Discover 03 Best Chimney Cakes In Budapest That Are Worth Every Calorie

An open letter to Chimney Cakes: I love you. The end. But seriously, chimney cakes and incredible wine were the two main reasons Caleb and I lived in Budapest for a while. The fragrance of delicious cinnamon goodness cooking on every street corner is something we truly miss! As residents, we have time to select the greatest chimney cakes for you to try.

We tried everything from beautiful, soft cakes to hard-as-rock cakes that were a complete waste of calories, and we do not want that for you! Just because they’re everywhere doesn’t mean you should eat them all! So, in this guide, we’ll provide our top three options to ensure your mouth is filled with just the best. Let’s dive in!

First Of All, What Is A Chimney Cake?

A chimney cake, also known as Kürtöskalács in Hungarian, is a crispy yet fluffy cake created from a simple, sweet dough, rolled in sugar, wrapped around a spit, and baked over charcoal. It is then rolled in your preferred coating, such as vanilla, chocolate, or, more traditionally, cinnamon. ←That is our fave! It tastes like a crispy cinnamon roll.

This chimney-shaped confection is a classic Hungarian dessert. They originated in Transylvania (Romania), but are today recognized as Hungary’s oldest pastry! Did Dracula enjoy chimney cakes? One of life’s greatest mysteries. 🕵⸏‍♂️

IMPORTANT: Chimney cakes should not be eaten in certain places. Full stop.

We know how it works because it happened to us: you’re wandering around the streets of Budapest, overjoyed to be in such a lovely city, and then all of a sudden, the fragrance of cinnamon and sugar hits you directly in the nose. YOU NEED WHATEVER IS RIGHT. NOW.

Except, you don’t. Because it’s *likely* a small hut on the sidewalk selling old, hard, and less-than-delicious chimney cakes. Yes, they are inexpensive, but we found them to be less excellent than going to a real chimney cake bakery. These are not places to eat in Budapest. So, Budapest food advice is to avoid these establishments, as well as the metro shops, and save your calories for the BEST chimney cakes. RESIST THE URGE.

🥇 Gelato Pichler Fagyizó

If you’re like me and would eat a shoe if it was covered with pistachios, this is the spot for you, and you must include it on your Budapest itinerary. Pichler specializes in chimney cakes stuffed with PISTACHIO CREME. Their cakes can be smeared with the pistachio variant of Nutella and then rolled in pistachios or cinnamon sugar.

And they don’t skimp on the pistachio cream. Be calm, my hungry heart 🤤. The cakes are made when you order them, therefore you must wait 10 minutes, but that is what distinguishes them as the best chimney cakes in Budapest. Although we felt it was almost a crime to force us to sit and wait and smell the cakes being cooked for that.

It was worth it in the end, though, because the cakes were massive – ideal for sharing as a couple – crispy on the exterior, very fluffy on the interior, and loaded with pistachios! We also got rolled-in pistachios instead of cinnamon and sugar, and we wished we had gone with the cinnamon sugar variety for a bit extra sweetness.

Other taste options include typical cinnamon sugar without creme, Nutella, and even a cinnamon sugar chimney cake cone loaded with hot fruit such as apples or blueberry lemon. You can even get them packed with gelato. If you want to remain and eat, there are a few chairs inside, but it’s largely counter seating, which may become full, so you might have to dine outside or take it as a quick breakfast/brunch on the go. Just an FYI!

🥈 Kiraly Kalacs, Kürtőskalács

This teeny-tiny little blue chimney cake store in Budapest can only fit one guy inside, baking fresh chimney cakes to request. You could miss it because it’s so small, so just look for the turquoise storefront! Like Pichler, they are cooked fresh, so you must wait 10 minutes, which is a little awkward inside the closet-sized store, but whatever. The chimney cakes here were HUGE and so fresh and hot that I couldn’t hold the bag for very long!

The outside was crispy, and the inside was pillowy and smooth, with a hint of nutmeg that went well with the classic cinnamon/sugar combo we got! Other possibilities include vanilla, coconut, walnut, and so on. We wish it was a little sweeter, which is why it’s ranked second on our list. However, it is the cheapest item on the list, costing half as much as the other two! If the expense of your trip is a concern, here is the place for you!

🥉 Molnár’s Kürtőskalács

If you Google “best chimney cakes in Budapest,” this is likely to be the first result. It’s in the main tourist districts, so it’s the most “known” and touristic, but there were also a lot of locals when we went. I stepped up and ordered, and he quickly handed me one that was already pre-baked and wrapped in a bag, which is what I prefer when I bring it home as a keepsake, not when I want to eat it right away.

I felt like I received a “tourist special,” TBH. 😓 I asked if I might have a warm one, and he agreed. So, if something happens to you, don’t simply accept it! Make sure to request a fresh one because the flavor difference is night and day!

They were light and crispy on the outside, while the center was dense, mushy, and chewy (in a good way), with the proper amount of cinnamon sugar. However, we couldn’t pinpoint it, and it was only a minor step down from the first two items on our list. You may also have them filled with ice cream here, but we believe it’s best pure. That sounds like a strong word for ice cream. 😅

SOMETHING TO LOVE: This establishment is more of a sit-down cafe, which is preferable to the other two. You can buy a coffee and savor your chimney cake at leisure!

Conclusion:

Chimney cakes are a must-try when visiting Budapest, and we hope our short guide helps you find the tastiest, fluffiest, spicy-sweet tiny cakes you can imagine! It’s one of the foods we miss most from our time in Budapest, and we know you’ll enjoy it too! If you have any queries or try any of the shops, please let us know in the comments!