10 Must-Try Sicilian Sweets and Desserts

Sicilian cuisine boasts iconic dishes and street foods that have conquered and inspired the global palate. In addition to these great recipes, there are typical Sicilian sweets that with icings, almonds and ricotta, which are part of the history of this wonderful and varied island.

Typical ancient Sicilian sweets are diverse and satisfy all types of tastes. From Sicilian Christmas sweets rich in pomp and ingredients with character, to traditional Sicilian Easter sweets that are now eaten in the markets all year round - not to mention the frutta martorana marzipan sweets, and typical Sicilian biscuits.

Here are 10 traditional Sicilian sweets to know and try when on holiday or at home.

Traditional Sicilian sweets

Cannoli

Let's start with Sicilian cannoli, perhaps the most iconic dessert of this region. There are various different sizes and different flavours. Certainly ricotta is the protagonist in this dessert that wraps its filling in a crunchy fried wafer. Cannoli can be garnished with candied fruit, chocolate or pistachio grains.

Cassata

Wrapped in a delicious icing, cassata is another of the most representative Sicilian sweets of the island. It is prepared in different shapes and sizes, and even if it is eaten all year round, it is typical of the Easter holidays.

Granita con brioche

A soft brioche filled with a creamy almond or mulberry granita. Granitas come in a huge range of flavours, but certainly this is the typical Sicilian breakfast to try.

Biancomangiare

A very fresh dessert made with almond milk, lemon and dried fruit. You can eat it for a treat at any time of day, but it is perfect as a dessert after a meal.

Sfincia di San Giuseppe

As the name suggests, these sweets are typical of Father's Day. These are small pieces of fried dough garnished with ricotta cream, chopped pistachios and candied fruit.

Frutta di martorana

These are real works of art prepared with almond paste (marzipan). The almond paste is modelled to faithfully reproduce fruit and vegetables which are then decorated with natural food dyes.

Pecorella di Pasqua

Typical of Easter, almond paste sheep and lambs are found on Sicilian tables. These are often real works of art.

Almond parfait

A semifreddo prepared with almonds. It is often enriched with chocolate and crunchy elements such as meringues. Excellent as a dessert after a meal.

Buccellato

Typical of the Christmas holidays, buccellato is a typical Sicilian cake in the shape of a donut, which is stuffed with dried figs, dried fruit (nuts, raisins), chocolate and cinnamon. A real treat perfect for the winter season.

Paste di mandorla

These are typical biscuits prepared with almond paste and garnished with sour cherries in alcohol and icing sugar. Delicious for a snack and for whenever you need a sweet treat.