Holy Cannoli Cookies, an easy recipe for cannoli cookies with ricotta, chocolate chips, and pistachios! Fun Italian Christmas cookies, inspired by Italian cannoli, that will make a great addition to your Christmas cookie baskets and gifts this year!
Ever have a cannoli? Growing up with an Italian American parent, we had cannoli regularly and they are one of my favorite desserts! Since we’re approaching Christmas cookie season, I thought it was about time to make some Holy Cannoli Cookies, inspired by one of my favorite Italian pastries! These Cannoli Cookies may not be an authentic Italian cookie recipe, but I love them as my own Italian Christmas cookies!
Ohhh how I love making an assortment of cookies for the holidays, don’t you? My Elvis Inspired Cookie Cups and Chocolate Turtle Cookies are always a popular choice, but thought I’d try some new flavors and cookies this year and thus these fun Holy Cannoli Cookies were born!
Although we typically just call them Cannoli Cookies. They have been super popular on my site and on Pinterest. I get so many comments and emails about these cookies year round.
If you’re looking for more fun Italian inspired cookies check out these Tiramisu cookies and Italian Sprinkle Cookies.
These Cannoli Cookies have a cake-like texture, and no they do not taste exactly like cannoli. Nothing tastes exactly like a cannoli besides a cannoli. But they are delicious and have a lot of great flavor!
Cannoli are different to different people, so if you make substitutions or changes, you may have different results.
What is a Cannoli?
Wondering what the heck a cannoli is? Maybe we should start with that.
Cannoli are from the Sicily region of Italy but have become very Americanized. I asked a lot of my Italian American friends what kinds of cannoli they grew up with. Like pizza, everyone had their own favorites!
Cannoli are made up of a fried pastry dough tube that is generally crispy.
What’s in a cannoli? They are generally filled with sweetened ricotta cheese. Cannoli may be plain with the sweetened ricotta and no additional ingredients. Or the cannoli filling may contain such things as chocolate chips, candied fruit, citrus zest/juice, wine, pistachios (or other nuts), maraschino cherries, and/or cinnamon.
You can usually find cannoli at most Italian bakeries, specialty grocery stores, and even sometimes your neighborhood grocery store. You can even find a cannoli kit on Amazon and sometimes at local specialty grocery stores. Even our Costco carries a great cannoli kit around the holidays.
Or if you’re wondering where to buy cannoli shells so you can fill them yourself, try these different types on Amazon or your local specialty grocery stores. You can even ask the Italian bakeries to sell you just the cannoli shells so you can make your own filling of choice. Or make your own homemade cannoli shells.
Equipment You May Need
You probably have most of these items in your kitchen, but just in case you don’t, a few suggestions to help you get started…
- Medium Cookie Scoop – I love using a medium cookie scoop to help get the same size cookie every time.
- Cookie Sheets – I can’t stress enough how good quality baking sheets can make such a difference.
- Parchment Paper – Helps for the perfect cookies and precut parchment paper makes cleanup a breeze.
- Cooling Racks – Don’t leave the cookies on the baking sheets too long or they’ll over brown on the bottom. Move them to cooling racks to finish cooling.
- Zester – An inexpensive zester for fresh orange zest will make things a lot easier.
Again, you don’t necessarily need all of that equipment. Just suggestions to make things easier.
There are many MANY varieties of Cannoli Cookies. I’m not sure I’d say any are really authentic Italian cookies (so don’t send me hate mail….) but rather a fun twist on the Italian pastry.
Like I said cannoli are different to different people. Everyone swears the cannoli near them are the ONLY authentic cannoli. I can’t even begin to tell you how many emails I get on this. Some people grow up with cannoli that is just the pastry shell and plain cannoli cream. Some people are used to cannoli with chocolate and nuts. And some swear candied fruit in the cream is the only way to go. And some swear cannoli need maraschino cherries.
So again with all that said, you can change up the flavorings a little in these cookies. Add or substitute your favorite flavorings for mix-ins for the cinnamon, vanilla, orange zest, chocolate chips, and pistachios. Just be careful because of course making changes can really change the cookies.
Cannoli Cookies Ingredients
- Butter – Unsalted. You could use salted butter, but then adjust the salt in the recipe.
- Sugar – Regular white granulated sugar.
- Eggs – Large eggs.
- Ricotta Cheese – Drain off any excess liquid, but you do not need to strain the ricotta cheese overnight unless it’s VERY watery. If it’s the consistency of say sour cream, it will be fine. I would use full-fat ricotta. Low fat might work, but I haven’t tried. Again, as long as it’s not super watery.
- Vanilla Extract – You could also use a little Fiori di Sicilia or even almond extract.
