It’s August 2021 and in Australia, our bodies are asking for some extra sugar to manage the harsh winter cold (at least, mine is in Melbourne). For anyone with a sweet tooth, Italian desserts are a great way to finish off a beautiful meal. In fact in my family, a great meal MUST end with a fabulous dessert. From irresistible Tiramisù, crispy Crostoli to Nutella crepes and cakes, discover the most popular Italian desserts for you to try.

Most popular Italian desserts

Italian desserts are trending right now, and any excuse is good to sink your spoon into Italian desserts – a birthday, Easter, Christmas, Sunday, the change of season, let’s even throw in a day off. When it comes to sweets, Italian desserts have a long history. Italy has so many delicious and popular desserts with one (or five) for everyone’s taste! Like many countries, Italy has its own Italian food traditions to mark special occasions. There is something incredibly special about the fact that every region of the country has its own dessert specialities. What adds to the splendour is that Italian recipes have been shared from great cooks, each generation. The great chefs, ‘Mammas’ and ‘Nonnas’ in Italy have passed down their recipes creating more and more delicious desserts. With modernisation and creativity on the rise, the future for Italian cuisine, including fabulous desserts, is a bright one. We have searched our website data to provide you with the most popular Italian desserts people are making. Which one will you choose to cook?

Best ever Tiramisù

Italian Spoon’s recipe for Best ever Tiramisù is an irresistible dish and the happiest dessert that there is. Why? Tiramisù means ‘pick me up’, of course. The secret in this recipe is the Italian meringue. Italian meringue helps to stabilise the Tiramisù and creates a rich, creamy and decadent texture, basically everything you want in a dessert

Crostoli (Chiacchiere) di Carnevale

Our Crostoli (Chiacchiere) di Carnevale are ribbons of crispy pastry dusted with icing sugar. They were originally a dessert for the famous ‘carnevale’ season and thank goodness it has since become a dessert that can be enjoyed all year round!

Graffe Napoletane (Naplolitean-style donut

Graffe Napoletane are sweet, sugar-coated fried donuts with a potato, flour and zesty base. Graffe are a traditional recipe of Carnevale festivities and enjoyed all year round at bars in Southern Italy with a great espresso coffee. Bring a little piece of Napoli to your home kitchen – they are absolutely delicious!

Sfingi Siciliani (Sicilian style doughnuts)

Sfingi Siciliani, also known also as Zeppole which are Sicilian style donuts, are a classic Italian dessert of simple fried, crispy dough, flavoured with cinnamon and sultanas and then coated sugar. This recipe will take you to Sicily and is in two words – dessert heaven!

Nutella crepes

Indulge your sweet tooth with these delicious Nutella Crepes. Tender Crepes filled with Nutella and served with fresh berries – a simple and sophisticated summer dessert.

Nutella tart

Nutella tart, known in Italian as ‘Crostata alla Nutella’, is a classic Italian dessert to make all your Nutella dreams come true. The silky and shiny Nutella ganache filling is balanced with a zesty biscuit base. It is a delicious treat for the tastebuds!

Orange pistachio cake

Pour a cup of tea and treat yourself to a slice of Orange pistachio cake, a moist cake loaded with pistachios and orange flavour. Simply buonissimo!

Upside down caramelised pineapple cake

Upside down caramelised pineapple cake is so colourful on the plate. Topped with delicious, caramelised pineapple, Italian Spoon’s moist upside-down cake is a tropical sensation and the perfect afternoon tea cake.

Happy cooking!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Vanessa Bottaro

Author, Founder and Creative Director at Italian Spoon

In my eyes, Italian cuisine is love on a plate.

Vanessa is Creative Director of the Italian Spoon website and Author of The Italian entertaining cookbook, a collection of home-style Italian recipes and tips for entertaining in true Italian-style. In addition to cooking and taking photographs, Vanessa writes the recipes and blogs to bring the love of Italian cooking to life! The collection of recipes and blogs on the website have been inspired by travels to Italy and desire to share what she has learnt from the great ‘Mamma’s and ‘Nonna’s in her life!

Vanessa is an entrepreneur and wife to husband Simone and the mother of two beautiful kids Dante and Mia. Even so she was born and lives in Melbourne Australia, Vanessa has a deep connection to Italy. Perhaps it is the food, or maybe it is because it is the place where Vanessa met the love of her life, Simone to whom she has been happily married for so many years.

Latest posts by Vanessa Bottaro (see all)

• Italian Christmas menu 2022 - December 16, 2022
• 10 Show-Stopping Roast Ideas - November 18, 2022
• Healthy Italian food recipes - November 4, 2022