Pizzelle Cannoli shells offer a lighter, no fry twist on the traditiona Sicilian dessert. Made with a pizzelle maker instead of deep-frying, these crisp, golden shells are perfect for filling with sweet ricotta filling.
If you have a sweet tooth and like ricotta filling, try my recipe for Cake with Cannoli Filling, Easy Authentic Sicilian Cannoli with Ricotta Filling, or my easy to make Italian Almond Ricotta Cake. Or try my recipe for Authentic Italian Pizzelle cookies.
Visit my recipe box for some more great recipe ideas inspired by Italian tradition!
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Here's Why You'll Love this Dish
You'll love this recipe for pizzelle cannoli shells because:
- no frying involved means less mess and they are much healthier
- easier and faster than traditional cannoli
- make a perfect bite sized dessert
- keeps well and can be made ahead of time and filled just before serving
- perfect for the holidays, parties or weekend treats
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Learn With Us
We tried this recipe a few times until we got it right.
Regular pizzelle dough is crispy and doesn't taste the same as traditional cannoli shells.
So we knew that we had to add ingredients to make the taste similar to Sicilian cannoli shells. But changing the ingredients meant that the dough was no longer fluid and that baked pizzelle would be crisp and not pliable.
We decided to add a little bit of egg white to the batter and roll it out like dough which resulted in more of a traditional taste and pliable pizzelle cookie that we could shape into a Sicilian Cannoli.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make pizzelle cannoli shells: all purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, shortening or butter, white vinegar, marsala wine, egg white and some water.
Grab my recipe for Ricotta Filling for the perfect Pizzelle Sicilian Cannoli dessert.
For exact measurement details and directions see recipe card...
How to Make Pizzelle Cannoli Shells
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Combine all spices into a large bowl and mix thoroughly into lean ground beef
Form into ball shape with your hands
Press into patties on the tray
Place into oven at 350 fahrenheit
Storage:
You can leave the shells out overnight to let them harden a little bit. Then store the unfilled shells in an airtight container at room temperature.
When you are ready to use them, fill and serve immediately with a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar.
Top Tips
Shot glass - use a shot glass to set the shape while the cannoli shell hardens
Sit - let them sit out un covered overnight to harden up and get crispy
Offset spatula - use an offset spatula to transfer the hot pizzelle to a surface where you can work it
Round handle - find a circular object like the handle of a utensil about 1" thick to help you roll the cannoli into a circular shape.
Crispier - wrap and tie the shells to keep them from flattening and bake for 5 minutes at 350 F
Caution - the pizzelle will be hot once cooked so handle with care or use towels to prevent burning yourself.
Substitutions and Variations
Take your pizzelle cannoli shells up a notch with these variations:
- Dip - dip the edges in melted chocolate and chopped nuts like pistachios or peanuts
- Ice Cream- fill with ice cream and freeze for a treat later
- Filling - get creative with the filling and add chocolate or cocoa to make a chocolate filled cannoli
- Regular Size - use a small plate to make regular size cannoli shells
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Yes. A pizzelle maker is a great alternative to frying. Once baked pizzelle are still warm and pliable enough to roll into shell shapes.
Immediately after removing the pizzelle from the maker, wrap them around a metal cannoli form or a wooden dowel and hold for a few seconds until they set.
Yes. Traditional cannoli flavors like cinnamon, orange zest, or vanilla can be added to the pizzelle batter to enhance the shell.
More Desserts to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Details
Pizzelle Cannoli Shells: Easy No-Fry Sicilian Version
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caIngredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour plus extra for rolling dough
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- ⅛ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp shortening or butter, melted
- ¼ tsp white vinegar
- ¼ cup Marsala wine or dry white wine
- 2 tbsp egg white
- water cold, as needed
- confectioner's sugar for decoration
Instructions
- Add dry ingredients to a medium sized bowl.1 cup all purpose flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp cocoa powder, ⅛ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp salt
- In a separate small bowl mix vinegar, marsala wine, shortening and egg white. Add vinegar mixture to dry ingredients and form into the shape of a ball.1½ tbsp shortening, ¼ tsp white vinegar, ¼ cup Marsala wine, 2 tbsp egg white
- Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead. Roll out into a thin sheet about 3 cm thick. Cut holes with a glass 3½" in diameter. Sprinkle water as needed.water
- Warm up pizzelle maker and once ready place one circle of dough in the center. Close the pizzelle maker and bake for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Using an offset spatula, remove one pizzelle at a time and use a round dowl or the handle of a kitchen tool like a whisk (1" in diameter) to help roll the pizzelle. The pizzelle will be pliable while it is still warm. Slide the round dowl out and hold the edges together until it is cool enough to place on a cooling rack with the edges face down. If you can place the center edges in between two wires to hold in place that will work best. Let cool completely.
- Repeat process and let cool completely.
- Fill with ricotta filling just before serving and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.confectioner's sugar
Notes
Top Tips
Shot glass - use a shot glass to set the shape while the cannoli shell hardens Sit - let them sit out un covered overnight to harden up and get crispy Offset spatula - use an offset spatula to transfer the hot pizzelle to a surface where you can work it Round handle - find a circular object like the handle of a utensil about 1" thick to help you roll the cannoli into a circular shape. Crispier - wrap and tie the shells to keep them from flattening and bake for 5 minutes at 350 F Caution - the pizzelle will be hot once cooked so handle with care or use towels to prevent burning yourself.Nutrition
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Food Safety
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.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
md says
Brilliant, will try