Name: Biancomangiare - 10 minutes delicious sicilian dessert
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: PT-485348H24M49S
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Sicilian
Ingredients: 500 ml unsweetened almond milk ( or cow’s milk); 50 g cornstarch; 100 g white sugar; 8 g vanilla paste (or vanilla extract); cinnamon, to taste; 20 g ground pistachios; honey

Jump to Recipe

I love a delicious and quick dessert and honestly, who can blame me? I bet you are the same! And this biancomangiare is all you can ask for as it takes only ten minutes to whip up and all you have to do is wait for it to settle while you go on with your day.

In Sicily, this typical almond milk pudding is made with a bit of lemon peel and served with almonds and pistachios on top, as well as honey. A true deliciousness, that I must admit took me by surprise! I have never been a fan of pudding, I know controversial maybe, but this biancomangiare is so much more!

Don’t expect any jelly-like dessert with this, rest assured! Also, it’s the perfect quick dessert. Are you expecting any last-minute guests? Want a quick dessert after dinner without much effort? Love to offer dessert when you host family dinners? Or you maybe just need to treat yourself after work? Or you are looking for a quick dessert to have while sitting in a Sicilian square or another reason to visit?

Fear not, because this Sicilian dessert is the most versatile and easy to cater for everyone. It can easily be made gluten-free and vegan too, what else can you ask for? Oh right, it’s made only with pantry items ingredients, so no last-minute run to the supermarket!

This post contains affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. We would only recommend products we use and love ourselves; all opinions expressed here are our own. Please read our Privacy Policy here. Thank you!

Table of Contents

What is biancomangiare?

Biancomangiare is a delicious dessert similar to a pudding. It takes its name from its typical white colour that comes from its main ingredients, milk and cornstarch. This dessert is not only known in Italy but also around the world and with plenty of versions.

This fresh dessert is quick to make and a delicious sweet treat that is made differently everywhere you go, but has mainly the same basic ingredients. Its consistency is similar to a pudding, but less jelly-like and much fresher in the mouth. You can also find biancomangiare as a base for another dessert, which is called ‘biancomangiare con biscotti’, a layered cake made of biscuits and the same white ‘cream’ mixture used for the dessert.

Where does biancomangiare come from? Is it only an Italian dessert?

This dessert is very popular in Sicily and Sardinia, but it originates from the Arab culture. It was first made in the Medieval times, around XIII and XIV centuries and then got popular in the Mediterranean countries. Moreover, this dessert was featured multiple times in history, like at Maria De Medici’s wedding.

It’s also a very popular dessert in France where its known as ‘blanc manger’ and in Spain where it’s known as ‘menjar blanc’, in Sicily it’s known as ‘bbiancumanciari’ and in Sardinia it’s known as ‘papai-biancu’.

Moreover, you will find different versions depending on where you have biancomangiare. In Sicily, in Modica, it’s typically made with unsweetened almond milk. In Ragusa, it’s made with lemon, cinnamon and hyblaen honey. Although most are sweet versions, there are also savoury versions of this dessert.

In Sardinia, it’s not only a dessert served by itself, but can also be used as a filling for some sweet ravioli served with honey or sugar. (Wikipedia)

What ingredients do I need for this biancomangiare recipe?

This delicious Sicilian dessert recipe is so easy to make and only has a few ingredients. Moreover, all of them are pantry items that are very popular in every kitchen. The main character of this recipe is milk, now this recipe calls for almond milk (or you can use cows milk). The former is more popular in the area of Modica in Sicily, which also offers a great vegan option.

After milk, you will need cornstarch, vanilla – whether it’s vanilla beans or vanilla extract, sugar and a tiny bit of cinnamon. Some recipes also call for lemon zest which will add a fresh touch to your biancomangiare.

Can I substitute anything in this biancomangiare recipe?

As I mentioned above, milk is the main character of this recipe and surely something you can swap. I have used regular cow’s milk as I had it at home, but unsweetened almond milk is the typical one used in Sicily. Any other kind of milk should also work well, but mind when you get sugared alternative milks as they might unbalance the recipe.

Cinnamon can easily be avoided and swapped for something else like lemon or orange zest to add a fresh flavour to your biancomangiare. Cornstarch is what helps to thicken it, so if avoided it wouldn’t work out. And if there’s something I am not a fan of in desserts it’s gelatine.

What equipment will I need for this Sicilian dessert recipe?

This Sicilian dessert actually only requires a small bowl, a spoon, a mould and a pot. Everything is pretty straightforward, as much as for ingredients as it is for equipment and the making of this easy dessert.

Any mould can really work out for biancomangiare, I went for a mini cake mould but you can use any muffin or pudding molds or any small silicone moulds you have. You could also plate them in jars or dessert glasses in case you don’t have any molds.

How do you make biancomangiare?

This biancomangiare recipe is very straightforward and quite quick to make. You will start off by melting the cornstarch with 50 ml of milk and combine it together. Then add the mixture and the rest of the milk to a pot.

Place the pot on the hob over medium heat and add the remaining ingredients to it. Keep stirring the mixture until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency, it will take around five minutes. Next, remove the pot from the hob and get ready for the fun part!

Spoon the mixture into your serving glasses or pudding/ cake moulds and place them in the refrigerator for at least three hours. When you are ready to serve, plate them individually and get ready to garnish. We sprinkled some pistachios on top and drizzled honey on them. Buon appetito!

Can I change the GARNISH for this Sicilian dessert?

You can and should play up with your toppings for this dessert recipe! I love when a dish is versatile and biancomangiare is one of them! We garnished our biancomangiare with honey and pistachios from Bronte, a village known worldwide for its pistachios and close to our dad’s village in Sicily.

You could also use these to garnish:

any other nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts could all work well;
syrups: maple syrup or chocolate syrup;
caramel, fruit sauce like berry coulis;
dried fruits;
confetti sprinkles or grated chocolate;
citrus: lemon peel, lemon zest or orange zest could well too as garnishes.