Italian Christmas Desserts: 31 Of The Best Italian Dessert Recipes (2024)

The holiday season in Italy is a time of delightful indulgence, especially when it comes to desserts.

From traditional classics to modern delights, Italian Christmas desserts are a feast for both the eyes and the taste.

Here is a collection of easy and deliciousItalian Christmas desserts that will add a touch of sweetness to your holiday celebrations.

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The festivities at the end of the year are a wonderful time to stay warm and busy in the kitchen to prepare typical and traditional Christmas dessert recipes.

At Christmas, sweet foods are the masters, appearing on Italian tables and immediately filling all diners with festivity.

Italian Christmas dessert traditions run deep, with many regions boasting heirloom recipes handed down through generations.

Sweets play an integral role in the celebrations and feasting of the holidays in Italy.

From the north to the south, bakeries and home kitchens alike are filled with the smells of nuts, citrus, chocolate, and spices during this festive season.

No matter how much you have eaten between appetizers, first courses, main courses and various other side dishes, the deliciousness takes over and there is always space for dessert.

Not only will it be a joy to eat them, but also to bake them, filling the house with that warm and enveloping aroma that immediately makes Christmas just feel like Christmas!

Making these typical Christmas desserts can turn into a family tradition.

31 Italian Christmas Desserts You Want To Make This Christmas

These desserts below will go perfect as a dessert in your home, or even as gifts to friends and family.

I wish you an Amazing Christmas and I hope you will bring to the table some of this Christmas sweet treats!

#1 Panettone Italian Christmas Sweet Bread

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Panettone is a traditional italian Christmas dessert, and has now become a symbol of Christmas throughout Italy!

It is a leavened dough that cannot be missed in Italian homes for the holiday season.

#2 Frittelle: Traditional Italian Christmas Eve Doughnuts

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For all those with a sweet tooth, you can’t fail to try these frittele; this is a sweet dough. I guarantee you they are irresistible, they are dipped in sugar that sticks.

Fluffy fluffy these Christmas frittelle are a great way to welcome your guests during the holiday season.

#3 Authentic Italian Tiramisù Recipe

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Traditional Italian dessert, present in Italian homes for christmas time, it is a dessert where no baking is needed.

This version has fondant chocolate chips that make a wonderful dessert.

Tiramisu Recipe

#4 Italian Chocolate Toto Cookies

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Totò cookies are Sicilian treats referred to as “biscotti dei morti” because, by tradition, they are made, sold and eaten on the very occasion of the November 2 holiday, although they are then continued to be made until the Christmas holidays.

Totos are cocoa cookies coated with icing, also cocoa.

#5 Classic Italian Pizzelle Recipe

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Pizzelle are a traditional dessert from the Abruzzo.

Precisely because of their simplicity, Abruzzo pizzelle are one of the oldest sweets in all of Italy.

The few ingredients needed and the simplicity of preparation explain the antiquity of this recipe.

#6 Christmas Cannolis

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Cannoli cannot be missed on the tables of Southern Italy.

It is a dessert that in the south is prepared all year-round. They are perfect to present at the Christmas table with the addition of colorful sprinkles.

#7 Italian Christmas Cake

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This one is a traditional Christmas cake from Calabria, and is a really delicious holiday treat.

#8 Struffoli Recipe Italian Honey Balls

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These tasty small balls are perfect for Christmas season.

Making it with orange zest is the Neapolitan version, it’s one of the most traditional Italian Christmas desserts.

#9 Panforte

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Perfect for the festive season the origin of this dessert is Siena, Tuscany.

It is worth a try!

#10 Italian Christmas Cookies

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This classic Italian cookie is the Christmas version of the classic Italian wedding cookies.

#11 Original Sicilian Cassata Cake

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It is a closed ricotta cake with a beautiful lemon zest flavor.

#12 Italian Christmas Cake Pandoro Di Verona

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This pandoro Christmas tree cake filled with custardis just perfect for Christmas.

