Giada De Laurentiis’ Top Italian Christmas Desserts

This rich, warm, cozy drink is like an ice cream float, only your mug is filled with sweet and decadent hot chocolate, topped with a scoop of your favourite ice cream.

Light and airy, these chocolatey almond cookies contain no flour, meaning as long as you check your cocoa powder, these cookies are perfect for your friends with gluten allergies.

Embrace this new take on the classic Italian dessert that starts with a crunchy almond-biscotti base topped with a cheesy, baked filling, studded with chocolate chips.

Just because it is chilly outside, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a flavourful icebox dessert. Make this coffee-flavoured torte ahead of Christmas and store in the fridge until after Christmas dinner for a lovely light, layered dessert.

This mouth-watering cheesecake is made with whole milk, ricotta and clover honey. Top it with fresh, juicy fruit for a delicious holiday treat.

The Italian version of French sorbet, this mascarpone, rosemary and honey-flavoured sorbetto is the perfect combination of sweet, tart and creamy.

Call it a cocktail or dessert — either way, don’t call us late for dessert if you are serving this bubbly-filled jelly.

Even those who plan on skipping dessert will be tempted by the sheer sight of this rich and indulgent tart. This is the kind of treat that will disappear in no time, as you go back to sneak bite after bite.

Zabaglione is an Italian dessert typically made with eggs, sugar and sweet wine, but Giada went kid-friendly with this version by using grapefruit juice, adding a slightly bitter contrast to the sweet fruit and sugary egg mixture.

Topped with a brown sugar almond crumble, Greek yogurt takes the place of cream cheese in this chocolate graham cracker and almond-coated cheesecake.

Biscotti are the perfect addition to any holiday cookie exchange or dessert table. Encourage your cookie exchangers to dunk these Italian cookies finished with white chocolate and colourful sprinkles into their morning coffee.

If you’re a fan of the wildly popular Italian tiramisu, you’re going to love Giada’s fruity version featuring fresh raspberries and rich mascarpone whipped cream. It’s a lovely twist on a classic for the holidays.

This show-stopping dessert is impressive and festive on any holiday table! To create this chocolate-mint tower, chocolate pancakes are layered with cream cheese and peppermint frosting for an indulgent dessert that’s a feast for the eyes and the stomach.

Cheesecake is always a hit for dessert — but this combination is stunning. An almond-and-graham-cracker bottom is topped with creamy mascarpone and cream cheese filling and drizzled with chocolate hazelnut sauce in this show-stopping dessert.

Simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry are all you need to make this rich and delicious cinnamon-chocolate treat to add to your holiday dessert repertoire.

Buttery chocolate shortbread is studded with chewy dried cherries, making these cookies are the perfect addition to any holiday dessert table (or even for your holiday cookie exchange).

Giada’s chocolate truffles are a holiday treat extraordinaire, bursting with the deep, rich taste of dark chocolate infused with spicy chai tea.

Bring a little zing to your pound cake! This recipe adds a simple, citrusy sauce and mixed berries to fluffy pound cake to elevate a classic dessert to a whole new level for holiday entertaining.