How to make cannoli and ricotta fillings — the sweet ricotta cream, the crisp shells, and the trick to keeping them crunchy.
Cannoli are Sicily's most iconic dessert — crisp, fried pastry tubes filled with a sweet, creamy ricotta filling, often studded with chocolate or candied fruit. The ricotta filling is the soul of the cannolo, and keeping the shell crisp is the great challenge. Here's how to make cannoli well.
What Cannoli Are
Cannoli are a Sicilian pastry consisting of a crisp, deep-fried tube-shaped shell (the cannolo) filled with a sweetened ricotta cream. The contrast of the crunchy, slightly blistered shell and the smooth, sweet, cool filling is what makes them so beloved. The ends are often dipped in chopped pistachios, chocolate chips, or candied fruit. They're a symbol of Sicilian and Italian-American baking.
The Ricotta Filling
The filling is the heart of a cannolo. It's made from fresh ricotta, sweetened with sugar (often confectioners' sugar) and flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus zest, or a little chocolate. The secret to a great filling is well-drained ricotta — wet ricotta makes a runny, weepy filling. Drain the ricotta thoroughly (in a cheesecloth-lined sieve, even overnight), and for an extra-smooth filling, some bakers pass it through a sieve or blend it. Sheep's-milk ricotta is traditional in Sicily and gives the richest flavor.
Draining the Ricotta
This step can't be skipped. Ricotta holds a lot of moisture, and excess liquid will make the filling loose and soggy, ruining the texture and softening the shells from within. Drain the ricotta for several hours or overnight, pressing out the whey. Properly drained, thick ricotta gives a smooth, stable, scoopable filling that holds its shape in the shell. This is the single most important step for a good cannolo filling.
The Shells
The shells are made from a thin dough (often containing a little wine or marsala and a touch of cocoa or cinnamon), rolled thin, wrapped around metal cannoli tubes, and deep-fried until crisp, golden, and blistered. Frying them well gives the signature crunch and bubbly texture. Making shells from scratch is rewarding, but good-quality pre-made shells are a fine shortcut for the home cook focused on the filling.
Keeping Shells Crisp: Fill Just Before Serving
The cardinal rule of cannoli: fill the shells only just before serving. If you fill them ahead, the moisture from the ricotta cream softens the crisp shells and ruins their texture. Keep the shells and filling separate (the filling chilled, the shells at room temperature) and pipe the filling in at the last moment. This keeps the contrast of crunchy shell and creamy filling intact, which is the whole point.
Serving and Variations
Pipe the drained, sweetened ricotta filling into the shells from both ends, then dip the exposed filling in chopped pistachios, mini chocolate chips, or candied orange. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately. The same ricotta filling works in other Sicilian sweets like cassata and as a filling for tarts and crepes. Fresh, well-drained ricotta is the key to all of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why drain the ricotta for cannoli?
Excess moisture makes the filling runny and softens the shells. Drain the ricotta thoroughly (even overnight) for a thick, smooth, stable filling.
When should I fill cannoli?
Just before serving. Filling them ahead lets the moisture soften the crisp shells, so keep shells and filling separate until the last moment.
What ricotta is best for cannoli?
Fresh, well-drained ricotta; sheep's-milk ricotta is traditional in Sicily and gives the richest flavor, but good whole-milk ricotta works too.