Italy is a country famous for its cuisine. From delicious pizza and pasta to world-famous cheeses and award-winning wines, there’s so much to offer. But let’s not forget about Italy’s mouthwatering desserts and pastries too.
Whether it’s to accompany your morning coffee, a mid-afternoon snack, or a delicious dessert to round off a great meal, there are countless types of Italian pastries to choose from. Which makes narrowing down this list of ‘best’ an extremely difficult job.
After much deliberation and eating a lot of Italian pastries – it’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it – we decided that these are the best Italian pastries that everyone needs to try at least once. And if you’re feeling creative, we’ve included some of the best Italian pastry recipes from around the web.
Bread is one of the most commonly enjoyed types of food around the world, with many cuisines having different yet equally delicious representative loaves of bread and pastries.
When it comes to bread and pastries, it is always fascinating to learn where the staple recipes come from and the histories behind them.
Flour, butter and water are the staple ingredients for creating one of the most magical baking bases in the world — pastry. No matter the dish, pastry has been adored throughout the ages. From housing the legendary Cornish pasty, to its more esteemed repertoire in being the base of some of the best French pastries in the world, it’s the stuff of legends. We have a serious thing for all types of pastry in all their deliciously crispy, flaky forms. We look at the different types of pastry that exist and how they are used to make our delish pastry favourites.
Flaky Pastries
Rough Puff Pastry (Flaky)
Not to be confused with puff pastry — rough puff pastry, is a light, unleavened dough that resembles puff pastry once baked. It relies on large lumps of shortening (fat) throughout the pastry that keeps the rolled particles of dough separate from each other. This results in a light flaky pastry distinct from puff pastry. This type of dough is commonly used to make sausage rolls, pasties and plaits.
Recipe for Smoked Fish Pie
Puff pastry is made with the same ingredients as shortcrust, but has a soft, flaky and pillowy exterior due to the various layers in the dough that cause it to expand or ‘puff’ when baked. Layering the dough for puff pastry is time-consuming, but the results speak for themselves. The water and butter expand and cause the pastry to rise from the steam, this creates gaps between the layers which gives it that airy texture and ‘puff’. The traditional croissant is made similarly to puff pastry with the addition of yeast and milk.
Recipe for Apple, Cinnamon and Pecan Nut Puff Pastry Rolls
Lesser-known Pastries
Suet Crust Pastry
Suet has been used to make pastries for centuries. Suet is the visceral fat found around the kidneys and loins of pigs and cows. It’s a popular choice of fat due to its unobtrusive flavour and the richness it adds to meals. If you’re a bird-lover, you may be familiar with this ingredient, as it’s used to bind homemade bird feed. Suet is used similarly in pastry making as a binding element in place of butter or lard.
Recipe for Classic Steak and Kidney Pudding
Hot Water Crust Pastry
This particular pastry is primarily used for savoury pies such as pork pies, game pies and other meaty pies that require a stronger crust to hold the dense and saucy contents. The recipe for hot water crust pastry is really in the name itself — it uses lard or butter melted into a high concentration of hot water, which makes it easier to shape the pastry.
Recipe for Balsamic Lamb Pie
Pastries from Afar
Pâte à Choux (Choux Pastry)
Choux pastry or pâte à choux, is a sweet French pastry that is most commonly filled with piped creams and fillings to make delicious little treats, such as éclairs and cream puffs. The pastry is made from flour, butter, water and eggs for extra richness. The basic dough is cooked over the stove and eggs are added thereafter to provide leavening.
Recipe for classic Chocolate Éclairs
Phyllo Pastry
This paper-thin type of pastry is popular in Mediterranean-style baking. Phyllo pastry (sometimes written filo) is traditionally layered and parcelled around a filling and brushed with butter before being baked in the oven. It’s generally made with flour, water, salt and a little oil. Phyllo pastry is pretty versatile and can be folded, layered, ruffled or rolled into whatever your heart desires. The most common savoury creations made with phyllo pastry are spanakopita and tiropita — sweet traditional treats include baklava.
Recipe for Apple-Filled Phyllo
Shortcrust Pastries
Shortcrust Pastry
Shortcrust pastry is the OG of the pastry world. It’s known as the most versatile as it can be used in a variety of both savoury and sweet baked goodies and is probably the easiest one to make. The dough is comprised of flour, butter, salt and a little water for binding. The ingredients are combined and then lightly pressed together before being refrigerated until ready to use. The trick with shortcrust pastry is to not overwork the dough, as this will develop the gluten. You want to lightly combine the ingredients, so that the dough becomes crispy, not chewy, when baked. Shortcrust is perfect for pie tops, quiches and tarts.
Recipe for Beef Short Rib Pies
Pâte Sucrée (Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
Recipe for Salted Caramel Pecan Nut Pie
Now that you know the different types of pastry, try our favourite savoury pies recipes. Prefer sweeter bakes? Check out these sweet pie and tart recipes.
List of 5 Types of Pastry Doughs
There are five main types of pastry dough for creating pastries: flaky, shortcrust, puff, choux and filo. All of them are made primarily from flour, water and fat. However, these five types of pastry dough each have slightly different core ingredients, different ratios of ingredients and, ultimately, different uses.
Delicate and simple to make, flaky pastry is used for sweet or savory dishes that bake quickly, such as the common pie crust. With large pieces of butter mixed into the dough, flaky pastries are more easily made with a food processor or a specialized pastry blender. Requiring a delicate touch, this flaky pastry is easy to overwork, so make sure to pay close attention to the recipe directions.
Bite-sized golden beet and goat cheese quiches with pine nut crust
Made from a flaky pastry dough, this golden beet and goat cheese quiche is a delight in every bite. To ensure your dough has an even consistency, use a KitchenAid® food processor to mix in the pine nuts and salt into the flour.
