Making fresh, homemade cannoli cream is easier than you think. You’ll be filling shells in no time with my How to Make Cannoli Cream tutorial!
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 Easter season (especially if you live back east). This recipe is the first in my Cannoli Week blog series.
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 Cannoli out of necessity. My recipe for the filling is every bit as good as what you can get back east.
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.
Let’s take a minute to discuss Cannoli shells:
My 2 cents: 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 has too many steps, and currently, my life doesn’t afford made-from-scratch luxuries like this.
Consequently, I go for the next best thing, I buy my shells. There’s no shame in it, a lot of bakeries and even restaurant 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?
It is made of just 6 basic ingredients:
- whipping cream
- ricotta cheese
- powdered sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- mini dark chocolate chips
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 cannoli filling, because ricotta cheese and freshly whipped cream do not freeze well.
If you love these Italian pastries as I do, then check out these other recipes:
Cannoli Cream recipe
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
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.
- 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.
- Chill the cream for at least 2 hours before filling the cannoli shells.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This 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.
Jillian
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Amy Baldwin
I use wonton wrappers fried around a cannoli form for my shells! They make great shells and not as much work as making the dough completely from scratch!
Jillian
I love this hack! I’m going to try it the next time I make cannoli!
Adrianne
Yum!! Got to love a recipe with cream in it. These look fabulous, cheers!
Jillian
Thank you, cannoli is my favorite!
2pots2cook
Dear Jillian, I am so happy to find you ! Printing, sharing, telling, pinning…… Will be back ! Thank you !
Jillian
You’re the sweetest, thank you! 🙂
Paula
Dear Jillian, As someone who has made cannoli shells and had to make only a few at a time, I am going to try sugar cones for the shells??? 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!
Jillian
Paula, I am SO glad you love this recipe! How did using sugar cones for the cannoli shell work out for you?
gene oliva
No disrespect but I can’t imagine how this recipe makes anything but cannoli soup. Beating ricotta breaks the curd. I have made cannoli cream many times but must mix the ricotta very gently. Has anyone followed this recipe and been successful?
Commerical bakeries use a special ricotta that is not normally available to the public. It is extremely dry hence a thick cream.
Jillian
I’ve made it many times and never get cannoli soup. In this recipe, it calls for strained ricotta which takes away the excess moisture and makes for drier ricotta.
Gary VanNostrand
Jillian, I used homemade ricotta that I let drain for 4 hrs. So nice dry texture. The combo of that with your other ingredients was perfect consistency and great NYC cannoli taste!!
Lisa
Found this recipe when I was searching cannoli, it is basically the same one I have been using for a while now, but I don’t use the whipping cream. What does it add? I completely agree with you that Ricotta is best, but I think Polly-O works better than Galbani. BTW, I have used sugar cones many times and they work fine, not as delicious as homemade cannoli shells but a heck of a lot easier than frying anything.
It just takes more cream to fill than a mini cannoli shell. I have also used Splenda for diabetic folks, doesn’t taste as good, but the diabetics I know appreciate bring able to indulge with everyone else.
Jillian
Hi Lisa!
To answer your question, I like the addition of whipped cream for its flavor and for the texture that it adds to the cannoli cream.
I’m glad that this recipe works well with Splenda!
Natalie Ribeiro
Do you think I could get away with using a hand mixer, or maybe even a food processor? I don’t want to introduce too much heat while mixing so I’m not sure which to pick!
Jillian
Hi Natalie, I’d go with the hand mixer.
Ruth V
Jillian, I had success making this cannoili filling several times and it was delicious. I cut out refrigerated pie crust into rounds and pressed tons of cinnamon sugar onto both sides then wrapped each one around rolled tinfoil and baked. Then filled after they cooled. Everyone loved them and had no idea how easily I made the cannolis, lol. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jillian
Ruth, I’m so glad that this recipe was a success!
andi
They also have little plastic bowls in Meijer (if you live near one) in the baking aisle full of melting chocolates. No double boiler, just throw it in the microwave. Stir it up. Line your shells with chocolate. (Meijer also has the large pre-made cannoli shells.) Squeeze in your filling, and they are excellent. Thank you for the recipe! The only downside is my husband wants them all the time.
Jillian
Andi, thanks for the tip! And thanks for leaving a rating on the recipe, it really helps! 🙂
Dayna
Seriously THE BEST! So yummy! I love it!
Jenn
Cannolis were on my “must make” list and I’m so glad I found this easy peasy recipe for cannoli cream – thank you!
Cannoli Pie
I feel very conflicted about this dessert. I would have to have a large crowd coming because I can’t be trusted with anything involving cannoli.
Jillian
Haha, you and me both!
Dee
Your recipe sounds great, but I have one question before I try it- many recipes I looked at for cannoli cream call for some orange zest to be added and that’s not one of your ingredients. Does it make a difference whether I add some zest or not?
Jillian
Dee, it’s all personal preference. If you like the taste or orange zest, go ahead and add it in. I add it in when I have an orange on hand to zest.
Sandra
Can I use part skim Ricotta?
Jillian
I do not recommend it. It will make the filling runny.
Cheryl
Never made cannoli before. This recipe looks like one I am going to try. I was given a large pack of smaller packs of pizzelles and started looking for what to use them to create variations. Cannoli came up. I’ve tried the pizzelles in the microwave for about 18 seconds. They get VERY hot, but using pot holders, you pick it up and gently roll it into shape and it works great! Looking forward to trying this recipe. Next step, I have to look how to dry out the ricotta cheese. Truly first for me! lol thank you
Jillian
Cheryl, it sounds like you’re off to a great start. Keep going! 🙂