23 Deliciously Easy Italian Dessert Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is Italy's most famous dessert? ›

Tiramisù (Veneto)

Probably the most famous of all Italian desserts, Tiramisù is a powerful layering of coffee-soaked savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits) and a rich cream made with mascarpone cheese, eggs and sugar, sometimes spiced up with a drop of liqueur.

Panforte

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.

One of Italy's great gifts to the rest of the world, zabaglione, is an ethereal dessert made by whisking together egg yolks, wine - traditionally marsala but champagne or wine is often used for a savoury version - and sugar.

Moscadello di Montalcino: the Tuscan dessert wine

Made with aromatic white muscat grapes, this DOC wine can be drunk still (“tranquillo”), sparkling (“frizzante”) or late-harvest (“vendemmia tardiva”). Dessert wines offer a perfect alternative to stronger spirits served neat as a digestivo.

Gelato is undoubtedly the most famous one. According to the Istituto del Gelato Italiano , the association established in 1991 to protect the quality of this Italian excellence, gelato as we know it today was invented in Florence in the 15th century by the architect Bernardo Buontalenti.

In Italy, il dolce is not only a sweet way to end a lunch or dinner—it's also the way many Italians start their day. The term dolci literally means “sweets,” though the French term “dessert” is also frequently used in Italy.

Semifreddo is an Italian word meaning “half cold” or “half frozen.” It refers to a class of frozen desserts similar to ice cream but instead made with whipped cream by churning air into the mixture while it freezes.

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 is Tuscan dessert? ›

Castagnaccio is a typical Tuscan chestnut flour cake, typically eaten in autumn, which is the chestnut season in the region. It is usually served with ricotta cheese or chestnut honey, new wine, or sweet wines like Vin Santo.

A light and fruity dessert is one of the best desserts to eat after dinner, especially if you have had a heavy meal. A fresh cream and pineapple cake, for instance, will bring respite from the richest of meals, be it an Italian feast or a Mughlai indulgence.

Wedding Cake: a classic choice, and must-have dessert at many weddings; you can choose from various flavors, fillings, and designs to match your wedding style and theme. Cupcakes: if you want a fun and trendy alternative to wedding cake, consider serving cupcakes.

Gelato (Italian: [dʒeˈlaːto]; lit. 'frozen') is the common word in Italian for all types of ice cream. In English, it specifically refers to a frozen dessert of Italian origin. Artisanal gelato in Italy generally contains 6–9% butterfat, which is lower than other styles of frozen dessert.

Two of the most popular Italian pastries are cannoli and sfogliatelle. Cannoli are pastry tubes that are deep fried and then filled with various types of creams. Cannoli are often filled with sweetened ricotta cheese cream, and originally hail from Sicily, where they are still very popular.

Panna cotta means “cooked cream” in Italy, and that's essentially what the base is: heated heavy cream (often with a little half-and-half or whole milk) set with powdered gelatin and flavored with vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

Tiramisù is one of Italy's most prized desserts. With its innumerable variations and its simple decadence tiramisù has become a success on an international level. Tiramisù is so popular that it is actually one of the top five best known Italian words in the world.