18 Classic Italian Christmas Desserts To Try This Holiday Season
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During the holidays, there's one place you can always find a member of Team Delish: anywhere there's a plate of Italian desserts. It shouldn't come as any surprise — Italian food is an art in itself, and that absolutely extends to all their recipes for cookies, cakes, and pastries that pop up around Christmas. No matter if you're looking for new recipes for your cookie exchange, or simply just want a grand finale at your holiday dinner, these 18 classic Italian Christmas desserts are 100% Nonna approved.
If you're lucky to have Italian (or Italian-American) family members or friends around, you know full well that they do not mess around with their cookie recipes. Sure, they might not want to share those secret recipes, but we have packed rolodex of our own that are just as good as they make in the old country, like Italian ricotta cookies, cuccidati, oven-baked pizzelles, and pignoli. Personally, we think these cookies are the ultimate gift that keep on giving. At the top of our list for Santa, you'll definitely find "a tin of Italian rainbow cookies, amaretti cookies, and cannoli cookies," since they're arguably the tastiest homemade gift of all.
Beyond cookies, there's tons of iconic Italian desserts that'll sweet up any get together. Our recipes for panettone and struffoli double as a centerpiece and are way easier than battling those holiday grocery crowds. Want more of a challenge? Anyone who wants to up their "Star Baker" cred will want to check out recipes for desserts like zeppole and tiramisu, which are the perfect mix of craft project (but with a delicious payoff).
Panettone
Large domed boxes of Italian panettone line grocery and bakery shelves during the holiday season. Inside those boxes lies the magic of panettone, which is a nostalgic Christmas bread we've come to love over the years. It’s a rich, fruity, bread-like cake studded with citrusy essence. For this recipe, we’ve minimized the prep time without sacrificing the quality. You'll still get all the bits of chocolate that melt in your mouth and orange peel to brighten the bite.
Get the Panettone recipe.
Oven Baked Pizzelles
Most people who are familiar with pizzelles won’t associate them with the oven. But because not everyone is going to get their hands on a specialty pizzelle waffle iron—unless it was passed down from generations of grandparents—then how do you make them? Answer: cookie stamps!
Get the Oven Baked Pizzelles recipe.
Struffoli
Struffoli are a traditional Neapolitan dessert served at Christmas. Little balls of dough are flavored with citrus zest and a splash of wine, deep-fried until crispy and light, and tossed in honey to sweeten the deal. As if this isn’t already enough of a delight, the balls then get shaped into a wreath (the honey comes into play again, helping everything stick together) and covered in rainbow nonpareil sprinkles.
Get the Struffoli recipe.
Tiramisu
Tiramisu is admittedly a bit of a process to make, but it's so worth it. Set yourself up for success by keeping your workspace as tidy as possible, particularly when dipping your ladyfingers in the rum and coffee.
Get the Tiramisu recipe.
Cuccidati
If Fig Newtons had a grown-up, glamorous sister, she would be cuccidati. Packed with a sticky-sweet, spiced fig filling and showered in rainbow sprinkles, these bite-sized Italian cookies are more than ready for a party. They’re traditionally made during the winter holidays, but to be honest, we think they’d be perfect for any celebration, any time of the year.
Get the Cuccidati recipe.
Zeppole
Zeppole are the perfect snack for serving with coffee for a midmorning pastry break, or serve with chocolate sauce for a more decadent dessert. In Italy, larger zeppole are often filled with pastry cream. For a take on that version, use a paring knife to poke a small hole in the side of the donut, then fill with pastry cream using a piping bag.
Get the Zeppole recipe.
Italian Ricotta Cookies
These melt-in-your-mouth holiday cookies are an Italian classic, and a breeze to make. What’s more fun than frosting? Sprinkles! You can adorn these cookies with any combination of sprinkles, whether for a Christmas celebration or just another Tuesday.
Get the Italian Ricotta Cookies recipe.
Perfect Panna Cotta
Panna cotta is a cream-based Italian dessert that is set with gelatin, and any dessert that uses cream as the main dessert is a must-make in our books. This no-bake dessert is delicate, creamy, and all-around decadent.
Get the Perfect Panna Cotta recipe.
Italian Rainbow Cookies
Italian rainbow cookies always catch our eye when we see them packaged at the store or behind the glass counter at bakeries. Now you can make them at home! They're technically more cake than cookie, but they'll still be welcome in any cookie exchange.
Get the Italian Rainbow Cookies recipe.
Panettone Cookies
These cookies are a simpler approach to the sought-after Christmas bread. To think a fluffy, enriched bread can somehow translate into a buttery cookie might seem preposterous, but these cookies are the perfect base for orange peel, currants, dried apricots, chocolate, and almonds.
Get the Panettone Cookies recipe.
Tiramisu Cake
It’s hard not to love a creamy, light slice of tiramisu. We'll take it any form, really, but we especially love it in cake form, like in our tiramisu cheesecake or this layer cake. Whether you’re just looking for a slightly more approachable take on the Italian classic, or are just a tiramisu fanatic looking for a clever twist, this recipe will be perfect for whatever you’re celebrating.
Get the Tiramisu Cake recipe.
Nutty Peppermint Chocolate Biscotti
What really sets this version apart from most other biscotti recipes is the use of whole wheat flour. Not only does it add a little nutritional bump, it also contributes a slight nutty-sweetness that pairs really well with the dark cocoa powder, subtle peppermint, and crunchy almonds.
Get the Nutty Peppermint Chocolate Biscotti recipe.
Pignoli Cookies
The treat is studded with pignoli, Italian for pine nuts, and gets even more nutty flavor from a hefty amount of almond paste (one of our favorite secret weapons in baked goods for its rich, slightly sweet flavor). Egg whites help give the cookies a superbly chewy and airy texture, and also help make this cookie totally gluten-free—no flour required!
Get the Pignoli Cookies recipe.
White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Biscotti
A lot of treats consider themselves coffee/tea companions, but none hold a candle to the crispy, crunchy goodness that is the biscotti. These have the classic flavor combination of cranberry and orange, and we dipped in white chocolate and coated in chopped pistachios to add a little extra indulgence.
Get the White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Biscotti recipe.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
The best part about this flourless cake is that it doesn't require any flour alternatives and is 100% gluten-free. Cocoa powder and eggs give it all the lift and structure it needs. Elegant and sleek, this is the cake we make the most whenever we're having dinner guests or need to throw together a quick and easy dessert for a party.
Get the Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe.
Italian Lemon Cookies
Originally served at weddings (to symbolize tying the knot), these Italian cookies now commonly found at holiday gatherings too. A soft but sturdy dough is flavored with lemon juice and zest, then rolled into a knot. After baking, it gets dipped in a lemon-y glaze and finished with even more zest.
Get the Italian Lemon Cookies recipe.
Cannoli Cookies
If you love cannoli but making them from scratch seems daunting, let us introduce you to cannoli cookies. This cookie recipe has all of the flavors you love in a cannoli, like ricotta, orange zest, mini chocolate chips, and pistachios, but with a fraction of the effort. The result is a soft, cake-like cookie with flavors that are reminiscent of cannoli.
Get the Cannoli Cookies recipe.
Amaretti Cookies
If you like the flavor of French macarons, you'll love this take on Italian amaretti cookies. Soft, pillowy, moist, sweet, and lightly scented with amaretto liqueur as well as citrus zests, these cookies get made multiple times a season, year after year.
Get the Amaretti Cookies recipe.
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