17 Delicious Italian Easter Desserts To Try

This post on Italian Easter desserts was first published on the 20th March 2023.

Are you ready to discover the most delicious Italian Easter desserts around? An Italian Easter feast is never complete without an array of mouth-watering desserts. From traditional Colomba Pasquale to the delicious italian easter tart and pastiera cake, plenty of tasty treats to satisfy every sweet tooth.

The first things that come to mind when I think about traditional Easter desserts back home are probably cuddura and marzipan lamb. They are both typical of the Sicilian Easter scene and as our father is from there, they were always present in the house for the Easter holidays.

Our dad used to visit his parents every Easter so he brought back the goodies, handmade cuddura from our grandma and the marzipan lamb that our grandpa brought. It’s not the same anymore, but Simona loved making cuddura to bring back the same flavours at home. Now whether you are just a chocolate egg eater or love a good Easter dessert, let’s check some traditional Italian Easter desserts!

Is Easter a big holiday in Italy?

Absolutely yes! If you need another reason to visit the Bel Paese is surely the widely diffused festivals and traditions. Pasqua is an amazing time to visit and experience the holiday here with plenty of processions, sacred representations and religious events.

Every small town and city has traditions of their own, but it’s very popular to bring statues of Jesus and Mary in procession as well as Via Crucis, which is a reenactment of the events that happened during the Holy Week. Also of importance in Florence the ‘Scoppio del Carro‘ and the Vatican Via Crucis among the many.

Although religion is still a big part of Easter in Italy, food is also at the centre of festivities. Easter Sunday is the culmination of Lent, which gives space to food spreads and delicious desserts to have. From the famous chocolate eggs to pastiera napoletana, let’s check out in detail the best Italian Easter desserts.

North of Italy – Italian easter desserts

COLOMBA di Pasqua – Lombardy

To start off these Italian Easter desserts we go with a classic, widely diffused in Italy and around the world. The Colomba di Pasqua (Easter dove) is a soft airy ‘cake’ similar to panettone. Traditionally made with flour, eggs, sugar, butter and candied orange peel, topped with almonds and sugar pearls. Colomba has legendary and historical origins. It is said to have been first given as a sign of peace after the siege of Pavia to King Alboin. Another legend attributes its origin to San Colombano.

Although legends are widely diffused on this Easter classic, the Colomba we know actually originated in 1930. When Dino Villani, who worked for Motta, thought about using the same dough as panettone, adding some ingredients like almonds and a glaze, in a different shape, and selling it as an Easter dessert. From then on, Colomba has been a staple on every Easter spread. It’s a symbol of peace and rebirth, making it a must-have on Easter tables across Italy.

PINZA Friuli Venezia Giulia

Typical of Trieste in Friuli Venezia Giulia, a sweet focaccia that absorbed influences and traditions from different cultures that are part of Trieste’s history. The word comes from Latin ‘pinsare’ which means to knead. Ingredients for this focaccia are simple, but the making time it’s quite long.

It will need three separate kneadings and a rise time from morning to night, which makes it a lengthy process. Although times are long, this delicious focaccia is flavoured with lemon and orange zest.

ZAMBELA Emilia Romagna

Next up on these Italian Easter desserts is Zambela, a typical sweet round doughnut without a hole made of flour, butter, lard and milk. It’s crisp on the outside and firm on the inside. Topped with sugar sprinkles, honey or candied fruits and used to dunk in milk.

FUGASSA Veneto

This easy sweet focaccia is very similar to the Easter Colomba but without candied fruits. What is different about this fugassa is the long rising time to make the dough. It’s typically filled with vanilla and almonds but has different fillings depending on the town.

FIADONI Trentino Alto Adige

Fiadoni is a typical puff pastry filled with almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, honey, cinnamon and spices. They are a delicious add-on to your Italian Easter desserts and bring out the best products from this region.

Central Italy

PIGNA DOLCE – Lazio, Molise & Campania

An Easter dessert that is typical in Lazio as well as widely diffused in Campania and Molise. Among the classic easter desserts, this is the one most similar in texture to panettone. It’s made with eggs, flour, sugar and flavoured with anise, candied citron and sometimes liqueur.

This easter dessert is left to rise multiple times, giving its distinctive airy texture. It is often enjoyed for breakfast on Easter morning or as a dessert accompanied by a glass of dessert wine.

