The 9 New York Bakeries Where Italian Christmas Treats Like Panettone And Struffoli Fill The Cases

Struffoli are tiny balls of fried dough, piled into a sticky mound and glued together with honey. Somebody looked at a pile of crumbs and decided it should be a centerpiece. I love that kind of confidence.

Panettone has its own swagger. It’s a tall, domed sweet bread, and some bakeries go well past raisins with flavors like pistachio. Then there’s pandoro, its star-shaped cousin, which skips the fruit entirely.

New York has a long line of Italian bakeries that take these holiday treats seriously. Some are well over a century old. Others are newer spots putting a fresh spin on old favorites.

I rounded up nine places across the state where these sweets show up when the weather turns cold.

A few are in Brooklyn, one hides in Westchester, one sits steps from Times Square traffic, and one waits all the way up in Rochester. So which honey-glazed mountain is calling your name first?

1. Circo’s Pastry Shop

Any bakery that sells something called a Holy Cannoli Donut clearly has a sense of humor. Circo’s Pastry Shop pairs that playful streak with serious old-school Italian roots in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

The shop is family-owned and leans fully into tradition. You’ll find pastries, cookies, and custom cakes for birthdays, weddings, and other big days.

Come December, the struffoli is the reason to make the trip. Those honey-coated dough balls land on holiday tables across the neighborhood, and Circo’s is a go-to source.

Fig cookies are another seasonal winner here. They’re a classic Italian Christmas cookie, and they pair nicely with a sticky plate of struffoli.

Hosting a crowd? The 2-pound assorted cookie box makes life easy. It’s the kind of tray that disappears faster than you can say buon Natale.

The everyday lineup deserves attention too. Rainbow cookies, cream puffs, lobster tails, pistachio tarts, and apple turnovers all fill the cases.

Plan for a grab-and-go visit, since there’s no dine-in seating. There’s also no restroom, so keep your stop quick and focused on sweets.

Timing matters if you hate waiting, or rather, dislike it. Weekday mornings and afternoons get busy, while Sunday morning tends to be the calmest window.

Hours run 9:30 AM to 6 PM on Monday and 8 AM to 7 PM Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday hours are 8 AM to 6 PM, with paid street parking near 312 Knickerbocker Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237.

2. Veniero’s Pasticceria & Caffe

Grover Cleveland was president when Veniero’s first opened its doors in 1894. Over a century later, this East Village pasticceria at 342 E 11th St, New York, NY 10003, is still turning out Italian sweets.

Look up once you’re inside. A stained-glass ceiling hangs over the cases, giving your cannoli run a touch of old New York grandeur.

Founder Antonio Veniero started the business, and it has stayed in family hands. Its pastries even earned awards in Rome, Bologna, and at the New York World’s Fair.

Holiday season brings struffoli, and fans call it some of the best in New York City. That’s a bold reputation in a town packed with Italian bakeries.

Christmas cookies join the party too. Rainbow cookies are a popular holiday choice, while quaresimali are traditional Italian cookies associated with Lent.

Not sure what else to order? The cheesecake is a famous stop, and the Baba Cannoli and tiramisu pastry are worth a look.

Cakes get plenty of love here as well. Strawberry shortcake, coconut cake, and black forest cake all make appearances.

You can sit down with coffee, grab outdoor seating, or take your box to go. A restroom is available, which is handy on a long city walk.

Friday and Saturday nights get packed. Early mornings are calmer, with doors opening at 8 AM daily and staying open late.

3. Settepani Bakery

Pistachio panettone might be the most fashionable loaf in Brooklyn this winter. Settepani Bakery in Williamsburg bakes one that looks as good as it tastes.

The presentation alone makes it gift-ready. Show up to a holiday party with one, and you’ll instantly become the favorite guest.

Classic panettone fans aren’t left out either. The bakery’s panettone and cannoli both have loyal followings, and the cannoli get filled fresh.

