Last Updated on 2025-11-12 by Claudia Bastos
Christmas is about family and the food that unites us around the table. It is about planning and excitement for all the Christmas desserts that will delight our loved ones. Portugal has plenty of desserts, and by now, you must already know that the Portuguese love sweet desserts, and Christmas isn’t an exception.
Most Portuguese Christmas desserts, aside from cakes, are deep-fried and coated in sugar and cinnamon. And the majority of them have eggs, lemon, or orange peel. Also, each region, city, and even small village has its own specialties or local varieties.
The list of typical desserts is long, so we tried to gather 15 of the most Traditional Portuguese Christmas Desserts.
15 Best Portuguese Christmas Desserts and Sweets
Bolo Rei (King’s Cake)
Bolo Rei is a traditional Christmas cake in Portugal. Having one on Christmas day is “mandatory” even if you don’t like it. King’s Cake is a round fruit cake with a hole in the middle. It is made with sweet dough, lemon and orange zest, and a splash of Port’s wine. Most importantly, it is filled and topped with plenty of dried and crystallized fruit.
In the past, they used to put a fava bean and a token, usually a small metallic object, in the middle of the cake, with different shapes like a ladybug. The tradition was that whoever found the fava bean had to pay for next year’s King’s cake. But nowadays, due to European Union laws, putting them inside the cake is now forbidden.
The origin of Bolo Rei comes from the French Gâteau des Rois (King’s cake), specifically the South of Loire’s recipe. However, nearly every European country has a traditional dried fruit cake for Christmas. The Italians have their Panettone, the English have their Fruitcake, and the Spanish have their own King’s Cake, which differs significantly from the Portuguese one.
You can easily find this cake in all pastries in Portugal, and you don´t even have to wait for Christmas, as they are sold all year round. There is no Portuguese Christmas table without a Bolo Rei. It is one of the significant symbols of Christmas.
Bolo Rainha (Queen’s cake)
Bolo Rainha is very similar to Bolo Rei—you could even say it is its twin cake. It is made with the same dough as Bolo Rei, and the only real difference is that this cake doesn’t have crystallized fruit; it has plenty of dried fruit, mainly nuts — hazelnuts and almonds. If you don’t like crystallized fruit, this cake is your alternative to King’s cake.
Although more recent, the queen’s cake is also traditional at Christmas, and personally, we like it more than the King’s Cake, but it all depends on each person’s taste.
Bolo Rei escangalhado
Bolo Rei Escangalhado is another variation of the classic Bolo Rei. It has the same dough but no crystallized fruit, only dried fruit. It can have a circular or braided format. The best part of the cake is stuffed with sweet eggs (ovos moles) and chila jam (chila is a type of squash). In the end, it is decorated with dried fruit and egg threads (fios de ovos)
Bolo Rei Escangalhado can also have different fillings, such as chocolate or sweetened eggs. Whatever the filling, it is a good alternative to the classic Bolo Rei.
Aletria
Aletria is a Portuguese Christmas dessert made with a special ingredient: thin egg noodles called Massa de Aletria (Aletria noodles). These noodles are only used for this dessert in Portugal.
The Aletria noodles are cooked in milk and egg yolks, then aromatized with orange or lemon peel. When the noodles absorb all the milk, the dessert is done. After it cools, you must sprinkle cinnamon powder to decorate, normally with Christmas motifs like angels, stars, or bells.
Aletria is significantly influenced by Moorish cuisine. Portugal was long under the rule of the Moors, so plenty of dishes are based on that heritage.
Usually, this is a homemade dessert, so it isn’t easy to find in bakeries or restaurants. However, some restaurants add Aletria to their menu during Christmas time. Yet, if you want to try a delicious and traditional aletria, this is our family recipe.
Arroz Doce
Arroz Doce means sweet rice, and it is very typical at Christmas. The rice is slowly cooked in sweet milk, aromatized with the peel of an orange or lemon. It is made with rice carolino (a native Portuguese short-grain rice variety similar to the Italian Arborio used in risotto). The process of cooking Arroz Doce is identical to risotto; you must add the milk gradually until it is absorbed.
In the end, arroz doce is decorated with cinnamon and Christmas motifs. This is also one of those desserts that your grandmother typically makes. But it is incredibly easy to do and deeply comforting.
Would you like to make a creamy rice pudding with that traditional homemade flavor? Check out the Traditional Rice Pudding recipe here.
Rabanadas
Rabanadas is a Christmas treat made with fried bread coated with sugar and cinnamon. To cook Rabanadas, you must use stale bread — preferably a baguette — soak it in milk or wine, then dip it in egg.
When they are sufficiently soaked but still hold their form, you can fry them in hot oil. Immediately coat them with sugar and cinnamon while they are still hot. Sometimes, in the end, they are wet with sugar syrup.
This Christmas dessert is very similar to French toast or, as the French call it, “pain perdu.” In Portugal, they are also called “fatias dourada” (golden slices).
