The Italian pastry name now used interchangeably with the French croissant is cornetto.
Cornetto means “little horn” in Italian and refers to a crescent-shaped, yeasted pastry associated especially with central and southern Italy. In everyday Italian usage, a cornetto may function as the local equivalent of a French croissant, particularly at cafés where it is served with espresso or cappuccino for breakfast.
The two pastries are closely related but are not always identical in texture or recipe. French croissants are typically crisp, buttery and highly flaky. Cornetti are often softer and may be sweeter, with fillings such as pastry cream, apricot jam or chocolate cream. A plain version is called cornetto vuoto, meaning “empty cornetto.”
The pastry’s history connects Italy with the Austrian kipferl, a crescent-shaped predecessor. Kipferl became popular in Italy through commercial links between Venice and Vienna after 1683. French bakers later developed a more laminated, puff-pastry-like form, helping produce the modern croissant. In northern Italy, the same breakfast pastry is often called brioche, adding another regional naming difference.