We Are So Jealous Of Germany's Starbucks Bakery Treats

Starbucks fans with a sweet tooth in the States probably think they have it good. Locations of the coffee shop have pastry cases teeming with all sorts of delectable comestibles, such as glazed donuts, vanilla bean custard danishes, blueberry scones, and signature cake pops in a variety of flavors, and you better believe we've ranked them for you. But, if the green-eyed monster of jealousy is strong with you, then might we suggest not continuing with this article or ever researching the offerings of Germany's Starbucks locations?

The curious and brave who've chosen to continue are in for a treat — maybe even literally if you're going to Germany anytime soon. In a country known for its strong pastry game, Starbucks has rightly stepped up with a plethora of sweets that puts the American lineup to shame. These include riffs on traditional pastries of the region, such as one of our favorite international donuts Berliners, nods to Starbucks American roots, like New York cheesecake and cinnamon rolls, and fare from Germany's European neighbors. They also have plenty of packaged items that look both delicious and great for on-the-go nibbling to say nothing of the savory items, which, alas, we don't have space for here.

I suppose we need to start at the top of Starbucks Germany's "Sweet Foods" menu with an item that is indicative of the native cuisine. Berliners — aka Kreppel or Pfannkuchen — are akin to jelly doughnuts in the U.S. Rich, yeasted dough is fried in oil and finished with a filling of fruit preserves and a dusting of powdered sugar. Starbucks has taken this idea and shrunk it down making them into Berliner bites. These pastries come in three different flavors: berry-filled, apricot-filled, or chocolate-filled.

Speaking of chocolate, there is plenty on the menu for fans to fawn over. Germany is known for luscious and deeply-flavored chocolate pastries — hello, Black Forest cake – so it is no surprise that Starbucks' game is strong here. For starters, there is an ultra-dark chocolate cake with "velvety layers of juicy cocoa" cake that "are perfectly combined with a decadent chocolate ganache." Not to be outdone, the chocolate raspberry cake has a cocoa shortcrust filled with chocolate cream, topped with chocolate bits and glazed raspberries.

Reaching beyond Germany's borders, Starbucks offers a Belgian waffle studded with crunchy bits of sugar. A bit further afield, the popular Portuguese pastry pastel de nata offers crunchy bites of puff pastry filled with sweet egg cream. Heck, there are even chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil because why not emphasize the decadence of a menu so rich?