Best Italian Candy to Buy as a Souvenir (And Where to Find It in the US)
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The most popular Italian candy souvenirs include Perle di Sole lemon drops from the Amalfi Coast, torrone nougat from Cremona, Baci Perugina chocolate kisses, amaretti cookies, and confetti — the sugar-coated almonds given at Italian weddings. Each one is tied to a specific region, a specific tradition, and a flavor you simply cannot find anywhere else. The good news: you don't need a plane ticket to enjoy them. Most of Italy's best candy is available right here in the US.
The Most Popular Italian Candy Souvenirs
1. Perle di Sole Lemon Drops (Amalfi Coast)
Ask any traveler who's visited the Amalfi Coast what they brought home, and the answer is almost always lemon drops. Perle di Sole are the definitive version — hard candies made with essential oils from Amalfi Coast PGI lemons, delivering a bright, intensely citrusy flavor that's impossible to replicate with artificial lemon flavoring. They're sold everywhere from Positano gift shops to ferry terminals in Capri, and they've earned their reputation as the #1 edible souvenir from southern Italy. Lightweight, affordable, and instantly evocative of the Mediterranean coast — they check every box.
2. Torrone — Nougat from Cremona
Torrone is Italy's most iconic holiday confection, though Italians eat it year-round. The classic version is a chewy or crunchy bar of honey, egg white, and almonds, and Cremona in Lombardy is its spiritual home. Sperlari, founded in Cremona in 1836, is the definitive brand — producing torrone for nearly 190 years and widely considered the gold standard for exported Italian nougat.
3. Amaretti Cookies
These light, almond-flavored cookies come in two styles: crisp and dry (amaretti secchi) or soft and chewy (amaretti morbidi). Both get their distinctive bittersweet flavor from bitter almonds or apricot kernels. Saronno, in Lombardy, is the most famous production center. Amaretti travel beautifully — they're one of the most giftable Italian food souvenirs you can find.
4. Baci Perugina
Baci ("kisses" in Italian) are small dark chocolate and whole hazelnut bonbons from Perugia in Umbria, each one wrapped in a multilingual love note. First created in 1922, they've become one of Italy's most recognized confections worldwide. We don't currently carry Baci Perugina at Amalfi Market, but they're widely available at Italian specialty grocers and worth seeking out if you love chocolate.
5. Confetti — Sugar-Coated Almonds
Not to be confused with the paper kind, Italian confetti are whole almonds coated in a hard sugar shell, traditionally given at Italian weddings, baptisms, and graduations. Each color carries symbolic meaning: white for weddings, pink or blue for new babies, red for engagements. Sulmona in Abruzzo has been the confetti capital of Italy since the 14th century.
6. Liquorice from Calabria
Italy is one of the world's great licorice producers, and Calabria — the toe of the Italian boot — grows some of the finest licorice root on earth. The Amarelli family has been harvesting it since the 1500s and formally established their factory in Rossano, Calabria in 1731, making it one of the oldest food production operations in Europe. Pure Calabrian licorice has a naturally sweet-bitter balance that requires no additives — a world away from the candy-store kind. Sperlari also produces excellent Italian licorice, available in our Sperlari collection.
7. Gianduja Chocolate from Turin
Gianduja is the chocolate that inspired Nutella. Born in Turin in the early 19th century when cocoa was scarce, it blends cocoa with finely ground Piedmontese hazelnuts (Tonda Gentile delle Langhe) to create something smoother and more aromatic than plain chocolate. Caffarel, founded in Turin in 1826, perfected the recipe and created the iconic boat-shaped gianduiotti still wrapped in gold foil today. Explore our Caffarel chocolate collection for authentic gianduja.
8. Honey Candies from Milan — Ambrosoli
Ambrosoli is the Italian honey candy you find in apothecary-style packaging in every good Italian pasticceria. Founded in Milan in 1942, the brand built its reputation on candies made with real Italian honey — mellow, floral, and far more nuanced than most throat lozenges or honey-flavored sweets you'd find elsewhere. They're a staple of Italian grandmothers' purses and a genuinely beloved everyday confection. Browse the full Ambrosoli collection at Amalfi Market.
