Homemade Cannolis
These cannolis have a crispy shell, a creamy center, and take less than 25 minutes to make. They're decadent, sweet, and lighter than the cannolis at the bakery.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Cannoli Shells:
- 2 large egg whites room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
For the Creamy Ricotta Filling:
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 3 tablespoons semisweet mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Make the Shells:
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets with baking spray, then set aside.
- Make the cannoli batter. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, canola oil, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add in the flour and continue to whisk until smooth, and no lumps appear.
- Bake. Spoon 4 to 5 mounds of batter onto each baking sheet, using 3 teaspoons of batter for each. With the back of the spoon, spread each cookie to about 4-inch diameter. Space the cookies at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
- Shape the cannolis. Remove the cookies from the oven and, using an offset spatula, immediately loosen the cookies from the baking sheet and shape them into a tube form. You can use a round metal utensil and wrap the cookies around that. Set cookies seam-side down and let them cool.
Prepare The Ricotta Filling:
- Meanwhile, make the whipped cream. Place the heavy whipping cream in your mixer's bowl and beat on high until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Refrigerate if not using right away.
- Make the ricotta mixture. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and orange zest until smooth and creamy.
- Combine. Fold in the previously prepared whipped cream and fold in the chocolate chips. Do not mix or stir - fold it.
- Fill the cannoli and serve. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a wide round tip and pipe the filling into the cannoli shells. Garnish with mini chocolate chips and an optional chocolate drizzle, and serve.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients. Eggs and cream cheese mix with the other ingredients so much better when they’re at room temperature, making the cannolis much smoother.
- Space the cookies apart. When you put the cookies on the baking sheet, leave a few inches between each cookie. That way, the cookies have space to expand in the oven.
- Use a makeshift mold. Cannolis are traditionally shaped with a specific mold. If you don’t have a cannoli shell mold, use a kitchen tool's handle, such as a wooden spoon or a whisk.
- It’s important to fold the whipped cream into the filling instead of whisking or beating. This keeps the whipped cream from deflating, preventing the filling from becoming dense. Very carefully fold the whipped cream into the remaining cannoli filling, stopping as soon as the ingredients are well combined.
- Do not store assembled pastries. Store the empty shells at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Store the filling in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Do not freeze.
- Recipe was adapted from "Sweetie Pie: The Richard Simmons Private Collection of Dazzling Desserts."
Nutrition
Serving: 1cannoli | Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 0.6mg
