Real Italian desserts make my heart sing. Tiramisu? Yes, obviously. But also so many others you might not even know about!
You are going to want to try every single one. I personally give them all my full stamp of approval.
1. Authentic Italian Tiramisu
This is tiramisu just the way it was meant to be. It’s a six-ingredient wonder: eggs, powdered sugar, mascarpone, ladyfingers, espresso, and cocoa powder. That’s it!
You get this rich chocolate and coffee flavor, and the combo of the creamy dessert with the crunchy ladyfingers is just… a home run.
It only takes 20 minutes to put together with zero cooking. Just be sure to let it chill for at least 8 hours before serving it.
2. Authentic Italian Struffoli Recipe
Hello, crunchy honey goodness! These golden-brown balls are sticky, deep-fried little bites of joy.
Each one gets topped with honey, candied sprinkles, and whatever else your heart desires.
The whole thing comes together in just 35 minutes! You can shape it in a really fun way, making it as beautiful as it is delicious. It’s a total showstopper for an Italian Christmas dessert table.
3. Zeppole, Italian Ricotta Doughnuts
You can whip up over a dozen of these deep-fried beauties in less than an hour. Yes, please! They have these crisp, sweet outsides and a wonderfully sweet and tangy ricotta cheese filling.
That dusting of powdered sugar on top makes them even more amazing. They are such a light, airy treat everyone will go wild for. Think of them like donut holes, only crunchier.
4. Pandoro Christmas Tree Cake
This Christmas tree-shaped cake has a taste that’s a lot like panettone, but it’s so much softer and fluffier, with a really intricate shape.
You can absolutely make your own pandoro cake from scratch. But honestly, it tastes just as good if you buy a pre-made one from the store and slice it up.
Plus, using a store-bought cake means you can make this whole stunning dessert in only 15 minutes. That’s a win!
5. 5-Ingredient Cannolis
Just five ingredients! These cannolis have those delightfully crunchy shells everyone loves.
The filling is a sweet and tangy mix of ricotta, confectioner’s sugar, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract. If you want a brighter, zestier flavor, the recipe suggests adding a bit of orange zest, too. So good!
6. Ricciarelli (Italian Almond Cookies)
If you’ve ever had Italian wedding cookies, you already have a pretty good idea of what these taste like. They use a lot of the same ingredients, like almonds, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar.
But here’s the difference: Ricciarelli are soft and chewy, while wedding cookies are crunchier. I’m a big fan of this soft texture.
These also have a few more ingredients, like lemon juice and orange zest, which adds a brightness that wedding cookies just don’t have.
7. Panettone Bombe (Christmas Ice Cream Cake)
This striking dome-shaped cake only takes 15 minutes to prepare, but it needs another 8 hours to chill, so definitely don’t try to whip this up at the last minute. It puts a lovely Italian twist on the classic ice cream cake.
I like to top mine in dark chocolate, just like the recipe recommends, but any chocolate will work great.
You can also get way more decorative than just simple sprinkles. Check out Amazon or your local baking store for edible glitter and fun, Christmas-shaped sprinkles.
8. Italian Cookies
Biting into one of these super-soft cookies is like biting into a cloud. A sweet, nutty, sugar- and sprinkle-filled cloud!
The glaze is so creamy and delectable. You can even swap out the color of the sprinkles to better match whichever holiday you’re celebrating.
9. Panna Cotta
For being so simply made, panna cotta is a gorgeous, elegant dessert. It’s ideal for Christmas, wedding receptions, or even the most formal dinners.
You’ll make it with unflavored gelatin, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and milk (or cold water). It takes a few hours to settle into that famous creamy, Jell-O-like consistency.
Once it does, you can garnish it with granola, your favorite berries, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, berry sauce… really whatever you want!
If you want to stick to Christmas-themed colors, use strawberries and slices of kiwi fruit.
10. Homemade Italian Cream Cake
If you’re looking for a homemade cake that’s fluffy and moist, you have to give this Italian cream cake a try.
Thanks to the secret ingredient (buttermilk), these are the lightest, moistest cakes imaginable. That’s true even with the crunchy chopped pecans you add to the batter.
The four-ingredient frosting is rich, decadent, and wonderfully creamy. It’s just butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. Add sweetened coconut and crunchy pecans to the top for extra flavor and a beautiful look.
11. Italian Panettone
Italian panettone is like a cross between a delicious cake and a giant loaf of sweet, yeast bread.
The icing sugar, vanilla, and rum extracts give it tons of sugary sweetness. But then, the orange and lemon zests, raisins, and candied lemon and orange peels add a tangy tartness that is just so hard to resist.
Panettone doesn’t have a lot of moisture; it has a drier texture, but not in a bad way at all. The dryness comes with a lightness that makes the dessert almost melt on your tongue like cotton candy. It’s just terrific.
12. Mostaccioli Di Mamma
These chocolatey cookies are nutty, a little bit spiced, and have a delicious honey and chocolate flavor that’s just out of this world.
The trick to these is not to bake them for too long. The texture should be soft and have just a little give, which feels fantastic when you eat them.
If you over-bake them, they’ll get hard and crispy. The taste is still good, but that’s not really the consistency you want for these.
13. Tiramisu Semifreddo
This frozen dessert is tiramisu with a twist. It’s basically tiramisu with ice cream and a fourth cup of brandy added in for good measure.
If you like the traditional Italian dessert, you are going to love this one. It’s just as tasty and even more decadent. YUM.
14. Mini Chocolate Panettone
These adorable panettones are just perfect for one person to enjoy. They have that same great taste and texture, just on a miniature scale.
These also have plenty of yummy chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
15. Pizzelle Della Nonna
These crispy, wafer-thin cookies look like elaborately decorated waffles and taste like whatever you use to flavor them.
You can pick vanilla extract, anise, chocolate, almond extract, or something else. That’s totally up to you.
Either way, they’re exceptionally crunchy and a huge hit around the holidays.
16. Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies
These might look like simple chocolate cookies with sprinkles, but there’s a rich complexity in their flavor. You’ll get notes of orange, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, nuts, and even pepper!
They might be small, but they pack a mighty punch when it comes to taste.
17. Homemade Torrone Italian Nut Nougat
This nougat bar is just a dream. It’s soft, sweet, and chewy, but the nuts mixed in give it a perfect bit of saltiness and crunch.
Just remember, this one is exceptionally sweet, so a little slice goes a long way. I love having it with a hot mug of coffee or a cup of tea. It’s the perfect pairing.