Cannoli with Ricotta Cheese aren't so difficult to make. All you need is a few cannoli shells and delicious creamy cannoli filling. These homemade Italian cannoli pastries will become your favorite dessert, next to this amazing cannoli cake.
What's the difference between Cannoli Custard Filling and Cannoli Ricotta Filling?
Custard filling is made using eggs, sugar, milk and flour which is cooked in a double boiler until thickened. Sometimes, cocoa or chocolate is added to make a chocolate custard.
Ricotta filling on the other hand is made with just ricotta cheese and powdered sugar. Sometimes people add chocolate chips or candied fruit.
People may also use a combination of both custard and ricotta filling to get the best of both worlds. And, some use a combination of mascarpone cheese, ricotta and sugar for a creamy filling.
Jump to:
- What's the difference between Cannoli Custard Filling and Cannoli Ricotta Filling?
- How Should you Serve Italian Cannoli?
- How Many Calories in a Cannoli with Ricotta?
- Ingredients Needed to Make Cannoli with Ricotta
- Instructions on How to Make Italian Cannoli with Ricotta
- Top tip
- Substitutions and Varitions
- Equipment Recommended
- Storage
- Other Desserts
- PIN It Here
- Recipe Details
The outer edges of the shells are sometimes dipped in chocolate and pistachios for a unique look.
You can save time by buying the cannoli shells. However, if you are feeling inspired, you can try and make cannoli shells. Just google "how to make cannoli shells". There are lots of recipes out there.
Generally the shells come in two sizes a small 3 inch shell or larger 6 inch shell. I personally like the smaller shells because they make the perfect bite sized pastry.
How Should you Serve Italian Cannoli?
Cannoli are best served freshly filled with custard filling or ricotta filling and served with your favorite freshly brewed espresso coffee, Arabica coffee or tea. Serve fresh by piping just before serving.
How Many Calories in a Cannoli with Ricotta?
Small ricotta filled cannoli will contain 91 calories, primarily comprised of 3 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fat per each 3 inch cannoli.
This recipe for cannoli pastries was inspired by my love for dessert quite frankly. If you are like me, you'll like this Apple Crumble Cheesecake, an easy Homemade Strawberry Sfoglia cake or a Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake.
If you are looking for other individual desserts to make for party, you can also try these Individual personal Assorted Flavor Desserts with different flavor profiles.
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Get this Free Meal Planner Journal template that you can print or import in to Goodnotes or Noteability.
Ingredients Needed to Make Cannoli with Ricotta
These pastries are so very easy to make and require 5 ingredients at most to make the cannoli ricotta cream:
- Ricotta Cheese
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Cannoli Shells or Cannoli Tubes
- Powdered Sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions on How to Make Italian Cannoli with Ricotta
To prep the cheese, you will need some cheesecloth. Wrap the ricotta in the cheese cloth, twist it to squeeze as much of the water out as possible.
If you have time sit it onto of a strainer and bowl overnight, lightly covered with plastic wrap.
Mix the ricotta, sugar, extracts in a bowl using a spatula until the mixture is somewhat smooth. (It will never be real smooth, you just want to ensure all ingredients are incorporated and that there aren't any lumps of sugar).
Add chips and mix (optional).
Use one hand to hold the shell and the other to push the filling out of the pastry bag. Repeat and dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.
Top tip
You can make the filling in advance and store it in the fridge. Assemble the pastries just before serving by piping the filing into the shells.
Hint: Pipe your cannoli just before serving.
Substitutions and Varitions
Here are a few ways to make your Italian Ricotta Cannoli a little different and unique:
- Candied Fruit - replace chocolate chips with candied fruit
- Lemon Flavor - add lemon juice to the ricotta filling
- Orange Zest - add orang zest for a citrus flavor
- Chocolate - add cocoa to the ricotta filling for a chocolate cannoli option
- Custard - add custard to the ricotta filling for a half and half filling
Got other ideas? Go for it and let me know how you made these cannoli with ricotta filling unique. Drop your comments below.
Equipment Recommended
This recipe doesn't require a lot of equipment. You'll need cheesecloth and a piping bag and tips. A serving tray will come in handy to serve the pastries to your guests.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Get this Free Meal Planner Journal template that you can print or import in to Goodnotes or Noteability.
Storage
Unfortunately Cannoli pastries don't refrigerate well after they have been assembled. That's why it is best to fill the shells just before serving. The ricotta filling can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Once the cannoli shells are filled, serve immediately or with the hour.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
For Canadian Guidelines check Government of Canada's Food and Safety Guidelines for further information and resources.
Other Desserts
PIN It Here
Recipe Details
Italian Cannoli with Ricotta Cheese Filling
Ingredients
- 250 grams Mini Cannoli Shells 24 shells
- 450 grams Ricotta Cheese
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Almond Extract
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- To prep the cheese, you will need some cheesecloth. Wrap the ricotta in the cheese cloth, twist it to squeeze as much of the water out as possible. If you have time sit it onto of a strainer and bowl overnight, lightly covered with plastic wrap.
- Mix the ricotta, sugar, extracts in a bowl using a spatula until the mixture is somewhat smooth. (it will never be real smooth, you just want to ensure all ingredients are incorporated and that there aren't any lumps of sugar).
- Add chips and mix (optional). If adding chocolate chips make sure that you have a pastry attachment that is large enough to pass the chocolate chips
- Carefully place the filling into a pastry bag and fill the cannoli. Use one hand to hold the shell and the other to push the filling out of the pastry bag. (if you don't have a pastry bag/attachment, just use a ziploc bag.
- Arrange in a serving plate. Repeat and dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.
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