Dessert Recipes

Dessert Recipes

Dessert Recipes - ItalianCookies.com

Welcome to a collection of decadent Italian dessert recipes, where timeless tradition meets irresistible indulgence. From silky Tiramisu and rich Cannoli to delicate Panna cotta. Each dessert crafted to capture the essence of Italy’s regional flavors. You’ll find your sweet cravings for dessert recipes fulfilled whether it is old espresso, creamy mascarpone, or sweet ricotta. We offer step-by-step guidance to help you recreate them. Whether you’re looking for new or discovering Italian sweets for the first time, these desserts promise to bring warmth, elegance.

Desserts

Zabaglione

Zabaglione: A Sweet Italian Custard Zabaglione (also known as zabaione, or sabayon in French) is a traditional Italian dessert of whipped egg yolks, sugar, and sweet wine, has a history as rich as its flavor. Believed to have originated in the 15th or 16th century, the dessert’s roots are often traced to the northern regions of Italy, particularly Piedmont. Local…
Read More
Desserts

Bomboloni Doughnuts

Bomboloni are a classic Italian treat that captures the heart with their soft, pillowy texture and irresistible sweet fillings. These delightful bombolini doughnuts originate from Tuscany and now enjoyed all across Italy, especially in cafes, pastry shops, and street fairs. Unlike American-style doughnuts, Bomboloni come typically round without a hole in the center and are most often filled after frying….
Read More
Desserts

Cannoncini Cream Horns

Cannoncini Cream Horns, also known as cannoncini alla crema, is a beloved Italian pastry that hails from the northern regions of Italy, particularly Piedmont and Lombardy. The dessert’s name, “cannoncini,” translates to “little cannons,” referencing its cylindrical shape that resembles a cannon barrel. Cannoncini Cream horns are made from puff pastry dough. Wrapped around a cone-shaped mold and then baked…
Read More
Cheesecakes Desserts

Cannoli Cheesecake

The Cannoli Cheesecake is a modern dessert that blends two beloved culinary traditions: the rich, creamy texture of classic New York-style cheesecake and the sweet, ricotta-filled charm of traditional Sicilian cannoli. While cheesecake has roots stretching back to ancient Greece, and cannoli emerged in Sicily during the Arab rule around the 9th century, the fusion of the two desserts is…
Read More
Desserts

Torta Caprese

Torta Caprese is a traditional Italian dessert that hails from the island of Capri, located in the Campania region of southern Italy. This rich, flourless chocolate and almond cake is believed to have been created by accident in the early 20th century, when a local baker reportedly forgot to add flour while preparing a cake for visiting tourists—some versions say…
Read More
Desserts

Ciambella Cake

Ciambella is a traditional Italian ring-shaped cake whose origins trace back to rural, home-style baking across various regions of Italy. Though recipes and textures vary widely—from light and airy to dense and crumbly—the cake is typically made with simple, readily available ingredients such as flour, eggs, sugar, milk, and olive oil or butter. Its name comes from the Latin word…
Read More
Desserts

Schiacciata alla Fiorentina

Schiacciata alla Fiorentina is a traditional Florentine cake with roots in Tuscany, specifically in the city of Florence. This simple yet flavorful dessert is closely associated with Carnival (Carnevale), the festive period leading up to Lent, when indulgent foods are enjoyed before the fasting season begins. The word schiacciata means “flattened” in Italian, referencing the cake’s low, rectangular shape. Unlike…
Read More
Breads Desserts Holidays

Panettone

Panettone is a classic Italian Christmas cake with deep roots in Milanese tradition, dating back to the Middle Ages. Its origins are surrounded by legend, with one of the most popular stories attributing its creation to a Milanese baker named Toni, whose apprentice supposedly invented the sweet bread by accident—hence the name “pan di Toni,” or “Toni’s bread.” Historically, panettone…
Read More
Desserts

Panna cotta

Panna cotta, meaning “cooked cream” in Italian, is a silky, custard-like dessert believed to have originated in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, possibly in the early 20th century. Though its precise origins are debated, some food historians trace it back to earlier European cream-based desserts, with the modern version likely emerging when gelatin became more widely available as a…
Read More
Desserts

Panforte

Panforte is a dense, spiced fruit-and-nut cake that originated in Siena, a historic city in the Tuscany region of Italy, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. Its name means “strong bread,” referring to its bold flavor profile, which comes from a blend of honey, sugar, almonds, candied fruits, and a rich mix of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and…
Read More