There’s no time of the year more loved or magical than Christmas, especially when it comes to food. The magical atmosphere of the holidays, with its sparkling lights, traditions, Christmas songs, and the overall feeling of joy and enchantment, also brings a delightful celebration of any holiday: traditional sweets.
Every holiday has its own signature sweets, special treats to enjoy on the occasion, whether alone or with company. They make their appearance during festive dinners, family lunches, or even at breakfast, when the holidays are over but the joy of finishing off the sweets in the following days still lingers.
Each region in Italy has its own sweet treat, passed down through generations, with irreplaceable features and others that may vary from family to family depending on how the recipe was handed down. Making these sweets together is often an activity that unites everyone and “immediately brings on the Christmas spirit.” But even just picking them up from the bakery or being served them at festive gatherings is a sweet conclusion to a meal, more than any other throughout the year, that speaks of tradition and the beauty of being together.
Here are five Christmas sweets from three regions of Italy and two countries in Europe, along with suggested travels – who knows, maybe next year you'll be enjoying them in the very places where they're typical!
Let’s start in Campania: while in Naples struffoli reign supreme, in Cilento, the crown for the most loved Christmas treat goes to castagnole – also known as cazuncielli, lucerne, pastorelle, and other names depending on the village. The recipe is simple: flour, eggs, sugar, butter, chocolate, and chestnuts – with minimal variations from family to family. They can be fried or baked and are then covered in colorful sugar sprinkles.
This Roman Christmas treat is quite ancient – it’s said to have been prepared as far back as Imperial Rome for the winter solstice. Rich and spicy, it has a base of dried fruits and honey and a saffron glaze that gives the sweet its yellow color, which is how it gets its name.
It can actually be considered a variant of panpepato, which is popular in other regions of Italy too: this one, also made with dried fruits, honey, chocolate, and spices, has a different shape and color – a dark brown (without the saffron glaze) and a typical papalina shape. It’s believed to have originally been a treat dedicated to the clergy (hence the name “pan-papato”).
Our trip in Lazio, from Viterbo to Rome
This sweet is very typical of Christmas traditions in Puglia and Basilicata, and owes its name to its unique shape, resembling crumpled paper. There are several theories about its origin, but it’s definitely an ancient recipe that appears in records of noble families like the Sforzas and the Aragonese.
The recipe is based on puff pastry, which is shaped into the distinctive form, then fried in oil and, depending on the local variation, soaked in vincotto or honey, or sometimes chocolate, and finally dusted with powdered sugar, cinnamon, or almonds.
Our trips in Puglia and Basilicata
This traditional Spanish sweet, especially popular in Catalonia, is a ring-shaped cake that dates back to ancient times. Its name comes from the Three Kings because it was traditionally prepared and enjoyed during Epiphany, but it has now become a fully recognized Christmas treat.
It’s a cake made from dough or brioche, filled with cream, whipped cream, chocolate, and other delights (depending on the variation), often decorated with candied or dried fruit. The most magical thing about it is the hidden surprises: it’s tradition to place a small plastic figurine and a dried bean inside the cake – the person who finds the bean must pay a penalty!
This sweet, similar to a focaccia, is a must-have on the Christmas tables of Provence. The recipe is quite simple – flour, sugar, and oil – for a focaccia that’s enhanced with orange blossom water and citrus zest, and sometimes further flavored with anise. It goes by different names – pompe à l'huile or fougasse – but these refer to variations in the recipe, mainly in the texture or shape of the sweet.
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