Popular African Pastries & Baked Goods by Country
African pastries and baked goods reflect a rich blend of traditional, colonial, and indigenous influences. From sweet treats to savory snacks, here are some of the most popular pastries and baked delicacies across Africa:
Bread & Baked Goods
-
Mandazi –
Kenya /
Tanzania /
Uganda
- Deep-fried, slightly sweet dough similar to a doughnut, often flavored with coconut or cardamom.
-
Fataya –
Senegal /
Mali
- West African version of an empanada, filled with spiced fish or meat.
-
Chapati –
Uganda /
Kenya /
Tanzania
- Soft, layered flatbread, popular for breakfast or as an accompaniment to stews.
-
Msemen –
Morocco
- Square-shaped, flaky Moroccan flatbread, often eaten with honey and butter.
-
Brik –
Tunisia
- Thin pastry filled with egg, tuna, and spices, then deep-fried to crispy perfection.
-
Meloui –
Morocco
- Similar to msemen but more rolled and flaky, often eaten with honey or cheese.
-
Lahooh –
Djibouti /
Somalia /
Yemen
- Spongy, fermented pancake-like bread, similar to Ethiopian injera but smaller and often served for breakfast.
-
Pain Sénégalais (Tapalapa Bread) –
Senegal /
Gambia
- Dense, chewy bread similar to a baguette but with a unique texture.
-
Paõ (Mozambican Bread Rolls) –
Mozambique
- Portuguese-influenced, soft bread rolls often eaten with peri-peri chicken.
-
Kisra –
Sudan /
South Sudan
- Fermented sorghum-based flatbread, a staple in Sudanese cuisine.
Pastries & Sweet Treats
- Koeksisters –
South Africa
- Fried braided dough soaked in sugary syrup, crispy on the outside, soft inside.
- Kaab el Ghazal (Gazelle Horns) –
Morocco
- Crescent-shaped almond-filled pastries dusted with powdered sugar.
- Chin Chin –
Nigeria /
Ghana
- Crunchy, deep-fried dough bites, sweet and often spiced with nutmeg.
- Pastelitos de Nata (Custard Tarts) –
Angola /
Mozambique
- Portuguese-style custard tarts with a caramelized top.
- Mkate wa Sinia –
Tanzania /
Kenya (Swahili Coast)
- A soft, sweet, spiced coconut cake made with rice flour.
- Canjeero (Somali Pancakes) –
Somalia
- Slightly sweet, spongy pancakes served with butter and honey.
- Gurasa –
Sudan
- Thick, round Sudanese bread that’s both a pancake and flatbread.
- Baghrir (Thousand-Hole Pancakes) –
Morocco /
Algeria
- Soft, honeycomb-textured pancakes served with honey and butter.
- Beignets –
Cameroon /
DR Congo /
Senegal
- Fluffy, deep-fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar.
- Makroud –
Tunisia /
Algeria
- Date-filled semolina cookies, often glazed with honey.
- Malva Pudding –
South Africa
- A warm, spongy dessert cake soaked in caramel sauce.
- Qumbe (Coconut Bars) –
Somalia /
Kenya
- Sweet coconut and sugar bars, often flavored with cardamom.
- Puff-Puff –
Nigeria /
Ghana /
Cameroon
- Fluffy deep-fried dough balls, similar to doughnuts but softer inside.
- Mkatra Foutra –
Comoros
- Coconut-flavored fried bread, served with honey or tea.
- Benne Wafers –
Senegal
- Thin sesame seed cookies with a crunchy texture.
Savory Pastries & Pies
- Samosas –
Kenya /
Tanzania /
Sudan
- Crispy, triangular pastries filled with spiced meat or vegetables.
- Empanadas Africanas –
Angola
- Portuguese-style meat pies with a spicy kick.
- Cassava Bread –
Sierra Leone /
Liberia
- Flat, chewy bread made from cassava, served with soups.
- Khebab Bread (Shawarma Wraps) –
Nigeria /
Ghana
- Flatbread used for wrapping grilled meats and sauces.
- Sfenj –
Morocco /
Algeria
- Light, airy doughnuts, often eaten with honey or sugar.