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You are here: Home » Blog » Desserts » How to make Cannoli Cream

How to make Cannoli Cream

November 27, 2019 //  by Jillian//  76 Comments

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Picture collage for Pinterest.

Making fresh, homemade cannoli cream is easier than you think. You’ll be filling cannoli shells in no time with my How to Make Cannoli Cream tutorial! This popular recipe has been shared over 124,000 times! 

Finished recipe with text overlay for Pinterest.

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links.

Buckle up, folks because today I’m showing you how to make cannoli cream! Italian pastries are my favorite, and this is my all-time favorite dessert. They are very popular during the Christmas and Easter seasons (especially if you live back east). 

I can remember the first time that I had a cannoli. It was at a mom and pop Italian restaurant in my hometown of Southington, Connecticut. It was sweet (but not overly sweet), crunchy, and had the most amazing texture.

I was hooked instantly.

Since I cannot resist these Italian pastries anytime I see them on a restaurant menu. 

I love a good cannoli, but sadly they’re hard to find outside of the Northeast. Over the years this Connecticut girl has learned how to make them out of necessity.

My recipe for the cannoli filling is every bit as good as what you can get back east. 

Close up picture of 3 cannolis.

This is by far one of my most popular recipes, and it’s the best cannoli filling I’ve ever had. Don’t believe me? Well, you don’t need to take my word for it, here’s what some of my readers have said about this recipe:

Jenn: These were on my “must make” list and I’m so glad I found this easy peasy recipe for cannoli cream – thank you!

Ruth V.: Jillian, I had success making this cannoli filling several times and it was delicious.

Paula: I am a Cannoli-aholic! I learned to make the cream spot on to your recipe and was taught that the whipping cream addition makes all the difference in the world! Thanks

Cook’s Note:

  • This cannoli recipe calls for strained ricotta. See my post from earlier this week on how to strain ricotta cheese.
  • To fill the pastry shells with the filling I use a pastry bag and a coupler. That’s it. I don’t use an icing tip, because the mini chocolate chips tend to clog it.
  • This will make enough filling to fill 20 small and 12 large cannoli. 

Let’s take a minute to discuss Cannoli shells:

You can either make them from scratch or buy them.

To make homemade shells you’ll need to buy cannoli forms, make the dough, chill it, roll the dough out, wrap the dough around the forms, and then fry them.

Making a homemade pastry shell takes time, but it is SO worth it! Check out my tutorial for How to Make Cannoli Shells for all of the details. 

A bowl of cannoli cream with empty shells ready to be filled.

If you decide to buy the shells,  there’s no shame in it, a lot of bakeries and even restaurants do the same thing.

My all-time favorite shells are from World Market. You get a set of 20 mini shells for $2.99! Well worth it in my opinion!

Additionally, if you don’t have a World Market nearby, then Amazon to the rescue! These are my favorite cannoli shells from Amazon. 

Common Recipe questions answered:

What is cannoli cream made of?

The cream is made of just 6 basic ingredients: 

  1. whipping cream
  2. ricotta cheese
  3. powdered sugar
  4. pure vanilla extract
  5. ground cinnamon
  6. mini dark chocolate chips

How do you thicken up the filling?

This is a hard one, and that’s why it’s extremely important to make sure you drain the ricotta before you use it in the filling. BUT, if you filling starts to become runny, you can thicken it up with a little bit of ground almonds that you process in a blender or food processor until they are almost like almond powder. 

Cannoli Cream Ingredients

How long does this filling last?

Unfortunately, with fresh ingredients like whipped cream and ricotta cheese, this filling will not last long in the refrigerator. I recommend keeping it in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than 2 days.

I do not recommend freezing the filling, because ricotta cheese and freshly whipped cream do not freeze and defrost well. 

Where does Cannoli Come From?

These Italian pastries come from the island of Sicily in the city of Palermo. They’re a staple of Sicilian cuisine as well as Italian-American cuisine.

Is it cannoli or cannolis?

In Italian the singular is cannolo and the plural is cannoli. English speakers generally use cannoli/s for the singular and the plural. 

If you love these Italian pastries as I do, then check out these other recipes:

  • cannoli chips
  • easy cannoli ice cream
  • cannoli cupcakes
  • chocolate cannoli tart
  • cannoli shells

Pin this recipe.

The flavor and recipe variations:

  • Instead of chocolate chips, you can use chocolate shavings or chopped pistachios. 
  • Also, I’ve had some pastries that had a little bit of grated orange peel added to the filling. 
  • You can sprinkle them with powdered sugar and even add a maraschino cherry to either end, too. 

More delicious recipes you have to try:

  • Red Velvet Cupcakes 
  • Italian Soda
  • Coconut Cream Cake
  • Birthday Rice Krispie Treats
  • Buttermilk Syrup Recipe
  • Shirley Temple Drink
  • Red Velvet Cheesecake
  • Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies
  • Cranberry Bliss Bar Recipe
  • Easy Macaroons

Picture collage for Pinterest.

Cannolis stacked on top of each other.

Cannoli Cream recipe

Making fresh, homemade cannoli cream is easier than you think. These are perfect for Easter, Christmas, and beyond! 
4.96 from 21 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: cannoli, ricotta cheese
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 20 people
US Customary - Metric
Calories: 94kcal
Author: Jillian - a Food, Folks and Fun original!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1 15- ounce container whole milk ricotta cheese, strained
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Place the cream into a small bowl and set aside.
    Beat the whipping cream to stiff peaks .
  • In the same mixing bowl, add the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Fold in the whipped cream and chocolate chips.
    Fold the whipped cream and chocolate chips into the ricotta cheese mixture,
  • Chill the cream for at least 2 hours before filling the cannoli shells.
    Stir until combined.

Video

Notes

This recipe makes about About 2 1/2 cups of cannoli filling. You will need about 2 tablespoons of cannoli filling to fill each small cannoli. 
This will make enough filling to fill 20 small and 12 large cannoli. 
This recipe calls for strained ricotta cheese. Check out my How to Strain Ricotta Cheese tutorial. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 50mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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This How to Make Cannoli Cream recipe first appeared on Food Folks and Fun on March 12, 2015. I have since updated the photos and added a recipe video. You can see one of the original photos below. 

Freshly made cannoli cream

How to Make Cannoli Cream 2

3 mini cannolis on a white pedestal.

 

Cannoli filling recipe in a bowl and inside of mini cannoli shells.

Four cannolis on a blue platter.

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Jillian

Hi, I'm Jillian. I'm a teacher turned stay-at-home mom. I miss the creativity teaching provided so I'm always trying to find time to exercise my artistic abilities. Mostly that means cooking and baking. My blog is dedicated to providing restaurant-quality recipes for the home cook.
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Category: Desserts, ItalianTag: #SpringEats, cannoli, cannoli cream, cannoli filling, cannoli filling recipe, cannoli recipe, Easter, Spring Dessert

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nellie Tracy

    December 9, 2019 at 9:58 AM

    This cream literally melts in your mouth. So delicious!!

    Reply
  2. Tara

    December 9, 2019 at 12:31 PM

    This cannoli cream is divine! I’ve never made my own shells, but I’m going to have to try your recipe for those next.

    Reply
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I’m Jillian, the creator, author, recipe developer and travel blogger behind Food, Folks, and Fun. I’m a teacher turned SAHM married to a military man—which means my family moves often, traveling the world as we go!
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