Hi, I am Chef Zara. In this post, I will guide you through Italian Dessert Cookbooks.
I love discovering new food and more classic Italian cooking with friends and family. One of the most common questions that I often get is for cookbook recommendations. I have created this guide for friends, family, and new friends alike. I hope that you enjoy our site.
Authentic Italian Desserts Cookbooks from the deep Italian cuisine to sweeten your soul
Italy is renowned for its culinary heritage, which can be seen in the abundance of classic treats. These are often made with luxurious ingredients like chocolate or hazelnuts and are usually served as a snack or dessert.
Italian treats are a perfect way to end your meal. They are typically light and airy but with a hint of sweetness. Desserts can vary from simple cakes like pies to pastries filled with fruits or chocolate. There are many different types of Italian treats, including gelato, tiramisu, and cheesecake. But there’s more to them than that—they’re typically layered with ingredients like custard, jam, or chocolate. They can be served as a dessert course or a snack with coffee.
Here are 10 Italian Dessert Cookbooks for you! 👇
1. Eataly: All About Dolci
Why We Love It ❤️
What we love about this first cookbook is that it is such a great authentic desserts cookbook. It’s jam-packed with regional Italian treats and sweet traditions and even includes many cooking tips on making your dolce, Italiano. We love it because it gives you a chance to experience all of Italy’s amazing flavors and techniques that leave you in Italy, specifically in Rome.
Review 📖
This one is a must-have when you’re looking for the best Italian cookbooks right up your alley. Eataly’s All About Dolci: Regional Italian treats and Sweet Traditions is a comprehensive look at Italy’s best treats. The book is divided into sections, and each section is dedicated to a specific Italian dessert. In addition to recipes, the book also has tons of tips and tricks to help you make the most fool-proof desserts. This treats cookbook also features an index with all the kitchen tools, equipment, ingredients, etc., that the books have used for their authentic recipes.
About the Author ✍️
The author makes this book easy to follow, but they still have tons of depth—especially if you love learning where the ingredients come from or how they were prepared in their original context. This authentic Italian desserts cookbook would make a great gift for anyone who loves learning about Italian food and Italian tradition and dolce Italiano—whether as a first-time cook or someone who has been regional cooking for years!
2. Taste of Home Sweet Italy Cookbook
Why We Love It ❤️
We love this desserts cookbook because it is perfect for anyone who has been itching to try some new treats but doesn’t know where to start! It’s also great for anyone who wants to learn more about Italian culture or just wants a book they can refer back to when they get stuck on a recipe repeatedly!
Review 📖
The Taste of Home Sweet Italy Cookbook is a comprehensive guide to preparing authentic treats.
This classic Italian cookbook is well-organized and easy to use. The photos in each recipe will help you visualize the dish you’re preparing, which is especially helpful if you’re new to cooking Italian food. The recipes are also very straightforward; they utilize most people’s ingredients and don’t require expensive specialty ingredients or equipment (so long as you have an oven!).
Overall, this book is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about preparing authentic treats!
3. Authentic Italian Desserts
Why We Love It ❤️
We love this cookbook because it’s filled with authentic Italian recipes and techniques that will help you make authentic treats at home—without too much fuss. The author, Rosemary Molloy, has worked as a pastry chef in Italy for years and brings her expertise to the table. She knows what it takes to make a great dessert, and she’s gathered a wealth of information about the different ingredients and equipment needed to create mouth-watering Italian treats.
Review 📖
Authentic Italian Desserts is a cookbook that will be invaluable for anyone looking to branch out from their usual repertoire of cakes and cookies.
This desserts cookbook includes several recipes for every dessert you can think of—from pear cake to fried cannoli. It also includes instructions on how to make your gelato if you’re feeling particularly ambitious.
The recipes are organized by type, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. Each recipe has its photo, which makes it even easier to follow along—you can see exactly what the finished product should look like as you’re mixing everything!
About the Author ✍️
This cookbook collection is great because the author gives you all the necessary information without overwhelming you with too many details or intimidating words. You will have no trouble following along, even if you’re a beginner cook!
4. Southern Italian Desserts
Why We Love It ❤️
We love this Italian desserts cookbook because it takes readers through each region of Italy and Europe with its unique history and traditions for Italian cooking desserts: from the sweetbreads baked in Calabria with honey to the spicy treats from Basilicata; from the rich cheesecakes from Puglia to the Sicilian favorite cannoli; from simple lemon tarts to the more elaborate tiramisu recipes.