Perfect for cooks who love to bake, shortcrust pastry is a stout dough used to make thicker pastries like tarts and cookies. This pastry won’t be as easily overworked as others as it takes about half of the fat to flour in its recipe, which binds the pastry together. For each of the four types of shortcrust, crumbles are a plus.
Lavender shortbread cookies
Simple yet elegant, these shortbread cookies epitomize shortcrust pastry dough. With golden-brown edges and the flavor of lavender mixed in with a KitchenAid® food processor, every taste of this cookie is the perfect bite.
Although similar in texture to a flaky pastry, puff pastry differs significantly in how much time it takes to make. It is traditionally formed by rolling dough over a rectangular shape of cold butter in the lamination process. Perfect for making pie crusts or meat pies, flaky puff pastry is the mark of a detailed baker. An easier version of puff pastry, called rough puff, can also be made with a stand mixer for a more hands-off and quicker approach.
Puff pastry waffles with whipped cream
Light, fluffy and mouth-watering, these puff pastry waffles are a lovely treat any time of the day. Use your KitchenAid® stand mixer and whisk accessory to whip up a sweet cream filling for this classic pastry dish.
Choux pastry, also sometimes called cream-filled pastry, has a crispy outer shell and a hollow interior to hold delicious sweet and savory fillings. Perhaps surprisingly, this light pastry dough begins with the addition of eggs. The thick, damp mixture then rises by steam which is what creates choux pastry’s outer shell.
Eclair cake
Combining the finest parts of eclair and cake, the flavors in this recipe will have you wondering why you never thought to combine the two before. With a KitchenAid® stand mixer, you can combine a fluffy cake mix and develop a sweet, creamy eclair filling.
Filo
A relative of the puff pastry, filo is made by layering a series of thin sheets of the pastry on top of its filling, such as in baklava or spring rolls. The unleavened dough is stretched into a paper-thin sheet, brushed with oil, then layered with more dough sheets and oil, so that when baked it crisps as opposed to puffing up.
Mini pistachio, walnut & honey baklava
The rich taste of honey and cinnamon meets its perfect complement in pistachio and walnut with this recipe. Create a baklava filling with satisfying flavor and texture by using a KitchenAid® Cordless Hand Blender.
What is a Pastry Beater And How is it Used to Make Pastry?
Pastry beaters or blenders are kitchen tools that are used for cutting butter into flour when creating pastry dough. If using a handheld version, you will need to press it into your butter and flour mixture over and over to create small pieces of butter coated in flour. The pastry beater from KitchenAid brand attaches to your stand mixer to make handmade quality pastry dough, with less effort.
What is the Most Popular Pastry?
The answer to the most popular pastry will depend not only on where you live but also whether you are looking for a sweet or savory pastry. For example, if you are looking to eat a sweet-filled pastry with your morning coffee, eclairs (choux pastry) are a popular choice, especially in France. In North America, the flaky pastry that forms the base of sweet fruit pies like a classic apple pie, or savory hand pies like empanadas might be the most popular.
Create More with KitchenAid® Countertop Appliances
Nothing is quite as exhilarating as watching the transformation of your fresh pastry dough in the oven. That’s why KitchenAid® countertop appliances were designed to help you create any type of pastry dough. Whether you need a KitchenAid® stand mixer or a KitchenAid® food processor to easily cut cold butter into flour, or KitchenAid® stand mixer attachments and accessories to help create delicious, fresh fillings, KitchenAid brand has the tools you need for inventive pastry making.
Expand Your Cooking Possibilities with KitchenAid brand
While cinnamon swirl bread is a natural for breakfast, we love it so much we enjoy it all day long. This is a nice twist on traditional cinnamon swirl yeast breads. —Helen Richardson, Shelbyville, Michigan
Go to Recipe
Cinnamon Fruit Biscuits
Because these sweet treats are so easy, I’m almost embarrassed when people ask me for the recipe. They’re a snap to make with refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, sugar, cinnamon and your favorite fruit preserves. —Ione Burham, Washington, Iowa
Quick Cherry Turnovers
Refrigerated crescent rolls let you make these fruit-filled pastries in a hurry. My family loves these turnovers for breakfast, but they’re so delicious, they’d be welcome any time of the day. Feel free to experiment with other pie fillings as well. —Elleen Oberrueter, Danbury, Iowa
Chocolate Banana Bundles
Banana with chocolate is such an irresistible combo that I make this quick dessert often. You can also top these tasty bundles with the butter and brown sugar mixture left over from coating the bananas, or sprinkle on a dash of sea salt. —Thomas Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey
Caramel Bubble Ring
Lots of caramel and ice cream topping make this quick pull-apart bread oh so gooey and delicious. It truly is a finger-lickin’ good baked good.—Laura Clifton, Wenatchee, Washington
Lemon Pound Cake Muffins
I make these lemony muffins for all kinds of occasions. My family always requests them when we have a brunch. They’re so good! —Lola Baxter, Winnebago, Minnesota
Cherry Chip Scones
These buttery scones dotted with dried cherries and vanilla chips are so sweet and flaky that I sometimes serve them for dessert. —Pam Brooks, South Berwick, Maine
Chocolate Toffee Biscuits
These sweet, crunchy biscuits are so quick and easy to mix up, they’re my go-to treat with my morning coffee. —Wendy Weatherall, Cargill, Ontario
Ricotta-Raisin Coffee Cake
These few ingredients go together quickly so I can have a warm coffee cake to serve overnight guests for breakfast. If you don’t have or don’t like cardamom, substitute any sweet spice. I recommend ground nutmeg, cinnamon or allspice. —Carol Gaus, Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Raspberry Cheese Danish
After trying a pumpkin scone at a coffee house, I was inspired to look for a recipe to try at home. The glaze nicely complements the pumpkin flavor.