PIZZA DI RICOTTA – Lazio, Abruzzo & Puglia

Among the Easter Italian desserts, we have pizza di ricotta which is an Italian Easter cheesecake that is made in different regions like Lazio, Abruzzo and Puglia. Made with ricotta cheese, sugar, lemon zest and in some version chocolate or cinnamon. It’s a staple for many Italian families thanks to its creamy and lightly sweet flavour.

CAVALLI E PUPE Abruzzo

In the past, these Easter shortcrust cookies were used as presents at engagement parties in the 800s. Afterwards, they were used for Easter as a symbol of sharing and love. As well as being shaped like girls and horses, these short crust cookies have a hard-boiled egg between the arms/legs.

SCHIACCIATA DI PASQUA Tuscany

Next up between the Italian Easter desserts is this schiacciata di Pasqua. This dessert is similar to a panettone, a bread dough enriched with butter and sugar. Made with ingredients that are easy to find and anise. The dough requires different rising times and a long process for it to be made.

ZUCCOTTO PASQUALE Tuscany

The zuccotto’s history goes quite a long way in the past. It was created in 1500 by the artist Buontalenti and it was initially a sponge covered in alchermes that covered a heart filled with ricotta, cocoa and candied citrus. Nowadays, the recipe that is used is from the 1930s, when this dessert was discovered.

CIARAMICOLA Umbria

This Italian Easter dessert is typical of Umbria in Central Italy. It’s made with a sweet aromatic liqueur called Alcheremes, which gives a red hue to this dessert. It’s a bundt cake topped with meringue and sprinkles. It requires only a few ingredients to make, but it’s a delicious and show-stopping dessert to add to your Easter spread.

South of Italy

PASTIERA NAPOLETANA Campania

One of the most famous Italian Easter desserts is the pastiera napoletana recipe. This neapolitan pastiera is a short-crust pastry dessert filled with ricotta, wheat, milk, eggs and orange blossom water and candied citrus peel. You can also find different versions with cinnamon, vanilla, lemon zest and sometimes pumpkin puree.

It also has differences depending on the part of the region it’s made, in Salerno for example, rice is used instead of wheat. In other parts, chocolate is added to the pastry or some custard. This ricotta pie is said to have originated in ancient Rome and was prepared days before Easter to allow the flavours to fully develop.

CASATIELLO Campania

Casatiello is another famous Easter dessert from South Italy. Usually known as a savoury cake, casatiello has also a sweet version made of eggs, sugar, lard and glaze, then decorated with sprinkles. It takes a longer time for it to rise as it’s made with a starter.

CUDDURA Sicily

This is one from my childhood and one I take at heart. Simona made cuddura on The Grumpy Olive and as I said before, it was such a blast from the past. Cuddura has plenty of versions around the south of Italy but they are all similar in having hard-boiled eggs. Eggs symbolize new life and renewal.

Cuddura is a dessert made of leavened bread dough or short-crust pastry, decorate with hard-boiled eggs and sprinkles. It can have different shapes like a bell, a dove, a basket or a doll.

PITAPPIE Calabria

These are cookies filled with mostarda. They are a very old Easter dessert also used during the Christmas period and it was born as a farmer’s dessert made with wine, oil and sugar. As with the rest of the Easter desserts, they come in different shapes and fillings depending on the part of the region you are in.

SCARCELLA Puglia

Among the Italian Easter recipes, there’s scarcella, from Puglia, which is often shaped like a basket, or a dove or a wreath. Tradtionaly baked with a hard-boiled egg nestled in the dough, representing fertility and renewal. Some versions are covered in coloured icing and sprinkles, while other remain simple and more rustic.

PARDULAS Sardinia

We end these Italian Easter desserts with Pardulas, typical small baskets filled with goat’s ricotta, saffron and lemon zest. They are also well known as casadinas in the North of the island. There are different versions around the island, from sweet to savoury ones, what joins them is the outside pastry made with semolina.

I hope you have enjoyed these delicious Italian Easter desserts. If you loved this recipe, why not check out this delicious torta paradiso, tiramisu in a glass and frittelle di Carnevale for something sweet? If you are after some savoury things, why not check out this gnocco fritto?

Have you ever celebrated Easter in Italy? Which one of these Italian Easter desserts have you tried? Would you like to try one of these italian easter food recipes? Let me know in the comments!

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