Review 📖
Southern Italian treats is an easy-to-follow guide to making classic treats from Italy’s southern regions. The recipes are simple to follow, with step-by-step instructions that make it easy for anyone to make these great sweets.
This cookbook would be great for anyone who loves Italian food but doesn’t know where to start or has no idea what to make next!
About the Author ✍️
The author divided this book into each region in Southern Italy; therefore, you can easily make a dessert from whatever specific Southern Italian place you think of. Each section offers a variety of different recipes so you can find something suitable for any occasion. The cookbook also offers photographs so you know what the result should look like!
5. La Vita e Dolce
Why We Love It ❤️
We love this book because it’s filled with recipes for your favorite Italian treats, like Tiramisu, Cannoli, and Panna Cotta. The recipes are easy to follow and well-organized. The author also included tips and advice on how to make each dish come out perfect!
Review 📖
La Vita e Dolce: Italian-Inspired Desserts is a cookbook that will make you want to get out the measuring cups and start making those incredible treats in la Cucina, like cake, biscotti, rosemary Molloy, torta di pere, and more.
This book contains recipes for everything from cookies to cannolis. In her introduction, Clark explains how she got interested in using local ingredients and how she hopes to inspire others to do so as well. She also points out that although there is nothing wrong with using processed foods, sometimes it’s nice just to make something from scratch.
About the Author ✍️
Letitia Clark gives us recipes that are easy enough for anyone to follow, with clear instructions and helpful photos. Each recipe has a photo showing what the finished product should look like—this helps you visualize exactly what you’ll end up eating later! There is also a whole section dedicated to helping you improve your cooking skills—with chapters like “Essentials,” “Notes on Ingredients,” and “Recipe Advice”! This Italian dessert cookbook is perfect for both novice and professional home cooks.
6. Italian Desserts & Pastries
Why We Love It ❤️
We love this Italian dessert cookbook because it’s full of recipes that are easy to follow. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, making this book perfect for people who aren’t comfortable in the kitchen or just want an easier way to make some treats at home.
Review 📖
Italian Desserts & Pastries is a cookbook filled with authentic Italian desserts and pastries. It’s the perfect book for anyone looking to learn more about Italian cuisine and how to make their favorite Italian recipes at home.
The book contains over 100 recipes designed to help you master the art of Italian baking traditional Italian desserts and pastries. It also includes information on ingredients, tools, and techniques, as well as guidance on how to use them to create authentic dishes.
About the Author ✍️
Academia Barilla brings us a book where If you’re looking for a way to teach yourself how to bake authentic Italian desserts like tiramisu or cannoli using ingredients from your pantry, this cookbook is perfect for you!
7. La Dolce Vita
Why We Love It ❤️
We love this book for its simple, straightforward recipes that are easy to follow and make you feel like you’re in Italy. The author clearly explains how each recipe is made, making it easy to follow along and understand what to do. This makes learning new skills more accessible than other Italian cookbooks we’ve read because there’s no need to read through a few pages just to figure out how something works.
Review 📖
This Italian desserts cookbook is a delightful read and contains 170 recipes for classic desserts. The author’s expertise in the field of diverse baking traditions and her experience as a chef are evident throughout the book.
Overall, this cookbook is great for beginners because it provides lots of information about what types of treats are available in Italy and what ingredients they use. It also includes some background.
About the Author ✍️
The author also includes some helpful tips on creating different kinds of cookies and tarts with the same ingredients by varying the baking time or adding other spices or flavorings. The author also provides some background information about the history of each type of dessert, so you can get more out of this book than just learning how to make these desserts!
8. Sweet Maria’s Italian Desserts
Why We Love It ❤️
We love Maria Bruscino Sanchez’s book Sweet Maria’s Italian Desserts because it’s a great way to get in touch with your inner Italian. Whether you’re making cookies and cakes or just looking for a few new recipes to throw in your arsenal, this cookbook has you covered.
Review 📖
This Italian dessert cookbook is an excellent choice for any baker who wants to add Italian flair to their desserts.
The recipes in this cookbook are simple to make—you just need a few basic ingredients and some time—but they’re also challenging enough that you’ll be surprised by how much you end up learning about the art of baking. And if you’re not an Italian baker (or just looking for something different), there are plenty of great tips for making the most of your time in the kitchen.