Banana Macadamia Muffins
These muffins taste even better the next day, so to save time, I often make them the night before. They stay moist for days. —Stasha Wampler, Clinchport, Virginia
Banana Beignet Bites
When I was a little girl, my grandmother took me aside one day and taught me how to make her famous banana beignets. Although we made them during the holidays, they’re pretty fantastic any time of the year. —Amy Downing, South Riding, Virginia
Berry-Filled Doughnuts
Four ingredients are all you’ll need for this sure-bet breakfast treat. Friends and family will never guess that refrigerated buttermilk biscuits are the base for these golden, jelly-filled doughnuts. —Ginny Watson, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Lemon Pull-Apart Coffee Cake
I found this recipe in a newspaper and make it often. I like to bake this coffee cake when unexpected company stops in and I need something speedy to go with a cup of coffee. —Mary Tallman, Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin
Pumpkin Ginger Scones
I made these lovely scones one day when looking for a way to use up leftover pumpkin, and I was so excited with the results. I often use my food processor to stir up the dough just until it comes together. It’s so simple to prepare this way. —Brenda Jackson, Garden City, Kansas
Apricot Cream Biscuits
Melt-in-your-mouth good when warm, these shortcut biscuits with a hint of orange prove that the right mix really can offer homemade taste. —Betty Saint Turner, Attalla, Alabama
Pecan Coffee Cake
My mom serves this nutty coffee cake for Christmas breakfast each year. The simple recipe is a big timesaver on such an event-filled morning. Everyone loves the crunchy topping. —Becky Wax, Tuscola, Illinois
Pumpkin Doughnut Drops
I always have a few special treats handy when the grandchildren visit. These cake doughnuts are one of their favorite snacks. —Beva Staum, Muscoda, Wisconsin
Cranberry Banana Coffee Cake
I make this moist cake for Christmas morning every year. It tastes like banana bread but has a sweet golden topping with a nutty crunch. —Gloria Friesen, Casper, Wyoming
Glazed Doughnut Holes
Here’s a simple recipe to create a colorful and fun breakfast—or snack! For the glaze, use any type of juice you like. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Sour Cream Chip Muffins
Take one bite and you’ll see why I think these rich, tender muffins are the best I’ve ever tasted. Mint chocolate chips make them a big hit with my family and friends. —Stephanie Moon, Boise, Idaho
Apple Pear Coffee Cake
A friend gave me this apple pear coffee cake recipe to make for a breakfast I was hosting. The pan was empty before the breakfast was over! It’s one of my most-requested recipes, probably because it’s a bit different. —Joanne Hoschette, Paxton, Massachusetts
Cranberry Nut Muffins
These are delicious, beautiful muffins. I serve them during the holidays or anytime cranberries are available. The leftovers always make good breakfast treats. Through the years I’ve tried many cranberry recipes for bread and muffins, but this remains my family’s all-time favorite! —Flo Burtnett, Gage, Oklahoma
Buttercup Squash Coffee Cake
Cappuccino Muffins
These are my favorite muffins to serve with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of cold milk. Not only are they great for breakfast, they make a tasty dessert or midnight snack. I get lots of recipe requests whenever I serve them. The espresso spread is also super on a bagel. —Janice Schulz, Racine, Wisconsin
Rich Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
When I was a teacher, this recipe was recommended by one of my student’s parents. I’ve made it so many times, I can’t imagine hosting a brunch without it. Chocolate chips add sweet bursts of flavor to the rich and tender coffee cake. —Michelle Krzmarzick
Torrance, California
Raspberry Breakfast Braid
We also like using blackberries, Marionberries, a mixture of raspberries and blackberries, or all three in this quick and easy pastry. —Tressa Nicholls, Sandy, Oregon
Pecan Pie Mini Muffins
While these are delicious year-round, you could easily turn them into an edible Christmas gift. They look festive on a decorative tray wrapped in red or green cellophane or tucked into a giveaway cookie plate. And don’t forget to include the recipe so your recipient can enjoy this treat over and over again! —Pat Schrand, Enterprise, Alabama
Monkey Bread
Both of my boys really enjoyed helping me make this butterscotch monkey bread when they were young. It seemed to taste twice as good when they helped fix it. It’s one of our favorites for breakfast or as a snack. —Carol Allen, McLeansboro, Illinois
Cherry Almond Streusel Scones
My kids and I love to mix the ingredients together and turn out these delicious scones. The tart cherries and the brown sugar and almond streusel complement the tender scones perfectly. —Teresa Ralston, New Albany, Ohio
Monkey Bread Biscuits
I came up with an easy, savory—instead of sweet—dinner version of monkey bread featuring garlic and Italian seasoning. —Dana Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona
Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins
Back when my children were youngsters, they loved these doughnut muffins as after-school treats or with Sunday brunch. —Sharon Pullen, Alvinston, Ontario
Lemon Blueberry Drop Scones
I enjoy serving these fruity scones for baby and bridal showers. They’re a bit lower in fat than most other scones, so you can indulge with little guilt. —Jacqueline Hendershot, Orange, California. Check out this drop scones recipe by Queen Elizabeth.
IMG Stock Studio/Shutterstock
The pastry world is a complicated one that fans of the hit television show “The Great British Bake Off” know all too well. Pastry has been a facet of societies long before baking shows, though; the Egyptians were the first society to record mixing fat into dough and wrapping around it meats before cooking (via the Macmillan Dictionary Blog). After Northern Europeans invaded the Mediterranean during the Crusades, pastry making was adopted by the Italians and the Europeans. After the 1700s, pastry making became more of an artisan craft and inspired culinary art renditions through figures like Marie-Antoine Carême, per Pure History.
Nowadays, you don’t have to travel far to find fine pastry. We should also note the difference between the pastry we’re talking about. It’s the technique and style of incorporating fat into flour that will become, with the addition of flavorings and artistic infusion, a delectable baked good (which are called pastries). Patisserie, per Le Cordon Bleu, refers to French, Italian, or Belgian adaptations of pastry and the shops in which pastries are sold. Confusing, we know.
