Panellets de Sant Roc are the typical sweets of the Plaça Nova festivals, which are held in honour of the saint, and are only seen around this date. Despite their name, they are nothing like the panallets of All Saints' Day, but are somewhere between Christmas polvorons and tea biscuits.

On Sant Roc's Day, the 16^th August, during the mass in honour of the saint, these cakes are blessed. After this, throughout the day the cakes are given out to the people who have been to church.

The tradition of offering panallets originates from the legend of Sant Roc, which explains that when the saint came to Barcelona, he fell ill with the plague and the only one who took care of him was the local baker's dog, who fed him with bread rolls.