10 Bosnian Desserts You Won’t Want To Miss

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There’s countless reasons why Bosnia & Herzegovina is one of my favourite European countries to visit. Not least that it’s thoroughly underrated. Then, there’s the history; something Sarajevo, Bosnia’s quirky capital, isn’t short of.

I’ll admit, however, that food isn’t generally considered a reason to visit Bosnia. By all means, there’s nothing wrong with Bosnian cuisine, it’s just not particularly well known outside the country. In a nutshell, it’s typical of Balkan fayre. Think hearty meat stews, flaky, filling pastries and rich soups.

There is one area in which Bosnian food really does excel itself: desserts. If you have a sweet tooth, be prepared to gain a few pounds. A result of Bosnia’s eclectic history, expect a mix of Balkan, Turkish and Central European flavors as you work your way through the best Bosnian desserts.

Where To Find the Best Bosnian Desserts

Most visitors to Bosnia find themselves in Sarajevo for most, if not all, of their time in the country. That’s no bad thing. Sarajevo is fascinating. Plus, it’s home to the best dining scene and nightlife in Bosnia. There are dozens of restaurants and bakeries in Bascarsija (the Old Town) to get your fix of Bosnian desserts. If you do visit Sarajevo, it’s well worth booking onto a food and craft tour of Bascarsija.

Outside the capital, Mostar, Herzegovina’s largest city is another great place to sample some delicious Bosnian desserts. And you’ll be able to get the “must-snap” photo of the Old Bridge (or Stari Most as it is in Bosnian).

If you fancy venturing a little further off the tourist trail, Banja Luka is another great place to indulge in Bosnian desserts. It’s also the country’s low-cost airline hub, meaning it makes for a cheap (and slightly different) weekend break.

If being beside the sea is your style, Bosnia has one of the shortest coastlines going. You’ve probably seen the internet meme about Croatia stopping Bosnians from swimming, but Bosnia does have one coastal resort town. Head to Neum to soak up the Balkan sunshine on the beach.

Our Favorite Bosnian Desserts

1. Baklava

I’ll not try to convince you that baklava is Bosnian, but after almost 400 years of Ottoman rule, it’s hardly surprising that one of the most loved Bosnian desserts is Turkish. Or is it? We always associate baklava with Türkiye, but the reality is no one is actually sure that it originated there. One theory is that evolved from an ancient Turkish dessert called gullac, but others believe it to have developed from Greek placenta cake.

Wherever it came from, you’ll find it by the bucket load all over Bosnia. Much of the baklava you’ll eat here will be the Turkish version of it, but there is a local Bosnian variant called ruzice. This is stuffed with sweetened walnuts.

Just in case this is your first voyage to the Balkans or Türkiye, baklava is a sweet layered pastry dessert. It’s made with filo pastry, stuffed to the brims with nuts and topped off with honey (or occasionally syrup).

2. Tulumbe

Another hangover from Ottoman times, tulumbe is Bosnia’s answer to tulumba or bamiyeh. If you’ve visited any former Turkish country, Egypt and much of the Levante, the chances are you’ll have already encountered this Bosnian dessert.

Made from unleavened choux pastry, they’re fried before being soaked in syrup. Tulumbe aren’t dissimilar to churros, though if anything, they’re even sweeter.

3. Vasina Torta

The more we look at Bosnian desserts, the easier it is to see that a majority of the dishes served here originated elsewhere. Vasina Torta is Serbian. First baked in 1908 as a celebration cake, its popularity quickly spread and it soon became one of Serbia’s most famous dishes.

If you’ve done some research into the Bosnian war, you’ll already know about the presence of Serbs in Bosnia. 30% of the Bosnian population are ethnic Serbs, so it’s not surprising that vasina torta is one of the most popular Bosnian desserts.

Vasina torta isn’t an easy cake to bake, and if you want to recreate it at home, be prepared to write out a long shopping list. It’s made with eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and ground almonds, filled with a blend of milk, sugar, walnuts, chocolate, orange peel, egg yolks and butter, then topped with fluffy lemon-infused meringue.

4. Urmasica

Four great Bosnian desserts in, and urmasica is the first which is truly Bosnian. Sometimes spelled hurmasica, it’s not too dissimilar to tulumbe, albeit slightly less sweet.

They’re made from a sweet pastry dough which is soaked in lemon flavored syrup. Before serving, the urmasica are pressed on grater to give them their distinctive shape. Simple, plain urmasica are the most popular, but you will find variants which include walnuts or coconut.

5. Tufahija

Definitely one of the more unique Bosnian desserts, tufahije is a Balkan favorite. Apples, stuffed with walnuts, are peeled and poached in sugar-infused water.

They’re always served in a tall ice cream glass and topped off with whipped cream and sometimes a walnut or cherry is added as the finishing touch. In Bosnia, you’ll often be served a coffee to accompany your tufahije.

6. Sampita

Another Bosnian dessert which came across the border from Serbia is sampita. If you’ve travelled through any former Austro-Hungarian countries, there’s a good chance you’ll have come across a cremeschnitte, those delicious custard cream cakes. The sampita is a regional variant of that.

Sampita feature a light egg yolk base which is piled high with whipped meringue. It’s very much like lemon meringue pie, just without the lemon.

7. Kadaif

Even if you haven’t ventured to Bosnia yet, the word kadaif may well be ringing a bell. It, and its variations, are a staple across Türkiye and the Middle East. Bosnia’s take on this classic shredded pastry dish involves a whole lot of walnuts.

Kadayif, as it’s known in the Arab world, recently became a household name in the west thanks to the Dubai Chocolate craze. I have to admit it passed me by, but if you are one of the millions who purchased some, you’ve already tried kadaif. But you should still try some in Bosnia, it’s far tastier than anything you’ll find between chocolate.

8. Makovnjaca

Quite possibly the simplest Bosnian dessert on our list, yet one of the tastiest, makovnjaca is a poppy seed roll. Made from sweet bread, it’s stuffed with bittersweet poppy seeds and baked. There are some variations if you’re not a fan of poppy seeds, they’re quite an acquired taste. Chestnuts and walnuts are the most frequently prepared alternatives.

The nut-filled versions tend to be a lot sweeter than the original poppy seed makovnjaca. They’re often infused with sugar, and sometimes rum and raisins too.

9. Ruske Kape

Literally translating as “Russian caps”, Ruske kape got their name from their unusual shape. That shape being very similar to the hats worn by Russian Cossacks. This is definitely the most indulgent of all Bosnian desserts.

Ruske kape are layered cakes with a mix of vanilla and chocolate sponge. They’re topped off with a drizzle of chocolate before being rolled in desiccated coconut. Occasionally, you’ll come across Ruske kape with a mocha layer added in too; these are especially delicious.

10. Rahat Lokum

The final Bosnian dessert on our list takes little to no introduction. Rahat lokum is the Bosnian name for Turkish Delight. Although if you venture in to Republic Srpska, the Serbian area of Bosnia, it’s sometimes called by its Serbo-Croat name, ratluk. In reality, most shops, especially in tourist areas, sell it as Turkish Delight or Bosnian Delight.

These tiny starchy, sugary gelatine cubes are popular right across the former Ottoman Empire, and today, sold in much of the world. They come in a wide variety of flavors in addition to the classic rosewater. Head to Slatka Kutija in Sarajevo and try their Turkish Delight pick and mix.

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