Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (2024)

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Italian cuisine is renowned for its mouth-watering desserts. From creamy gelato to light and fluffy tiramisu, Italy has something for everyone’s sweet tooth.

In this post, we have collected 13 delectable recipes for Italian desserts that will leave you craving for more.

Starting with classic favorites like tiramisu and panna cotta to lesser-known gems like cannoli and Ricotta and Chocolate Cassatelles, there is something for everyone on this list.

All the recipes have easy to follow step by step instructions, and the ingredients are accessible in most grocery stores.

You can serve these desserts for family gatherings, dinner parties, or just as a sweet treat for yourself. You’ll most likely have a hard time choosing which one is your favorite!

So, fire up your oven, and let’s dive into the world of Italian desserts.

Don’t forget to share your creations and experiences in the comment section below. Happy baking!

If you like these 13 Italian dessert Recipes, look at these risotto recipes, as we are constantly updating our round-ups, so save our site. Make it easy to find delicious recipes whenever you want.

Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (1)

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13 Best Italian Dessert Recipes

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13. Traditional Tuscan Panforte: A Rich and Spiced Italian Dessert

Indulge in the rich flavors of Tuscany with this Traditional Tuscan Panforte recipe. A delightful blend of toasted nuts, candied fruits, and aromatic spices, this dense, chewy confection celebrates texture and taste. Perfectly balanced with the sweetness of honey and a hint of cocoa, each slice is a journey through the festive traditions of Italian cuisine.

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Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (5)

12. Bomboloni - Italian Doughnuts

These Italian doughnuts are fluffy and delicious, covered in sugar and filled with creamy Italian pastry. They are a special treat that tastes amazing!

Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (6)

11. Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake

This Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake is very tasty. It has a nice glaze on top, and it’s perfect for serving at brunch or dinner. You can make the cake up to 3 days ahead of time, and it’s best if you use limoncello for the glaze and Paradise Lemon Peel for sprinkling on top.

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10. Tiramisu Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a new version of the classic Italian dessert tiramisu. They are made using soft vanilla cupcakes soaked in coffee, and are topped with a rich frosting that uses mascarpone cheese. These cupcakes also have a chocolate fudge center. They are a serious treat!

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9. Zeppole Recipe – Italian Donuts

This recipe makes tasty Italian donuts, called Zeppole. Your family will like the light sweetness of these fried dough balls. You can serve them as a dessert or a snack.

Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (9)

8. Cannoli (Shell and Filling Recipes)

This is a recipe for cannoli with a crispy and flaky shell. It has a creamy and sweet filling made with ricotta cheese and dark chocolate chips. Although it requires more effort than other desserts, it is worth it. The cannoli is an Italian pastry that is sure to bring dessert bliss.

7. Tiramisu Recipe (VIDEO)

Tiramisu is a popular dessert from Italy. It’s made by layering coffee-soaked biscuits with a creamy mixture made from mascarpone cheese. The cream is smooth and doesn’t use raw eggs. This recipe is simple and the best way to make your own tiramisu. People always enjoy it and give great feedback.

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6. Cannoli Cheesecake Bars

This is a recipe for Cannoli Cheesecake Bars. It’s an Italian cheesecake recipe that uses ricotta, mascarpone cheese, and orange and chocolate chips. This tasty cheesecake is perfect for holidays and potlucks.

Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (16)

5. Amaretti Cookies (VIDEO)

These cookies are called amaretti, and they are from Italy. They are great for the holidays. They have a crunchy outside and a soft and chewy inside. There is a picture of them as well.

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4. Easy Italian Pear Cake

Try this delicious recipe for Italian Pear Cake. It is a basic cake made with fresh pears and creamy mascarpone that is moist and can be served as a dessert or for afternoon tea. Make this easy recipe and it could become a favorite light dessert for your family.

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3. Spongata di Natale – Italian Christmas cake

This recipe is a special Christmas cake from a region in Italy called Emilia Romagna. People often give it to friends and family as a gift. It contains nuts, honey, dried fruit, and Italian citron, which makes its filling rich, sticky, and sweet. The cake is covered with a sugary pastry coating that is crispy.

Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (19)

2. Ricotta and Chocolate Cassatelles

These are small Italian pastries called “Ricotta and Chocolate Cassatelles”. They are filled with ricotta cheese and chocolate, and then fried.

Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (20)

1. Creamy Vanilla Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta is a delicious Italian dessert made with vanilla and cream. It’s served cold and goes well with berry sauce. It’s a great dessert option for both family dinners and parties.

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Recipes for Italian desserts - Top 12 Italian recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular dessert in Italy? ›

Perhaps the most iconic Italian dessert, tiramisu appears on menus at restaurants not only throughout Italy but also all over the world.

What is a traditional Italian dessert? ›

With tiramisu and panna cotta, cannoli and semifreddo, we're sure you can find a sweet treat that will impress the nonnas, the nannas plus any of your guests.

What is Italy's famous frozen dessert called? ›

Think of Italian ice cream and you're probably thinking of gelato. In Italy, gelato is an art form, and producers make full use of the country's bountiful larder of ingredients — whether it's fruit, herbs, liqueurs, or indeed chunks of other desserts — to create some sumptuous flavours.

What is the name of the Italian dessert pastry? ›

NameDescription
CannoliRolled, crispy dough filled with ricotta cream
CartocciFilled fried dough pastry
CassataRound sponge cake moistened with fruit juice
CavallucciPastry made with anise, walnuts, candied fruits, coriander, and flour
8 more rows

What is the oldest Italian dessert? ›

This is one of the oldest Italian desserts on the list, believed to date back to 13th century Tuscany. Panforte is a traditional Italian Christmas dessert made from wrapping fruit, nuts and spices in a gooey blend of sugar, honey and flour.

What is the most eaten dessert in the world? ›

  • Mar 31, 2023, 08:13 PM IST. 10 Most Popular Desserts in the World. ...
  • Apple Pie. This traditional American dessert is popular due to its flaky crust and sweet apple filling. ...
  • Tiramisu. ...
  • Baklava. ...
  • Crème Brûlée. ...
  • Panna Cotta. ...
  • Cheesecake. ...
  • Mochi.
Mar 31, 2023

What dessert is Florence known for? ›

While tiramisù may be the most well known of Italian desserts (a Florentine version is known as zuccotto), the most widely offered dessert in Florence is cantuccini with vin santo.

What dessert is Tuscany known for? ›

Cantuccini and Vin Santo. Perhaps the most well-known Italian dessert is tiramisu, the Florentine version of which is named zuccotto. However, visitors to the region of Tuscany will soon learn that it is cantuccini with vin santo that is the most popular in this area.

What Italian dessert is similar to ice cream? ›

Italian gelato is an ice cream dessert that is made from milk, cream, and sugar. Gelato is usually lighter in colour than ice cream and has a smoother texture. Gelato is often made with fruits such as strawberries, bananas, or chocolate.

What Italian dessert is similar to a cannoli? ›

Cartocci. If we think of a fried Italian dessert, cartocci could not be missing. To put it simply, they are a kind of churro; in fact, they are usually eaten for breakfast. Like cannoli, cartocci are Sicilian and are filled with ricotta sweetened with vanilla or orange essence and chocolate.

What is the name of the classic cake that originated in Italy? ›

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Italy's king of cakes. Hours spent recipe perfecting and leavening, the panettone is no longer purely an Italian holiday icon.

What are the 3 most popular foods in Italy? ›

When it comes to food and drink, few can top Italy's stellar reputation. Ask anyone to name their favourite dishes and you can guarantee things like pizza, pasta and gelato soon come tripping off the tongue.

What are the 2 most popular foods in Italy? ›

Pizza. Besides pasta, pizza is perhaps the most popular and recognized Italian food. Pizza is considered a national symbol representing Italy to the rest of the world, so much so that UNESCO has acknowledged pizza as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

What is the most famous dessert in Rome? ›

Tiramisù is one of the best-known desserts on this list. Combining coffee, chocolate, mascarpone cheese, and fresh cream, authentic tiramisù is one of the best ways to cap off a great meal in Rome.

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