Whether you are visiting Italy over Christmas, or want to bring the same spirit to your home, you might be wondering what type of Italian Christmas desserts and sweet treats you can enjoy.

There are so many great things about Christmas in Italy, and Italian Christmas desserts (and food in general) are one of the best. There are many sweet treats and chocolate desserts that you can enjoy, and you will be able to find most of them in many Italian delis everywhere. These are some of the Christmas treats that you can order when eating in Italy or at an Italian restaurant this year. Or, you can even try making these at home!

Panettone

Panettone is a traditional Italian sweet bread that you will find in Italy over Christmas and New Year. Born in Milano, in the north of Italy, It's got a light, slighlty sweet dough stuffed with dried fruit such as raisins, candied orange, candied citrons and lemon peels.

There are many other countries that produce panettone as well, and many countries which have traditional baked goods very similar to panettone. However, if you want to enjoy the original creation, ordering it from a real Italian deli or bakery is a must. 

Panforte

Another very popular Italian Christmas dessert is panforte. This is more than just a Christmas treat, as its tradition goes back to the 13th century. No Italian dessert table will be complete without panforte.

Panforte is a traditional Italian dessert made with candied fruits and nuts, honey, spices, and almonds. The spices are mostly a secret, but you will be able to find a couple of recipes online that you can use to make yourself panforte for Christmas this year.

Caggionetti

Do you love pasta? Do you ever wish you could have pasta for dessert? Caggionetti is definitely the Italian dessert for you!  The dough is very similar to pasta's, with the addition of wine, and deep-fried. These delightful little bites look a lot like ravioli.

Some of the ingredients that you can find in the Caggionetti's filling are honey, chocolate, rum, lemon or chestnuts. Sometimes also filled with chickpeas, bitter cacao, mosto cotto (cooked wine), walnuts, almonds, peel of orange and ground cinnamon. This is a great dessert and originates from the Italian region of Abruzzo. However, there are a couple of recipes online that you can look at if you want to make your own at home.

Mostaccioli cookies

This is the best treat for Christmas in Italy. If you love Italian chocolates, then you should try the mostaccioli cookies. Shaped like a parallelogram, it has a soft, spiced, cake-like interior, covered in chocolate. There are many different variations of this cookie to ensure that the cookie is sweet and really delicious.

These are some of the best Italian Christmas desserts you can enjoy during the festive season. Whether you order them at an Italian restaurant, buy them at your local deli, or find a recipe to try and make them at home. With these incredible desserts, your holiday season is sure to get much sweeter!