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Recipes » Courses » Dessert » Homemade Cannoli Recipe

Homemade Cannoli Recipe

Posted on July 10, 2020 By Chef Billy Parisi

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Learn how to make delicious Sicilian style homemade cannoli’s that are stuffed up with an amazing sweet sheep’s milk ricotta cheese.

We absolutely are a dessert family and if you’re anything like us then you should definitely check out how to make my Zeppole’s and Italian Cheesecake recipes!

stacked up cannolis on a plate with powdered sugar

Cannoli

Cannolis are Sicilian, they were founded in Sicily and everyone knows them as such.  There is an incredible history behind it stemming back all the way to 800-1100 a.d.  During the Arabic rule of the island, the kind had quite a few concubines that would make him amazing foods and desserts.  Of those desserts was a cylinder-shaped pastry filled with ricotta, almonds, and honey.

There is another tale that takes place on the opposite end of the spectrum in a convent that made a similar cylinder-shaped pastry stuffed with ricotta, sugar, and chocolate.  Regardless, they are absolutely delicious, and not all that hard to make.

The few ingredients for the cannoli include:

  • Flour
  • Eggs
  • Marsala
  • Salt
  • White Wine Vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Sheep’s Milk Ricotta
  • Chocolate

How to Make the Cannoli Shells

Follow these simple instructions for how to make cannoli shells:

In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.

sifting together ingredients into a bowl

Add in the lard, egg, white wine vinegar, and marsala wine, and knead the dough for 10-14 minutes.

kneading cannoli dough on a clean surface

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to rest.

wrapped cannoli dough in plastic wrap

Remove the dough and place on a clean floured surface and roll it out until it is about a ¼” thick.

rolling out cannoli dough on a floured surface with a rolling pin

Using a 1 ½ circle cutter, cut as many dough rounds as possible in the dough, about 20-25.

cutting circle rounds out of cannoli dough

Roll out each individual dough round until it’s about 5”-6” in diameter.  Repeat until all of the rounds are rolled out.

rolling out cannoli shells

Form each dough round around a metal cylinder cannoli mold and rub a little bit of whisked egg to help form the two ends together.

wrapping a cannoli round around a cylinder tube

Fry in the cannoli cylinders in oil at 350° for 1 to 2 minutes or until browned.

frying cannoli shells in oil

Remove the cooked cannoli shells from the oil, drain on a rack and then carefully remove them from the metal cylinders once they are cooled.

draining fried cannoli shells on a rack

How to Make Cannoli Filling

Here’s how easy it is to make the filling for this delicious recipe:

  1. Add the sheep’s milk ricotta to a chinois or a strainer with cheesecloth and drain off as much liquid as possible in the refrigerator, at least 2 hours or overnight.

draining sheeps milk ricotta in a chinois

  1. Add the ricotta to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and whip at low speed while slowly pouring in the sugar until is mixed in and smooth.

mixing ricotta in a stand mixer while adding in sugar

  1. Finish by folding in some mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

adding chocolate chips to a stand mixer

  1. Transfer the filling to a piping bag with no tip and generously pipe the filling into the cooled cannoli shells.

piping cannoli filling into a cannoli shell

Variations

There are quite a few things you can do with the cannoli filling as well as incorporating the shells including:

  • Cheesecake
  • Dip
  • Cake
  • Pound Cake
  • Cookies
  • Ravioli

Chef Recipe Notes + Tips

Make-Ahead: While best served and eaten within a few hours of making them, you can make these up to 1 day ahead.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  They will also freeze well covered for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day or until softened.

You can re-roll out the dough to make even more cannoli shells.

Make sure to not form the dough around the cannoli metal molds so that it is hanging over the edges or else it will cook over and will ruin when trying to release them from the metal mold.

You should get fried air pockets in the cannoli shells when frying them.

Some Sicilian variations of the filling include thickened cream with milk and cornstarch, but this is not authentic.

You can also use milk or bittersweet chocolate chips.

Another very classic addition to adding to the filling is citron.

Northern Italy most often uses whole milk ricotta while Southern Italy and Sicily use sheep’s milk ricotta.

When kneading the dough think of pasta, it’s the exact same technique and takes the same amount of time.

There will be some filling leftover which is perfect for dipping graham crackers in!

filled and cooked cannolis on a plate

More Amazing Dessert Recipes

  • Clafoutis
  • Blackberry Cobbler
  • Rice Pudding
  • Chocolate Mousse
  • Churros

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!

