Traditional Italian Dessert Recipes

Discover the most popular traditional Italian puddings and make them at home with our recipes. As you explore Italian food culture, you will find classic Italian dessert recipes that capture the essence of Italy’s diverse regions and special occasions. Our collection highlights authentic Italian ingredients such as almonds, apples, espresso, and marsala wine, which are staples in Italian cooking. Each recipe provides a step-by-step guide to preparing these beloved traditional desserts and sweets, showcasing Italian baked goods and confections that are cherished across Italy. Whether you’re looking to create delicious puddings or explore other traditional Italian desserts, our recipes will bring a taste of Italy to your kitchen.

1. Torta Di Mela - Italian Apple Tart

The first apple pie was invented by Geoffrey Chaucer and dated back to 1381. The original recipe was English and included apples, figs, raisins, pears, pastry and didn’t include sugar. In America, people put cheese on their apple pie and, hence the saying: “A pie without cheese is like a hug without a squeeze”. 

Other variations of this pudding include Apple crumble, apple lattice, and apple cake. The main element that makes this apple tart Italian is how the pastry is made and how typically Italian desserts are made with olive oil instead of butter. Even if you don’t like the flavour of olive oil, it is unlikely you will taste it. You can serve this with whipped cream or ice cream; however, in Italy, it is eaten cold, dusted with icing sugar, and served with a coffee for breakfast or eaten later on after dinner as a dessert. This apple tart will stay fresh for about 2-5 days in the fridge. 

Ingredients for torta di mela

• Baking soda (1 tsp)
• Flour (1 & 3/4 cups )
• Baking powder (2 tsp)
• Medium room temperature eggs (2)
• Sugar (2/3 cups)
• Milk (1/2 cup)
• Grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
• 3 Apples (half chopped into small cubes and the other half into thin slices) 
• Unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil (2 tbsp softened)
• Powdered sugar (1 tsp)

How to make Torta di mela

1. Preheat oven to gas mark 4.
2. Grease an 8-inch deep cake pan with butter and flour to avoid sticking.
3. In a medium bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk sugar and eggs until smooth and creamy. 
4. Slowly add in the zested lemon and slowly the dry ingredients and the milk until well combined. 
5. Pour into the greased cake pan. Sprinkle the little bits of apple in random places on top of the cake batter. Add the thinly sliced apple slices on top, following the round edges of the pan.
6. Add the butter cubes randomly on top of the apple, sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar on top and place into the oven for 40 minutes.
7. Once cooked, leave to cool for 20 minutes, then serve with powdered sugar on top.

2. Traditional Italian Tiramisù

This dessert is so different from the usual after-dinner pudding. It is everything that I love. It is creamy from the mascarpone, sweet, cakey from the sponge fingers, and the coffee flavour makes it comforting and uplifting. The cocoa that is sprinkled on top makes it look amazing. Whilst it may seem complex to make for the beginner cook, as long as you have the right tools for the job, and have the willingness to try, you will really love this! 

If you haven’t tried tiramisu before, then this is the best way to taste it. I urge you to not take the shortcut buying a pre-prepared one from the shop, as I have done this before and the shop brought ones, as a rule, are overly sweet and have no flavour. Try it the authentic way. 

Italian tiramisu ingredients

• 500g Mascarpone
• 4 eggs (Uova)
• 100G Sugar (Zucchero)
• 300g Coffee with 1tsp sugar (café con un cucchiano di zucchero)
• 300g Sponge fingers – (di Savoiardi)
• Cocoa Powder (Cacao Amaro)

How to make Italian tiramisu

1. Separate the egg yolks and white and put them in separate mixing bowls.
2. Add half of the sugar to the yolks and mix with a hand mixer on medium speed. Once it has combined and begins to thicken, go ahead and add your mascarpone one tablespoon at a time whilst still mixing.
3. Slowly add the other half of the sugar to the egg whites until combined. The mixture should be thick enough to hold upside down without spilling.
4. Add the thickened egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture by folding carefully with a spatula.
5. Get a rectangular dish and spread a small amount of the mixture on the bottom.
6. Dip the sponge fingers into the coffee and then place evenly on top of the mixture in the dish.
7. Once you have a whole layer of sponge fingers, you can then add more of the mascarpone/egg mixture. On top to cover it. Repeat again with the sponge fingers and then add more mixture to the top.
8. To finish the Tiramisu, sprinkle all over with cocoa powder and then leave it in the fridge to set for 2 hours and then enjoy.

3. Amaretti biscuits

These little biscuits are so tasty, especially if you are a fan of almond or Italy. When we had our trip to Sorrento we tasted real Italian coffee and it came with these cute little biscuits. When we got home to England, coffee wasn't the same without these by its side.

Luckily we was able to get them from a local supermarket but they aren't cheap nor are they fresh. I thought to myself "If they tasted this good from a package, how good must they be when freshly made?" Just like our Sorrento style limoncello, we set out to make our own amaretti.

