List of Italian desserts and pastries facts for kids

Italian desserts and pastries are super popular around the world. Italian food has a long history, going back thousands of years! Many countries like Greece, Spain, Austria, and France have influenced Italy's sweet treats. The sunny Mediterranean climate and its farms also play a big part in what Italians eat.

What Makes Them Special?

Italy has a huge variety of foods because of its rich history. You'll often find fruits like peaches, lemons, and pears in Italian dessert recipes. Sweet cheeses, such as ricotta and mascarpone, are also very common.

Coffee, especially espresso, is a big part of Italian life and food. It's used a lot in desserts like tiramisu. Did you know that cold dairy desserts, like ice cream and gelato, first became popular in the Western world thanks to Italy?

Popular Italian Desserts

A

Name	Image	Description
Affogato		A scoop of ice cream served with hot espresso poured over it.
Angel wings		Fried dough shaped into ribbons and covered in powdered sugar.

B

Name	Image	Description
Barbajada		A special drink made from whipped chocolate, milk, and coffee.
Biscotti		A crunchy Italian biscuit. It often has nuts or dried fruit, or is dipped in chocolate.
Bombolone		An Italian doughnut, usually filled with chocolate, cream, or jam.
Budino		A creamy pudding made from milk and egg custard. It often has a crust or whipped cream on top.

C

Name	Image	Description
Cannoli		Crispy, rolled dough shells filled with sweet ricotta cheese cream.
Cassata		A round sponge cake soaked in fruit juice. It often has ricotta cheese and candied fruit.
Ciambella		A ring-shaped cake made with flour, milk, sugar, and vanilla.
Confetti		Almonds covered in a colorful, sugary coating.
Crostata		A baked tart or pie, often filled with fruit or jam.
Cucidati		A fig cookie topped with vanilla icing.

F

Name	Image	Description
Frutta martorana		Sweet treats shaped like fruits, made from marzipan.

G

Name	Image	Description
Gelato		An Italian frozen dessert, similar to ice cream but usually thicker.
Granita		A refreshing Italian ice dessert. It's made from sugar, water, and different flavors.

L

Name	Image	Description
Ladyfinger		A long, soft biscuit. It's often used in desserts like tiramisu.

M

Name	Image	Description
Marzipan		A sweet paste made mainly from sugar, honey, and ground almonds.
Mimosa cake		A moist sponge cake with a creamy buttercream frosting.

N

Name	Image	Description
Neapolitan ice cream		Ice cream with three classic flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
Nutella		A popular sweet spread made from hazelnuts and chocolate.

P

Name	Image	Description
Pandoro		A traditional Italian sweet bread, often shaped like a star.
Panettone		A sweet bread with dried fruits and sometimes chocolate.
Panna cotta		A creamy Italian dessert. It's made from sweetened cream, thickened with gelatin, and molded.
Pasticciotto		An Italian pastry filled with ricotta cheese and egg custard.
Pastiera		A Neapolitan tart made with cooked wheat, eggs, and ricotta cheese. It's flavored with orange flower water.

R

Name	Image	Description
Rainbow cookie		A colorful, three-layered Italian cookie with almond flavor.

S

Name	Image	Description
Semifreddo		A frozen dessert similar to ice cream. Its main ingredients are egg yolks, sugar, and cream.
Sfogliatella		A shell-shaped Italian pastry filled with cream. It comes from the Campania region.
Spumoni		A molded gelato with layers of different colors and flavors. It often has candied fruits and nuts.
Struffoli		A Neapolitan dish of deep-fried sweet dough balls, often drizzled with honey.

T

Name	Image	Description
Taralli		A cracker similar to a breadstick. It can be sweet or savory.
Tartufo		A ball of gelato covered and filled with melted chocolate.
Tiramisu		A famous dessert made with ladyfingers dipped in coffee. It's layered with a whipped mix of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, then flavored with cocoa.
Torrone		A nougat made with honey, sugar, and whipped egg whites. It's often filled with roasted pistachios and almonds.
Torta caprese		An Italian cake made with chocolate and either almonds or hazelnuts.
Torta della nonna		An Italian sweet pastry cake filled with vanilla-flavored custard. It's covered with pine nuts and powdered sugar.

Z

Name	Image	Description
Zabaione		A dessert drink made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine.
Zeppole		A fried dough dessert often sprinkled with powdered sugar.
Zuccotto		A semi-frozen, chilled dessert made with cake and ice cream.
Zuppa Inglese		An Italian dessert with layers of custard and sponge cake.

Delicious Italian Pastries

Chocolate and pistachio biscotti

• Baci di Dama
• Baicoli
• Biscotti
• Bombolone
• Cannoli
• Ciarduna
• Pandoro
• Pignolata
• Pizzelle
• Sfogliatelle
• Torta caprese
• Zeppole

• 

  Bocconotto is a pastry typical of the Italian regions of Apulia, Abruzzo, and Calabria, and is often eaten at Christmas.

• 

  Sfogliatelle are shell-shaped filled pastries native to Italian cuisine.

• 

  Zeppole is a pastry consisting of a deep-fried dough ball that is dusted with powdered sugar and sometimes filled with various sweets.

More to Explore

• Italian cuisine
• List of desserts
• List of Italian dishes – Desserts and pastry
• Sicilian cuisine – Desserts and sweets