Sweet specialties since 1955

Amaretti di Sassello

Handcrafted with care and simple ingredients
Want to know how we make them?

Watch the video

Bar Gina, Sassello

Bar and gelateria Gina since 1947

Giacobbe amaretti exclusively at Gina’s

Where to buy amaretti from Sassello

Gina and Franco, 2016

Gina, 1979

Find traditional Giacobbe amaretti here: handcrafted specialties from Liguria’s sweet-making tradition

Where to buy

Welcome to our home

Giacobbe is not a factory, but an artisan workshop

At a time when the economic boom turned many small workshops into factories, Giacobbe consciously chose a different path: to stay true to craftsmanship, unhurried gestures and the aroma of things made as they used to be.

The legacy passed down by a paternal uncle, a master of the art of making amaretti, became a mission:

To make handcrafted soft amaretti of the highest quality, with respect for tradition and a heartfelt passion.

In our Sassello workshop, every amaretto is made and wrapped by hand.

The ingredients at the heart of our amaretti:

sweet and bitter almonds
sugar
egg white

A few simple, wholesome ingredients which, with our skill and just the right baking, become a sweet treat with a soft texture and a delicate, unmistakable flavor.

Our secret to making amaretti this good?

No tricks: just carefully selected ingredients, no compromise on quality and an unhurried craft that has a story to tell.

And so, from Sassello, our amaretti — simple, authentic and unforgettable — have won hearts around the world.

And they continue to do so, every day, one by one.

Amaretti from Sassello, rolled by hand just as they used to be

Would you like to see the Giacobbe pastry workshop?

Go behind the scenes and discover our traditional craft

With patience, step by step, a traditional recipe becomes a local delicacy

This is how we make amaretti at Giacobbe

Step 1: Trays of peeled, shelled almonds, the basis of Giacobbe’s soft amaretti from Sassello

Step 2: Chopped and ground almonds ready for making artisan amaretti in Sassello

Step 3: The dough takes shape: Giacobbe’s soft amaretti recipe starts with simple ingredients

Step 5: Cutting and portioning the characteristic dough for Giacobbe’s soft amaretti, a traditional Ligurian recipe

Step 6: Artisan method: shaping the dough into a roll following the traditional recipe

Step 7: The roll of dough is cut by hand to make amaretti in the Sassello tradition

Step 8: The dough balls are rolled by hand, a time-honored gesture in Giacobbe’s almond pastry making

Step 9: The dough balls are rolled in sugar, an essential stage of the original recipe.

Step 10: The dough balls are placed on the baking tray by hand, ready for baking

Step 11: A mechanical cutter helps maintain the pace of handmade amaretti production

Step 12: Soft amaretti ready for baking, with a handcrafted appearance and uneven texture

Step 14: The trays go into the oven: temperature, timing and tradition

Step 15: Freshly baked amaretti are left to cool slowly at room temperature

Step 16: Trays of freshly baked amaretti cooling naturally

Step 17: The soft amaretti become dry: a stabilization stage for optimal keeping

Step 18: Amaretti on the conveyor belt, ready to be bagged in the artisan workshop

Step 19: How soft almond amaretti are made in the Giacobbe workshop

Step 20: Amaretti lined up ready for hand wrapping, with precision and care

Step 21: Preservative-free soft amaretti wrapped one by one to keep them fresh

Step 22: The classic almond amaretto is wrapped by hand in elegant paper

Step 23: Bow-style wrapping: the classic amaretto is packaged in a decorative wrapper

Step 24: Candy-style wrapping: elegant packaging for Giacobbe’s handcrafted amaretto

Step 25: The classic soft amaretto, wrapped by hand and ready to enjoy

Giacobbe amaretti from Sassello — traditional preparation slideshow, left view

Giacobbe amaretti from Sassello — traditional preparation slideshow, right view

Our history and achievements

Naturally award-winning

Our “Amaretto di Sassello” has been included in Italy’s National List of Traditional Agri-food Products and in Liguria’s Regional Atlas of Traditional Products.

Today, preserving the same artisan quality as in the past, we continue to receive awards and recognition as a business and outstanding pastry workshop in Liguria.Would you like to help more people discover us?
Your appreciation is our greatest reward.
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Gift packaging

Printed box — 250 g — Giacobbe amaretti — Printed box — 250 g

“Logo” box — 300 g / 700 g

Printed gift bag — 500 g, amaretti from Sassello, Liguria — Giacobbe amaretti — Printed gift bag — 500 g, amaretti from Sassello, Liguria

“Bimba” box — 500 g, handcrafted soft amaretti — Giacobbe amaretti — “Bimba” box — 500 g, handcrafted soft amaretti

