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featured cannolis

Cannoli Recipe

Course: Dessert, pastry
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 55 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Rest/Chill: 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 8 minutes
Servings: 16 cannolis
Calories: 212kcal
These homemade cannolis have the perfect crisp shell with a sweet and soft center.
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Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • Fine-Mesh Sieve
  • Food Processor
  • Dutch Oven
  • Deep Frying Thermometer
  • Baking Sheet
  • Rolling Pin
  • Cannoli Molds
  • Piping Tip Set (optional)

Ingredients

For the Filling

  • 2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese 454 grams
  • 1 cup powdered sugar 113 grams
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 2 grams, optional
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup mini chocolate chips 89 grams, plus more for garnish
  • Chopped pistachios for garnish (optional)

For the Shells

  • cups all-purpose flour 180 grams, plus more for dusting
  • tablespoons granulated sugar 19 grams
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 grams, cut into small pieces (¼ stick)
  • ¼ cup white or marsala wine 57 grams, chilled
  • 1 large egg 50 grams, lightly beaten
  • 1 large egg white 35 grams
  • 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
    how to make cannolis
  • Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor. 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, 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup white or marsala wine, 1 large egg
    how to make cannolis
  • 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 vegetable oil in a large, heavy pot and heat over medium-high heat until 350°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
    how to make cannolis
  • 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 ⅛-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).
    how to make cannolis
  • 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.
    how to make cannolis
  • Fry the cannoli shells. Fry in batches of 4-5, 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, 2-3 minutes. Remove the shells to the cooling rack.
    how to make cannolis
  • 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. Cooled 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 Ziplcok bag and cut a ½-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

Video

Notes

  • Straining the ricotta will yield the smoothest texture.
  • The cut rounds of dough will stretch slightly as you wrap them around the metal tubes; that is okay.
  • Be sure to keep the temperature consistent while frying. Too hot and the shells will puff up too much; too cool and they will be greasy.
  • Don't add additional sugar to the filling. It will make it too loose.
  • Tightly wrap leftover cannolis in 1 layer of wax paper and 1 layer of aluminum foil to keep them crisp.
  • Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Storage: Store cannolis in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cannoli | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 74mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 1mg