- Ground Cinnamon – Just a little ground cinnamon. If you like a lot of cinnamon, you can sure add more.
- Orange Zest – A little fresh orange zest makes such a difference. Don’t worry, it doesn’t overpower the other flavors. If you really don’t like orange, you could omit it, but I do highly recommend trying it.
- Baking Powder – To help the cookies rise.
- Baking Soda – To help the cookies rise.
- Salt – Adjust if you’re using salted butter.
- All-Purpose Flour – Regular white all-purpose flour.
- Mini Chocolate Chips – Or you could use finely chopped chocolate.
- Pistachios – I used lightly salted pistachios. If you have a nut allergy you can omit the pistachios or could use walnuts or pecans (although not traditional, still good).
How to Make Cannoli Cookies
(Full printable recipe is at bottom of the post. Be sure to check out my How to Bake Cookies that are Perfect Every Time for great cookie tips.)
- MIX. Beat together butter and sugar. Add eggs and ricotta. Then add vanilla, cinnamon, and orange zest.
- DRY INGREDIENTS. Beat in baking powder, baking soda, and salt, then flour. Stir in some of the chocolate chips, and pistachios. Chill one hour.
- PREHEAT. Preheat oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- DROP. Drop dough onto baking sheets.
- BAKE. Bake until golden brown, cool.
- DRIZZLE. Melt rest of chocolate chips. Drizzle on top of cookies. Cool for chocolate to set.
To make things easy, I made the whole cannoli cookie dough right in one bowl. You probably should mix the dry ingredients separately and be a little more careful, but I really didn’t want a huge cleanup. Feel free to be more careful if you’d like. :)
Serving Suggestions
- Serve these cookies at room temperature.
- These Italian cookies are delicious with coffee, espresso, cappuccino, or even hot chocolate like this Italian Hot Chocolate! Yum!
- Some fresh raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries on the side are also a great addition.
Quick Tips for Best Results
- You shouldn’t need to drain the ricotta cheese overnight for this recipe, although you can if you want. Drain off any excess at the top of the container when you open the ricotta and that should be fine. BUT if your ricotta does seem really thin and watery, you can drain it overnight. As long as it’s the consistency of like sour cream, it should be fine. See how to strain ricotta cheese if you want to try that.
- Everyone has a different opinion on what cannoli taste like. Nothing tastes like cannoli, except cannoli. These are just a fun cookie with similar flavors. You can adjust the flavors as you see fit including the cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla, chocolate, and pistachios. Although I would recommend making the cookies as written at least the first time.
- Use good quality chocolate or chocolate chips for the drizzling. Some chocolate does tend to melt better than others.
- These Cannoli Cookies do tend to have a bit of a cake-like texture. Be careful to not over bake them and cool them on a cooling rack so they don’t get overly brown on the bottom if left on a hot pan.
Cannoli Cookies FAQ
How should I store Cannoli Cookies?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can I freeze Cannoli Cookies?
Yes! I would suggest freezing them in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Once the cookies are frozen you can then wrap them or place in sealable bags. Try to get out as much air as possible. Freezing them individually in a single layer first will help prevent the cookies from sticking together.
How long will the cookies last?
I would guess the cookies will last at least a few days at room temperature, probably a week in the fridge, and a few months in the freezer.
Substitutions?
Instead of vanilla, you could use a little Fiori di Sicilia or even almond extract. Instead of chocolate chips, you could use finely chopped chocolate. Instead of pistachios, you could use your favorite nuts such as walnuts or pecans.
Can I use low-fat ingredients?
Low-fat ricotta would probably be ok in these cookies as long as it’s not super watery.
What else can I add to this recipe?
You could add small bits of candied fruit.
Can I make this vegan/vegetarian/low carb/gluten-free?
Here are some suggestions, but I can’t guarantee results. Be sure as always to check particular brands and ingredients if you’re following a specific diet or have diet restrictions or allergies.
Vegan – This would be a tough one to make vegan unless you want to make or can find vegan ricotta. You would also have to use egg and butter substitutes and find a vegan friendly chocolate.
Vegetarian – It’s vegetarian.
Low-Carb – You can try a sugar substitute for a lower carb option, as well as a lower sugar chocolate.
Gluten-Free – You can try a gluten-free baking flour that has a 1:1 substitute ratio.
Other Cookie Recipes You May Enjoy
- Mudslide Cookies – For all the chocolate lovers and inspired by the popular drink.
- S’mores Bars – Full of graham crackers, chocolate, and of course marshmallow.
- Buckeye Thumbprints – Chocolate and peanut butter, one of my favorite combos.
- Strawberry Daiquiri Cookies – Another fun drink inspired cookie.