If you’re looking for a great gift for someone who loves baking but doesn’t know where to start, this is the perfect choice for them!
About the Author ✍️
The author takes readers through the process of making cookies, cakes, pastries, and other treats using simple ingredients like flour, powdered sugar, and butter. She also includes many helpful tips to help you achieve your ideal bake (or at least your best attempt).
9. Italian Cooking School: Desserts
Why We Love It ❤️
We love this cookbook because it teaches you how to make incredible desserts. We’re not just talking about the cookies and cakes that come from the kind of recipe books that are more about decorating than classic Italian cooking, but also the kinds of desserts that take you way beyond your average ice cream sundae.
Review 📖
This Italian desserts cookbook is an incredible resource for anyone looking to learn how to make Italian treats. It’s broken down into sections, including one on bread, another on pastries and sweet rolls, and a third on cakes. A list of recipes by type follows each section, so you can choose which ones you want to make.
The recipes are easy enough for beginners, but they’re also interesting enough for experienced home cooks too—we wouldn’t be surprised if some of these desserts become staples in your weekly rotation!
10. Grace’s Sweet Life
Why We Love It ❤️
We love this Italian dessert cookbook because it’s a beautiful celebration of how you can use your favorite ingredients to make something delicious, whether cannoli, torta dipere, torta di mele, or panna cotta whit a silver spoon. The recipes are not only simple, but they’re also delicious and approachable. And they’re easy to follow—you don’t have to be an expert in Italian cuisine to make them!
Review 📖
The text is short and sweet but wonderful, the pictures are colorful and descriptive. This makes it a great read for those unfamiliar with classic Italian cooking techniques or ingredients. It also makes it easy to follow Grace’s step-by-step instructions when cooking something new for the first time. The author also included variations on some simple recipes, which is amazing if you want to try something else.
This book is a must-have if you’re looking for something new to add to your dessert repertoire!
About the Author ✍️
Grace Massa-Langlois shares in her cookbook recipes for all sorts of Italian desserts—cannoli and tiramisu included—and she explains how they’re made with easy-to-follow instructions in each recipe.
Final Thoughts
A food writer from a popular Italian food blog says Italian treats are one of the world’s most beloved and sought-after types of Italian food. As such, there’s an enormous amount of variety to be found when it comes to the best Italian cookbooks.
Italian food goes from simple but delicious recipes that you can make with ingredients you’re likely to have on hand, like sugar, ricotta, and chocolate, to more elaborate recipes for special occasions or holidays, like Tiramisu, Trifles, or torta di pere, there is something for everyone in this collection, that will make you look like you’re coming out of an Italian academy to your restaurants.
This collection of Italian dessert cookbooks is a great place to start if you’re looking to add more variety and flavor to your Italian dessert repertoire. Each book offers a unique combination of recipes that will inspire you to cook up a storm in the kitchen.
About Italian dessert cooking
Italian treats are renowned for their simplicity, which is why they’re so delicious. They’re made with a variety of ingredients and can be prepared in a variety of ways.
Italian treats are often prepared using fresh ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store or farmers’ market. They are often made with rich, creamy ingredients like mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. This makes them even more delicious than their simpler counterparts. Italian treats are also very easy to make. They don’t require any special equipment or ingredients, so you can make them at home. If you’re looking for an easy dessert recipe that will impress your friends and family, these are a perfect choice!
Popular Italian desserts
Italian treats are known for their simple, elegant flavors. While Italian cuisine is often associated with pasta and pizza, Italian desserts are a treat just as satisfying as the rest of the meal. Some traditional treats include cannoli, scones, pignoli cookies, white corn biscotti, and pear cake.
There are many different ways to get your fix of Italian treats. You can find them at restaurants or even make them yourself! Here are some examples:
Fondue: A favorite for children and adults alike, fondue is a great way to enjoy an Italian dessert more traditionally. It’s simple—mix melted cheese with wine and then dip bread into it.
Tiramisu: Another classic Italian dessert that has been around since the Renaissance, tiramisu is a layered cake made with coffee liqueur and mascarpone cheese (similar to cream cheese). It’s traditionally topped with ladyfingers soaked in coffee syrup and layered with chocolate chips and mascarpone cheese before being served at special occasions like weddings or birthdays.
Ricotta cheesecake: Similar to tiramisu but instead made with ricotta cheese rather than mascarpone