There are also variations of Rabanadas, made with different types of Portuguese bread, like Rabanadas à Poveira, made with bijou bread. As we said before, they can be made with milk or wine, white or red, depending on the region of the country. They are simply delicious.
Sonhos
Sonhos (which literally translates to ‘dreams’) is another staple dessert at Christmas; they are fluffy, light, deep-fried balls covered with sugar and cinnamon. The dough for Sonhos is similar to choux dough, made with flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and lemon or orange peel; it is then fried into small balls. After frying, cover the balls in the traditional sugar and cinnamon or with sugar syrup.
Like other Portuguese Christmas desserts, regional variants are made with different ingredients, such as pumpkin, chila, and carrot. But one thing is certain, they are simply divine.
Some say that Sonhos originated in Turkey, where a similar dessert is called Lokma.
If you want to cook sonhos, it is very easy. Check our recipe.
Filhós
Filhós are also small deep-fried balls covered in sugar and cinnamon. They are very similar to sonhos but more compact and consistent. Depending on the region, some people call filhós to sonhos and vice versa.
Filhós are made with flour, yeast, eggs, and olive oil; they are then left to ferment and deep-fried in hot olive oil. Ultimately, they are covered with sugar and cinnamon or sugar syrup. As Sonhos, they can be done with punking, which makes them even more delicious.
In the past, they were offered to the boys who sang through the neighbor’s houses after the Christmas mass (Missa do Galo). Usually, they were served with Port Wine to “warm the soul.”
Azevias
Azevias is a traditional Christmas dessert originally from Alentejo. It consists of thin dough in the shape of a half-moon filled with a sweet chickpea puree. It is deep-fried and covered with sugar and cinnamon (surprising, right?). It can have other fillings like pork, sweet potato, beans, and gila. Almond flour is usually added to the puree as well.
Fun fact: Azevias is named after a fish because of its flat, long shape. This dessert is also typical in Carnaval. And it is a luscious sin.
Coscorões
Coscorões is a crispy Christmas dessert made with flour, eggs, orange juice and zest, and lard. It is then very finely extended and cut into thin strips or rectangles. Finally, they are deep-fried in hot oil and covered with sugar and cinnamon.
Some say this sweet was brought during the Crusades, as it had outstanding durability and withstood the long trips, but we aren’t certain of this claim. Anyway, they are deliciously crispy and addictive.
Pão de Ló
Pão de Ló wasn’t typically a Christmas dessert; it was more traditional on Easter, but lately people have started cooking and buying it at Christmas, too. Today, it is a staple Portuguese sweet, and at Christmas, it can’t be forgotten.
Pão de ló is a fluffy, humid cake with eggs, flour, and sugar. There are different kinds of Pão de ló: some are more humid, with more egg yolks; others are covered with a sugar coating; and others are drier. Our favorite is the more humid Pão de Ló of Ovar. They are outstanding on Christmas morning with a piece of Cheese.
Peras bêbedas
Peras bêbedas, which translates to drunk pears, are a simple dessert typically served on Christmas Eve. They are done with peeled pears, slowly boiled in Port and red wine, with sugar and spices. Although they are done in wine, nearly all the alcohol evaporates during the boiling process.
You may think it is a weird dessert, but give it a try —you may be surprised.
Broas Castelares
Broas Castelares are quite different Christmas desserts from the above. They aren’t deep-fried and use uncommon ingredients in Portuguese desserts.
That being said, Broas Castelares is made with a puree of sweet potatoes, wheat, and maize, along with almond flour and the usual suspects —eggs, sugar, and lemon zest. Some recipes have grated coconut. They cooked in the oven, covered in egg yolk, until golden.
They are a traditional Christmas dessert in the South of Portugal, and you definitely should try them.
Mexidos / formigos
Mexidos or Formigos is a Christmas dessert from the Minho region in the North of Portugal. It is a simple dessert made with bread, pine nuts, honey, raisins, dried fruit, Port Wine, lemon peel, and cinnamon. To cook it, you must boil the wine with the honey and lemon peel, then add the dried fruit and the bread. In the end, decorate with cinnamon.
The poorer families didn’t use Port wine or pine nuts, so there are different versions of Mexidos. But typically, you will only find this dessert in northern Portugal.
Bolo de Mel, Madeira
Bolo de Mel (honey cake) is a traditional Christmas dessert from Madeira. Tradition says you should make it on the 8th of December, the day of Our Lady of Conception. This date marks the beginning of Christmas and helps the cake absorb the flavors, so it tastes better at Christmas.
Bolo de Mel is very different from other Portuguese desserts. It is made with molasses from sugarcane, flour, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and star anise. It also has chopped nuts, almonds, raisins, and Madeira Wine.
It is like a dark, concentrated fruit cake with a long shelf life. It is eaten year-round, but most often during the Christmas season.
Now that you know all about the best Portuguese Christmas Desserts, you can learn about the best Christmas main dishes here.
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