Easter almond lamb, a traditional Sicilian dessert for the Easter holidays

Almond Easter Lamb

03/29/2026

There is exactly one week left until Easter and, together with our Cesarina Alice from Palermo, we are sharing the recipe to prepare a typical Sicilian dessert that you can also give to your loved ones during the holidays: the almond Easter Lamb.

Only a few ingredients are needed, all very easy to find, but it is important that they are of excellent quality, especially the almonds. The recipe itself is simple, although shaping the lambs requires a bit of skill to remove them from the molds and finish them with food coloring. Perhaps the most difficult part for those who do not live in Sicily is finding the right molds, but nowadays, thanks to the internet, it is not so impossible to purchase the necessary shapes to make this dessert.

“I learned how to make this recipe thanks to my Aunt Gina. Every year, before Easter, we gather to prepare the lambs to give to the whole family. I have slightly personalized the recipe by reducing the amount of powdered sugar, as I am not a fan of overly sweet desserts. It is very important to select high-quality almonds and avoid industrially produced almond flour, which is very dry and lacking in flavor. I prefer to use Sicilian almonds, either the Romana variety or those from Avola. The flavor of the almonds will make all the difference in the final result of the dessert!”

Typical of Favara, in the province of Agrigento, this dessert is immediately recognizable for its characteristic lamb shape, a symbol of purity and rebirth. It is said that the first to make it were the nuns of the Collegio di Maria, where the older sisters passed the recipe down orally to the younger ones. One of the earliest written recipes for the Easter Lamb dates back to 1898 and belonged to a middle-class family in nineteenth-century Favara.

Easter almond lamb, a traditional Sicilian dessert for the Easter holidays, prepared by Cesarina Alice

Almond Easter Lamb

One of the symbolic desserts of Sicilian Easter

DifficultyMedium

Preparation time2h

€

CostMedium

Ingredients

Makes 10 small lambs of about 100 g each
800 g blanched almonds
500 g powdered sugar
1 sachet of vanillin
2/3 tablespoon of wildflower honey
About 1/3 cup (50–60 g) water
Unsweetened cocoa powder, as needed for decorating
Pink, red and black edible food markers

Method

First, prepare the almond flour: blend the almonds a little at a time in a food processor until finely ground into flour.
Place the almond flour, powdered sugar and vanillin in a bowl and mix well until all the dry ingredients are fully combined.
Add the honey and, using your hands, incorporate it into the dry ingredients until completely absorbed. Then gradually add the water (the amount will depend on the moisture of the almonds and the environment). It is very important to add it little by little, otherwise you risk ending up with a sticky dough. Stop when you are able to form a compact dough ball. Do not overwork the dough or it will become oily.
Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
After the resting time, portion the dough and shape the Easter lambs using plaster molds.
Depending on the size of the mold, divide and weigh the dough accordingly.
Work each piece of dough for a few minutes until it becomes pliable again thanks to the warmth of your hands, then shape it into a cone.
Line the plaster lamb mold with plastic wrap.
Place the tip of the cone into the first half of the mold where the lamb’s muzzle is located, then shape the remaining dough following the design, filling the neck first and then the body with the wider end of the cone. At this point, cover the dough with plastic wrap and place the second half of the mold on top. Press firmly, including from the base, to ensure the shape is well defined.
Open the mold and remove the lamb.
Trim any excess dough with a sharp knife, then place the lamb on a tray lined with parchment paper.
Using a small brush, lightly dust the coat with unsweetened cocoa powder and let it air dry for at least 24 hours.
At this point, use the edible markers to define the eyes, mouth and ears, and decorate with the classic small ribbons.
The lamb is now ready to be enjoyed or given as a gift.

Alice

Cesarine’s Easter Recipes

Easter is one of those times of the year when families come together to share moments of joy and relaxation, perhaps gathered around the table to enjoy some of the traditional specialties of Italian cuisine.

Below, we offer a selection of recipes for your Easter menu: a journey from north to south to discover the regional dishes that are a must during the Easter holidays.

Discover Easter recipes

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