102 italian dessert recipes

Refreshing Italian ice with fresh lemon juice and zest frozen to icy perfection. Light, palate-cleansing dessert ready in 2 hours with an ice cream maker.

Italian-inspired layered dessert with sponge cake soaked in rum and orange liqueur, sweetened ricotta cream, and fresh berries. A boozy, elegant trifle for special occasions.

Rich flourless chocolate mousse cake spiked with Cointreau or Chambord, baked in a water bath and topped with billowy whipped cream. An Italian-style showstopper dessert.

Frozen pumpkin mousse: a make-ahead Thanksgiving dessert with Italian meringue, spiced pumpkin, rum, and whipped cream. Chilled in a soufflé dish and served with gingersnaps.

Ricotta pudding baked in individual cups until puffed and golden, made with part-skim ricotta, lemon zest, and a folded egg white for souffle-like lift. A light Italian-style dessert.

Frozen tortoni with cream cheese, Amaretto, whipped cream, and crushed peanut brittle in foil cups. An elegant Italian-style frozen dessert with no ice cream maker needed.

Twice-baked Italian biscotti loaded with almonds and walnuts, spiked with dark rum and amaretto. Crunchy dunking cookies with warm cinnamon spice, perfect for coffee or dessert wine.

Peaches in red wine Tuscan style with blanched peaches soaked in a hot vanilla-sugar wine syrup with roasted almonds and fresh mint. An elegant Italian summer dessert.

Homemade spumoni with vanilla bean custard, whipped cream, maraschino cherries, candied orange peel, and slivered almonds frozen in a mold. Classic Italian ice cream dessert without a machine.

Strufoli are tiny Italian fried dough balls drizzled with warm honey and topped with rainbow sprinkles. A classic Neapolitan Christmas dessert shaped into a festive mound or wreath.

Orange cherry biscotti: twice-baked Italian cookies studded with dried cherries and zested orange. Crisp, dunkable, and nearly fat-free. Pairs with coffee, tea, or sweet dessert wine.

Boccone Dolce is a stunning Italian meringue layer cake filled with melted chocolate, clouds of whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Three crisp meringue discs stacked into a showstopping dessert.

Italian baked stuffed peaches filled with ground almonds, crushed amaretti cookies, and egg, drizzled with Marsala wine and baked until golden. An elegant summer dessert served warm or chilled.

Crispy deep-fried ricotta fritters coated in ladyfinger crumbs with orange zest and nutmeg, served warm with raspberry sauce. An Italian-style dessert that's golden outside and creamy within.

Light tortoni frozen dessert made with whipped nonfat dry milk, almond extract, and graham cracker crumbs. A low-fat Italian-style ice cream treat with no heavy cream needed.

Hot fresh strawberries au sabayon, briefly poached in lemon-vanilla syrup and blanketed in a frothy Marsala egg-yolk zabaglione. A French-Italian restaurant dessert that plates in minutes.