Sicilian desserts feature rich flavors and unique combinations of ingredients reflecting the island’s history of Arab, Spanish, and other foreign rule. Ingredients like almonds, pistachios, ricotta, and citrus appear in many long-standing recipes, some dating back hundreds of years. These five traditional desserts are among the most popular and widely available at the bakeries and gelaterie in Sicily, Italy.

Cassata Siciliana

Cassata Siciliana is the dessert of Sicily, dating back hundreds of years when nuns would make it for Easter. This colorful and ornate dessert is made of liqueur-soaked sponge cake layered with sweetened ricotta, encased in green marzipan, and decorated with white fondant icing and candied fruit. If you don’t like super sweet desserts, try cassata al forno (baked cassata) instead, which is often served in restaurants. It’s significantly less sweet, made with shortcrust pasty instead of marzipan and icing.

  • Local Tip: In Palermo, no trip to the city is complete without visiting I Segreti del Chiostro inside the Convento di Santa Caterina. The convent was home to cloistered nuns until 2014 and is now run by professional female bakers making the best cassata, giant cannoli, and other ricotta-based sweets.

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Cassatina - an individual-sized version of the classic Sicilian cassata cake.

Cannoli

Cannoli, one of the most iconic desserts in Italy, is from Sicily. Crisp pastry shells are filled with sweetened ricotta cream and finished off with chocolate chips, pistachios, or candied fruit. Always get a cannolo (singular) that’s filled-to-order (not pre-filled), so the shell doesn’t have time to get soggy!

  • Local Tip: Cannoli is not considered a year-round treat. Sheep’s milk ricotta is best between fall and spring when sheep graze on fresh grass. During the summer, locals prefer granita and gelato.

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Frutta Martorana

Frutta Martorana are exquisite marzipan sweets, molded and hand-painted to look like real fruits. Made from almond paste and sugar, these colorful treats originated in the 12th century at the Martorana convent in Palermo. Though traditionally associated with All Saints’ Day in October, Frutta Martorana are a year-round fixture in Sicilian pastry shops and a popular souvenir thanks to their long shelf-life.

  • Local Tip: Try this treat in the fall when marzipan is at its best after Sicily’s almond harvest.

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Frutta Martorana from the famous Fiasconaro bakery in Castelbuono.

Granita

Sicilian granita is a semi-frozen dessert with a texture finer and smoother than a slushy, made from water, sugar, and natural flavors like lemon, almond, and coffee. In eastern Sicily, especially in Catania, Taormina, and Messina, it’s a daily ritual, often served with brioche for breakfast or an afternoon treat.

  • Local Tip: In the summer, try granita di gelsi (mulberry), a popular seasonal offering.

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Almond granita from Pasticceria Maria Grammatico in the town of Erice near Trapani.

Brioche con Gelato

Brioche con gelato is a sweet, Sicilian-style brioche bun sliced open and stuffed with scoops of gelato. This decadent Sicilian pairing is often eaten in place of breakfast during the hot summer months!

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Brioche con gelato from La Kala, one of the best gelato shops in Palermo.

Explore more of Sicilian cuisine on one of these guided tours!