Healthy Italian Dessert Recipes

Find healthy, delicious Italian dessert recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Creamy Chocolate Gelato

Rating: Unrated
7
This ultra-chocolaty, dairy-free Sicilian-style gelato--made without eggs or cream--is relatively lean but still creamy-smooth and flavorful. The coconut milk used for the base gives it a silky, rich mouthfeel and a subtle coconut flavor.
By Alice Medrich

Italian Hazelnut Cookies

Rating: Unrated
3
These crispy cookies are made with Piedmontese staples--hazelnuts and eggs--and called Brutti Ma Buoni: literally, “Ugly But Good.” But they are really more plain-looking than “ugly,” and pack a powerful, sweet, nutty burst of flavor, making them welcome at any table.
By Marialisa Calta

Nut & Honey Biscotti

This crunchy Italian cookie recipe isn't traditionally very sweet, so just a touch of honey adds flavor along with mild sweetness. Dipping them in chocolate makes them extra special.
By Joanne Chang

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Strawberries

This creamy Italian dessert is flavored with vanilla bean and topped with fresh strawberries. Feel free to mix it up and substitute blueberries or raspberries, or a combination of all three!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Double-Chocolate Biscotti

Rating: Unrated
2
Dense and crunchy, these are the classic Italian dunking cookies. Although they are traditionally dipped in Vin Santo, a sweet Italian dessert wine, these chocolaty biscotti are ultra-satisfying with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Strawberry Bruschetta

Rating: Unrated
2
Astoundingly good for minimal effort, this makes an indulgent weekend breakfast or anyday dessert. A judicious smear of mascarpone (half the fat of butter) is part of the luxury, but even lighter low-fat cream cheese will work as well. The real secret is warming the berries just enough to make the flavor bloom and transform their juices into a rosy syrup.
By Susan Herr

Almond Cookies

The Italian name of these almond cookies, Brutti-Buoni, roughly translates to “ugly but good.” These delicious cookies are traditionally dropped directly on a cookie sheet, but shaping them as directed here gives a more elegant look. Enjoy them for dessert with an espresso.
By Faith Willinger

Rosemary-Pine Nut Biscotti

Rating: Unrated
3
These amazing olive oil biscotti are studded with rich, buttery-tasting pine nuts. Try them alongside fruit sorbet, cheese or summer peaches.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mango Tiramisù

This healthy take on a classic Italian dessert is far from traditional, thanks to ripe mangoes, agave syrup, and a creamy yogurt filling.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Lemon & Polenta Tart with Figs

Rating: Unrated
1
For this celebratory tart recipe, a smooth, creamy, lemon-scented Greek yogurt filling, adorned with a ring of dried figs, is layered on a bed of honey-sweetened polenta. Real, Italian-style polenta is made from medium- or coarse-ground whole-grain cornmeal. Products labeled polenta, medium-ground cornmeal and corn grits (not instant) can be used interchangeably in this recipe
By Maria Speck

Mascarpone-Stuffed Figs

A creamy, honey-scented mascarpone filling makes this fresh fig recipe luxurious, yet still lets the fruit be the star. Serve these pretty stuffed figs to top off a special meal.
By Jane Black

Marinated Strawberries

Strawberries are marinated in a sweet balsamic vinegar and mint sauce to make a perfectly refreshing topper for frozen yogurt.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Inspiration and Ideas

Pignoli Cookies

Pignoli Cookies

This crispy-on-the-bottom-and-chewy-on-the-inside gluten-free cookie recipe is a twist on a traditional Italian holiday treat, pignoli, or pine nut cookies. Look for almond paste--a mixture of ground almonds and sugar (available in tubes or sometimes tubs)--near other baking supplies in well-stocked supermarkets or specialty stores. Sweeter marzipan doesn't work well in these cookies.
Coffee Panna Cotta

Coffee Panna Cotta

Rating: Unrated
2
Panna cotta (“cooked cream” in Italian) is a silky-smooth dessert that works beautifully with the flavor of coffee. The sauce was inspired by café brûlot, the New Orleans classic coffee drink spiked with flamed brandy. Cooking for teetotalers? Use brandy extract in the panna ­cottas and omit brandy (and flambéing) from the sauce. Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans, if desired. Recipe by Joyce Hendley for EatingWell.
Pandoro Tiramisù

Pandoro Tiramisù

Coffee 'n' Cream Biscotti

Coffee 'n' Cream Biscotti

Polenta Biscotti

Polenta Biscotti

Rating: Unrated
1
Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake

Chocolate-Hazelnut Cake

Rating: Unrated
3

Almond Cannoli with Lemon-Basil Ricotta Cream Filling

Homemade cannoli shells are filled with a creamy lemon and ricotta cheese filling with a hint of fresh basil for a gourmet dessert. For a shortcut, you can substitute purchased cannoli shells (8 full-size or 16 mini).

