Which Italian Cookies Would I Buy Again? Here’s My Ranking

Italian cookies have a perfectly respectable place at the breakfast table, which is excellent news if you have ever wanted an excuse to open a packet before nine in the morning. People often ask me what Italians eat for breakfast, usually wondering where the eggs and bacon are. I enjoy those too after so many years in Australia, but I grew up with a sweeter start: coffee, cookies and a little dunking before the day began.

I still dunk my cookies from time to time, but I’m a little pickier about which ones I buy now. The store-bought Italian cookies gives you plenty to think about, especially when chocolate, cream and childhood memories are all competing for a place in your cart. A familiar name can tempt you, but does it deserve a regular spot in your cupboard?

I ranked 19 Italian supermarket cookies to help you decide which ones are worth bringing home. Along the way, I’ll explain what I look for in a good breakfast cookie, because tasting good straight from the packet is only part of the job.

Watch: Ranking Italian Supermarket Cookies

The Dunk Test: Can Your Italian Cookie Handle Breakfast?

In Italy, inzuppare means soaking or dunking, and breakfast gives us plenty of practice. Dip a cookie into coffee or warm milk and it should soften enough to soak up the flavor while staying together long enough to reach your mouth. There is a small but important difference between a softened cookie and fishing around your cup with a teaspoon.

For this Italian cookies ranking, I considered flavor and how well each cookie holds up when dunked. I want a satisfying bite before dipping, a good texture afterward and a flavor that makes me want another piece. Fancy packaging is welcome, but it cannot rescue a cookie sitting at the bottom of my cappuccino.

D Tier: Italian Cookies I’d Leave on the Shelf

Pavesini

Pavesini are thin, light cookies that some people use in tiramisu. That version has its fans, and if you are one of them, enjoy it. I prefer my tiramisu made with savoiardi, but my reason for putting Pavesini in D Tier is because they simply cannot handle a proper dunk.

They soften so quickly in coffee or milk that bringing one back to your mouth in one piece becomes a test of reflexes. I want to enjoy my coffee, not concentrate this hard before I have finished drinking it. Eaten straight from the packet, I could put them in B Tier, but for dunking, these Italian cookies are too delicate for the job.

C Tier: One Cookie Is Plenty, Thanks

Plasmon Biscuits

That familiar orange packaging takes me straight back to childhood. Plasmon biscuits are made for babies, which explains their mild flavor and softening texture. I still enjoy eating them occasionally, so apparently I have not completely outgrown them.

Beside an espresso, though, I want a cookie with a little more bite and flavor. There is nothing wrong with enjoying an old childhood favorite, but nostalgia only gets these Italian cookies as far as C Tier in my breakfast ranking.

Oro Saiwa

Oro Saiwa are plain, dry, rectangular biscuits that remind me of something you might be offered while recovering in a hospital. They are not exactly going to make you leap out of bed for breakfast, but they are perfectly fine when a simple biscuit is all you feel like eating.

I do not mind them on their own. For dunking, however, I find them a little boring. A perfectly respectable packet, just not one I would get particularly excited about opening.

Cuor di Mela

Cuor di Mela needs a little explanation because I love the soft, sweet apple filling. Judged purely as a cookie, I would happily put it in S Tier, but if we are talking about dunking, it belongs in C Tier.

For me, that fruity center does not belong in a hot cappuccino or milky tea. I want to enjoy the apple filling as it is, so I would eat this cookie alongside my drink.

B Tier: Italian Supermarket Cookies Worth Buying

Bucaneve

With their flower shape and little drops of icing, Bucaneve look like something your grandmother would bring out when you visit. You say you will only have one, and she puts the whole packet on the table anyway.

They are sweet, simple and do what I want from an everyday cookie. I would happily keep them in the cupboard for breakfast or a coffee break, which earns them a comfortable place in B Tier.

Ritornelli

Ritornelli combine almond and cocoa in a two-tone cookie with a satisfying nutty crunch. I like having both flavors in one bite, especially when I want something a little less sugary-tasting with my coffee.

These Italian cookies feel a little more grown-up, although you certainly do not need to behave like an adult about how many you eat. For me, they are a solid B Tier choice.

Galletti

Galletti are light and crisp, with sugar crystals on top that give each bite an extra crunch. That sugary finish is what makes them more interesting than a plain breakfast biscuit.

They do need a quick hand when dunking, though. A brief dip is enough before they start to lose their structure. Enjoy the crunch, give them a little coffee and bring them straight back out. Galletti like a quick dip, not a long-term arrangement.

Campagnole

Campagnole have a rustic, hearty texture, with rice flour and milk in the full recipe. They feel more substantial than some of the lighter Italian supermarket cookies, making them a good option when you want a satisfying bite with breakfast.

What I appreciate most is that they do not taste overly sweet. If you prefer a gentler start to the morning, these are worth a place in your shopping cart.

A Tier: That Cookie Packet Was Full a Minute Ago

Macine

Macine are thick, substantial cookies made with real cream, and a quick dip barely gets them started. These are what I choose when I’m craving a proper dunk in warm milk, giving them enough time to soften all the way through.

