Valencian pastries: indulge, your palate will thank you for it

Putting together a list of Valencian pastries is no easy task. There are so many different treats baked up and down the region that no list would ever be long enough. Nevertheless, in this post we shall strive to do our best, giving you an overview of the pastries by province. 

Though the baking tradition in Valencia is defined by its diversity, the pastries do have something in common: they are often inspired by Arab cuisine. Piuleta, tronaor and huesos de santo are just a few examples. 

The Arab tradition is characterised by its use of ingredients such as almonds, lemon zest and cinnamon. You will find endless varieties on these aromas in the region and just as many adaptations. Pumpkin and sweet potatoes are also commonly used in recipes throughout the region. 

A wonderful way to explore the Region of Valencia is through your palate. During your next getaway, we therefore recommend visiting the traditional hornos and pastelerías, bakeries and pastry shops, where you can taste recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. Whether indulging on a religious holiday, during lunches with family and friends or for an afternoon snack, our sweet treats are nothing short of pure delight. 

On this exploration through our traditional sweet treats, we hope to inspire you to try some during your next getaway and even get baking at home. So let’s get going. 

Valencian pastry recipes from the province of Alicante

Our first province is Alicante, and it’s a strong start. There is a well-established chocolate tradition in the area, particularly in Villajoyosa where you can take a look around Museo Valenciano del Chocolate. Christmas, without the province of Alicante, simply wouldn’t be the same. 

Turrón or nougat, in both its soft and hard forms, is a staple on Christmas tables up and down the region. Jijona is the town that springs to mind whenever this delicious almond-based sweet is mentioned. It is a Designation of Origin product, meaning that its ingredients and traditional processes are protected and guaranteed. But Jijona is not only famed for nougat, but all sorts of other sweets including marzipan. And then there’s nougat ice cream that boasts the same delicious taste, only cooler, and usually sandwiched between two biscuits. 

The province is also well-known for garrapiñadas, candied almonds. If you’re in Alcoy, make sure you try peladillas (sugar-coated almonds), nueces rellenas (filled walnuts), orelletes (fried sweet pastries) and tortà or tarta de almendras (almond cake). Many of these recipes shine the spotlight on nuts, a nod to the Arab tradition. 

Coca de mollitas is a sort of sponge cake with a crunchy topping traditionally prepared for Hogueras de San Juan and Romería de la Santa Faz in Alicante. It is sometimes filled with chocolate, making it a real sweet treat. A popular afternoon snack is coca boba, which is similar to a sponge cake and comes in all sorts of varieties. And then there are cocineros, toña and fogaseta, brioche cakes. The latter is eaten all year round and is one of the most popular cakes to be ordered in bakeries and pastry shops. These treats remind locals of their childhoods, of playing in the streets and of Easter festivals. 

Perusas are tasty aniseed biscuits traditionally made in places such as Pinoso. And pà beneït is the star of festivities in Torremanzanas, where the cake is paraded down the street on locals’ heads. 

And though we have almost certainly forgotten many delicious treats from the province of Alicante, we are going to conclude this section in Orihuela and its long tradition of treats made in convents. Pasteles de gloria (meringues), almojábanas (ring-shaped sweet pastries), zamarras, chatos (filled biscuits), pezuñas (horse hoof-shaped pastries), valarinos, paparajones (a pastry made with lemon leaves), yemas (pastries whose star ingredient is egg yolk), buñuelos (doughnuts) and jams are just some of the treats you simply have to try if you’re in this part of La Vega Baja. 

Valencian pastries from the province of Castellón

The desserts from inland province of Castellón are rich, filling, nutritious and quite simply delicious. Flaó, from Morella, is a pastry filled with sweet cheese or, in the Alto Palancia area, different combinations of fruits. In Albocàsser, in Alt Maestrat, make sure you try calabazate, a sweet roll that is a treat for the senses. And then there are orelletes, which are served with honey in Artana. 

A number of towns and villages that have a tradition of dry land farming, such as almonds, have made their very own recipes for nougat, including Benlloc, Catí and Cabanes. If you’re looking for something more chocolatey, take a bite of pastel jericano, a delicacy from Jérica that combines lemon cream, soft meringue and dark chocolate in a tart. A treat that you absolutely should indulge in on your next visit to Alto Palancia.

In Vila-real, don’t let the opportunity pass you by to try pilotes de frare, a sweet pastry filled with cream. And while you’re in Onda, try out pasteles de boniato, a sweet potato pastry that you will also find up and down the three provinces. 

And before we move onto our final province, we would like to give a shout-out to manjòvenes (round pastries sprinkled with sugar) from Vall d’Uixó, farinoses which are made with figs from Cabanes and congretes from Alcublas. These and many more treats are waiting to be savoured in Castellón. 

Traditional Valencian pastries from the province of Valencia

In the province of Valencia we simply have to start with an inseparable duo: horchata and fartons. This delicious drink made from tiger nuts is traditionally served with a pastry that is similar to an iced bun. In the agricultural land around Alboraya and other nearby villages, horchata and fartons are nothing short of a religion. 

In La Vall d’Albaida, make sure you try el arrop i tallaetes: the intensity of the flavour of this treat made with must will envelop all your senses. In Xàtiva, pumpkin and almonds are combined in the sweet and tasty dough used to make arnadí, another must-try. 

In Ademuz, you will discover all the variations of pastries made with local apples, particularly esperiegas, as well as alajuz, which sandwiches a filling made of almonds, toasted breadcrumbs, honey and spices between two wafers. In Utiel and Sinarcas, you will come across filling burruecos made with honey and almonds, the traditional flavours that define the area. 

Crunchy cachap from Paterna, the incredibly traditional panquemao from Alberic and pumpkin-flavoured reganyà from Alzira are three more delights that simply had to make it onto this list. And onto the next stop, which is Picassent and pilota, a tasty almond cake, which is traditionally prepared to celebrate Virgen de la Vallivana in September. Last but by no means least, Turís is the birthplace of coca fina, a thin pastry flavoured with aniseed that is traditionally eaten in the festive period. 

And well aware that there are many, many more pastries for you to try in the Region of Valencia, we bring this list to a close. We hope you have been inspired to explore our land through your palate. From rollos de anís, mantecados and almendrados to mona de pascua and the many variations of cocas, take the time to indulge in sweet treats during your next getaway. Your palate will thank you for it.