Homemade Cannolis Recipe

Prepare Homemade Cannolis to recreate the sweet Italian treat. These cannolis have the perfect crisp shell with a sweet and soft center.

Best Cannolis Recipe

Italian recipes are always the best! From delicious pastas and pizzas, you just can’t go wrong with a homemade Italian recipe.

These homemade cannolis are a sweet Italian treat that is just as scrumptious as their entrees. They are perfect as snacks, to take to a cookout, or to eat after dinner. 

How to make homemade cannolis from scratch

1. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a cheesecloth or coffee filter over a bowl. Then, pour the ricotta into a strainer and let it sit overnight in the fridge. 
2. In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Then, add the butter and pulse until it resembles small pebbles.
4. Next, add in the wine and egg and pulse until you have a shaggy dough. 
5. Transfer your dough to a floured surface and knead it until smooth.
6. Then, form it into a bowl, place it in oil in a bowl and let it rest for 1-2 hours. 
7. Heat oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot.
8. Beat the egg white in a small bowl and set to the side.
9. Next, line a baking sheet with paper towels and fit a cooling rack over it.
10. Roll out your cannoli dough and divide it into 2 pieces.
11. Place dough on floured surface and roll the dough until it is ⅛ inch thick.  
12. Use a 4 to 5 inch round cutter to cut rounds from each sheet of dough. Use a fork to poke holes in each round on both sides. 
13. Wrap your dough loosely around the cannoli mold.
14. Brush one end with egg white, pull the other around the mold until it overlaps, and press down to seal.
15. Place 4 to 5 cannoli shells into the oil. Fry them evenly until golden brown.
16. Allow the cannoli shells to cool completely before adding the filling.

What is a cannoli?

A cannoli is a delicious Italian pastry. It consists of a fried dough shell and a sweet cream filling that is then topped with powdered sugar. 

What is the filling?

The creamy filling consists of ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest. The orange zest is optional. 

How do I store leftovers?

You can store your fried shells in an airtight container at room temperature for a few weeks. However, if they are filled, you will need to keep them in the refrigerator. Finished cannolis can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. 

Enjoy delicious Homemade Cannolis for different occasions. They’re crispy, sweet, and the perfect dessert to have whenever you want them.

More easy dessert recipes we love

• Double Chocolate Banana Bread
• Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Lemon Bundt Cake
• Lemon Cupcakes

If you make this recipe be sure to leave us a comment or rating. Enjoy!

5 from 2 votes

Cannolis Recipe

Prepare Homemade Cannolis to recreate the sweet Italian treat. These cannolis have the perfect crisp shell with a sweet and soft center.

Prep: 30 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total Time : 40 minutes

Servings: 8 people

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Ingredients

For the Filling:

• ▢ 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese strained
• ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest optional
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ cup mini chocolate chips plus more for garnish
• ▢ Chopped pistachios for garnish (optional)

For the Shells:

• ▢ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• ▢ ¼ cup white or marsala wine chilled
• ▢ 1 large egg lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 large egg white
• ▢ Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

• Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and set it over a bowl. Pour the ricotta into the strainer, refrigerate, and let drain for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
  
• Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, then pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Add the wine and egg and pulse until you achieve a shaggy dough, adding more wine 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary.
  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, ¼ cup white or marsala wine, 1 large egg
  
• Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, then form into a ball. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover, allowing it to rest for 1-2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the cannoli filling. Place the drained ricotta, powdered sugar, orange zest (if using), and cinnamon in a large bowl and gently mix with a rubber spatula until well combined. Add the mini chocolate chips and mix to evenly distribute. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• Place the oil in a large, heavy pot and heat over medium-high heat until 350 degrees F. Meanwhile, place the egg white in a small bowl and lightly beat with a fork. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and fit a cooling rack over it. Roll out the cannoli dough.
  Vegetable oil, 1 large egg white
  
• Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Roll and cut 1 piece at a time, keeping the remaining dough covered so that it doesn’t dry out. Dust a work surface with flour, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until 1/8-inch thick. (Alternatively, you can use a pasta roller to roll the dough into a thin, even sheet, working from 1 to 5 on the machine’s dial.)
• Cut and dock the dough rounds. Use a 4 to 5-inch round cutter to cut rounds from the sheet of dough. Use a fork to “dock” and poke holes in each round on both sides (this prevents large bubbles that will slip the dough off the cannoli molds).
  
• Wrap the dough around the molds. Wrap one round of dough loosely around a cannoli mold. Brush one end of the dough with egg white, pull the other end around the mold until it overlaps slightly, and press down to seal. Repeat rolling, cutting, and wrapping the remaining dough, gathering the scraps of dough and re-rolling as needed, until you have 16 shells.
  
• Fry the cannoli shells. Fry in batches of 4 to 5, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain an oil temperature of about 350°F. Using tongs, carefully lower the cannoli shells on their molds into the oil. Fry, turning as needed, until evenly golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shells to the cooling rack.
  
• Cool the shells completely before filling. When the shells are cool enough to handle (about 10 minutes), remove the molds: Gently squeeze a mold together to release the shell, then slip the shell off. Cool the shells completely before storing or filling. Fried shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few weeks.
• Fill the cannoli shells just before serving. When ready to fill and serve the cannolis, transfer the filling into a pastry bag or zip-top bag and cut a 1/2-inch diameter piece off the end/corner. Insert the tip into one end of a shell and pipe the filling in, filling it halfway, then pipe the rest in from the other end. Dip the ends with the filling into more mini chocolate chips, if desired, and dust the filled cannolis with powdered sugar before serving.
  Chopped pistachios

Nutrition Facts

Cannolis Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 352 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 3g

Cholesterol 61mg20%

Sodium 147mg6%

Potassium 106mg3%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 24g27%

Protein 11g22%

Vitamin A 418IU8%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 151mg15%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Becky Hardin – Easy Dessert Recipes

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