If you want to sample something other than Italian cookies, French sweet treats, or German desserts, you should try out Polish desserts and cookies. In Poland, you will find hearty meals served with various jam-filled desserts that will take your tastebuds on a fun adventure.
Polish cookies and desserts are made of simple ingredients, but their amazing combination of flavors is sure to impress all. If you don’t believe us, you can try Polish tea cookies with your evening tea and see how you begin to crave them every day.
Other deliciously addictive Polish cookies include angel’s wings and ammonia cookies. They might sound strange by their name, but they are light and superbly delightful to enjoy with coffee/ tea or on their own.
If you are a cookie lover and are looking for some new treats to try, we highly recommend picking out a few from the following best Polish cookies. These cookies are made with only a few simple ingredients but are finger-licking yummy.
Here Are Some of the Best Polish Cookies You Can Try
Rogaliki Waniliowe
If you ever visit a European Christmas market, you’ll be sure to come across these delicious shortbread crescent-shaped cookies. Rogaliki Waniliowe are cookies that are European in origin, but no one knows where exactly they were first made.
Rogaliki Waniliowe is a beloved Polish Christmas treat that has adapted to Polish taste over the years. These delightful treats include ground almonds and vanilla beans, giving the cookies a rich texture and a unique nutty taste. The delicious taste of these cookies will always have you reaching for just one more cookie.
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Ciasteczka Maślane z Dżemem
These are delicious types of jam-filled butter cookies whose secret to tastiness is hidden in their simplicity. These are shortbread cookies, and you can easily find them in various Polish stores or make some on your own at home.
You can play around with the shape of the cookie and even make a few batches with your children. Ciasteczka Maślane z Dżemem is quite popular among kids, so if you are baking for a school party or fair, be sure to make these delicious delicacies for sharing at special events.
You can mix up the traditional recipe or use the original one with strawberry jam. Nevertheless, there’s no pressure on you to use a certain type of jam or follow a specific recipe. You can even try out butter cookies with pineapple or apple jam if you want to try something new.
Kołaczki
Kołaczki is one of the most popular Polish cookies and desserts you can ever try. They are more commonly called cream cheese dough pieces which are in the shape of a small diamond. Nevertheless, these delicious cookies can come in all shapes and sizes.
If you want to make Kołaczki for Christmas, you can easily do so by incorporating different-colored jam. You can use strawberry, cranberry, raspberry, and blackberry jam as filling. Some people who love classic Kołaczkis swear by rose jam in these small parcels. If you haven’t tried rose jam in Kołaczkis, it is strongly recommended that you try one and see how unique it tastes.
Eastern European families usually make Kołaczkis during the winter season since eating tart treats after pumpkin-spiced desserts in the fall is so satisfying.
Moreover, you can replace jam in the cookies with ground walnuts, poppy seeds, or even sweetened cottage cheese if that’s more to your preference. There are endless variations of Kołaczki; however, the trick to a perfect cookie is to dust it generously with lots of powdered sugar.
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Rurki z Kremem
Although many countries claim these cream-filled treats as their creation, most Eastern Europeans will tell you that these treats originated in Poland and Ukraine. The Polish type of Rurki z Kremem has a puff or flaky pastry with a richer and sweeter filling.
On the other hand, the Ukrainian version of this treat includes a whipped cream and condensed milk filling. The Polish rurki contains a budyń, which is a type of custard made with potato starch, vanilla, sugar, and warm milk.
If you follow a trendy recipe for Rurki z Kremem, you will end up with a mascarpone filling that is completely unlike the filling used for traditional Eastern European horn-shaped cream cookies. If you want to follow a classic recipe for the filling, be sure to sprinkle some powdered sugar on top so you can get a good feel of the original dessert. Once you try this delicious Polish dessert, you will never choose any other cookie from a Polish store or bakery.
Ciastka Kruche Amoniaczki
Crumbly ammonia cookies or Ciastka Kruche Amoniaczki are a classic type of Polish cookie that is super easy to make, even for novice bakers. It is said that the most challenging part of making Polish Ciastka Kruche Amoniaczki is the type of cookie cutter for the cookies.
