Best Italian Snacks To Buy - From Supermarket To Delis

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If there’s something Italy is renowned for in the world, it is food. But Italian food doesn’t stop at pizza and pasta, snacks are a big part of it too and today, we will show you all the best Italian snacks to buy when you are here and also what you should bring back home!

Think of this as the guide you must check off when travelling Italy. Because trying the food, visiting the landmarks and living the Dolce Vita is amazing in itself, but bringing a piece of it back home can really help with the heartache.

And aren’t snacks the best souvenir you can bring home to friends and family? (Or let’s be honest, bring it home for your own enjoyment). You will find plenty of popular Italian snacks to buy from the supermarket, to deli and bars, as well as the more traditional ones you can find at open-air markets and in different regions.

Table of Contents

Meet all the Italian snacks to buy

Supermarket Italian snacks to buy

Mulino Bianco: This is the most famous brand of biscuits mostly for breakfast and snack (called ‘merenda’) that you will find in most supermarkets and even some delis. Even if they have a higher ticket price, they are still a favourite in Italy (and maybe I am biased here) because of their flavour and the memories of childhood that they bring. They don’t only make biscuits, but also brioches, crackers, fette biscottate and bread.

You can find Mulino Bianco even elsewhere nowadays, but the price of import is scary in itself (just thinking of getting a packet of biscuits when in London and it was a small fortune). But while you are here stock up! Make sure to try:

macine – simple biscuit perfect to dunk in milk or tea (absolute top 3 biscuits I love);
baiocchi – two biscuits with a filling between them, from pistachio to chocolate (Simona’s favourites);
cuori di mela – filled with apple jam;
Pan di stelle (another one of my favourites) chocolate biscuits with tiny stars on them.

shelves of mulino bianco biscuits at the supermarket

Kinder Ferrero: Another favourite and a must between the Italian snacks to buy. One we used to bring back to friends in London and stocked up on after visiting our parents (glad that now we can have the whole assortment near us!). Born in the 1960s as a part of Ferrero to create chocolate for kids.

Nowadays, Kinder Ferrero produces more than just chocolate snacks, adding to the set brioches, small packed snacks to bring to school, nutella and more. You will find some of these chocolate snacks even in the rest of the world, but most of them can only be found here in Italy. The Kinder ones you should absolutely try:

kinder cioccolato: the classic chocolate bar with a milk filling;
kinder bueno: a thin wafer filled with hazelnut cream and covered in chocolate for the most delicious quick snack on the go;
kinder sorpresa: a kid’s favourite. A chocolate egg with a thin milk layer inside and a toy surprise;
kinder paradiso: my absolute favourite. It’s like a torta paradiso in a smaller size and oh so soft that will keep you asking for more;
kinder brioss: another favourite from childhood. I used to love the taste of this brioche with a juice for merenda. Think of a pillowy brioche filled with milk cream;
kinder pinguì: this is made out of a sponge, with a milk filling and covered in chocolate. It’s a fresh pick me up during the afternoon.

shelves of kinder ferrero brioches and plum cakes for breakfast

San Carlo: One of the biggest crisps names in Italy. The company founded in the late 1930s now creates not only flavoured crisps of different shapes but also snacks, bread and crackers. Make sure to try the classic ones, the rustic and the flavoured ones like tomato and lime ones.

Loacker: Among the Italian snacks to buy at the supermarket you can’t miss Loacker! A South Tyrol brand that specialises in wafers, chocolates and biscuits. They make the best hazelnut wafers on the market, hands down (and I can assure you no sub-brand can manage to get them to taste as good, I tried).

They make plenty of different sizes for most of products, so they are easy to snuggle in your overfilled suitcase, rest assured. Make sure to try:

quadratini: my favourite from Loacker, the hazelnut ones have been a long-lasting love since I was a kid. You should also try the lemon ones, the berry and yoghurt. They have also recently released some different flavours like matcha, espresso, cappuccino, gingerbread and more.
classic wafers: Loacker has plenty of different flavours you should add to your Italian snacks to buy list, from vanilla to dark chocolate or hazelnuts. Just pick and enjoy!

shelves of loacker wafers, different flavours

Pavesi: This brand was born in the late 1930s and specialised in snacks, biscuits and crackers. Pavesi is another brand to add to your Italian supermarket snacks for sure. And also our favourite replacement to ladies fingers in tiramisu (they are a bit lighter and soak better in coffee in our opinion – nothing wrong with classic ladies fingers though).