9. Candied Citrus Peels from the Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast's PGI-certified lemons are so prized that even the peel is transformed into candy. Candied lemon and orange peels — sometimes dipped in dark chocolate — are a traditional southern Italian confection with roots going back centuries. They make an elegant, intensely flavorful souvenir that's as at home on a cheese board as it is eaten straight from the bag.
10. Pastiglie Leone — Historic Pastilles from Turin
Founded in 1857 and later moved to Turin, Pastiglie Leone became the official candy supplier to the House of Savoy. Their signature pastilles — small digestive tablets sold in Art Nouveau-style collectible tins — are one of the most distinctive Italian candy packages you can buy. Flavors range from violet and rose to licorice and mint, and the tins themselves are worth keeping.
Why Italian Candy Makes the Best Souvenir
Food souvenirs outlast magnets and trinkets — and Italian candy in particular has a few qualities that make it ideal for gift-giving.
It's lightweight and packable. A bag of Perle di Sole or a tin of Pastiglie Leone fits easily in a carry-on. Torrone bars and amaretti boxes are compact and won't shatter in your luggage.
It's genuinely tied to a place. Italian candy isn't just branded "Italian" — many of these confections are DOP or PGI-protected, meaning the ingredients and production methods are legally tied to specific regions. You can't authentically replicate Amalfi lemon drops without Amalfi lemons, or Turin gianduja without Piedmontese hazelnuts.
It tells a story. Giving someone Sperlari torrone from Cremona or Caffarel gianduiotti from Turin is giving them a piece of culinary history that goes back centuries. That's a better story than any generic souvenir shop find.
It's affordable and universally appreciated. Most Italian candy souvenirs cost between €5 and €20. Unlike wine or ceramics, candy clears US customs easily and is something almost everyone enjoys. See our post on Italian candy vs. American candy for a deeper look at what sets Italian confections apart.
Where to Buy Italian Candy in the US
Amalfi Market carries the widest online selection of authentic Italian candy in the US, including Perle di Sole lemon drops, Sperlari torrone and licorice, Caffarel gianduja chocolate, and Ambrosoli honey candies — all imported directly from Italy. Browse the full range in our Italian candy and chocolate collection and dedicated brand collections.
Many of these products are also available on Amazon, though selection is more limited. Specialty Italian delis in larger cities sometimes carry a rotating selection, but stock is often inconsistent.
You don't need to wait for your next trip to Italy. The best Italian candy souvenirs are available now — and our Perle di Sole collection ships directly to your door. For more ideas, see our roundup of the 10 best Italian candies you can buy online in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular candy from Italy?
For travelers visiting Italy, Perle di Sole lemon drops from the Amalfi Coast are consistently the most popular souvenir candy — they're sold everywhere along the coast and are instantly associated with the region. More broadly, Baci Perugina chocolate kisses and torrone nougat from Cremona are the Italian confections most widely recognized around the world.
Can you bring candy back from Italy?
Yes. Commercially packaged candy passes through US Customs with no restrictions. Factory-sealed confections — including torrone, gianduiotti, and hard candies — are all permitted. Keep receipts if you're carrying a large quantity, as customs may ask about the declared value.
What candy should I buy on the Amalfi Coast?
Perle di Sole lemon drops are the signature candy of the Amalfi Coast — made with PGI-certified Amalfi lemons and sold in virtually every shop from Positano to Ravello. Beyond lemon drops, look for candied lemon peels, limoncello-flavored sweets, and locally made almond pastries. The region's lemons are some of the most prized in the world, and confectioners make the most of them.
Ready to Shop Italian Candy?
Whether you're recreating a souvenir from your last trip to Italy or discovering these flavors for the first time, Amalfi Market has you covered. From Amalfi Coast lemon drops to Turin gianduja, we import the real thing — directly from Italy to your door.