Maltese Desserts and Imqaret: What to Try

Maltese sweet counters change with the religious and village calendar. Imqaret are the easiest year-round introduction: date-filled pastry, usually cut into diamonds or rectangles and fried, with warm spice and citrus or anise notes depending on the recipe.

Sweets to recognise through the year

• Imqaret — date-filled fried pastry, sold at markets, kiosks, feasts and dessert menus; sometimes served warm with ice cream.
• Qagħaq tal-għasel — ring pastry with a dark spiced filling, strongly associated with Christmas but sold more widely.
• Kwareżimal — almond-rich Lenten biscuit, often topped with nuts.
• Figolli — decorated almond-filled Easter shapes.
• Prinjolata — Carnival dessert built from cake or biscuit, cream and decoration.
• Kannoli — crisp tubes commonly filled with sweet ricotta.
• Pudina tal-ħobż — bread pudding, with recipes varying by bakery and household.

Tradition does not guarantee availability. Ask what was made for the present season and when it was baked.

How to order imqaret

Ask whether the imqaret are fried or baked and whether they are being served hot. Street versions are normally eaten by hand; restaurant versions may arrive with ice cream or sauce. The date filling is naturally sweet, but the pastry and recipe can contain additional sugar and fat.

Freshly fried pastry is extremely hot inside. Wait before biting. If buying several, ask whether they will stay crisp or should be reheated briefly in an oven.

Allergens and dietary checks

Wheat and gluten are common across Maltese pastries. Almonds and other nuts are central to figolli and kwareżimal and can appear elsewhere. Dairy, egg and sesame vary by dough, filling and decoration. Fried imqaret may share oil with savoury foods; a plant-based ingredient list does not eliminate cross-contact.

Ask for the actual product label or recipe sheet, not only whether staff think a sweet “should” contain nuts. People with coeliac disease or severe allergy should avoid an open counter where ingredients and fryer use cannot be confirmed.

See pastizzi, Maltese bread, gluten-free Malta and the Maltese Food Guide.

Before relying on this guide

Menus, prices, opening hours, delivery coverage and venue arrangements change. Recheck the linked first-party source when a booking, allergy, price, journey or eligibility condition affects the decision.

Last reviewed: 29 August 2026.