From pavesi, make sure to add these to your buying list:

pavesini: what we use instead of ladies’ fingers. They come in small packets perfect as a midday snack: light and crispy. Perfect to soak or spread anything from Nutella to cream and whatever you can think of, they are so versatile!
gocciole: translated as ‘drops’, they are a breakfast biscuit perfect to dunk in your morning milk or coffee. Covered in chocolate chips, they are the perfect choice for the whole family.
ringo: another one of my favourite biscuits (I have a sweet tooth, can’t resist!). Imagine a biscuit sandwich with cocoa and a vanilla biscuit with cream in between. Easy, delicious and the perfect snack for kids and adults alike.

Bakery items: Before saying anything, if you are going for baked goods, I do recommend hitting a panificio or a bar, where you will find fresher bakery items. Unless it’s specified, most bakery items are frozen and then baked in the shop. Nothing wrong with that, but sometimes it doesn’t hold to how good bakery items are in a panificio or a pasticceria.

You can always find anything from breakfast snacks like croissants and pastries, to find dessert to enjoy with the whole family like cakes and regional favourites. Also check out bread over here, anything like local bread or focaccia always make a great snack all day round.

Deli items: If you go to a supermarket to choose some of your Italian snacks to buy, you can’t miss going to the deli counter. A wide selection of cheeses, cured meats and delicatessen can be found. You will surely find some regional delicacies, so make sure to try them!

You will find a lot of olives, pickled vegetables and fried snacks. Deli items are very requested, mostly during lunch hour or when on a trip.

Candies & chocolates: The supermarket where we shop, has an aisle only for candies and chocolates, and while you can also find the odd international brand, the Italian candy and Italian authentic Italian chocolate game is through the roof! You can find:

hard candies – usually made with fruits, liquorice or herbs (if you love herbs and liquorice, try Golia) ;
jelly-like candies – mostly done with fruits and covered in sugar, perfect for kids and adults alike. Make sure to try Sperlari;
milk candies – some of my favourites, make sure to try Galatine (small round candies made with milk);
dried candies – we have a lot of brands that still make them the traditional way like Pastiglie Leone; from Piemont
toffee candies – some can be harder than others, make sure to try Moo candies if you love toffee and Rossana if you love an almond filling or Elah;
mini chocolate packets – quite famous with tourists are pocket coffee (a chocolate cube filled with espresso);
single serve chocolates: you have to try mini Torrone, Gianduiotto, Baci Perugina or Ferrero Rocher between the many.

Spreads: I mean this is the land of Nutella and all the Nutella snacks (invented in the Piedmont region after World War II), so you can only imagine what a feast for the eyes (and bellies) is to shop for spreads at the supermarkets. You will find classics like Nutella, an insane amount of jams and jellies from local producers and not, pistachio spreads (we make a delicious homemade one), almond spreads and more.

Among the many, I recommend trying the hazelnut spread from Rigoni di Asiago, which is honestly delicious! (A bit on the higher end of the scale in terms of money, but it’s all worth it). Don’t forget to also look for savoury spreads, these will take up a notch for your panini game and homemade snack.

shelves of spreads, rigoni nocciolata and chocolate hazelnuts spreads

Cured meats & cheeses: This is the country where, when you are on a trip or going out with school, or any other kind of travelling, a panini is a must. And what better way than to stuff your sandwich with meat and cheese, or roasted veg and more? Depending on what city or region you are in, make sure to try anything local.

In the supermarket, you can pick a lot of Italian snacks to buy that are repacked like:

salami & cured meats: You must try anything you can see on the meat counter if you’re having a sandwich. I suggest getting vac-packed meats if you want to bring them home like prosciutto or chunks of salami, pancetta, guanciale or nduja.
cheese: anything from parmesan to mozzarella and provolone. Or maybe one of the soft cheeses like ricotta and gorgonzola. If you plan to take them back home to your country, I suggest aged cheeses and anything vac-packed to help keep them fresh.

Mini portable snacks: These are widely popular with kids and something we used to get when we visited our grandparents or as a special treat when on a supermarket run with our mum. They are composed of a plastic tray divided into sections with some crackers, meat and cheese and nowadays even a small drink like a juice (known here as a ‘succo di frutta’).

Panificio Italian snacks to buy

Pizza: is there a more Italian snack? I guess not! The greatest thing about pizza is that is so versatile in flavours, toppings and shapes too! You might have a hard time bringing a whole pizza as a snack around, but actually a lot of panificio offer the typical ‘pizza al taglio’ usually made in rectangular trays.

Or ‘mini pizzetta’ which is a smaller version and is a fantastic snack for kids to have for merenda or during break at school. Make sure to go out of your comfort zone and try some different flavours!

Schiacciata: Crisp and chewy Italian bread typical from Tuscany. Made with simple ingredients, this bread is similar in look and shape to a focaccia and you can find both a savoury and sweet version. It is often enjoyed as a street food or as part of a meal alongside cured meats, cheeses, and wine. It’s also perfect as a snack to bring on a picnic or a day outside as it’s very versatile.