Settepani calls itself a neighborhood bakery, and it lives up to that label from its spot at 602 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211. It bakes bread daily and adds holiday specials when the season rolls around.

Bread lovers, take note. The loaves range from semolina to whole grain, so dinner gets covered along with dessert.

The sweet side stretches well beyond Italian classics. Fruit tarts, rainbow cookies, cakes, and cupcakes with bright red frosting fill out the lineup.

Need to answer a few emails? Free Wi-Fi is available, plus a gender-neutral restroom. The shop is also LGBTQ+ friendly and a transgender safe space.

Mondays are off the table, since the bakery closes that day. Tuesday through Friday hours run 7 AM to 8 PM.

Weekends start later, at 9 AM. Saturday closes at 8 PM, and Sunday wraps up at 5 PM, so don’t cut it close.

4. Pasticceria Monteleone BK

Mini cassata, 7-layer cookies, and homemade panettone walk into a pastry case. That’s not a joke setup, just a normal December at Pasticceria Monteleone BK.

This Court Street shop at 355 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231, is known as a local institution in Carroll Gardens. It carries a wide range of traditional Italian cookies, pastries, cakes, and gelato.

The house-made panettone is the holiday headliner. Families pick it up as a fresh centerpiece for their Christmas tables.

Small treats are another big strength. Mini pastries let you sample several flavors without committing to one giant slice.

Cookie lovers have plenty to choose from. Almond paste cookies, rainbow cookies, and biscotti fill the trays here.

Chocolate cannoli add a fun twist on the classic. Pair one with a coffee, and your afternoon instantly improves.

Gelato is on the menu too, which feels a little daring in winter. Then again, who says gelato needs a heat wave?

Plan on taking your treats to go, since there’s no restroom on site. Paid street parking is available along the busy neighborhood blocks.

Hours run 8 AM to 8 PM most days. Friday and Saturday hours extend until 9 PM, while the bakery closes at 8 PM on Thursday and Sunday.

5. Artuso & Sons Bakery

Here’s a rare treat in this roundup: a free parking lot. Artuso & Sons Bakery sits at 640 Columbus Ave, Thornwood, NY 10594, out in Westchester County, far from the city’s parking chaos.

The drive pays off with traditional Italian baking. Fresh pastries, cakes, cookies, and Italian bread make up the core of the menu.

Struffoli is the star once the holidays arrive. Fans pair it with cannoli and call the combo a must-try.

Speaking of cannoli, they get high marks here. Expect them to vanish quickly once you get them home.

The biscotti have a strong local reputation as well. They’re a smart pick for dunking in coffee on a chilly New York morning.

Cakes deserve their own spotlight. The carrot cake has fans, and the shop handles a broad lineup of special-occasion sweets.

The staff are known for being friendly and accommodating. The space stays clean and tidy too, which makes a quick visit easy.

Early birds can swing by for breakfast and coffee. Doors open at 7 AM daily, closing at 7 PM Monday through Saturday.

Sunday is shorter, wrapping up at 3 PM. Monday and Thursday mornings tend to be the quietest times to visit.

6. Zeppola Bakery

Pandoro means golden bread, and it’s shaped like a tall eight-pointed star. Zeppola Bakery in Midtown Manhattan puts its own spin on it with a Pandoro Brioche.

That’s a fun find for anyone who skips panettone because of the candied fruit. Pandoro is the fruit-free Christmas cousin, soft and buttery.

The shop sits at 499 7th Ave, New York, NY 10018, near the Garment District and a short walk from Times Square. It’s a handy pit stop during holiday shopping.

Pistachio lovers, get ready. The bakery fills bomboloni, croissants, and donuts with pistachio cream.

Classic Italian pastries share the cases with modern treats. Flaky cannoli and chocolate-filled croissants are popular picks.

Hungry for something savory first? Focaccia sandwiches and avocado egg sandwiches cover breakfast and lunch.

Unlike some quick-grab bakeries, Zeppola has room to linger. There’s seating in the back, a patio, free Wi-Fi, and a restroom.

