12 Scottish Desserts You Need To Try At Least Once

Scottish cuisine is a delightful blend of flavors that tells a story of Scotland's history, nature, and lively culture. The country is known for certain staples, such as haggis or stovies, but their cuisine goes far beyond stomach, meat, and potatoes. For instance, their desserts extend from classic shortbread to more interesting dishes like a tipsy laird. Scottish desserts are a must-try when it comes to satisfying your sweet tooth. They are a true highlight of the country's food scene that celebrates their love for all things sweet, often featuring staple ingredients like oats, berries, dairy, and rich butter.

From the comforting warmth of a black bun to the indulgence of creamy cranachan, these desserts are more than just food; they're a taste of Scottish tradition and history. If you're lucky enough to try them in your own town or while traveling abroad, these sweet treats are a way to connect with the heart of the culture and savor the simple yet rich flavors that make Scotland unique. Here, we've gathered some popular Scottish desserts that you should absolutely aim to try in your lifetime.

At its core, cranachan is innate to Scotland's cultural identity and is often enjoyed during the annual Burns Night supper. While it seems simple, cranachan is a blend of rich, creamy, and fruity flavors that have become a staple in Scotland. As Gastro Obscura explains, it all started with "cream crowdie," a simple breakfast made of oats and heather honey from the Scottish moorlands blended with soft cheese. Then came the addition of raspberries, and then came the addition of whisky. Eventually, cream crowdies evolved into a dessert with raspberries, cream or crowdie if you can get a hold of it, honey, toasted oats, and often whisky — called cranachan.

At its heart are the raspberries, and that's what truly separates it from its humble inspiration. The raspberries can be mashed lightly or left whole, but they're always layered throughout the dessert. At a glance, cranachan resembles a simple trifle, but it's layered with Scottish culture and tradition. Usually, it's two layers of fresh raspberries and two layers of cream or crowdie, ending with cream on the top. Then, toasted oats soaked in whisky and honey are crumbled on top.

A mix between fudge and soft caramel, Scottish tablets are a melt-in-your-mouth dessert that is delicious, whether homemade or store-bought. The first tablets were made with only cream and sugar back in the 18th century. Since then, the cream has been used less often because it easily burns, with butter and condensed or regular milk taking its place. Many other countries have their own take on the concept of a tablet, from New Zealand's Russian fudge, which uses golden syrup, to sucre à la creme in Quebec, which uses brown sugar and maple syrup. Some variations also add whisky, vanilla, or nuts.

Consistent stirring is one of the most important parts of the process of making tablets. After melting the butter, sugar, and milk all together, by using the microwave or the stovetop, you transfer the mixture into a pot with condensed milk. If you choose to melt it on the stove, make sure to use low heat so it doesn't burn — this is also where the stirring starts. Otherwise, once the mixture is in the pot, you need to keep stirring, typically with a wooden spoon, as everything comes to a boil. Then, you keep stirring and simmering until it starts to thicken, and then it's poured into a dish so it can set into a creamy, indulgent, fudge-like candy bar.

In Scotland, clootie dumplings are a classic dessert at Christmastime. Clootie dumplings have been around for 300 or more years, and all started around the time when cloots or cloths were used for cooking in Scottish cuisine. In this case, the dumpling is boiled in a cloth and gets its dense, round shape because of the unique method. Today, a cloth is still typically used to perfect the method of the steamed dessert. While thinking about steaming a bread-based, fruit-filled dumpling in a little cloth pouch might seem tedious, it's a very traditional way to cook.

Despite this dessert's name, clootie dumplings are actually a traditional Scottish pudding — some consider it like a lighter version of a Christmas pud – filled with assorted fruit. While fruit is a necessity for these steamed puddings, the kind varies. Some popular fillings include raisins, sultanas, dates, apples, and pears. Aside from the dried fruit, clootie dumplings are also made with oats, suet, and aromatic spices. Back in the day, the pudding was filled with little trinkets or surprises, such as coins, symbolic charms, buttons, or thimbles.

Somewhat reminiscent of cranachan, this dessert is made with whisky and whipped cream. Caledonian cream dates back to at least 1829, with a recipe calling for orange marmalade, brandy, lemon juice, and pounded loaf sugar. They also have mention of a recipe from 1985, which calls for cream cheese and Seville orange marmalade. Of the two, the latter closer resembles what is enjoyed today.

A classic Caledonian cream is made by whipping cream into peaks and gently folding in a combination of orange marmalade, whisky, lemon or orange juice, and sugar. This creates a loose and airy texture, almost like mousse, but not nearly as thick and rich. When cream cheese is in substitution or alongside the whipped cream, it becomes more like an infused cheesecake. While oranges are the traditional choice of fruit, berries are also common. The important thing to remember, as with most Scottish recipes, is the cream and the whisky.

Scones are fairly well-known around the world, especially throughout America and Europe, but some claim they first came out of 16th-century Scotland. Scottish Scran notes the link between scones and "bannocks," a quick bread made of oats that are circular-shaped and cut into four portions, taking on the appearance of a scone. The outlet also explains the dessert's connection to Scotland's infamous poet, Robert Burns. In Scotland, you may not get them at teatime, although they do pair perfectly with it, but you're definitely apt to see them during Burns Night supper. Despite being the perfect base for a dessert and being sweet, there are savory variations, like cheese and haggis.

In actuality, Scottish-style scones are about as common as any other scone. They're delicious with jam, clotted cream, or honey — all common staples in Scotland. If you eat a European scone, they'll all be pretty much the same. The dough is made of only a few simple ingredients that come together to make a flaky yet tender bread that is almost pastry-like. It's American scones that are more akin to biscuits despite being made with similar key ingredients.

The brand Tunnock's was founded in Scotland back in 1890 and is famed for an assortment of treats, from caramel wafers to the Snowball, but Tunnock's tea cakes are among the favorites. It was even featured as part of the competition in one of the newer seasons of The Great British Baking Show. The little cake was created in 1956 and is now sold internationally in bulk quantities. Tunnock's infamous treat is made with a biscuit base topped with a mound of soft marshmallow and covered in dark or milk chocolate.

To make these at home, you may need a little more skill than is required for most of these desserts — mainly because of the marshmallow. Making soft marshmallows by hand isn't the easiest process, but it's achievable. It requires egg whites, corn syrup or golden syrup, vanilla, and sugar. After mastering the soft marshmallow, it's all about making the sturdy biscuit base — you'll want a nice snap with no soggy bottom — and coating it in melted chocolate. You can always order these delectable cakes online if you aren't up for the challenge.