#13 Italian Coconut Cream Cake

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A delicious Christmas cake filled with cream cheese with delicious coconut flavor.

#14 Panettone Bombe – Christmas Ice Cream Cake

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Traditional Christmas desserts are perfect to serve with sweet wine.

#15 Nutty Nougat Recipe – Torrone Recipe

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Perfect for serving on special occasions such as Christmas.

#16 Italian Cookies Canestrelli

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Canestrelli cookies are my favorite cookies and they are typical for Christmas in Northern Italy.

They are easy to make and very tasty.

#17 Italian Anise Cookies

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These delightful Italian Anise Cookies make any Christmas cookie platter even prettier.

#18 Panettone Bread Pudding

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Traditional Italian panettone gets an easy dessert makeover. Just cut up, add cream, eggs and a little orange zest and liqueur to bring out the delicious citrus taste.

So easy, so fresh and perfect for a crowd!

#19 Pangiallo Romano (Roman Christmas Cake)

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This Christmas Italian cake is called Pangiallo (yellow cake) and is made during the year end to celebrate the winter solstice.

It is made with dried fruit, chocolate and nuts with a delicious saffron topping. The best is that it is super easy to make.

#20 Classic Italian Rainbow Cookies

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These Italian rainbow cookies are based off of my Sicilian great grandfather’s recipe with a twist!

Made entirely vegan, without dairy, and no eggs, but you’d never know- these surprisingly easycookies are vibrantly colored and full of almond and sweet jam flavor!

#21 Zuppa Inglese

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This no-bake Italian dessert is actually made with cookies (biscuits) and couldn’t be easier to make, or more delicious!

#22 Pignoli Cookies Recipe

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My Italian cookie recipes, one of the simplest pastries to create, pignoli cookies need little effort and few ingredients.

Make a batch of these delectable Italian cookies for your holiday cookie tray!

#23 Raspberry Panna Cotta

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This deliciously light Raspberry Panna Cotta is topped with a homemade Raspberry Compote.

#24 Italian Cream Cake Recipe

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When you make this cake the best part is when it’s dessert time!

#25 Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake

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This classic Italian cake is make with olive oil and fresh lemon for a light and delicious dessert that is great for Christmas time.

#26 pANDOLCE RECIPE

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Pandolce Genovese is the Italian Christmas cake filled with raisins, candied fruit, and pine nuts

#27 Baci di Dama

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Celebrate the holidays with Baci di Dama!

These Italian hazelnut cookie sandwiches are buttery and crispy with chocolate Nutella center.

#28 Pandoro

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Pandoro is an iconic Christmas cake enjoyed throughout Italy.

Originating in Verona, pandoro has become emblematic of the holiday season.

#29 Italian Butter Cookies

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Italian Butter Cookies are melt into your mouth with just a bit of crunch.

Traditionally piped into a variety of shapes, the soft dough can also be used with a cookie press, or rolled into balls.

They are perfect to give as gifts to neighbors during the holidays!

#30 Italian hot chocolate

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Cozy up next to the Christmas tree with this thick Italian hot chocolate.

Grab 4 store cupboard ingredients and in just 5 minutes you’ll have the best hot chocolate ever.

#31 Cantucci (Italian Almond Cookies)

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Cantucci are delicious Tuscan cookies that go perfectly with a glass of milk or cup of coffee.

The ideal treat for Christmas morning.

And which dessert will you prepare for Christmas this year?

Let me know in the comments!

Happy cooking!

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Italian Christmas Desserts: 31 Of The Best Italian Dessert Recipes (34)
Italian Christmas Desserts: 31 Of The Best Italian Dessert Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best Christmas dessert in Italy? ›

Table of Contents
  • Struffoli.
  • 3-Layer Italian Cream Cake.
  • Panettone Bread Pudding.
  • Christmas Spiced Chocolate Salami.
  • Soft Italian Ricotta Cookies.
  • Traditional Panna Cotta.
  • Authentic Italian Tiramisu.
  • Cuccidati: Italian Fig Cookies.
Dec 19, 2022

What sweet treat is traditionally eaten in Italy at Christmas? ›

Panettone. This holiday favorite is originally from Milan but you can find it at many specialty markets and bakeries these days. The raisin-studded sweet bread even doubles as an edible Christmas gift. Get the Panettone recipe at Preppy Kitchen.