All Healthy Italian Dessert Recipes

Chocolate Chip-Almond Biscotti

Studded with chocolate and nuts, these crisp cookies are sure to entice bake sale patrons. Help buyers gauge how to fit this treat into a diabetes-friendly meal plan by labeling each pack with the calorie and carb count per cookie.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Vanilla-Kirsch Panna Cotta with Cherry Compote

These panna cottas (Italian for cooked cream) are smooth, light and mild molded desserts set off by a bright, intensely flavored cherry compote. The recipe calls for a vanilla bean, which yields the best flavor, but you can use extra vanilla extract instead; just be sure it's top quality. The compote is also delicious spooned over slices of angel food cake or scoops of vanilla frozen yogurt. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Berry-Ricotta Cheesecake

Here, low-fat ricotta blended with reduced-fat Neufchâtel cheese gives this lighter, Italian-inspired cheesecake a great texture and all of the good cheese flavor you would want. We garnish the cake with mixed berries brushed with a red currant jelly glaze. With only 258 calories per slice, this dessert really is a worthwhile indulgence.
By Marie Piraino

Maple-Oat Biscotti

Toasted oats, maple syrup, walnuts and dates are a great combination in these crisp biscotti.
By Marie Piraino

Pizzelle Cannoli Shells

Rating: Unrated
1
A bit of cinnamon, lemon and vanilla flavor these cannoli shells. To make pizzelle cookies, do not roll them after baking; simply transfer pizzelles to a wire rack to cool.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Baby Tiramisù

Rating: Unrated
3
If you're a fan of the classic Italian dessert tiramisù, try this quick, lower-calorie variation the next time you need a dessert in a hurry. Both types of ladyfingers--spongy and crunchy--work well.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Grilled Prosciutto Peaches

We love these salty-sweet grilled peaches anytime the fruit is in season. Stuffed with goat cheese and honey, they work as a side, appetizer, or even dessert.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mocha-Almond Biscotti

Rating: Unrated
3
In this pretty marbled cookie, one half of the dough is almond-flavored like the traditional biscotti di Prato, and the other half is chocolate/coffee flavored.
By Marie Piraino

Vanilla-White Chocolate Panna Cotta

Who says vanilla has to be boring? This light and airy panna cotta dessert has luscious flavor in every spoonful.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Panna Cotta with Rhubarb Sauce

Buttermilk and half-and-half replace cream in this lighter Italian panna cotta recipe. If you like, garnish with curls of candied orange peel.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Ricotta Cassata

This no-bake take on a Sicilian classic will quickly become part of your dessert repertoire.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Ginger-Orange Biscotti

Rating: Unrated
1
Authentic biscotti are low in fat and easy to make. To achieve the characteristic crisp texture, they are “twice-cooked,” first as a log, then again as slices. These fragrant spiced biscotti are excellent dipped in a steaming cup of tea or coffee.
By Ruth Cousineau

Sugarplum Biscotti

Rating: Unrated
2
Dunk these fruitcake-inspired whole-grain biscotti in a cup of hot tea or coffee.
By Jennifer Beckman

Sicilian Fig Cookies

These Sicilian Christmas cookies are filled with dried fruit and almonds.
By Melanie Barnard

Lemon Ice

A simple way to make this Italian classic frozen dessert.
By Ruth Cousineau

Tiramisu Shots

This health-conscious makeover of a classic Tiramisu dessert uses silken tofu instead of mascarpone cheese, contains no alcohol, and is served in shot glasses for smaller portions. It's a lower-fat dessert that's simple to make, tastes delicious, and wins big points for presentation.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Cannoli

Though cannoli might seem like an overly decadent treat for a healthy diet, these are filled with a mixture of reduced-fat cream cheese and nonfat ricotta for less fat with all the creaminess.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Pecan Biscotti

Drizzled with white white chocolate, these twice-baked cookies are an Italian-inspired classic.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mascarpone Cream

Use this lightened mascarpone cream to fill shortcakes or top waffles and pancakes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Strawberry Patch Cake

The neat rows of shiny strawberries bring to mind the local strawberry patch. When making this cake, keep in mind that the yogurt used in the filling needs to drain for 4 hours ahead of time.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Anise Biscotti

Rating: Unrated
3
Lemon zest enlivens the anise biscotti.
By Marie Piraino

Kahluaccino

Rating: Unrated
1
Coffee lovers will love the addition of Kahlua; Frangelico adds a lovely hazelnut note.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Poppy Seed-Orange Biscotti

Orange zest and poppy seeds make a tasty--and eye-catching--combination in these crunchy biscotti.
By Marie Piraino

Tiramisù

Rating: Unrated
2
Here's how we make our luscious Tiramisù with about a third of the fat and half the calories of most versions: we layer coffee-and-brandy-soaked ladyfingers with an ultra-light egg-white custard combined with rich mascarpone cheese and lower-fat Neufchâtel cheese. This healthier version of the triflelike dessert would pass muster in any Italian café.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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