Cannoli Cookies

For our Cannoli Cookies, we took a light and crispy cookie shell and filled it with sweet ricotta filling. It’s all the flavors you love in a cannolo, but without having to make and deep fry a shell.

Cannoli Cookies are a fun twist on the Italian pastry, and a delicious dessert treat! This also happens to be my birthday dessert for 2023.

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

What are the Italian pastry cannoli?

Cannoli is from Italy, and it’s a tube-shaped dessert with a fried pastry dough that’s stuffed with a sweet ricotta cheese filling.

In doing my research for these cookies, I learned that the word “cannoli” is plural, so no “s” is necessary (so you wouldn’t want to say cannolis).

And Cannolo is the singular. The word cannolo is a diminutive meaning ‘little tube’.

At least, this is the correct Italian way to use the word. I know that most Americans will pop the “s” on the end to make it plural.

Tuile cookies

These Cannoli Cookies are much easier to make than traditional cannoli. You don’t have to deep fry anything for the shell, because we use a cookie to form the shell, and that cookie is basically like a tuile.

A tuile is a thin French wafer-like cookie that’s shaped while warm into a curved or rolled form. It’s very delicate and snaps when you break it. They are often filled with sweetened cream for special occasions.

BTW, a Tuille is an armor plate that protects the hip and thigh.

Traditional Cannoli Flavors

Cannoli are often flavored with chocolate chips, pistachios, orange and/or lemon zest, and maybe some cinnamon or nutmeg.

For these, I have used chocolate chips on some and have chocolate dipped some ends, but left the citrus and spices out. I prefer my cannoli without all those extras. Feel free to add them in to the filling if you prefer.

Birthday dessert

I mentioned earlier that this was my birthday dessert for 2023.

Today’s delicious recipe comes to us courtesy of my wonderful husband.

As many of my readers know, every year my husband makes a special birthday dessert for me. He says that I cook for him all the other days, so he likes to do something special for me and make a special dessert for my birthday.

When we first started this tradition years ago, I picked out the recipe I wanted him to make for me. It was usually some difficult dessert that I wouldn’t make for myself.

Then, he started picking out the recipe so I didn’t have to do that work.

This year, he actually created the recipe on his own. He researched cannoli, asked me what I liked and didn’t like, and created these beautiful filled cookies himself. I’m super impressed!

Thanks for the wonderful birthday dessert!

Want to see past years’ desserts? Check out Peppermint S’mores from 2022, the Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake from 2021, Chocolate S’more Pie from 2019, and Lemon Souffle Magic Cakes from 2018.

How to make

There are three basic steps to these cookies. Make the filling, which is super easy! Then, make the cookies, shaping them into tubes. And third, fill the cookies. That’s it!

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

Equipment you may need

Note: these are affiliate links

• fine mesh strainer
• cheesecloth
• mixing bowls
• hand mixer
• pastry bags and tips
• silicone baking mats
• cookie sheets with no rims
• cookie dough scoops
• offset spatula
• airtight cookie storage

Make the filling:

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth. Place the strainer in a large bowl. Place the ricotta in the cheesecloth, cover the ricotta with the ends of the cheesecloth, and let the ricotta drain overnight in the fridge.

Ricotta tips: Look for whole-milk ricotta rather than low-fat or part-skim. The whole milk will have a richer thicker flavor. And, use a brand of ricotta that’s not thin, watery, or runny. Galbani has good quality ricotta.

Place the drained ricotta in a mixing bowl, sift the powdered sugar over the top, and mix on low speed with a hand blended until combined.

Add the vanilla to the ricotta and mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, a couple of minutes.

Put the ricotta mixture into a Ziplock bag and store in the fridge until ready to use, at least 1 hour. Filling can be kept in fridge overnight if desired.

It’s best to make the filling before the cookies so it is ready to use as soon as the cookies are cool.

Make the cookie batter:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, and stir until mixed evenly.

In a separate bowl combine eggs, milk, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Then add the cooled melted butter and whisk again.

Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Cookie batter can be used immediately or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Place a silicon baking mat on a cookie sheet with no rim.

No rim is important here so that you can easily spread the cookies properly, pick them up once they’re baked, and it allows for great air circulation so all your cookies bake evenly.

Put 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of batter onto the Silpat, making 4 cookies per baking sheet.

A cookie dough scoop will help make sure your cookies are all even.

Use an offset spatula to spread the batter into a thin round about 4 to 5 inches in diameter. 

Bake the cookies:

Bake at 325° F for 10 minutes, rotating halfway through.

The cookies can be made lighter or darker as desired. Lighter cookies seem to soften faster than darker ones.

Shape the cookies:

As soon as the cookies come out of the oven use a clean offset spatula to slide under a cookie and separate it from the baking sheet.

The cookies will be soft while warm.

Use the spatula to lift the cookie by the middle, then lower one edge of the cookie back onto the Silpat while tucking the opposite edge inside to make a round tube about 3/4 inch in diameter.

Once formed transfer them to a cool plate or a cooling rack. You may need to hold them together for a few seconds or blow on them to cool them enough to harden and hold their own shape.

You could wrap the cookies around the round handle of a wooden spoon or around a tube from, but you don’t really need to go to that kind of trouble.

Repeat for all cookies on the sheet.

Bake all the batter into cookies.

Once all cookies are made, dip ends in melted chocolate if desired.

To fill:

Place the ricotta filling in a piping bag or a Ziploc bag and cut the tip of the bag. Place the tip inside the cookie tube and squeeze the bag to fill the tube.

Fill and serve immediately, starting with the first cookies baked so they are fully cooled. Don’t try to fill warm cookies.

Sprinkle the ends of the filled cookies with mini chocolate chips. Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar for serving.

How to store them

Baked cookies can be stored (unfilled) in an airtight container in the fridge or on the counter up to 3 days before filling and serving.

The filling should be stored in the refrigerator separately from the shells, it should keep well for about 5 days.

Always serve immediately after filling.

If you do have some filled cookies leftover, they can be refrigerated and saved, just know that the cookies will absorb some of the moisture from the filling, and the cookie will have a more cake-like texture. Still delicious, just not crispy any longer.

Changes to the recipe

Everyone will have a different take on exactly what’s in cannoli. I love the simple flavors without any citrus or cinnamon.

You can adjust the flavors as you wish, including lemon zest, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, or even add chopped pistachios to the ends.

You could drizzle melted chocolate over the top too.

Let’s keep in touch

If you like seeing my recipes subscribe via email in the upper right.
Or, connect with me on your favorite social media channel for recipes, photos, & much more:
Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter!
And find my shop on Amazon for recommendations on cool tools

If you try this recipe,
please come back & leave a comment below letting us know how it goes.
Share a picture & tag @lifecurrents on Instagram.
Or you can upload a “tried it” photo (I would love to see)
via the pin.

Cannoli Cookies Recipe