Here’s a breakdown of pastry 101: the types, methods, and creations you can whip up by (not so simply) mixing flour and fat.
Shortcrust pastry is a basic, widely-used form of pastry made by combining chunks of butter with flour. Once the butter begins to form small chunks with the flour, cold water is added to make the dough come together in a ball. As noted by The Guardian, the butter prevents the water from soaking the flour and making a goopy mess. The goal of a shortcrust pastry is to keep the dough soft and crumbly while avoiding gluten development. The baker should also be sure to add the water slowly to the dough to prevent over-saturating and causing the dough to harden and become too dense.
After the pastry comes together, it is chilled before being rolled out on a floured surface. Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes is vital to allow the gluten to slack and the fat to firm up. The resulting texture of the dough is soft, crumbly, and full of tiny pockets of fat resulting in a super flavorful crust. Shortcrust pastry is most commonly used for baking pie crusts. You can flavor the dough with cheese for a savory quiche Lorraine or add chocolate for a chocolate-crusted cream pie.
Hot water crust pastry is often used for pies because of its durability. According to the King Arthur Baking Company, you’ll commonly see hot water crust pastry used for meat pies and roasted root vegetable pies because it can withstand the weight of the fillings. To make hot water crust pastry, the cook heats water and fat (usually animal lard or vegetable shortening) until it comes to a boil. Then, the fat is poured into a well of flour and stirred until equally moist. Unlike other types of pastry, hot water crust pastry needs to be kneaded to ensure the dough is amply hydrated.
As you might imagine, hot water crust pastry differs greatly from regular pie crust. Per its name, hot water is a key component in pre-gelatinizing the starches in the flour, similar to tangzhong, a Japanese bread-making technique. The resulting texture of the dough is much more pliable, thick, and sturdy. You should consider using cold water for a shortcrust pastry method if you desire a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth feel. The texture of the hot water crust pastry is much more ideal if you plan to take the pie out of the pan and for the crust to maintain its shape. If you are an amateur baker with a tendency to rip holes in your crust, you should also note that hot water crust is easier to repair with chunks of leftover dough.
The key to perfecting a puff pastry is to make sure the dough stays cold. If you use butter as your source of fat, you will notice that a warm dough will result in the butter seeping out of the dough while it’s baking and not producing the correct puff shape of the dough. You should also keep your oven hot, because an oven that is too cold will not cause the butter to steam — rather it will just seep out of the dough. Most puff pastry recipes call for baking at 400 degrees Fahrenheit to produce both a brown color and the perfect puff.
If making puff pastry is not your forte, you can make your life easier by purchasing frozen puff pastry and leaving it in the freezer for when you need it. Use puff pastry to wrap a beef wellington or delicately craft a chicken pot pie.
Viennoiserie
Le Cordon Bleu describes viennoiserie as a hybrid of pâtisserie and French bread. Unlike other types of pastry, viennoiserie usually includes an active yeast culture and white flour, along with the help of enriching agents like butter, eggs, or milk. According to French Forever, is believed that this hybridized pastry is rooted in Austria and eventually made its way to French life by the end of the 1830s.
The ingredients of the viennoiserie set the dessert apart from others in a French storefront. You’ll notice that viennoiseries are much more golden brown in color because of the enriching agents. The texture, French Forever notes, is a flaky, crunchy exterior with an interior like of either soft thin layers or soft doughy bread. Unlike other kinds of pastry you’d find in Europe, viennoiseries are usually eaten for breakfast rather than as an after-dinner treat.
Some of the most popular viennoiseries you may find in a French shop include the le pain au chocolat, le pavé suisse (Swiss brioche), and chouquettes.
Rough puff pastry is similar to its non-rough namesake, but its ingredients come together faster and less arduously than a traditional puff pastry. This dough requires significantly fewer folds and less time between folding, thus making it the perfect dough if puff pastry feels much too difficult to make by yourself. Bakerpedia notes one of the major downsides of using rough puff pastry over other pastry types is that the dough won’t produce the same rise as a puff pastry, so it is best to stick to recipes like beef wellington and Napoleon cake.
To make a rough puff pastry, a baker must incorporate golf-ball-sized chunks of fat into the dough (rather than the entire slabs used in puff pastry). Then, the dough is quickly rolled, sheeted, and folded with no resting time in between. The resulting dough has deliciously (but less consistently placed) airy fat layers. Some bakers, as noted by Bakerpedia, will add lemon juice to the dough to it tender during the folding process.
Filo pastry
Filo dough (also spelt as phyllo dough) is a thin type of pastry dough that differs from puff pastry. Per Bakerpedia, filo dough originated in the Mediterranean region and eventually spread to other regions in the Eurasian subcontinent. Bakers include flour, water, fat, salt, and vinegar together to form very, very thin sheets of dough. Once the sheets are formed, the dough can be stacked, shaped, and formed into baked goods like baklava and spanakopita.
Filo dough is very fragile, so once it is formed into sheets, the dough is frozen until it is ready to be used. If you mistakenly use filo before it is thawed, however, the dough will crack, split, and become useless. The dough also tends to dry very quickly because it is thin, so if you work with filo dough, you should complete all other preparation steps before removing the dough from your refrigerator.
If you plan on working with filo at home, you should know to keep melted butter handy. Traditionally, sheets of filo are stacked with butter in between and baked until golden brown and flaky. The result is a texture similar to puff pastry, but rarely will bakers substitute filo dough and puff pastry interchangeably. Puff pastry is much thicker and will not offer the same mouth-feel as thin filo pastry, per Martha Stewart.
A pâte à choux is used to make many french pastries like éclairs, cream puffs, and gougères. To make a choux, a baker will bring water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil before adding flour and stirring until the mixture comes off the sides of the pot. It is important for the baker to cook the dough for long enough to evaporate most of the moisture from the dough; this allows eggs to be more easily incorporated in a stand mixer. Next, the baker pipes the choux dough into the desired shape and bakes until golden brown. Once the pastry has finished baking, it can be filled and served. The resulting choux pastry is light, fluffy, and hollow in the center.
