Creamy Cannoli Dip
Holy Cannoli THIS IS GOOD! Made with cream cheese, ricotta and a few sweet additions, the best cannoli dip is made in just 10 minutes. Served with waffle cones, fresh fruit, or top on Belgian waffles for the ultimate in brunch foods.
Cannoli Dip
Cannoli Dip is a remake of my favorite Italian dessert. Fluffy, creamy, and easy to make dip, complete with mini chocolate chips, and crunchy cinnamon shells as dippers!
Cannolis are such fun desserts to eat. I even made a cannoli cheese ball because I love cannolis so much!
Homemade Cannolis are little tricky to make, so why not skip all the fuss and make this dessert dip instead?
What does a cannoli taste like?
Italian cannolis are utterly delicious and have a few different flavors and textures.
First, the shell is a light and flaky pastry tube with a hint of cinnamon and are often dipped in chocolate.
Second, the filling is a rich pastry cream made from ricotta cheese, with a hint of orange flavor.
Third, once filled, the cannoli ends are dusted with either mini chocolate chips and/or toasted pistachio nuts.
This cannoli filling dip combines all the flavors of the filling in a delicious dip that, when served with the right chips, gives you all the flavors and textures of a traditional cannoli.
If you like creamy dessert dips, check out my booty dip, my chocolate chip dip, and my dunkaroo dip!
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Is a cannoli made with ricotta or mascarpone cheese?
Typically they are made with ricotta cheese. Cream cheese is added to the recipe to thicken the dip. If you don’t like cream cheese, you can use mascarpone instead.
The mascarpone does have a subtle flavor that you might enjoy better than cream cheese.
Ingredients Needed
- ricotta cheese
- cream cheese
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract, orange extract
- mini chocolate chips
How to make Cannoli Dip
First: Strain the ricotta with cheese cloth or place in a bowl and press with a paper towel.
Second: In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, vanilla, and orange extract. Beat together with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
Third: Gradually add in powdered sugar and mix until completely combined. Gently fold in 1/2 the mini chocolate chips.
Fourth: Refrigerate or chill for at least 15 minutes before serving to allow the dip to set up. Serve with waffle cone pieces, Pizzelle cookies or fresh fruit for dipping.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
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How long does it last?
Cannoli Dip does need to be refrigerated due to the dairy products in the recipe. It will last up to 3 days if stored in an air tight container.
Be sure to give it a good stir to cream everything together if it starts to separate.
Can it be frozen?
Because of the cheeses, I would not recommend freezing this easy cannoli dip. The texture would be all wrong!
How do you thicken it?
Why is my cannoli dip watery/runny? Too much moisture is the problem.
Be sure to strain the ricotta the best you can. Using whole milk ricotta is the thickest.
You can also add extra powdered sugar to absorb the excess moisture.
Best Dippers to Use
- Broken waffle cone pieces (dipped in chocolate is best!)
- Pizzelle cookies
- Cannoli shells broken into pieces
- Cookies (chocolate chip, shortbread, cinnamon graham crackers)
- Strawberries or other fresh fruit
Love to make dips with cream cheese? Check out these delicious cream cheese dip recipes and find a new favorite!
Tapas Tips & Tricks
- Use whole milk ricotta and buy the good stuff.
- If there is a lot of liquid in container, strain with cheesecloth.
- Use an electric mixer, your hands and arms with thank you.
- Sprinkle in some chopped toasted pistachios for more crunch.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five-star review in the comment section below (or on Pinterest with the “tried it” button – you can now add pictures into reviews, too!), and be sure to help me share on facebook!
This cannoli chips and dip recipe is the ultimate in appetizers and desserts! Easy to make and everyone will love it!
Cannoli Dip
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 15 oz ricotta cheese strained
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips plus more for serving
Instructions
- Strain ricotta cheese. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, ricotta cheese and extracts until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Stir in ½ cup mini chocolate chips bu hand.
- Spoon into a serving dish and refrigerate at least 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Use whole milk ricotta and buy the good stuff.
- If there is a lot of liquid in container, strain with cheesecloth.
- Use an electric mixer, your hands and arms with thank you.
- Sprinkle in some chopped toasted pistachios for more crunch.
Nutrition
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I had this at a girlfriends house and I am HOOKED! Making it for a pot luck this weekend!
had this at a girlfriends house and I am HOOKED! Making it for a pot luck this weekend!
So delicious, simple and easy to make! Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Wow, this is so delicious, easy to make and tastes just like cannoli filling!
Needed a light dip for after a wine tasting last night… this was the perfect closer to a great evening! The dip was so creamy and just so good….. LOVED it!
I miss getting cannolis from my deli so when I saw this recipe I tried it. No way am I stuffing cannoli shells. Oh it tastes just like the ones I got from the deli. Now I can satisfy my cannoli craving at home.