Your patience pays off with a creamy, tender bite that feels satisfyingly generous. Some cookies need rescuing from the cup immediately. Macine, on the other hand, make you wait a little, and I am happy to oblige.

Grisbì

Grisbì have a shortcrust shell filled with rich chocolate or smooth lemon cream. They feel rather indulgent for breakfast, but I am not complaining.

Dunk carefully so the outside softens without breaking and releasing the filling into your cup. Get it right, and you will be rewarded with tender pastry and a generous, creamy center in the same bite. That is a very convincing reason to sit down for another five minutes.

Granturchese

Granturchese are round cookies covered in little holes, with a porous texture that soaks up milk quickly. They have that familiar, uncomplicated look that makes me think almost every country must have its own version.

Keep the dunk brief because they soften fast. What earns them a place in A Tier is that lovely melt-in-your-mouth texture afterward.

Nascondini

Nascondini literally means hide and seek in Italian. At first, this Italian biscuit may look fairly plain until you bite into one and find the chocolate hiding inside. That contrast is what I enjoy: a simple outer cookie with a much richer center than its appearance suggests.

Dunking makes them even better. The outside softens, while the chocolate inside begins to melt, giving you two different textures in one bite. This is a cookie worth getting to know beyond first appearances.

Abbracci

Abbracci means “hugs,” and the name suits the two halves curled around each other: one with a light vanilla flavor, the other rich with cocoa. If you stand in the cookie aisle debating between plain and chocolate, this packet settles the matter.

I like getting a little of both in each bite, especially after a dip in milk or coffee. These Italian cookies earn their A Tier place by making a simple combination so enjoyable.

Batticuori

Batticuori are heart-shaped cocoa cookies with a light, porous texture that quickly soaks up cappuccino. You get that lovely softened bite with plenty of chocolate flavor, which makes them one of my favorite packets to keep in the pantry.

I eat them in the morning, reach for them again in the afternoon and happily bring them out for movie night. Breakfast cookie is technically their job, but in my house they work overtime.

S Tier: The Best Italian Cookies on My Shopping List

Tarallucci

Tarallucci might look like the plain cookies your grandfather always kept in the cupboard, but I think he was onto something. Made with fresh eggs, they have a beautiful golden color and a satisfying crunch that needs no chocolate coating or creamy filling to win me over.

For dunking, this is exactly the kind of traditional breakfast cookie I love. Simple, dependable and delicious once softened in milk or coffee, Tarallucci earn their S Tier place without needing to show off.

Pan di Stelle

Those little white sugar stars make Pan di Stelle easy to recognize, but the rich cocoa flavor keeps me hooked and reaching for another piece. I eat these regularly, so you will rarely catch me without a packet in the cupboard.

They soak up coffee or milk beautifully while holding together well enough to give you a proper bite. That balance matters: I want a softened chocolate cookie, and I want all of it to make the journey back to my mouth. Pan di Stelle deliver.

Gocciole

Gocciole are teardrop-shaped cookies packed with chocolate chips, and they take dunking seriously. In my experience, they can handle a few seconds in a hot drink without immediately falling apart, giving the cookie time to soften and the chocolate a chance to become a little melty.

That sturdy texture puts Gocciole among the best Italian cookies for breakfast in my book. Someone clearly understood that we need enough time to get from cup to mouth without having to fish out our breakfast with a spoon.

Gentilini Osvego

If you grew up in Rome, Gentilini Osvego may need no introduction. These thick, rustic biscuits have a distinctive malt flavor and a firm bite that makes them particularly good for dunking.

They can take a proper soak, which is why I rate them so highly. You might briefly wonder whether you bought biscuits or building materials, but give them a little milk and you will understand the appeal. Their strength is exactly what earns them a place in S Tier.

Baiocchi

Baiocchi sandwich a generous layer of hazelnut and cocoa cream between two shortbread cookies. There is plenty to enjoy straight from the packet, but dipping them in warm milk is where they really win me over.

The cookies soften and the filling becomes slightly melty, so you get buttery biscuit and warm hazelnut cream together. At that point, I am already reaching for another before I have finished the first. These are Italian supermarket cookies I am always happy to bring home.

Which Italian Cookies Are Going in Your Shopping Cart?

If I am making room in the cupboard, I would rather fill it with Italian cookies I look forward to eating. Tarallucci prove that a simple cookie can get everything right, while Pan di Stelle and Gocciole give chocolate lovers plenty to be happy about. Gentilini Osvego can handle a proper dunk, and Baiocchi make a very convincing case for hazelnut cream at breakfast.

Remember, this ranking is about dunking as much as flavor. Cuor di Mela is a perfect example: I love eating it, but I would keep it beside my cup rather than inside it. Choose your packet according to how you like to enjoy your cookies, and there is nothing wrong with keeping a childhood favorite around.

Now, did I give your favorite the respect it deserves, or have I offended your entire breakfast routine? Tell me your go-to cookie in the comments and which ranking you would change. We can discuss it like true Italians, which means everyone gets an opinion and nobody promises to speak quietly.

Frequently Asked Questions About Italian Cookies

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