Video

Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Homemade Cannoli Recipe

Learn how to make delicious Sicilian style homemade cannoli’s that are stuffed up with an amazing sweet sheep’s milk ricotta cheese.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Resting Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 50 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian, Sicilian
Servings: 25
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Chef Billy Parisi

Equipment

  • Cannoli Tubes

Ingredients

For the Filling:

  • 800 g sheep’s milk ricotta or 3 cups
  • 300 g sugar or 1 ½ cups
  • 250 g mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or ½ cup

For the Shells:

  • 250 g 00 flour or 1 ½ cups
  • 20 g sugar or 1 ½ tablespoon
  • 3 g salt 3 or 1/2 teaspoon
  • 2 g cocoa powder or 1 teaspoon
  • 25 g lard or 1 tablespoon
  • 45 g eggs or 1 egg whisked + 1 more separate
  • 50 g marsala wine or ¼ cup
  • 8 g white wine vinegar or 1 teaspoon

Instructions

  • Filling: Add the ricotta cheese to a chinois or a strainer lined with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl and in the refrigerator to drain excess liquid for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  • Remove the ricotta and place it in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and whip on low speed while slowly adding in the sugar.
  • Mix until the cheese is smooth and then fold in the chocolate chips until they are completely mixed in. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Shells: Sift together the flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder into a large bowl.
  • Add in the lard, egg, wine, and vinegar and mix by hand until combined, about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer to a clean surface dusted with flour and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes.
  • Wrap the dough in plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Remove the dough and place on a clean surface dusted with flour and roll it out until it is about a ¼” to 1/3” thick.
  • Using a 1 ½” diameter circle round cutter, cut as many rounds as possible out of the dough as possible, which will make about 20-25.
  • Roll each round out until they are about 5” to 6” in diameter, be sure to dust with flour wherhe needed to avoid any sticking.
  • Whisk 1 egg together in a bowl and set aside.
  • Wrap each rolled out dough round around a metal cannoli cylinder and rub a little whisked egg onto the end of the cannoli dough and wrap the other end over top and gently press to secure. Repeat until all of the cannoli shells are prepped.
  • Fry in oil at 350° for 1 to 2 minutes or until browned. Set aside to drain on paper towels or a rack on a sheet tray.
  • Once they are cool, remove the shells from the metal cannoli cylinders.
  • To Stuff: Take the filling out of the refrigerator and add it to a piping back with no tip.
  • Once the filling is in there use scissors to cut off the end of the piping bag, which is about a ½” up from the tip of the bag.
  • Generously stuff each cannoli shell using the filling in the piping bag. You will have to pipe in one side then turn it to pipe in the other side.
  • Generously sprinkle on powdered sugar and serve!

Notes

Chef Notes:
  • Make-Ahead: While best served and eaten within a few hours of making them, you can make these up to 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
 
  • How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They will also freeze well covered for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day or until softened.
 
  • You can re-roll out the dough to make even more cannoli shells.
 
  • Make sure to not form the dough around the cannoli metal molds so that it is hanging over the edges or else it will cook over and will ruin when trying to release them from the metal mold.
 
  • You should get fried air pockets in the cannoli shells when frying them.
 
  • Some Sicilian variations of the filling include thickened cream with milk and cornstarch, but this is not authentic.
 
  • You can also use milk or bittersweet chocolate chips.
 
  • Another very classic addition to adding to the filling is citron.
 
  • Northern Italy most often uses whole milk ricotta while Southern Italy and Sicily use sheep’s milk ricotta.
 
  • When kneading the dough think of pasta, it’s the exact same technique and takes the same amount of time.
 
  • There will be some filling leftover which is perfect for dipping graham crackers in!

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 105mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
Homemade Cannoli Recipe was last modified: July 10th, 2020 by Chef Billy Parisi

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa B Gardner says

    February 13, 2021 at 2:38 pm

    What’s the best brand of Marsala? Locally all I’ve found is in the cooking wine section of the grocery store…unless I need to be getting it somewhere else. I’ve always heard bad things about cooking wines 😂

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      February 14, 2021 at 8:21 am

      any brand will do

      Reply
  2. Mariana says

    October 07, 2020 at 10:58 am

    Hello,
    Could be repleced marsala wine with something else?
    Tk

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      October 07, 2020 at 1:09 pm

      Unfortunately no

      Reply
  3. Edwin says

    September 19, 2020 at 8:52 am

    5 stars
    Hi Billy,
    The final product was delicious! I did have a couple of snags though. I had to use whole milk ricotta. I left it over night in a colindar like yours. It still seamed a little runny, not as thick as some of the bakeries in NYC. Also and most importantly, as I made the dough it was very dry. What can I do next time to make the dough less dry. I used the recipe and measured everything in grams. Could it be that I live in the desert? I don’t know if water would be the answer. Please let me know. Thanks again for your amazing recipes. Zeppolies are next!

    Reply
  4. Carolyn Capalbo says

    September 10, 2020 at 2:09 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Billy. Thanks for the recipe! The Cannoli shells were above my skill level, but the filling was awesome. I served in a decorative chip and dip bowl surrounded by Gingersnaps. It was a big hit! And a perfect dessert for casual company. Maybe one day, I’ll work up the nerve to try making the shells…

    Reply
  5. Rehab says

    July 10, 2020 at 11:18 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing your delicious recipe, SO GOOD!!
    YOU ARE THE BEST.

    Reply

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ABOUT ME

I’m Billy Parisi and thanks for checking out my site! I’m a culinary school grad that spent 15 years in the restaurant industry as a line cook, sous chef and executive chef. Now I write recipes, take pictures of’em, shoot some video, occasionally hosting on TV, checking out the latest fashion, hangin with my wife and daughter and watching a whole bunch of college sports. Hope you enjoy my twists on classics as well as new innovations! Read More…

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