Who doesn’t love a fresh pastry—any time of day? While donuts are big here at home, there are many other delicious delights from other countries that are worth trying.

Swipe through to learn about the best pastries around the world.

Churro

Though these simple yet irresistible fried pastries originated in Spanish and Portuguese cuisine, churros are a popular street food around the world. In the U.S., churros are often sold at theme parks and dusted in cinnamon sugar, making them a sweet confection. In other parts of the world, they may be served plain, with fruit or drizzled in chocolate. Many cultures have adopted their own version of the churro, but what they all have in common is that they're delicious!

Croissant

Created with layers of puff pastry and butter and named for their signature crescent shape, croissants are a perfect marriage of golden, flaky outside and soft, airy inside. This pride of French bakeries is now one of the most popular pastries worldwide, with many enjoying it with breakfast or as a snack. Though plain croissants are traditional, it's common to find them baked with chocolate, nuts, fruit and more, especially outside of France.

Cannoli

With a mouth-watering combination of a crispy shell, sweet ricotta filling and yummy toppings, what’s not to love about cannolis? These Italian dessert pastries have been around for centuries and can be found in all kinds of tasty varieties. Chocolate chips are common, but pistachios, cherries and even artichokes fill cannolis in some Italian bakeries. You can't go wrong with this sweet treat!

Mochi

Plenty of delicious pastries and cakes originated in Asia, too! From Japan comes mochi, a sweet, chewy rice cake filled traditionally with red bean paste. To make these treats, steamed rice is expertly pounded into a paste before being molded into small balls and filled with fruit, nuts or whatever else is desired. In Japan, mochi are consumed especially frequently around the time of the New Year festival, where they symbolize prosperity for the next twelve months.

Apple Pie

Though originating in 14th-century England, this classic dessert, now synonymous with the red, white and blue, is truly one of America’s finest culinary offerings. A buttery, flaky crust perfectly complements a sweet, spiced apple filling, making apple pie such a popular choice during the holiday season. The only thing better than apple pie is apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! This common pairing is an easy way to level up an already scrumptious dessert.

Baklava

Some would argue that the Turks have perfected pastries with baklava, a delicious dessert made from many thin layers of filo dough traditionally filled with nuts and syrup. In its modern form, this confection dates back to the Ottoman Empire, where it was a delicacy for nobles and elites. Today, the pastry is common in bakeries around the world, where it comes in many unique shapes and sizes and is filled with a wide variety of nuts and sweeteners.

Pastel de Nata

Pastel de nata, which translates to “custard tart” in English, is commonly ranked as one of the very best pastries in the world. This creamy, rich tart originates from Portugal but is popular globally, especially in former Portuguese colonies such as Brazil. Pastel de nata originated in Catholic monasteries, which had leftover egg yolks after using the whites to starch clothes. Monks began selling the pastries to prevent their convents from closing, and the rest is history!