You can choose from various shapes, such as hearts, stars, circles, crescents, or any other small shape you like. These cookies are simply shortbread cookies made of fat instead of butter and ammonia in place of baking powder. Although it may sound off-putting, the ammonia added in these cookies is in a minute and almost unnoticeable amount.
Nevertheless, it provides these cookies with a delicious crunch that you just can’t get with baking powder. In the past, ammonia cookies would be baked in large batches and stored in shoe boxes with parchment paper layered between them. This allowed people to serve them easily to unexpected guests.
Andruty
Although it is technically not a cookie, Andruty is one of the best Polish sweet treats you should not skip on. It is a delightfully nostalgic treat for every Polish person with thin wafers and a mixture of shredded coconut and sweet chocolate.
The best part about this yummy treat is that you don’t have to be a kitchen whiz to make mouth-watering Andruty. You can make a creamy, crispy, and sweet treat for your loved ones within half an hour, and the taste of dessert can easily compete with the finest sweet dishes you can find in the country.
Ciasteczka Cytrynowe
If cloying creams, jams, and chocolates do not sound appealing to you, you need to try the Ciasteczka Cytrynowe. These Polish cookies can be called Polish macaroons due to their airiness and lightness.
While they are not made of meringue like the French macaroons, they are equally fancy and have a rich filling. Ciasteczka Cytrynowe is known to have a distinct lemon flavor. The creamy lemon filling between two yellow lemon-flavored cookies makes for a delectable and luxurious dessert.
You can even add a hint of yellow food dye to the cookie mix to make them look bright yellow. If you want to try some unconventional flavors, you can experiment with other citrus fruits, such as grapefruit and tangerine.
Ciasteczka Warszawskie
Warsaw cookies are sweet, crunchy cookie sandwiches with soft semolina cream between two crunchy cookie bases. If you are enjoying these cookies in the festive season, you will notice shredded coconut and a white glaze topping on these sweet treats as well.
Ciasteczka Warszawskie is usually reserved for special occasions such as parties or Christmas events. You won’t usually find them in every Polish bakery since they are a delicacy, so be sure to treasure your experience of enjoying them for the first time.
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Be sure to check out our Polish Food Glossary
Best Polish Cookies – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does Kolache mean in Polish?
A kolache (that translates to cake pie in Czech and Slovak) is a type of sweet pastry with a large portion of fruit surrounded by puffy dough. It is a delicious type of Eastern European dessert that can be nostalgic for someone who belongs to that specific region.
What is the origin of Kolaczki?
Kolaczki is a delicious type of cookie that originated in central Europe and is most commonly made with cream cheese dough.
Where do Kolacky cookies come from?
Kolacky cookies or Kolaches have an eastern European origin. These cookies are made of a yeast dough and are filled with cheese and fruit. The cookies have a range of spectacular traditional flavors such as prune, apricot, poppy seed, and simple farmer’s cheese.
Kolczki Cookies
These Kolaczki Cookies are a Polish-inspired treat! They have just the right amount of sweetness.
Summary
All the cookies mentioned in this list have a distinct history and traditional recipe that has been passed down through generations similar to German or Italian desserts.
Many people have enjoyed these amazing Polish cookies that carry a lovely distinct scent of vanilla. Although some of them might have been borrowed from other cuisines, the Polish have adapted these recipes to their taste, and it has been sustained over the years.
Although you might not have time to bake these delicious treats yourself, you can find some of the best Polish cookies online or in Polish bakeries near you. Be sure to try some of these cookies during the Christmas season if you want to enjoy something truly unique.
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My name is Jay and I started this website to share my love of Deli Food. I am Jewish with Italian ancestry and grandparents who emigrated to the US from Poland, Russia and Turkey. This website is my celebration of the delicious flavors of international deli culture. Please feel free to send me your suggestions and feedback through the contact form.