Bread: wherever you go, make sure to try local bread. Depending where you go, you can find different kind of bread and the panificio is the best place to find delicious handmade delicacies. Make sure to try: tigelle, biga, ciabatta, Altamura bread, chesnut loaves, pane di Macerata, sfincione, pane carasau among the many Italian breads.

Focaccia: one of the best savory Italian snack hands down! Soft and airy leavend bread, perfect as it is or filled. A lot of focaccia come as simple as with olive oil, salt and rosemary but you can also find them with tomatoes, olives, onions, courgettes and more. Pick your favourite topping and get ready to enjoy one of the most popular Italian snacks.

pizza and focaccias in packets on fridge shelves

fridge shelves of focaccia packets, savoury tarts and pizza

Biscotti: If you have a sweet tooth, the panificio is also the best place to find biscotti. There’s a huge variety, from filled with Nutella, jam and fruits. Or just butter ones. The choices are endless, make sure to try: canestrelli (my absolute top choice), baci di dam,a, tegole valdostane, ricciarelli, biscotti, ciambelline al vino and more!

Brioches: In a panificio youc an find plenty of Italian snacks to buy, and why not help yourself to some sweet treats? You can find plenty of different brioches (what we refer to as anything like a breakfast pastry), from filled with cream to jam or just simple emty ones.

Cartocciata: It’s a specialty from Catania in Sicily. This particular bread is often sold in what we call ‘tavola calda’, a shop where you can get anything from a hot counter for a quick lunch or dinner. Cartocciata is often filled with ham, tomato sauce, mozzarella and more. A must try if you are in Sicily!

Grissini: Another popular among the Italian snacks to buy are grissinil. These breadsticks can be found in almost all Italian restaurants, usually eaten before you get to your main meal, kind of like a snack you get while waiting. Grissini are widely used for dips, to be eaten as they are, with cured meats or cheeses and tapenades.

shelves of a supermarket with grissini, taralli and savoury focaccia

Bar Italian snacks to buy

Tramezzino: what you will find in most bars as it’s a quick snack as well as in most supermarkets and also another easy snack to bring to school or work. Tramezzini are usually made with soft white bread, with no crust and filled with anything you can think of. One of the Italian snacks to buy that you can’t really miss, mostly with regional specialties like porchetta, lardo or pickles.

sandwiches and piadina in packets in fridge shelves

Filled focaccia: you won’t find them in all bars, but when you do, you can find plenty of filled focaccia usually with cured meats, cheeses or veggie options.

Suppli: these Italian snacks to buy are maybe more popular in central and south Italy more than the north. They are delicious small rice balls with tomato sauce and fried, very different though from arancini.

Small pre-packed snacks: usually the ones you would get with your daily coffee, like a small sweet, dessert, candies, chewing gums, nuts or biscuits. You can also find a lot of these at the supermarkets and they are usually cheaper.

Aperitivo snacks: think like crips, nuts or small savory snacks like olives, taralli or fried food like artichokes, fried dough and the likes.

Deli Italian snacks to buy

Piadina: Delicioius Italian flat bread that originates in the Emilia region. The best snack to have in Italy when on the go or at home as it’s so versatile. You can have it as it is on the side of your favourite dish, or filled. Most popular filling are with cured meats and cheeses, vegetables, rocket, arugula and more.

Olives: Among the Italian snacks to buy, olives are another favourite and you can find them almost anywhere! Being the country with the most varieties of olive trees in the world, the variety are endless. Between the many choices: taggiasca olives, leccino, nocellara (my favourite kind), moraiolo, bosana and more.

Taralli: They are a traditional Italian snack food from the southern regions of Italy, particularly in Puglia and Campania. They are small, ring-shaped crackers or breadsticks with a firm and crunchy texture.

Taralli are a popular option when having snacks, cheese boards, at reasaunt and in delis. Here you will find the most varieties of flavour, from sweet to savoury. Check out the fennel, pepper, sesame seeds, onion, garlic or sweet ones covered in sugar.

Gnocco Fritto: These pillowy crisp fried doughs typical of Emilia Romagna in Northern Italy are a true street food delight you can’t miss. Usually served with cured meat and cheeses, as well as with a side of Emilian Lambrusco, the gnocco fritto is part of the tradition of this region. This is the snack you have to try in delis or at someone’s place!

I hope you enjoyed travelling through the Bel Paese with this list of Italian snacks to buy when you visit. Would you suggest any other Italian snacks that you should bring back home? What is your favourite snack if you tried any? Are there any Italian snacks to buy online you would suggest? Let us know in the comments!