Pan dei Morti Recipe (Italian All Souls’ Day Cookies)

Pan dei Morti are traditional Italian cookies prepared for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, especially between November 1 and 2. They are typical of Northern Italy, particularly Lombardy and Milan, although similar versions are also found in parts of Liguria and Tuscany.

Despite the name, Pan dei Morti—literally “Bread of the Dead”—is not a yeast bread. These are dense, soft-centered cookies with a distinctive elongated oval shape, traditionally made with ground cookies, flour, cocoa, dried fruit, nuts, spices, and wine.

The recipe is rooted in the Italian tradition of making the most of simple pantry ingredients. Crumbled dry cookies form the base of the dough and are combined with raisins, almonds, dried figs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and unsweetened cocoa. Vin Santo or Marsala adds moisture and an unmistakable aroma.

Like many traditional Italian recipes, Pan dei Morti varies from family to family. Some versions include different nuts, candied fruit or slightly different proportions of cocoa and spices, but the result is always a rich, fragrant cookie with a rustic texture and deep autumn flavors.

They are delicious freshly baked, but they become even softer and more aromatic after a day or two. Enjoy them with coffee, tea or a glass of dessert wine for a traditional Italian treat that is especially meaningful at the beginning of November.

Jump to:

• What Do Pan dei Morti Taste Like?
• Ingredients
• How to Make Pan dei Morti
• Tips for Perfect Pan dei Morti
• Variations
• Storage
• Pan dei Morti History and Traditions
• More Traditional Italian Cookies You May Like
• Recipe Card

---

What Do Pan dei Morti Taste Like?

Pan dei Morti have a rich, deeply aromatic flavor and a dense, soft, slightly chewy texture. They are not crisp like typical Italian cookies, nor are they light and cake-like.

The cocoa and finely ground cookies give them a deep, almost chocolatey base, while amaretti, almonds, dried figs, and raisins add sweetness and complexity. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and Vin Santo or Marsala give them their characteristic warm, autumnal aroma.

If you have never tasted Pan dei Morti before, their flavor and texture are perhaps closer to Italian chocolate salami, although they are baked and much more spiced and fruity.

They also change slightly after baking: after a day or two, the cookies become softer and the flavors of cocoa, fruit, wine, and spices blend together even more.

Ingredients

---

Tips for Perfect Pan dei Morti

What Cookies Can I Use for Pan dei Morti?

You can use different types of cookies as long as they are dry, crisp, and unfilled. Plain tea biscuits or other simple crunchy cookies work well. Avoid soft cookies, sandwich cookies or very buttery varieties, as they can change the texture of the dough.

If you don’t have amaretti, you can replace them with the same weight of other dry cookies. Keep in mind, however, that amaretti give Pan dei Morti their characteristic bitter almond note, so the flavor will be slightly different.

You can also adjust the proportions of the different cookies depending on what you have available, as long as you keep the total weight of the cookie mixture the same.

What If the Pan dei Morti Dough Crumbles?

If the dough feels too dry and crumbles when you try to shape it, don’t add extra liquid immediately.

First, let the dough rest for a few minutes. The ground cookies, dried fruit, and flour need a little time to absorb the wine and egg whites.

Then squeeze a small amount of dough in your hand. It should hold together without feeling wet or sticky.

If it still crumbles, add a little more Vin Santo or Marsala, one tablespoon at a time, kneading gently after each addition, until the dough holds together easily.

How to Keep Pan dei Morti Soft

Pan dei Morti should be dense and compact, but they should not be dry or hard inside.

The most important thing is not to overbake them. When you remove them from the oven, they may still feel slightly soft in the center. This is perfectly normal: they will firm up as they cool.

If you continue baking until they feel completely dry and firm, they may become too hard once cooled.

Their texture also improves with time. After resting for a day or two, Pan dei Morti become softer and more fragrant as the moisture and flavors from the dried fruit, wine, cocoa, and spices blend together.

Keep the Cookies Similar in Size

Try to divide the dough into portions of approximately the same weight—about 90 g (3.2 oz) each—and shape them to a similar thickness.

This helps the Pan dei Morti bake evenly, so smaller cookies don’t dry out while larger ones are still underbaked.

