more!
Here you will find a curated list of the best Persian desserts and their easy recipes.
If you like desserts of the non-chocolate variety like me, you’ll find these Persian desserts incredibly mouth-watering. They are traditional delicacies that have been a part of Iranian culture for centuries.
So, if you’re keen on trying out some of the choicest Persian desserts, keep reading!
| Recipe | Total Preparation Time |
|---|---|
| Ranginak | 30 min |
| Bastani Akbar Mashti | 3 hrs |
| Sholezard | 1 hr 30 min |
| Koloocheh | 2-3 hrs |
| Gaz | 25 min |
| Zoolbia-Bamieh | 4 hr 50 min |
| Faloodeh Shirazi | 1 hr 30 min |
| Sohan | 30 min |
| Halva | 15 min |
| Baklava | 1 hr 15 min |
| Qottab | 2 hrs 20 min |
| Nan-e Nokhodchi | 2 hrs 30 min |
| Noon Khamei | 1 hr 10 min |
| Kolompeh | 1 hr |
| Khagineh | 30 min |
| Kachi | 25 min |
| Shir Berenj | 45 min |
| Masghati | 1 hr |
| Persian Love Cake | 1 hr 30 min |
| Nan-e Berenji | NA |
| Toot | 40 min |
| Shirini Keshmeshi | NA |
| Ghorabieh Tabriz | 1 hr 30 min |
| Shirini Yazdi | 35 min |
| Noghl | NA |
| Pashmak | 30 min |
| Tabrizi Palda | 4 hrs |
| Fereni | 45 min |
| Shirini Napoleoni | 2 hrs 30 min |
| Yakh Dar Behesht | 1 hr 20 min |
1. Ranginak
Preparation Time: 30 min
Best served with a cup of hot tea, Ranginak is a traditional Persian dessert made with dates and walnuts.
Ranginak is almost like a no-bake cake, making it a very healthy dessert. You can use Rotab, Medjool dates, or regular Iranian dates for this.
DIY recipe for Ranginak – >
2. Bastani Akbar Mashti
Preparation Time: 3 hrs
Characterised by its chewy texture and floral flavours, Bastani Akbar Mashti is a creamy delight for all special occasions.
You can choose to make the whole thing from scratch. But if you’re lazy like me, simply infuse the flavours into regular vanilla ice cream.
DIY recipe for Bastani Akbar Mashti- >
3. Sholezard
Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 min cooking, 1-2 hrs cooling
Sholezard, also known as Sholeh Zard is a Persian rice pudding. The name comes from Sholeh, the Farsi word for pudding-like texture and Zard meaning yellow.
A delicious old-fashioned dessert, Sholezard is a delicate and light-textured pudding best served in a goblet and garnished with pistachios.
DIY recipe for Sholezard- >
4. Koloocheh
Preparation Time: 2-3 hrs
Koloocheh is an appetising butter cookie prepared during celebrations for Eid, Christmas, and Purim in the Middle East.
You can shape them to look like moulds filled with rich stuffing or flatten them out to take your favourite cookie cutter shapes.
DIY recipe for Koloocheh – >
5. Gaz
Preparation Time: 25 min prep, 40 min cook, 1 hr 5 min before serving
If you’re a fan of nougat, you have to try the Persian version of it; Gaz. This sweet, brittle, and chewy dessert is a favourite in Iran.
You can cut the Gaz into small, bite-sized cubes or strips and serve it with traditional sherbet or tea.
DIY recipe for Gaz – >
6. Zoolbia-Bamieh
Preparation Time: 4 hr 50 min
A combination of two fried delicacies, Zoolbia-Bamieh is an irresistable pair of Persian desserts. Zoolbia is a crunchy and sweet fritter made of lightly fermented flour and shaped like spirals.
Bamieh on the other hand is like a churro made with a choux pastry-like dough.
DIY recipe for Zoolbia-Bamieh – >
7. Faloodeh Shirazi
Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 min
Faloodeh Shirazi is a sweet dish of rice noodles served with Persian lime and rosewater granita. Much like a sorbet, this Persian cold dessert is a big part of Iranian traditions.