Hope you like these easy Holy Cannoli Cookies! Tell me in the comments what you thought!
Cannoli Cookies Video
Here’s a quick video to show you the recipe for Cannoli Cookies from beginning to end:
You might also like my other fun cannoli recipes like this popular Cannoli Cake and Cannoli Cheesecake just to name a few!
Holy Cannoli Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 10 ounces mini chocolate chips divided
- 1 cup chopped pistachios
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs then ricotta cheese until well combined then mix in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and fresh orange zest.
- Next, mix in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Mix in the flour. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips and the pistachios. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, drop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake cookies at 375 degrees F for about 8-11 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Cool slightly then move to wire racks to cool completely.
- Microwave remaining chocolate chips on high in a small microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Spoon melted chocolate into a small resealable bag, clip one corner slightly, then drizzle melted chocolate over cookies. Let cool for chocolate to set.
Notes
Nutrition:
(Nutrition data is provided when available for informational purposes only and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. For the most accurate information please calculate based on specific ingredients and brands you use as well as any changes you made to the recipe. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician and any nutritional information provided should only be used as a general guideline and estimate.)
This post was originally published in November 2017, but updated in December 2020 with additional information.
Char says
These came out really good but I get like the chocolate overpowered the cannoli taste. I even left off the drizzle and it was still a strong chocolate taste. I’m going to cut down on the chips in the next batch and see what happens! Really good cookie though!!
Char says
That should say “felt like” instead of get like ???? Fat fingers!
Lori says
Can these cookies be shipped? I would be shipping from Nevada too California, not too far at all.
Lisa Huff says
I don’t see why not, but they are rather soft cookies so may fall apart easier than a crispier sturdy cookie.
Janet Cochran says
If I don’t have unsalted butter should I omit the salt?
Lisa Huff says
If you have regular salted butter, then yes, you can omit the salt.
Bruna Vaccaro says
Hello,
Can I add more ricotta and less butter. Has anyone tired this.
Lisa Huff says
Haven’t heard of anyone trying and not sure how that would turn out sorry.
Judi says
The cookies were easy to make and very good. My cookies also flattened out but were still very good. I will make them again.
Lori says
Mine cane out flat when I used the aluminum baking sheet . When I used a black metal one they puffed up and cooked quicker . The chocolate was overwhelming, didn’t really taste like cannoli
Anna says
Question: My Grandmother’s canoli recipe uses cream sherry, no orange flavor. Cream Sherry is really strong, her recipe has me using 3-5 tablespoons for 12 canoli. How would I translate that to your cookies? Her recipe uses 1 cup of flour, so would I use 5 tablespoons in your recipe since it uses 2 cups?
Lisa Huff says
5 tablespoons is a lot of extra liquid to add to these cookies. You can try it, but honestly, I have no idea how it will turn out and whether you’d even taste the sherry. I’d just add a few teaspoons personally or even better, mix a little in with the melted chocolate for the drizzle on top instead.
Kathryn Barajas says
I left off the drizzle and added a maraschino cherry to the top before baking. I love this recipe, turned out very well and everyone loved them. Thank you!
Lisa Huff says
So happy to hear you enjoyed! Love the cherry addition!
Penny says
Been making these for years – The cherry not only makes them look more appetizing but also adds to the flavor. We don’t add as much chocolate but I think that’s just personal preference. Have not made for about 10years, forgot about them. Thank you for sharing, it allowed me to remember what wonderful recipes I had boxed away and memories.
Pmakel says
They came out very good, however, would like to increase flavor. Any suggestions?
Lisa Huff says
Really personal preference. You can increase orange zest and/or cinnamon. Or add some lemon zest or extract. Or also almond extract or Fiori di Sicilia would also be good additions.
Pmakel says
Would I omit vanilla extract and add suggested flavorings? Will definitely increase orange zest. Also, used salted pistachios and chopped in food processor. Sifted out pistachio powder and had nice chopped pistachio pieces. Did not add any salt from recipe. Pistachio powder mixed in might take away flavor of other ingredients. Rolled into balls and rolled them in a bowl of sugar and Valencia orange zest by McCormack. Flattened balls slightly, they came out really nice. Used powdered sugar as suggested by others.
Lisa Huff says
You don’t have to omit the vanilla as long as you’re not planning on adding A LOT of other liquid/extracts. It will probably be fine. Drizzled chocolate on top also gives a lot of flavor but if you’re not a chocolate fan, might not like.
Pmakel says
Made a second batch. Came out perfect. Added a little more zest. Placed some wax paper over half a row of cookies, sprinkled powdered sugar which created half moon. Looked nice on tray. These cookies are delicious. Everyone keeps going back for more. Great recipe. Highly recommend.