What is the number one 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 typical Italian Christmas Eve dinner? ›

In Italy, the Christmas Eve dinner is typically meat-free. It consists of seven different types of seafood – known as the 'Feast of the Seven Fishes' in Italian-American culture. Seven is a number with tremendous significance in numerous cultures; it symbolizes completeness, flawlessness and solidarity.

What is Italy's favorite food for Christmas? ›

In Southern and Central Italy, baked pasta is a must. In Northern Italy, Lasagne Bolognese and filled pasta like manicotti and ravioli are traditional Christmas fare. Next comes the main event, the meat. Roasted veal, baked chicken, sausages or braised beef are common Natale entrées worth celebrating.

What is the sweet bread eaten at Christmas in Italy? ›

From the Italian panetto or small cake, panettone is a large fruity enriched sweet bread, typically served during Christmas throughout Italy and in Italian communities around the world.

What do you eat with Italian Christmas cake? ›

Panettone can be served just as it is, but many people find it a bit dry. It's common to serve it with a sweet wine and an accompaniment of something rich and creamy, perhaps based on mascarpone (with egg yolks, as used in tiramisu), plus dried or candied fruits.

What do Italians drink during Christmas? ›

One of the most common drinks to be sipped at Christmas is Mulled Wine. Since medieval times, good old Mulled Wine has been the drink to warm up the body at winter time. In Italy, this drink is also known as Vin Brulé, although depending on how you take this drink, there's are difference.

What is the king of Italian desserts? ›

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.

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 national sweet of Italy? ›

Tiramisu (Italian: tiramisù) is an Italian dessert made of ladyfinger pastries (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone and flavoured with cocoa. The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of cakes and other desserts.

What do Italians do at midnight on Christmas? ›

While some Italians are attending midnight mass on Christmas Eve, others are whizzing down the slopes on Christmas Day. In northern Italy people ski down the mountains at midnight, carrying torches as a festive celebration!

Which type of food is not eaten in Italy on Christmas Eve? ›

According to tradition, the meal for Christmas Eve, La Vigilia, doesn't have any meat. It's all fish and vegetables.

What do Italians do on Christmas Day? ›

Some Italians start celebrating with a nice dinner on December 24th, while others prefer a light meal — preferably without meat — and wait for a huge Christmas lunch, the day after. However, the midnight Mass at the local church is a tradition from the North to the South.

What is the difference between pandoro and panettone? ›

The main difference between pandoro and panettone lies in the shape, an eight-pointed star for the former and a cylinder with a domed top for the latter, and in their defining flavours: the pandoro is presented in all its simplicity, covered with a dusting of icing sugar, while the panettone is enriched with candied ...

What is the most popular Christmas tradition in Italy? ›

One of the most loved Italian Christmas traditions is presepe or nativity scenes. Nativity scenes depicting the birth of Jesus are spread throughout homes, churches and squares all over Italy. In fact, it seems that no matter where you're in the country, there's always one close by.

Do Italians eat tiramisu at Christmas? ›

No Italian Christmas is complete without indulging in desserts like babà, tiramisu, pandolce, and panforte, which perfectly complement the joyful spirit of the season.

What is the most popular Christmas dessert in Europe? ›

Let's explore the most popular Christmas holiday treats in each EU country without further ado.
  • Italy - Panettone. ...
  • Germany - Stollen. ...
  • Spain - Turron Nougat. ...
  • France - Bûche de Noël. ...
  • Luxembourg - Äppelklatzen. ...
  • Belgium - Speculaas or Speculoos. ...
  • Netherlands - Banketstaaf. ...
  • Portugal - Bolo Rei (King's Cake)
Nov 12, 2022

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