10 Traditional Easter Breads From Around the World

Easter is celebrated around the world with special breads that symbolize renewal, faith, and the arrival of spring. 

Many of these breads are prepared once a year and shared with family after Easter celebrations. Across cultures, they often include eggs, butter, spices, and sweet dough, ingredients that mark the end of the Lenten fast. 

Here are some of the most beloved Easter breads from around the world. 

1. Colomba di Pasqua – Italy 

A soft, buttery cake baked in the shape of a dove, symbolizing peace and renewal. It is topped with almonds and pearl sugar and served during Easter celebrations across Italy. 

2. Tsoureki – Greece 

A braided sweet bread flavored with mahleb and mastic. Often decorated with red eggs, it is one of the most important foods on the Greek Easter table. 

3. Hot Cross Buns – United Kingdom 

Small spiced buns marked with a cross on top, traditionally eaten on Good Friday. 

4. Osterbrot – Germany 

A lightly sweet bread made with raisins and almonds, often enjoyed for Easter breakfast. 

5. Babka Wielkanocna – Poland 

A rich yeast cake often flavored with citrus or vanilla and baked in tall molds for Easter. 

6. Paska – Ukraine 

A beautifully decorated bread baked in tall molds and blessed in church before Easter meals. 

7. Kozunak – Bulgaria 

A braided sweet bread similar to brioche, made for Easter celebrations and often shared with family. 

8. Folar da Páscoa – Portugal 

A traditional Easter bread sometimes baked with whole eggs in the dough, symbolizing life and rebirth. 

9. Mona de Pascua – Spain 

A festive Easter cake often decorated with chocolate eggs and enjoyed during Easter celebrations. 

10. Kulich – Russia 

A tall, cylindrical Easter bread topped with icing and colorful decorations. 

A Shared Easter Tradition 

While each country has its own recipe, these breads share a common meaning: celebrating Easter with family, tradition, and food made with care. 

At One Bottle Bakery, we are inspired by these traditions and the joy of bringing European baking into kitchens everywhere.