How do you like your breakfast? Light, or heavy? Would you want an Italian breakfast to kickstart your day?
Italian cuisine is well-known all over the world. Who doesn’t know pasta and pizza, among others? But let’s discover other Italian meals to start the day.
Breakfast, or colazione for Italians, comes in small amounts, simple and sweet, and light as their lunch and dinners are the heavy ones.
Traditionally, Italian breakfast is made up of fried or baked goodies like bread, biscuits, cakes or pastries from a local panificio, paired with a drink of choice which can be homemade or bought from a local pasticceria.
Let’s discover what Italians prefer for breakfast that you should try when you visit Italy – or even at home.
14 Best Italian Breakfast Foods
We love Italian foods served for our lunch or dinner, but it’s not very often we get served an Italian breakfast. Italian breakfasts are not complicated and usually dessert-like. Italians also love their coffee.
Let’s jump into our list of 14 Italian breakfast foods to start your day off right.
1. Caffè
An Italian breakfast won’t be complete without coffee.
Making coffee is how people start the day in Italy. Proof is the invention of Moka pot in 1933 by Alfonzo Bialetti. In a Moka, a strong and aromatic coffee is brewed and served in small amounts. Italian coffee is more concentrated, like the espresso.
- ALSO READ: 11 Best Italian Coffee Machine Brands
Coffee latte is coffee and milk, and cappuccino – Italy’s most famous coffee – is ⅓ espresso, ⅓ steamed milk, and ⅓ foam. Whichever you choose, your breakfast is energized already.
When ordering a shot of espresso, you say “un caffè.”
2. Pan, burro e marmellata
Pan, burro e marmellata or simply bread, butter and jam combination is the traditional Italian breakfast that will surely bring back your childhood memories. Kids love it and even adults still enjoy it. Fresh bread roll or loaf from the bakery with butter and jam spread on top.
Best served with coffee, or any drink that fits your taste, and milk or cocoa for the kids.
3. Sfogliatella
This beautiful and fresh shell-shaped pastry is a traditional Italian breakfast from Campania.
“Sfogliatella” means “thin leaf” since the texture of the pastry looks like stocked leaves. The inside filling is a custard-like mixture of eggs, sugar, ricotta cheese, and candied orange peel.
Sfogliatella is baked, then sprinkled with sugar, and served warm with your favorite drink.
4. Biscotti
Crunchy and nutty! Although biscotti means “biscuits” in Italy, this particular biscotti with almonds all over is actually a long slice of bread baked twice in order to create the biscuit-like hardness.
Biscotti dunked into your milk or coffee is a great breakfast before heading for work.
5. Cornetto
Cornetto is not an ice cream in Italy but a pastry that is typically seen on the breakfast table of Italians. It is horn-shaped, hence, the name “cornetto” which means “little horn” in Italian.
Although cornetto is basically the Italian version of the French croissant, the two are different. A cornetto is sweeter, softer, and flatter than a croissant. While it’s uncommon to find a croissant with fillings, there is variety of cornetto fillings to choose from. You can have chocolate, custard, jam, or honey fillings.
Cornetto is best served with your choice of coffee or milk for the kids.
6. Ciabatta and Cheese
“Baguettes” for French, “ciabatta” for Italians.
This traditional Italian rustic-looking bread roll is best for breakfast. Ciabatta means “slipper,” as the shape of this bread is elongated, broad, and flat like a slipper.
Formed into a square or a rectangle shape, the moist and unique flavor from the sticky, wet dough makes ciabatta a great pair with mascarpone, parmesan, or ricotta cheese. This makes a traditional savory breakfast in Italy.
7. Ciambella
Cake for breakfast? In Italy, sì!
Ciambella is a traditional Italian breakfast cake. This classic and simple fluffy ring-style cake, with soft and tender texture because of the olive oil, is a perfect partner for the morning coffee or tea.
8. Gnocco fritto / Crescentina
Who wouldn’t love this classic Italian fried bread for breakfast?
Gnocco fritto or crescentina, a traditional Italian bread that originated in the region of Emilia-Romagna, is rich not only in taste but also in history.
This pastry is made with leavened dough formed into squares and fried in a lard. The dough puffs up as it fries.
Versions of gnocco fritto are available in the city of Bologna, particularly the one wherein pieces of prosciolutto are mixed with the dough. In Modena, instead of frying, a kind of grilling plate called piastrata is used to cook the dough. Whereas in many parts of Tuscany, crescentina is sprinkled with salt or sugar after frying.
Whichever version you choose, the energy this savory Italian breakfast provides is just what you need.
9. Uovo sbattuto con caffè
A classic Italian breakfast that will comfort you as you start the day, that is uovo sbattuto con caffè – which means “beaten egg and coffee.” Egg yolks are mixed with white sugar until creamy. Added with your favorite strong coffee like espresso and your breakfast is ready to boost your energy.
10. Panino con la mortadella
Panino con la mortadella is a classic Italian sandwich for breakfast.
Mortadella is a large Italian pork sausage with black pepper for added flavor. Sliced bread rolls, sliced cheese, mortadella or pork sausage, and lettuce layered together are either toasted or grilled to make the cheese melt.
The mortadella sandwich is a tasty traditional Italian breakfast you will love.
11. Piadina
Piadina, also called piada, is a savory Italian breakfast food from the historical region of Romagna.
As rich as its history, piadina is filled with cuts, vegetables, cheese, or even jam is best eaten when warm. This thin and flat bread is definitely a yummy breakfast treat, whether you’re Italian or not.
12. Cannoli
This famous traditional Italian pastry is best not only for snacks but also for your colazione.
Cannoli is made with rolled thin dough sheets cut into rounds and filled with ricotta cheese and sweet cream, deep-fried then whisked with sugar.
Start your day with the crisp, flaky, and creamy cannoli complemented with your choice of drink. From Naples to Sicily, and all throughout Italy, cannoli has then crossed the globe to become a great breakfast food for everyone’s tummy.
13. Granita and Brioche
The best breakfast for your summer getaway in Italy is none other than granita and brioche. Granita which originated in Sicily is a semi-frozen dessert or Italian shaved ice with sugar and flavoring paired with brioche, a small round roll of bread.
This Italian set of breakfast will surely wake you up.