Late-night cravings are welcome here. The shop stays open until 10:30 PM Monday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Weekday mornings and afternoons get busy with Midtown crowds. For a calmer visit, try a Sunday or Thursday night instead.

7. Villabate Alba

Almond paste shaped like tiny fruits fills the cases at Villabate Alba in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. These hand-painted marzipan sweets are a holiday tradition in Sicily.

The bakery is family run and proud of its Sicilian roots. Even the ricotta in the cannoli cream is imported from Sicily.

Christmas brings panettone to the shelves. Struffoli shows up for the holidays too, ready for a spot on your dessert table.

Cassata is the showstopper here. This Sicilian cake layers sponge cake and sweet ricotta inside a marzipan border.

Cookie lovers can load up on pignoli, seven-layer cookies, and sesame cookies. A mixed tray makes an easy gift for any holiday host.

There’s also an espresso bar and a gelato counter. Brioche con gelato, a Sicilian gelato sandwich, is a fun treat in any season.

Keep your phone in your pocket, though. Signs inside ask guests not to take photos or videos.

Holiday weeks bring big crowds and long lines at 7001 18th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11204. Arrive early if you’re shopping right before Christmas.

Can’t make the trip? The bakery ships cookies and other treats through its online shop.

8. Egidio Pastry Shop

A worker from this bakery once landed on the cover of The New Yorker. Egidio Pastry Shop inspired the magazine’s “Arthur Avenue” cover art in October 2018.

The shop opened in 1912 in the Bronx’s Little Italy. Founder Don Pasquale Egidio came from Salerno, and his recipes are still in use today.

Christmas spirit runs deep here. The bakery won the “Sweetest” title in the Museum of the City of New York’s gingerbread bake-off with a Christmas-themed gingerbread house.

Struffoli has a long history at Egidio. Early on, the founder added an oven to make fancier pastries like struffoli and quaresimali.

Baking still happens in a big two-level oven the staff calls the elevator oven. It cranks out cannoli shells by the hundreds.

Pignoli cookies, rolled in pine nuts, are worth grabbing by the box. Butter cookies and biscotti fill out the trays nicely.

Cannoli, lobster tails, cream puffs, and sfogliatelle cover the classics. Slices of cheesecake and tiramisu round things out.

Worn wooden cases and marble-topped tables give the room an old-world feel. It’s a cozy spot to pause for an espresso.

The Belmont Business Improvement District lists Egidio Pastry Shop as open daily from 7 AM to 8 PM at 622 E 187th St, Bronx, NY 10458. Arthur Avenue’s markets sit just around the corner for more holiday shopping.

9. Savoia Pastry Shoppe

A tower of Italian cookies can double as a Christmas centerpiece at Savoia Pastry Shoppe in Rochester. The bakery stacks tea cookies into cookie cakes for holiday tables.

Savoia opened in March 1929, seven months before the Great Depression began. Sicilian immigrants Teresa and Michael Petrantoni named it after Italy’s royal House of Savoy.

The first shop sat on North Street in Rochester’s east side Italian neighborhood. Today it bakes at 2267 Clifford Ave, Rochester, NY 14609, near the Irondequoit border.

Holiday season brings Christmas cookies and festive yule logs. Christmas tree cakes and snowman cupcakes add some fun for the kids.

Italian cookies are a draw in any season. Butter cookies, almond paste favorites, and jam-filled treats can be ordered by the pound.

Sfogliatelle come filled with citrus-scented ricotta. Cannoli are offered with ricotta or custard filling, along with a chocolate-dipped shell option.

Hosting a crowd? Dessert trays bundle assorted pastries, so sharing gets easy.

Far from Rochester? Savoia offers nationwide shipping, which makes gifting simple.

Hours run 8 AM to 5 PM on weekdays and 9 AM to 4:30 PM on Saturday. Sunday closes at 2 PM, and the shop is closed on Christmas Day and December 26.