When it comes to Italian desserts, tiramisù definitely gets most, if not all, of the glory. Which isn't great for those of us avoiding gluten. Thankfully there are a good few naturally gluten free Italian desserts which deserve their place in the spotlight too. Including a contender for best brownie in the world if you ask me!
Panna Cotta
Italian cuisine shines the most when it's at its simplest. And panna cotta is a refined exercise in simplicity.
Often vanilla-flavoured and served with berries but also available in coffee-flavoured or chocolate versions, panna cotta is a light and refreshing dessert made with set, sweetened cream.
Not only is this a naturally gluten free Italian dessert, but it's egg-free too as it's set with gelatin.
Tenerina
Unlike panna cotta, tenerina is hard to find in Italian restaurants outside of Italy.
However, if you're ever in the North of Italy - and specifically if you want to try Ferrarese cuisine - you're in luck. Because tenerina is quite possibly the most delectable chocolate brownie cake you'll have in your whole life.
Tenerina is made with potato starch rather than regular flour in order to give it a light, cloud-soft texture. And you'll never see it garnished with nuts, caramel or chocolate sauce because, well, it's perfect as it is.
Affogato
One for the coffee lovers now!
In Italy, it's customary to enjoy a coffee - specifically an espresso - after dining out for dinner. Affogato combines this post-meal caffeine kick with dessert.
Affogato, which literally means "drowned", is hot espresso poured over icecream. The result is delicious, refreshing and indulgent. The fat in the icecream softens the effects of the coffee too, for those of us who don't usually indulge in coffee.
Coppa all'Amarena / coppa alle amarene
Amarena cherries are grown in Bologna and Modena. They're often used to decorate deserts and can be found on a huge variety of desserts.
Coppa all'amarena is among the simplest and easiest to love of these. Ice cream, cherries and cherry syrup. Some love to make it a little croccante (crunchy) with nutty chocolate toppings, and some love it plain. But the cherries are always the star of the show.
Zabaglione / zabaione
A cloud-like Italian custard that's simultaneously rich and light, warmly spiced with Marsala wine, and ready in mere minutes.
The colouration varies from off-white to very yellow, depending on the quality of the egg-yolks used. The higher the quality, in general, the daker the colour.
This naturally gluten-free Italian dessert can be poured over fruit or alternatively given a thicker texture through refrigeration to be eaten with a spoon or layering into pastries.
Semifreddo
Semifreddo definitely has potential to be the most show-stopping dessert in this list.
Imagine a perfect substance sitting somewhere between icecream, frozen custard and mousse. As the name - meaning half-cold suggests - it's served cold. However, unlike ice cream - or gelato - it's light rather than dense thanks to the inclusion of whipped cream.
Usually molded in a loaf pan and served in slices, semifreddo is often visually striking thanks to the berries and sauces layered into it. And it slices surprisingly well, making it perfect for dinner parties.
I hope you found this list of naturally gluten-free Italian desserts inspiring!
Thank you for reading. As always, if you have any feedback or personal experiences with these desserts you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you.
