The 10 Best Italian Desserts I Want To Make Forever

The Italian phrase, la dolce vita, literally means "the sweet life." I'm turning to these 10 easy Italian desserts to help bring some of that sweet life into my kitchen. These recipes span the gamut from frozen treats to hot chocolate, with tips and tricks from Simply Recipes contributors to make them foolproof. Buon appetito!

Strawberries and Cream Semifreddo

"Similar to ice cream, the flavor combinations for semifreddo are endless. This semifreddo recipe is the perfect base for any additional flavors or add-ins. Consider folding in cookie pieces, cake crumbs, or chopped nuts before freezing." —Stephanie Loo, Simply Recipes Contributor

Classic Tiramisu

"You can substitute other spirits for the rum such as coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua) or brandy. They'll change the flavor slightly, but the tiramisu will still be delicious. To make the tiramisu non-alcoholic, use 6 tablespoons apple juice or apple cider plus 1 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract or non-alcoholic rum." —Cindy Rahe, Simply Recipes Contributor

Zeppole

"I am sometimes wary of recipes that involve deep frying at home. They often feel like too much work that also creates too much of a mess. But I promise you, making zeppole is almost as easy as making pancakes." —Mark Beahm, Simply Recipes Contributor

3-Ingredient Torta Di Noci (Calabrian Walnut Cake)

"With this recipe, it's imperative that you separate the eggs properly. The key is to avoid breaking the yolks. You want absolutely no egg yolks in the egg whites—you'll have to start your egg whites over because they won't become stiff." —Devan Grimsrud, Simply Recipes Contributor

Easy Panna Cotta

"If you don’t want to bother with unmolding the panna cotta, you can also simply pour the mixture into pretty dishes and serve them as is!" —Sally Vargas, Simply Recipes Contributor

Ciambellone

"With this cake, it’s very important to use room-temperature ingredients for the batter to mix properly." —Mark

Watermelon Granita

"This granita recipe works equally well with honeydew, cantaloupe or another melon." —Ariane Resnick, Simply Recipes Contributor

Apple Crostata

"We've included directions for making a simple butter crust. You can also use a store-bought crust (flat or folded, not in a pie tin) to save time." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder

Italian Cornmeal Cake

"After making this cake for over 20 years, I've learned a few tweaks. The original recipe called for grinding almonds into almond flour, but I prefer to use store-bought almond flour because it’s tricky to grind almonds as finely as they need to be." —Robin Asbell, Simply Recipes Contributor

Cioccolata Calda (Italian Hot Chocolate)

"It’s easy to accidentally keep the mixture on the stove for a second too long and end up with hot pudding. If you do, just copy my mom and stir in some extra hot milk; the result is just as delicious as ever." —Georgia Freedman, Simply Recipes Contributor