Lisa Huff says
Oh good! So happy to hear they turned out for you! Happy holidays!
Trisha says
AMAZING!
They do taste like cannoli! I baked on silpats and they baked up perfectly, they are rounded and beautiful. A great new addition to my baking. And not just for the holidays.
P.S.
I did freeze them. Pulled one out yesterday to taste test and they were still divine.
Thank you for such a unique recipe!
Lisa Huff says
Thanks Trisha!! Happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies. Happy holidays!! :)
Barbara Nassaur says
Tried these yesterday as part of my Christmas baking marathon. Was not impressed. Was hoping for more cannoli flavor. If I do them again I will definitely increase the spices and eliminate the chocolate on top as another person commented on and will use powdered sugar instead.
Lisa Huff says
Sorry you didn’t like them. Some people seem to love them, some hate them. Personal preference I guess. Happy holidays! :)
LJ says
Made these for Thanksgiving-they were a hit! Requested to be on Christmas Cookie List! I used pecans instead of pistachios-and sprinkled with powdered sugar instead of melted chocolate since some reviews said it didn’t stick to cookies. Delish!!
Question….? If I make prior to Christmas-I saw they can be frozen-the dough? Or cooked cookies?
Thanks!
Lisa Huff says
Yay! Glad everyone liked them! You can definitely freeze the cooked cookies. I haven’t tried freezing the dough, although don’t see why you couldn’t freeze in balls like other cookies. Merry Christmas!
Trisha says
These sound wonderful! I’m ready to make a batch first thing tomorrow. I was Wondering, do they freeze well?
Thanks for the recipe
Lisa Huff says
They do! I don’t think cookies are ever as good as they are fresh, but they do freeze ok and just personal preference.
Leslie says
Let me start by saying that I am definitely not a baker but I made them today. The only ones that came out flat were the last few of the scrapings on the bowl. They are delicious! I did not add the additional salt but followed everything else exactly. I’ll be making them again for Christmas!
Lisa Huff says
Thanks Leslie! Happy to hear they turned out well for you!!
Pati says
My cookies seemed to spread out while baking and came out very flat, instead of dome-shaped. Any suggestions? They taste good, but don’t look like the picture.
Lisa Huff says
Did you make any substitutions? What kind of pan did you use?
Pati says
I omitted the nuts. Used a little orange flavoring instead of zest (1 tsp.). Baked on parchment on a nonstick cookie sheet. ?
Lisa Huff says
Hmmm hard to say for sure. I would guess maybe oven temperature then. Possible your oven was not preheated or the temperature is off. Could be the nonstick pan too. The pans I used were not nonstick. Sorry they didn’t turn out for you. Here’s a great article on some possible causes with the spreading… https://www.thespruceeats.com/why-do-cookies-spread-when-baked-995121
Toni Comtois says
Mine also came out flatter. I omitted the chocolate chocolate chips and used walnuts instead
Lisa Huff says
Did you chill the dough until it was cold?
Paula says
My cookies also came out flat. I tried 1 pan with and without parchment paper and same result. Maybe it the aluminum pan or they are not cold enough. Next time I may put them in the freezer for a bit. Looks like the butter is oozing out. It’s a shame bc they taste good but they’re not pretty.
Lisa Huff says
Hmmm, If your cookies are flat a few suggestions to try….
1) Make sure the dough is WELL chilled. You can even chill overnight. An hour may not be long enough if people are in and out of the fridge, or your dough is really deep, etc. If you need to bake in batches, keep rest of dough in fridge while others are baking. I’m thinking this may be the issue for most of you.
2) Bake on good quality ungreased baking sheets (not nonstick pans) with parchment paper and bake in middle of oven. And bake on COOLED sheets.
3) Check your baking soda and baking powder. Check the expiration date AND test them (add a little baking soda to something acidic like vinegar and it should fizz, same with baking powder but with water).
4) Make sure you didn’t make any ingredient substitutions (like different kind of flour, margarine, etc).
5) If all else fails, maybe even try an oven thermometer JUST to make sure your oven temp is what it says it is.
Cindy says
If I omit the pistachios, how much extra mini chocolate chips would you recommend? An entire extra cup seems like a lot.
Lisa Huff says
You don’t have to add any extra chocolate chips if you don’t want, or can eyeball it to your personal preference. I’d just add a little at a time.
Tina Menor says
Hi! I’m in the middle of making these and was wondering if I need to alter the recipe since I live in the high altitude in utah…
Lisa Huff says
Hi! Sorry, I haven’t done any high altitude baking so not the best person to ask. Looks like there are some tips here that might help… https://www.wheatmontana.com/content/high-altitude-baking-how-make-your-recipes-work-mountains