Gift chest — 600 g, soft amaretti from Sassello — Giacobbe amaretti — Gift chest — 600 g, soft amaretti from Sassello

Metal tin — 300 g — Giacobbe amaretti — Metal tin — 300 g

Metal tin — 800 g — Giacobbe amaretti — Metal tin — 800 g

Assorted gift packs 1 — 200 g — Giacobbe amaretti — Assorted gift packs 1 — 200 g

Assorted gift packs 2 — 200 g — Giacobbe amaretti — Assorted gift packs 2 — 200 g

Spring assortment — 500 g, cherry, apricot, strawberry, mixed berries — Giacobbe amaretti — Spring assortment — 500 g, cherry, apricot, strawberry, mixed berries

Autumn assortment — 500 g, rum brittle, chestnut, hazelnut, pistachio — Giacobbe amaretti — Autumn assortment — 500 g, rum brittle, chestnut, hazelnut, pistachio

Winter assortment — 500 g, amaretti coated in dark chocolate — Giacobbe amaretti — Winter assortment — 500 g, amaretti coated in dark chocolate

Opale assortment — 300 g, assorted amaretti from Sassello — Giacobbe amaretti — Opale assortment — 300 g, assorted amaretti from Sassello

Opale assortment — 300 g, classic amaretti — Giacobbe amaretti — Opale assortment — 300 g, classic amaretti

Clear oval box — 250 g / 450 g — Giacobbe amaretti — Clear oval box — 250 g / 450 g

Questions about amaretti from Sassello?

What are amaretti from Sassello?

Amaretti di Sassello

A soft amaretto is a sweet made with almonds, sugar and egg white.It can be classed as fresh pastry, yet it keeps for several months.

Who invented amaretti, and when?

No one remembers anymore

According to tradition, the first soft amaretti were baked in a local pastry shop around the mid-19th century. Over time, they became a cornerstone of Sassello’s economy and culture.

Why are they called “amaretti”?

A slightly bitter aftertaste

The name comes from the slightly bitter aftertaste and distinctive aroma created by combining bitter and sweet almonds, the basis of this extraordinary sweet. Tastes have changed over the years, and a sweeter product is preferred today.

Are classic amaretti made only with almonds?

Which almonds?

Amaretti were originally made with sweet and bitter almonds; today, apricot kernels, commonly known as armelline in Italian, are also used.

Are amaretti gluten-free?

Gluten-free amaretti

Yes, our amaretti have always been 100% gluten-free because they contain no traces of flour.

Want to know more?

Sugar-free amaretti?

Sugar-free

We offer a sugar-free version in which sugar is replaced with maltitol and mannitol.

Sugar-free amaretti

These are all fair, understandable questions, asked with real curiosity.

But you cannot truly find the answer to all these questions online.Because some things cannot be explained: they have to be tasted!

Come to Sassello

We look forward to welcoming you to Sassello, where every amaretto tells its story through the hands that shape it, the oven that warms it and the almonds that give it its aroma. Discover for yourself whether it is all almond, sweet or slightly bitter, and whether you prefer the soft kind or the one that crumbles.We do not promise answers. We promise unforgettable tastings.

Come. Try them all. Then let’s talk.

Gluten-free amaretti

Naturally gluten-free, as always.

Our amaretti from Sassello are a sweet certainty for everyone, including people with celiac disease.

This is thanks to their authentic recipe, made with naturally gluten-free ingredients, both for the classic soft almond amaretti and for the assorted flavors.

The Giacobbe workshop makes only amaretti, with no contamination from other products containing gluten.
Our canestrelli (which contain flour) are made in a completely separate place, so if you have celiac disease, you do not need to worry.

An honest, safe, handcrafted product, just like in the past.

We do not need “certifications”, “logos” or “seals” like these:

You will not find a “gluten-free” seal on the packaging, but you can count on something even stronger: Giacobbe’s word. We have always guaranteed that our amaretti are completely free of gluten, long before these kinds of certifications existed.

More than amaretti

Canestrelli — or rather, canestrellini

Giacobbe’s handcrafted canestrellini are our version of the classic Ligurian canestrelli: small, distinctive cookies that are among the best-loved sweet specialties of Liguria, especially the Sassello area. Their delicate, unmistakable daisy shape holds all the aroma and flavor of traditional local baking.

Made with high-quality simple, wholesome ingredients — wheat flour, butter, sugar and egg yolks — our canestrellini stand out for their crumbly texture, delicate flavor and handcrafted preparation, which preserves their authenticity and goodness.

Delicious on their own, Giacobbe canestrellini go wonderfully with a cup of tea or good coffee, and are also a delightful accompaniment to ice cream, custards or mousses. Their delicate crunch makes them ideal for events, celebrations, sweet buffets or simply a little treat at any time of day.