Forget overnight oats and smoothie bowls and make your morning a little brighter with these easy breakfast pastries!
Sweet or savory, chocolate or cheese, I know you’ll love them all.
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My morning coffee is always better when there’s a flaky pastry beside it.
Sure, it’s not the most nutritious breakfast option, but you deserve a sinful treat from time to time.
And from buttery cinnamon rolls to savory ham and egg croissants, these breakfast pastries are wonderfully decadent.
So, bookmark this list for when you’re in the mood to indulge!
Fruit and Cream Cheese Breakfast Pastries
Filled with sweetened cream cheese and your favorite fresh fruit, these pastries are an excellent combination of sweet, salty, tart, and creamy.
Don’t worry; there’s no need to make pastry from scratch here.
Just open a box of frozen puff pastry, cut it into circles with a cookie cutter, and voila, you have pastry cups ready for filling.
Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts
If you grew up eating pop tarts for an after-school snack, you’ll love these homemade pastries!
These flaky treats are filled with cinnamon sugar and frosted with a cinnamon glaze. Every bite is perfectly sweet and spiced.
You’ll have to make the pastry from scratch for this recipe, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Every morning would start with a warm and sweet cinnamon roll in a perfect world.
Well, with this simplified recipe, that dream could become a reality.
These puff pastry cinnamon rolls have the same flavor profile as the iconic sticky treat but are a lot easier to prepare.
Made with frozen puff pastry and simple cinnamon sugar filling with pecans, this is a no-muss, no-fuss recipe anybody can pull off.
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Date Filling
Move over, Cinnabon. These homemade cinnamon rolls are extra special.
The ridiculously scrumptious date filling is naturally sweet and such a pleasant change from the norm.
This is another recipe that calls for homemade pastry, so you’ll want to allow some extra time for this.
But just to be clear – pastry dough isn’t as complex to make as you think, so don’t be intimidated!
Try it, and you’ll be surprised at how easy it is.
Easy Breakfast Cheese Danish
These are flaky pastries filled with sweetened cream cheese and topped with fruit. Yum!
With these Danish squares, it’s like eating mini berry cheesecakes for breakfast! How can anybody say no to that?
While most Danish pastries use berries, why not try apples and pears for a warming fall-themed treat?
Whole Wheat Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
I know that “whole wheat” is usually connected with healthy recipes, but I promise these whole wheat cinnamon rolls are just as sinful as any other recipe.
With the combination of apple pie and cinnamon rolls, these pastries are absolutely decadent.
The fact that they’re nutritious is just a plus.
Puff Pastry Breakfast Tarts with Spinach, Egg, and Cheese
These breakfast tarts look and taste like they came straight out of a bakery!
Seriously, I’m blown away by how gorgeous they are. There’s something so alluring about that golden egg yolk on top.
And that’s not all. These tarts are also filled with bacon, spinach, onions, cheddar cheese, and chives.
Don’t be fooled, though. While it looks complicated and expensive, this breakfast dish is surprisingly easy to make and affordable.
Raspberry Cream Cheese Pinwheel Pastries
These pinwheels are so pretty they’ll take your breath away.
Filled with sweetened cream cheese, raspberry jam, and fresh raspberries, they’re also completely scrumptious.
Turning pastry into pinwheels may look complicated, but all you’ll need is frozen pastry, a knife, and four simple cuts.
Ham Egg and Cheese Puff Pastry Breakfast
If you believe that breakfasts should always include ham and eggs, these pastries are for you.
Filled with fluffy eggs, ham, and cheddar cheese on a flaky, golden crust, they’re super savory and even more irresistible.
This is the ultimate breakfast of champions.
Baked Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches
Croissant sandwiches are such a fun treat. I mean, why settle for white bread when you can have these buttery and flaky pastry treats?
Filled with fluffy scrambled eggs, ham, and cheese, these croissant sandwiches are what breakfast dreams are made of.
They’re scrumptious, a breeze to make, and easy to eat on the go! What’s not to love?
Sugary Cinnamon Twists
These are sweet cinnamon donuts with a twist – literally.
Covered in butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, they’re pretty much everything you can ask for in a cinnamon sugar donut.
But, instead of the usual round shape, they come in a twisted form.
As a bonus, these twists are baked, not deep-fried, making them a healthier but equally delicious alternative to traditional donuts.
Sausage Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
With this recipe, you can make sensational pastries with just four ingredients.
Crescent rolls, cheese, cream cheese, sausage crumbles, and 15 minutes in the oven are all it takes to make this drool-worthy breakfast treat.
Feel free to swap out the ingredients or even add extra! For example, I like onions with sausage, but you could make it vegetarian and use roasted leeks instead.
Quinoa Banana Muffins
Let’s take a break from the indulgent pastries for a moment and turn our eyes to these delightful quinoa and banana muffins.
While muffins aren’t really pastries, let’s forego technicalities. I honestly do think these guys deserve the spotlight.
If you’re looking for something satisfying yet wholesome, these moist and flavorful muffins have your name on them.
Made with quinoa, almond flour, and ground flax, they’re rich in fiber and gluten-free.
Flavored with mashed bananas and chocolate chips, they’re so tasty that you won’t even think of them as healthy.
White Chocolate Muffins
Next, we have tender, fluffy, and moist vanilla and white chocolate muffins!
Soft, crumbly, and perfectly sweet, these muffins are as delicious as they are beautiful.
Think white chocolate chip cookies, but in muffin form.
Texas Sausage Kolaches (Klobasnek)
Kolaches are a famous Texas breakfast pastry with a cheesy sausage center. They’re offered in most Texas donut shops but can be easily made at home.
If you’re wondering about the name, kolaches originated from Czech immigrants.
Meaning “cake pie,” a kolache is a sweet pastry filled with some type of fruit jelly.