Originally from the city of Shiraz, these frozen and flavourful noodles are delightful in hot summers.
DIY recipe for Faloodeh Shirazi – >
8. Sohan
Preparation Time: 30 min
Sohan is Persia’s version of toffee or peanut brittle made with the finest ingredients of Iran. Buttery, crumbly, and crunchy, this pistachio-studded Persian brittle is a time-tested dessert.
It is heavily scented with saffron that creates an earthy aroma to match its rich colour.
DIY recipe for Sohan – >
9. Halva
Preparation Time: 15 min
Quick and easy to make, this Persian dessert is a favorite in Iran and often served at funerals or religious ceremonies.
Halva can be made of many different kinds of flour or even semolina and tahini. Serve it in a bowl or as bite-sized wedges.
DIY recipe for Halva – >
10. Baklava
Preparation Time: 1 hr 15 min
Baklava, or baghlava, is a flaky Persian dessert stuffed with nuts, spices, and a fragrant syrup. This baked dish tastes best when paired with a warm cup of Persian tea.
Full of moistness, crunchiness, and fragrance, a bite of Baklava will take you straight to the crowded streets of Iran.
DIY recipe for Baklava – >
11. Qottab
Preparation Time: 2 hrs 20 min
Qottab, or Ghotab, are Persian pastry crescents stuffed with nuts and spices from the famous traders of Iran. Baking these will fill your house with the aroma of spices and rosewater.
DIY recipe for Qottab – >
12. Nan-e Nokhodchi
Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 min
Nan-e Nokhodchi are chickpea cookies made with cardamom and pistachio. The chickpea flour makes the texture soft and crumbly. These cookies are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
DIY recipe for Nan-e Nokhodchi – >
13. Noon Khamei
Preparation Time: 1 hr 10 min
Noon Khamei is a Persian puff pastry filled with fluffy, whipped cream. Though mouthwatering, these can be pretty addictive and high on calories, so limit yourself (if you can).
DIY recipe for Noon Khamei – >
14. Kolompeh
Preparation Time: 1 hr
Traditional date cookies from Iran, Kolompeh are known for their unique taste and beautiful designs. Use stamps or moulds to create attractive cookies for your friends and family.
DIY recipe for Kolompeh – >
15. Khagineh
Preparation Time: 30 min
Light, fluffy, and fuss-free, Khagineh is a Persian sweet omelette similar to a pancake. You can have it as it is, with saffron syrup, orange syrup, or rolled with nuts.
DIY recipe for Khagineh – >
16. Kachi
Preparation Time: 25 min
Slightly different from regular halwa, Kachi is a special halwa pudding packed with saffron and rose water. Garnish this pudding with sesame seeds and pistachios for the best results.
DIY recipe for Kachi – >
17. Shir Berenj
Preparation Time: 45 min
Shir Berenj is a rice pudding made from the finest ingredients of Persia. Made with cardamom and Basmati rice, Shir Berenj tastes most authentic when garnished with pistachios and walnuts.
DIY recipe for Shir Berenj – >
18. Masghati
Preparation Time: 1 hr
Traditional recipes for Mashghati use cardamom, rose water, pistachios, and almonds. Mashghati can be cut into any shape you like and it will simply melt in your mouth!
DIY recipe for Masghati – >
19. Persian Love Cake
Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 min
This legendary cake comes from an old wive’s tale about love potions. Soft, buttery, and strongly rose-scented, this cake will surely find the way to your heart through your stomach.
DIY recipe for Persian Love Cake – >
20. Nan-e Berenji
Preparation Time:
Nan-e Berenji, or Persian rice cookies with poppy seeds, are part of ancient Persian baking. These shortbread cookies made with rice flour and no butter are both gluten-free and vegan!
DIY recipe for Nan-e Berenji – >
21. Toot
Preparation Time: 40 min
Toot is a Persian mulberry marzipan candy. This is a 5-ingredient, no-bake, gluten-free, vegan dessert. Made with ground almonds and sugar, the candies are moulded into a mulberry shape.
DIY recipe for Toot – >
22. Shirini Keshmeshi
Shirini Keshmeshi are cookies with the ideal texture of being crunchy on the outside and soft in the centre. Each bite fills your mouth with the juicy sweetness of plump raisins.
