Koldskål is a popular Danish buttermilk dessert that is also occasionally enjoyed as a creamy drink. Even though there are numerous regional varieties, most of them combine buttermilk with yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla essence, and eggs. The dish is always served cold and it is mainly enjoyed as a refreshing summer treat. Although it can be eaten plain, it is traditionally complemented with crispy kammerjunkere cookies.
This sweet chilled soup made with sour cherries and sour cream is a traditional summertime dish. Also known as hideg meggyleves, meggykeszőce or cseresznyeleves, it is prepared throughout the country as soon as cherries come into season. Although one might be tempted to eat it as a dessert, in Hungary, this tart and creamy soup is generally served before the main course, as it makes for a refreshing alternative to the standard meat and starch fare.
Kissel is an interesting fruit combination, often referred to as a dessert drink or soup, usually made with refreshing summer berries. It is prepared with water, mashed fruit or fruit juice, and thickening agents such as cornstarch or potato starch. Kissel can be served hot or cold, and depending on the amount of starch, its consistency varies from liquid to firm and creamy. Liquid kissel is most often served as a drink, or a soup variation, when it is combined with sliced fruit and eaten with a spoon. The firm variety is usually eaten as a refreshing cold dessert, commonly topped with cream, and often combined with pancakes and waffles. Russians prefer to make their traditional kissel with cranberries, cherries, and redcurrants. However, kissel and its variations are also commonly eaten in Poland, Lithuania, Finland, Ukraine, Latvia, and Estonia. Typically, each country has a special and favorite fruit to employ in kissel, such as gooseberries, raspberries, and even the tart rhubarb. In Russia, kissel is regarded as an ancient dish, with its first written mention dating back to the 12th century. It is an important part of Russian tradition and a dish often described in myths and folk tales. Today, in Russian households is it usually prepared with a store-bought powder mix, but the freshly prepared kissel, with luscious summer fruit, is still considered the ultimate version of the dish.
This dark-purple dessert soup is a Swedish staple that is traditionally prepared with a combination of fresh bilberries or (optionally) blueberries, cornstarch, sugar, and water. It can be served hot or cold, depending on the season, and is often regarded as a health remedy. Although it is usually enjoyed as sweet soup, preferably topped with a dollop of whipped cream, it is best known as a beverage that is served during Vasaloppet - the world's oldest, longest, and biggest cross-country ski race that takes place in Sweden.
Nyponsoppa is a simple dessert soup that employs rose hips as its star ingredient. The dish is best prepared with fresh rose hip fruits that are cooked and puréed along sugar and (optionally) spices such as cinnamon and cloves. It can be enjoyed warm or chilled, as a lightly sweetened starter or a creamy dessert, when it usually comes with a dollop of whipped cream or almond macaroons (mandelbiskvier).
Zupa truskawkowa is a traditional fruit-based soup originating from Poland. It's usually made with a combination of frozen or fresh strawberries, sugar, and optional ingredients such as noodles, sour cream, and mint leaves. The sugar is dissolved in water, the strawberries are cut into cubes and added to the pot, and the mixture is boiled over low heat. Once cooled, the soup is mixed or puréed until smooth in consistency. Some of the reserved strawberries are then added to zupa truskawkowa, and it's reheated and cooked over low heat for a few more minutes. The soup can be served hot or chilled and its flavors are often elevated with the addition of sour cream, noodles, or fresh mint leaves.
Thick, creamy, and sweet bread soup called leivasupp is a traditional dish that is usually made with soaked and mashed bread, raisins, fruit juice, cinnamon, and sugar. It is typically prepared with a traditional, dense rye bread, and is often complemented by milk, cream, fresh fruit, and nuts. This bread soup can be served warm or chilled, and it is usually enjoyed as a dessert or a light afternoon snack, but it is also a popular school lunch in the country.
A sweet fruit soup traditionally prepared during holidays and for various celebrations in Sweden, fruktsoppa is often served on the Swedish Christmas buffet. This dish is similar to a fruit compote, composed of a combination of dried fruits, usually prunes, apricots, and raisins, tart apple slices, lemon slices, water, cinnamon, tapioca, and sugar. Once cooked, the soup is poured into a bowl and traditionally served chilled, but it can also be served warm, at room temperature, or frozen, depending on the season. For added flavor, it can be drizzled with a small amount of rum or wine and flavored with a pinch of nutmeg or cloves. This delicious soup pairs well with whipped cream, ice cream, and a piece of pound cake. It is a dish regularly eaten in all Scandinavian countries, which is how several regional versions of it came about. The Swedish version usually calls for light fruits such as golden raisins, peaches, and pears, while the Norwegian version opts for darker fruits instead. Although it is generally considered a dessert, in Scandinavian countries, fruit soup is also commonly eaten as an appetizer, fruit salad, or even as a main course. In the past, Scandinavians regarded fruit soup as a nourishing and easily digestible bed food, making it a custom to present a new mother with a bowl of this dish to help her gain strength. Today, there are many different recipes for fruit soups, calling for various types of dried, canned, or store-bought fruit.
Moczka is a traditional dish originating from Upper Silesia. This dish has so many versions that it's sometimes treated as a dessert and other times as an appetizer. The sweet soup is made with gingerbread that's soaked in dark beer, water, or stock alongside nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts and dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, apricots, figs, dates, or pears. Dark chocolate, butter, and flour are also sometimes added to the sweet soup. Moczka is traditionally prepared during the festive Christmas season and it can be served warm or cold.
Fliederbeersuppe is a traditional soup mainly associated with the northern regions of the country. The main ingredient for the soup are elderberries (or elderberry juice), which give the soup its rich color. The elderberries are cooked to let out the juice, which is then mixed with apple juice, lemon juice, lemon zest, cut apples, cornstarch, and sugar. The mix is occasionally spiced with cinnamon or garlic. This sweet soup is served warm with homemade grits dumplings.
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For the “Top 15 European Sweet Soups” list until May 15, 2026, 481 ratings were recorded, of which 394 were recognized by the system as legitimate.
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