The Texans adopted the concept and made them savory by stuffing a sausage inside.
Almond Baked Donuts with Maple Syrup Glaze
These baked donuts may not be as pillowy as traditional deep-fried donuts, but they’re just as irresistible.
The donuts themselves are flavored with almonds, so even on their own, they’re pretty tasty.
But covered with a decadent maple syrup glaze and sprinkled with crushed nuts (I highly recommend almonds), these donuts are perfectly moist and sweet with a lovely crunch.
Apple Cheese Danish
Apples and cheese unite to make sweet and savory danishes that are impossible to resist.
These flaky and puffy pastries are filled with cinnamon apples and a heavenly mixture of ricotta and cream cheese flavored with lemon and sugar.
It’s like eating a cheese danish and an apple pie all in one bite, and it couldn’t make me happier.
New Orleans Beignets
New Orleans beignets are simply the best. I can’t visit The Big Easy without spending an afternoon in Café Du Monde.
Just don’t ask me how many beignets I eat in one sitting!
These babies are puffy and crisp on the outside and fluffy and pillowy on the inside. In other words, they’re phenomenal.
Their texture is so flawless that you don’t even need much flavoring to make them addictive – just a simple coating of powdered sugar will do.
Thanks to this recipe, you don’t have to live in or travel to New Orleans to enjoy the goodness of beignets.
Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
These scones have a wonderfully soft crumb.
Peppered with poppy seeds and covered in a sweet lemon glaze, they’re tremendously delicious inside and out.
Cheese and Jam Turnovers
Filled with your favorite jam and shredded aged sharp cheddar, these turnovers have a lovely mix of sweet, tart, and salty.
You’ll also love the contrast between the crunchy and flaky crust and thick oozy filling.
It’s so good it’ll turn your world upside down!
Strawberry Galette
A galette is a French pie with a flat, free-form crust. It’s like a pizza, but with a sweet fruit or berry topping.
This galette is filled with fresh strawberries in sweet vanilla syrup. It’s a light dessert that’s perfect for summer.
Serve the slices with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream for a refreshing treat.
Cathead Biscuits
These are tender, fluffy biscuits the size of a cat’s head. Adorable!
The biscuits are fitted into a skillet and then baked, giving them a crisp outer crust.
But that’s not all.
These pastries have melted cheese that’ll ooze out like lava as you take a bite. Just watch your tongue!
Gluten-Free Coconut Bread
Here’s something for our health-conscious readers out there! This bread is low-carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, and paleo-compliant.
And most importantly, it’s hella delicious.
This loaf of bread is tender, fluffy, and bursting with nutty coconut goodness.
Sprinkled with sesame seeds on top, it’s delicate yet crunchy in every bite.
Healthy Banana Bread
This banana bread is outrageously moist, tender, and bursting with banana flavor. It’s about as good as banana bread gets.
But, what makes this recipe extra special is the use of wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour and maple syrup instead of sugar.
It’s healthy, but it doesn’t sacrifice flavor. And that just means you can add all the chocolate chips you want!
Dirt Bombs
They don’t have the most appetizing name, but these dirt bombs are seriously addictive. Consider yourself warned.
Dirt bombs are baked donuts spiced with nutmeg and cardamom, dipped in melted butter, and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
Need I say more? I didn’t think so.
Apricot Galette
This apricot galette has a rustic look and impeccable tastes and textures.
Fresh ripe apricots get bathed in a syrup of brown sugar and cream and seasoned with nutmeg.
The syrup balances out the tartness of the fruit, making it wonderfully sweet with just a little bit of sourness.
The crust is made from scratch, so you know it’s extra flaky and delicious.
Strawberries and Cream Scones
These scones are filled to the brim with fresh strawberries and drizzled with a sweet vanilla glaze.
The flavors are sensational, but the textures make these scones a winner.
They’re slightly crisp on the outside and tender and crumbly on the inside.
The strawberries add a bit of crunchiness and juiciness, while the glaze provides extra moisture.
Together, these lovely textures create the perfect bite.
Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal
This zucchini bread with crunchy oatmeal crust is too good to miss.
It sounds like something the kids would avoid at all costs, but trust me; they won’t.
Just don’t tell them what it’s made of, and they’ll gobble it up with glee.
I promise you, this zucchini bread doesn’t taste vegetal at all. Instead, it adds moisture, like carrots do with carrot cake.
Chaussons aux Pommes
Don’t be intimidated by its fancy name. Chaussons aux Pommes may sound complex, but they’re just a simple pastry.
Meaning “apple flap,” this Dutch recipe is made of puff pastry dough filled with apples and raisins in cinnamon sugar.
The recipe has directions for making pastry dough from scratch, but you can use frozen pastry in a pinch.
Strawberry Jam Crumb Cookies
These cookies may not have the usual shape and mixins, but they’re just as mouthwatering as any.
They’re shaped like pie slices, giving them intrigue and appeal. But it’s not the unusual shape that’ll make you fall for them.
Tender and crumbly with dollops of strawberry jam scattered throughout, these cookies have exquisite tastes and textures.
And hey, any time I can eat cookies for breakfast, I’m happy!
Bomboloni
Bomboloni are light and fluffy deep-fried Italian doughnuts. Their name comes from the Italian word “bomba,” meaning “bomb,” to describe their small grenade-like shape.
These delicious Italian doughnuts originate from the Tuscany region. Traditional bomboloni were dusted with icing sugar and enjoyed on the beach and during carnival season.
Today, Bomboloni are made all across Italy with oozy fillings of crema pasticcera (custard creme), jam, or Nutella. They can be eaten as breakfast, a snack or as dessert.
Maritozzo
A maritozzo is an ancient delicacy from Rome consisting of a sweet brioche bun split down the middle and filled with whipped cream. It may be extremely simple, but it’s one of the most popular Italian breakfast pastries in the Lazio region.