A thickness of about 1 cm (⅜ inch) gives them their characteristic flat shape while keeping the center pleasantly soft.

Variations

As with many traditional Italian recipes, there is no single official version of Pan dei Morti. Ingredients and proportions can vary from family to family, so you’ll find many slightly different versions throughout Northern Italy.

Without wine. For an alcohol-free version, soak the raisins in warm water instead of Vin Santo or Marsala. Drain and squeeze them well before adding them to the dough. You can then add a little water as needed while kneading, just until the dough holds together.

With candied fruit. Replace up to half of the dried figs—about 60 g (2.1 oz)—with the same amount of finely diced candied citron or candied orange peel. This gives the Pan dei Morti a brighter, more citrusy aroma.

With hazelnuts. Replace half of the almonds with 60 g (2.1 oz) toasted hazelnuts. Process them together with the dried figs as directed in the recipe. The flavor will be slightly deeper and more toasted.

With pine nuts. Pine nuts are also used in some traditional versions. You can add a small handful to the dough or use them to replace part of the almonds.

Try a different wine. Instead of Vin Santo or Marsala use another aromatic dessert wine. For a less sweet flavor, a dry white wine can also be used.

Gluten-Free Pan dei Morti. Use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour in place of the regular flour and make sure that all the cookies, ladyfingers, amaretti, and baking powder you use are certified gluten-free.

Storage

Pan dei Morti keep very well at room temperature. Once completely cool, store them in an airtight container, cookie tin, or glass jar in a cool, dry place for up to 8–10 days.

In fact, their texture often improves after the first day: the cookies become softer and the flavors of cocoa, dried fruit, wine, and spices blend together even more.

There’s no need to refrigerate them, as the cold can make them firmer and less fragrant.

If you want to freeze them before baking, shape the cookies first and arrange them on a tray until firm. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag, separating the layers with parchment paper. Thaw them in the refrigerator before baking as directed.

Pan dei Morti History and Traditions

Pan dei Morti is an old tradition from Milan and the surrounding areas of Lombardy, including Brianza, closely associated with All Saints’ Day and the Commemoration of the Dead on November 1 and 2.

According to popular tradition, on the night between November 1 and 2, the souls of the deceased were believed to return to visit the homes where they had once lived. Families would leave food and wine on the table as a symbolic offering and a way of welcoming them back. Pan dei Morti became one of the foods associated with this remembrance.

The custom of preparing special foods in honor of the dead has much older roots. Some accounts even connect it symbolically with ancient Greek offerings made with flour, water, and raisins to Demeter. Rather than being the direct origin of today’s Pan dei Morti, these ancient traditions show how deeply food, remembrance, and seasonal rituals have long been connected.

A Traditional Recipe of the Lombard Countryside

Pan dei Morti also reflects the practical nature of traditional rural cooking. It was originally a way to prepare a rich and nourishing sweet using ingredients already available in the pantry, including leftover dry cookies or stale bread, dried fruit, nuts, and raisins.

Over time, the recipe became richer and more elaborate, with the addition of ingredients such as cocoa, spices, and wine. Different families developed their own versions, which explains why there is still no single definitive recipe today.

Some traditional versions are baked on edible wafer sheets, cut to fit the shape of each cookie. Today, parchment paper is much more commonly used, but the wafer method can still be found in traditional recipes.

What began as a humble homemade sweet eventually became a seasonal specialty found in bakeries and pastry shops throughout Milan and Lombardy, where Pan dei Morti still appears every autumn around the beginning of November.

More Traditional Italian Cookies You May Like

If you enjoy discovering traditional Italian cookies with strong regional roots, here are a few more recipes to try:

• Offelle di Parona – Delicate, buttery cookies from Lombardy with a crumbly texture and distinctive oval shape.
• Cantucci – Traditional Tuscan almond biscotti, crisp and rustic, especially delicious dipped in Vin Santo.
• Ricciarelli – Soft Tuscan almond cookies with a delicate chewy center and a generous coating of powdered sugar.
• Baci di Alassio – Rich chocolate and hazelnut cookies from Liguria, sandwiched together with a dark chocolate ganache.

Recipe Card