Amaretti ingredients

• Butter for greasing
• Egg whites (4)
• Caster sugar (350g)
• Ground almond (350g)
• Amaretto liqueur (30ml)

How to make amaretti

• Start by preheating your oven to gas mark 4 (180c), then line a baking tray with baking paper, and lightly grease it with butter.
• Next you will need to whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until it is stiff and firm.
• You could whisk it by hand but it will take quite a while so if you do have an electric whisk, I highly recommend using it.
• Gently mix in the sugar and almonds, then pour in the amaretto liquor and fold in carefully to make a smooth paste. Use a teaspoon to place small heaps of the mixture onto the lined tray. Space them around 5cm apart to give them room to expand.
• Bake in the oven on the middle shelf for 15 minutes until golden brown. You can eat these warm of place them on a rack to crisp up and go firm. Serve your amaretti with coffee, ice cream or eat them on their own. These will store well in a sealed container and will keep for up to a week. If you don't fancy making these yet and want to try them for the first time, you can buy amaretti online.

4. Biscotti biscuits

This Italian almond biscotti recipe is similar to amaretti biscuits but instead, it is made with wheat flour instead of ground almond. Biscotti originated in the Tuscan city of Prato in Italy during the 18th century. There are so many variations of biscotti such as hazelnut biscotti, double chocolate biscotti, lemon biscotti, gingerbread biscotti, Anise biscotti, chocolate orange biscotti, cinnamon biscotti, coconut biscotti, cranberry biscotti, and more. The purpose of biscotti was typically to be eaten by travellers. As ‘Biscotti’ means twice-cooked, it refers to how the biscuit was baked to cook it, and then it was cooled, cut, and cooked a second time to make the biscuit less perishable whilst traveling.

That's what makes this biscuit a fantastic food to eat on the go. Biscotti is typically an oblong-shaped biscuit that has a dry and crunchy texture with a sweet nutty flavor. It is also known as Catucci. It’s said that the original biscotti was more of a bread than a cookie. One of the best benefits to biscotti is that because they are so dry from a long cooking time, they can stay fresh for longer-lasting about 2 weeks in an air-tight container. If you are making the dough in advance, you should only keep it in the fridge for a maximum of 2 days. If you want to make a big batch you can place cooked cookies into the freezer and they will keep for up to 3 months.

If you want to make the recipe suitable for vegans simply swap out the egg for an egg replacer like tapioca flour, mashed banana, apple sauce, etc. As they contain olive oil instead of butter they are typically a lot healthier than other biscuits. Some people love to dunk their biscotti into a cappuccino whereas other people throughout Italy like to dunk it into wine. In fact, biscotti is considered to be one of the best dunking cookies, and has also been used to make a cheesecake with biscotti as the base for a delicious Italian twist.  Look no further, this is the best homemade biscotti you will find. Before starting make sure all of these ingredients are out of the fridge and at room temperature.

Biscotti Ingredients

• Whole almonds or Hazelnuts (150g)
• All purpose flour (313g)
• Soft brown sugar (155g)
• Demerara sugar (125g)
• Large eggs (3)
• Almond extract (1 tbsp)
• Vanilla extract (1 tbsp)
• Lemon zest (1 tsp)
• Baking powder (1 1/2 tsp)
• Olive oil (65g)
• Salt (1/2 tsp)

How to make Biscotti 

1. Line a large flat oven dish with baking paper and preheat your oven to gas mark 3
2. Once the oven has preheated spread out whole almonds on the baking paper and place them in the oven to toast for 12 minutes.
3. Whilst the almonds toast mix together all of your dry ingredients (flour, sugars, baking powder, salt.) in another large bowl whisk the eggs, add in the oil, extracts, and zest and lightly mix but do not over mix.
4. Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture and combine well, once combined. Take out the toasted almonds, allow to cool, and coarsely shop then fold them into the batter.
5. Line a flat baking tray with baking parchment/paper and pour the mixture in Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. You will have what looks like a flat rectangular cake, allow it to cool, cut into your preferred biscotti shape, I chose small rectangles but it is your choice. Allow them to cool on a wire rack and place back onto the oven tray for a further 15 minutes on gas mark 4 until brown and crisp.

Italian Pudding (Frequently asked questions)

How long will biscotti last?

These will keep for around 3 weeks in an airtight container for 3 weeks or will freeze well for 3 months! Enjoy with a coffee or a cheeky scoop of Italian vanilla gelato.

Can I use a different type of apple for the Torta Di Mela?

Yes, you can use any apple variety that holds its shape well during baking, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.

How can I make the Torta Di Mela gluten-free?

Substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend. Make sure the blend includes xanthan gum or guar gum for better texture.

Can I use a substitute for mascarpone cheese?

You can use cream cheese or a mix of cream cheese and heavy cream, though this may slightly alter the flavor and texture.

How do I make Tiramisù without alcohol?

Simply omit the Marsala wine and replace it with extra coffee or a splash of vanilla extract.

How can I make Amaretti biscuits less sweet?

Reduce the amount of caster sugar in the recipe. This might affect the texture and sweetness balance.

Can I use almond flour instead of ground almonds?

Yes, almond flour can be used as a substitute. It may result in a slightly different texture but should work well.

How long do Biscotti last?

Biscotti can last up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze them for up to 3 months.

Can I add other nuts or dried fruits to the Biscotti recipe?

Yes, you can incorporate nuts or dried fruits like cranberries, raisins, or hazelnuts to customize your biscotti.

Up Next: The Best Italian Cannoli (Recipe)