The name maritozzo derives from the word “marito” which is Italian for “husband”. It comes from a unique tradition in 19th-century Rome, in which men would propose on the first Friday of March by presenting their future brides with an engagement ring hidden inside a maritozzo. (Is it wrong we’d probably want the pastry more than the ring?)
Maritozzo are still so popular in Rome today that the city celebrates Maritozzo Day on the first Saturday of December each year.
South Korea
Similar to taiyaki, South Korea’s hotteok is a type of pastry that is usually filled with sweet fillings such as red bean, honey, brown sugar or cinnamon paste.
However, unlike taiyaki, hotteok is made from dough. After filling small pieces of the dough, the dough is placed onto a greased griddle and pressed flat into a large circle to cook until ready to serve.
Hotteok is known as Korea’s sweet pancakes and is a popular street food item in the country.
Now enjoyed as different variations and in many places around the world, cinnamon scrolls first originated from Sweden.
Cinnamon scrolls are a type of bread made from rolled sheets of yeast-leavened dough, traditionally topped with a cinnamon and sugar mixture.
They are known for their balanced sweet and spicy flavour.
Panettone
Panettone is Italy’s most traditional Christmas pastry. The sweet cake-like bread has a tall, domed shape, a distinctively light and fluffy texture, and is packed with candied fruit and raisins. It can be enjoyed as a dessert paired with a brut prosecco, or with a coffee or hot chocolate in the morning.
Panettone originated in Milan around the 15th century and was once a luxury dessert only for the rich. Since then, it has spread across the rest of Italy and to other countries around the world to become a popular holiday staple.
The sweet bread also now comes in many different variations, such as with chocolate chips or nuts in place of fruit, or with flavours added to the dough.
Hot Cross Buns
Hot cross buns are a traditional type of bread from the United Kingdom, surrounded by many superstitions and practices.
Similar to regular buns, but marked with a cross on top and usually filled with sultanas, hot cross buns are a traditional snack served in the United Kingdom as well as other Commonwealth countries.
Invented in the 1300s, hot cross buns were traditionally baked and served on Good Friday during Easter for health reasons and to protect against fires. It is one of the many British snacks that one ought to try while they are in the UK.
Corn Bread
Portugal is home to many delicious types of bread, one of them being cornbread (Broa).
Unlike American cornbread which is leavened with baking powder, Portuguese cornbread is leavened with yeast and is made from a mixture of rye, cornmeal and wheat flour.
On top of that, Portuguese cornbread is famous for its rustic flavour and texture and is most commonly served with soups.
Pretzel
Pretzels are a type of German baked pastry made from dough that is normally shaped into a knot.
Particularly, they are known for their chewy, doughy texture, and are usually topped with sesame seeds or sugar dusting.
Pretzels are usually eaten as a snack – especially at carnivals and theme parks – but can also be enjoyed as a filling breakfast.
Turkish Pide
Turkish pide is a type of savoury flatbread similar to a pizza. It is baked into a boat shape and stuffed with fillings such as herbs, cheese, vegetables as well as meat (most popularly lamb).
Turkish pide is also commonly served in restaurants as a flatbread. Sweet variations of Turkish pide (usually topped with sesame seeds) are served only during Ramadan.
Mantou
Mantou is a traditional Chinese steamed bun and is especially popular in the Northern parts of the country.
It is made from wheat flour, water and leavening agents and is rather small in size, making for the perfect Chinese snack.
The steamed buns are usually served warm and plain (due to it being slightly sweet in flavour) but can be deep-fried and served with condensed milk for dessert as well.
Cannoli
Every list of Italian pastries has to include the classic cannoli. Arguably Italy’s most famous dessert, cannoli can be eaten at any time of day, even for breakfast.
Cannoli are tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough filled with a sweet, creamy filling that usually contains ricotta – the popular Italian whey cheese. The ends of cannoli are sometimes sprinkled with chocolate, candied fruit, or nuts.
The Italian cream filled pastry originated from the Island of Sicily. They supposedly date back to the 9th century, while Sicily was under Arab rule. You can find cannoli in cafes and restaurants all across the world these days. But the very best are still found in their home country of Italy.
Fun fact – Cannoli is actually the plural. If you’re ordering just one, it’s a cannolo.
Chiacchiere
Chiacchiere are another traditional Italian carnival pastry, consisting of strips of sweet dough that puff up slightly when fried and are served dusted with powdered sugar. Chiacchiere – also called “Angel Wings” – are known for their signature rectangular shape with two slits down the middle and crimped edges. They’re delicate, crumbly, and incredibly addictive.
Chiacchiere are one of the most famous Italian pastries enjoyed all across the country during carnival (just before lent). They can go by different names depending on the region you’re in; bugie in Liguria, frappe in Lazio, or cenci in Tuscany.
United States
The United States is home to one of the world’s most beloved cake and bread fusions – the banana bread.
Made from mashed bananas and often textured like bread, banana bread first originated from American cookbooks in the 1930s.
Since then, they have become a staple cafe food enjoyed all around the world.
Our world is home to thousands of different types of bread and pastries, all unique and delicious in their own way. From famous French baguettes to hotteok, there are many loaves of bread to enjoy from all around the world.
Here is a summarised list of the best bread and pastries we recommend you try:
- Damper (Australia)
- Cheese Bread (Brazil)
- Mantou (China)
- Baguette (France)
- Pretzel (Germany)
- Pineapple Bun (Hong Kong)
- Naan Bread (India)
- Focaccia (Italy)
- Taiyaki (Japan)
- Cornbread (Portugal)
- Hotteok (South Korea)
- Cinnamon Scrolls (Sweden)
- Turkish Pide (Turkey)
- Hot Cross Buns (United Kingdom)
- Banana Bread (United States)
Struffoli
Struffoli is a type of Italian pastry made from the same simple sweetened dough as chiacchiere. But for stuffoli, the dough is rolled into small marble-sized balls then soaked in honey, cinnamon, and ground orange rind. This creates a sweet treat that’s crunchy on the outside and light on the inside. They are also sometimes referred to as honey balls.