DIY recipe for Shirini Keshmeshi – >
23. Ghorabieh Tabriz
Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 min
By now, you’re probably convinced that Persians sure know how to bake. Ghorabieh Tabriz is their version of the macaron. Spiced and nutty, these macarons are chewy and soft in texture.
DIY recipe for Ghorabieh Tabriz – >
24. Shirini Yazdi
Preparation Time: 35 min
Shirini Yazdi are fluffy cardamom muffins scented with rosewater. They taste best when served with a cold glass of milk. The cornstarch in the dough makes them soft inside and crispy outside.
DIY recipe for Shirini Yazdi – >
25. Noghl
Noghl are white, sweet, and crunchy sugar-coated almonds. Like most Persian desserts, these too are flavoured using rosewater. Noghl are typically served at weddings or with evening tea.
24. Pashmak
Preparation Time: 30 min
Pashmal is an easy-to-make version of candy floss that you can try at home. It can be served on its own or with fruits, puddings, cakes, and ice cream.
DIY recipe for Pashmak – >
27. Tabrizi Palda
Preparation Time: 4 hrs
This is a type of Faloodeh from the Tabrizi region of Iran. It is jelly-like wheat custard made with thin rice noodles and served with sour cherry jam and lemon juice.
28. Fereni
Preparation Time: 45 min
Fereni is Persia’s famous rice pudding flavoured with cardamom and rosewater. When served hot, it’s very comforting in the winter. However, it can also be served cold if you like.
DIY recipe for Fereni – >
29. Shirini Napoleoni
Preparation Time: 2 hrs 30 min
Shirini Napoleoni is a flaky puff-pastry stuffed with sweet vanilla cream filling. Its crispy layers blend magically with the thick cream inside to spark fireworks inside your mouth.
DIY recipe for Shirini Napoleoni – >
30. Yakh Dar Behesht
Preparation Time: 1 hr 20 min
Yakh Dar Behesht is Persian milk pudding. The name literally translates to “Ice in Heaven”, which seems appropriate because this dessert truly has a heavenly taste.
DIY recipe for Yakh Dar Behesht – >
Special Occasions in Iran
Even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, there are a few occasions that are simply incomplete without dessert.
This is especially true in Iran, where traditions and culture warrant the preparation of several desserts on festivals, weddings, birthdays, and other public gatherings.
Here are some important Persian special occasions that could be an opportunity to try any of the desserts listed above.
- Nowruz (Persian New Year)
- Saffron Harvest
- Kashan Rosewater Festival
- Tasua (9th day of Muharram)
- Ashura (10th day of Muharram)
- Yalda (Longest night of the year)
- Sizdeh Bedar (Final day of Nowruz)
- Chaharshanbe Suri (Last Wednesday before Nowruz)
FAQs
Some of the popular desserts in Iran are listed as follows
Zoolbiah Bamieh
Sholezard
Gaz
Halwa
Sohan
Faloodeh Shirazi
Koloocheh
Bastani
Kolompeh
The national sweet of Iran is Zoolbiah, which is a deep fried spiral fritter covered in sugar syrup. It has a crisp crunchy texture and is often served with Bamieh, another fried dessert.
Persian sweets are generally made with ingredients like rose water, saffron, dates, walnuts, pistachios, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon. A few examples of Persian sweets are Masghati, Zoolbiah, Qottab, Sohan, Baghlava etc.
Baklava is a flaky dessert filled with nuts and syrup that originated from the Ottoman Empire. Since this empire covered many regions, including Persia, each has its own version of this dessert. Persian Baklava is also called Baghlava.
Here is a quick list of some of the oldest known desserts in Persia
Sohan
Gaz
Nougat
Nan Berenji
Qottab
Aard Nokhodchi
Kolooche
Bottom Line
I hope that this extensive list gave you plenty of delicious Persian dessert options to try out.
If you particularly like any of these or have questions regarding their recipes, feel free to let us know! We’d love to know more about your experience.
Don’t forget to share these recipes with all your friends and family, especially if they have a sweet tooth!