Struffoli are traditional Italian Christmas pastries and are often served on a plate in the shape of a wreath and covered in rainbow sprinkles or dried fruit. They are believed to bring good luck around the holidays.
Baguette
French baguettes (also known as long french sticks) are thoroughly enjoyed worldwide due to their crispy crust and soft, airy insides.
Moreover, they are distinguishable by their length and can be made up to one metre long. French baguettes can be sliced and toasted or used as sandwich bread.
Sporcamuss
Sporcamuss are another of the best Italian pastries from the Puglia region. They consist of squares of puff pastry filled with pastry cream and sprinkled with powdered icing sugar. Sporcamuss are very sweet and usually eaten as a dessert rather than for breakfast.
In the local dialect, sporcamuss means ‘dirty mouth’. The unusual name highlights the fact that it’s pretty much impossible to bite into one without getting cream and sugar all over your mouth and face. Don’t forget to grab a napkin!
That’s our guide to the best Italian pastries your must try. Got any questions or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.
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Zeppole di San Giuseppe
Zeppole is an Italian pastry consisting of choux pastry dough filled with custard and garnished with a sprinkle of icing sugar, more custard, and sour cherries soaked in syrup. They are either baked or fried, depending on the region.
Certainly one of the prettiest types of Italian pastries, zeppole are traditionally prepared for Festa di San Giuseppe (the Feast of Saint Joseph) on March 19, which is also Italian fathers’ day.
Pineapple Bun
Hong Kong’s pineapple buns are known around the world for their deliciously sweet and crisp outer layer, encasing a sweet and soft bun.
Moreover, what makes these pineapple buns even tastier is that they are traditionally enjoyed with a cup of Hong Kong-style milk tea. Hence, they are served at most, if not all cafes in Hong Kong.
Babà al Rum
Much like their popular French counterpart “Baba au Rhum”, Italy’s Babà al Rum is a dry brioche-like sponge soaked in rum and typically shaped like a mushroom. It’s indulgent, sticky, and perfect for a boozy sweet treat any time of day.
Babà was brought to Southern Italy in the nineteenth century by French pastry chefs working in the kitchens of the rich families of Naples. It was such a big hit among the Neapolitans that it has since become a local speciality of the Italian city.
For a more extravagant dessert pastry on special occasions, Babà are cut in half, filled with pastry cream, and decorated with fruit. You can also find Babà soaked in limoncello instead of rum for a truly Neapolitan twist on the pastry.
Babà al Rum recipe.
Taiyaki
Taiyaki is a popular Japanese sweet bread around the world, known for its unique fish shape.
Because of its small size, it is commonly sold as street food in Japan. Furthermore, it can be made with many different fillings – including sweet adzuki paste, custard and sweet potato.
Taiyaki is made using regular pancake or waffle batter and from moulded pans.
Sfogliatella
Sfogliatella is a shell-shaped layered pastry, with a sweet custard-like filling made with semolina, ricotta, and candied citrus fruit. You can also find versions with other fillings such as a simple whipped cream, almond paste, or chocolate cream.
There are two main styles of sfogliatella – riccia and frolla. Riccia means “curly” and is the original version made with flaky, layered pastry. This style is best when freshly baked and hot out of the oven to get its famous crunch. Frolla features a less labour-intensive shortcrust pastry shell, so doesn’t have sfogliatella’s signature thin layers. But it’s still delicious and can be eaten hot or cold.
Sfogliatella is most commonly associated with Naples. However, it’s believed that the popular Italian pastry was actually invented by nuns at the Santa Rosa monastery on the Amalfi Coast. The recipe was somehow picked up by a pastry chef from Naples who began selling it to the public in the early 1800s.
In some English-speaking countries, such as the US, sfogliatella are also called lobster tails. Possibly because it’s one of the more difficult Italian pastry names to pronounce.
Australia
A damper is a loaf of traditional Australian soda bread. It was made by early settlers and travellers who first settled in the country.
Most commonly eaten during the 1850s Australian Gold Rush, the damper was made popular due to its simple recipe and faintly sweet taste.
However, it incorporates baking techniques from Indigenous Australians and is made using wheat flour and water.
Naan Bread
Naan bread is a type of flatbread originating from Western Asian and Southwest Asian cuisines, including India.
It is leavened and oven-baked and is made mainly from yoghurt, milk, wheat flour and yeast. In addition, naan bread is usually savoury and served with sauces, cheese or garlic. They are also often served as part of a meal.
Cheese Bread
Brazilian cheese bread is famous for its uniquely chewy texture and rich taste.
Besides being delicious, Brazilian cheese bread is also known to be nutritionally balanced and a relatively healthy bread to enjoy, containing adequate amounts of vitamins, proteins and carbohydrates.
Some Brazilian cheese bread may also be gluten-free due to being made from starch from tapioca flour.
Focaccia
Focaccia is a famous type of bread from Italy. It is oven-baked and flat, and similar in texture to a pizza base.
Furthermore, focaccia is most commonly seasoned with herbs and can be served as a side dish or used as sandwich bread.
Pasticciotto
Pasticciotto is a popular filled Italian pastry originating from the Puglia region. They consist of a simple short-crust pastry filled with egg custard and are usually eaten hot out of the oven.
The pastry is most popular in its home city of Lecce and the surrounding Salento province. However, it’s not uncommon to find them being enjoyed in cafes and coffee shops all across Puglia and wider Italy.
Traditional breakfast pasticciotto from Puglia are flavoured with vanilla or lemon custard. But you’ll also find variations such as hazelnut, chocolate, pistachio and almond for a tasty dessert or mid-afternoon snack. In Sicily, you can even find an unusual savoury version called “pasticciotti di carne” which is filled with ground veal and almonds.