• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Snappy Gourmet

Snappy Gourmet

Fun food that's a snap to make! Easy recipes from cocktails and appetizers to main dishes and desserts!

FREE E-Book & Recipes!

  • Home
  • About
    • About Snappy Gourmet & Lisa Huff
    • Let’s Work Together
    • Award Winning Recipes
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • FAQ
  • Blog
  • Index
    • All Recipes & Posts (photos)
    • All Recipes & Posts (text)
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Breads
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
      • Brownies
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Candy
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cobblers & Crisps
      • Cookies
      • Ice Cream
      • Pies & Tarts
      • Puddings & Mousses
      • Misc. Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups & Stews
    • Slow Cooker
    • Travel / Shopping
      • Fun Finds
      • Travel
      • Variety of shopping guides from Snappy Gourmet including favorite kitchen products, ideas for kids who like to cook, etc.Shopping
  • Resources
    • Free E-Book
    • Food Holidays & Recipes
      • January Food Holidays
      • February Food Holidays
      • March Food Holidays
      • April Food Holidays
      • May Food Holidays
      • June Food Holidays
      • July Food Holidays
      • August Food Holidays
      • September Food Holidays
      • October Food Holidays
      • November Food Holidays
      • December Food Holidays
    • Giveaways
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Books

Home » Recipes » Cannoli Croutons

Cannoli Croutons

November 12, 2020 4 Comments

Pin it for later

Cannoli Croutons, a fun Italian dessert recipe idea. These dessert croutons are great with sweet dips, on top of ice cream sundaes, crumbled on cakes, and more!

(For your shopping convenience, this post contains affiliate links.)

Cannoli Croutons in glass bowl

Cannoli Croutons, a fun Italian dessert twist on savory crunchy homemade croutons. I know they sound a little crazy, but they’re a fun little dessert or snack!

cannoli croutons in glass bowl and orange slices

Let me backtrack a little. I recently had some leftover Cannoli Bread that was a day or two old. First I made some Cannoli French Toast. Then I thought I’d give these croutons a try.

You know I have a crazy brain when it comes to cannoli recipes, but I even surprised myself with these dessert croutons! Don’t worry, I have lots of idea what to do with them further down.

steps to how to make cannoli croutons

So for these croutons, you will need some slices of day-old (or older…) homemade Cannoli Bread. Depending on the size of bread cubes you make, you may need to adjust the baking time. Also, the older and drier your bread is, the quicker the bread will crisp up for croutons.

If you’re planning to use the croutons to dip I’d cut the cubes on the larger side. If you want to use as an ice cream sundae topping, cut the bread into smaller cubes.

I liked the croutons a little on the softer side, BUT you can cook as long as you’d like for your personal preference of crunchiness.

(Full printable recipe card is at bottom of post.)

Cannoli Croutons Ingredients

  • Cannoli Bread – About 4 slices of day-old bread cut about 1/2-inch thick

How to Make Cannoli Croutons

  1. PREHEAT. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. CUT BREAD. Cut each slice of bread into about 12 cubes. Place on baking sheets.
  3. BAKE. Bake about 15 minutes then flip cubes over and bake another 15-20 minutes or until dry and crispy around edges. Cool completely to firm up.

crunchy cannoli croutons in glass bowl

Uses for Cannoli Croutons

  • Great cut into small cubes or crumbs for an ice cream sundae topping.
  • Delicious “dipper” for sweet dips like this Cannoli Dip, Chocolate Cannoli Dip, or this Orange Almond Cannoli Dip.
  • Crumble them up into coarse crumbs for the sides or tops of cakes (like this Cannoli Cake) or cupcakes (like these Cannoli Cupcakes).
  • Crouton crumbs would also be great on glass rims for dessert cocktails (like this Cannoli Martini).
  • Or just snack on the crunchy homemade croutons all by themselves!

 

Quick Tips for Best Results

  • Make sure your Cannoli Bread is a day or two old so it’s a bit drier and easier to dry out for crunchy croutons.
  • Cut the cubes into any shape you’d like. Be sure to adjust the baking time. Keep an eye on the croutons so you don’t burn them. If the bread is not very dry or your croutons are quite large, they could take a while in the oven to dry out and crisp up but don’t worry, they’ll get there!
  • You can use as many slices of the Cannoli Bread as you’d like. Even just one slice would work!

cannoli croutons on ice cream sundae

Cannoli Croutons FAQ

How should I store Cannoli Croutons?
I would store them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag at room temperature.

Can I freeze the croutons?
No, I would not recommend freezing them. You could freeze the loaf of Cannoli Bread, defrost, cut, and bake at a later date.

How long will the croutons last?
They should last at least a few days at room temperature.

What else can I add to this recipe?
You could toss the croutons in a little melted butter and cinnamon before baking if you’d like.

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 because of the bread. But see the bread recipe for vegan suggestions.

Vegetarian – It’s vegetarian. Be sure to check individual brands/products just to be sure though.

Low-Carb – You can try a sugar substitute in the bread, but see the bread recipe for substitution suggestions.

Gluten-Free – Again, see the bread recipe for gluten-free suggestions.

Dessert Cannoli Croutons on ice cream sundae

Other Italian Dessert Recipes You May Enjoy

  • Cannoli Cookies (Snappy Gourmet) – One of my most popular cookie recipes!
  • Tiramisu Martini (Snappy Gourmet) – A delicious dessert cocktail based on the popular Italian dessert.
  • Lemon Panna Cotta (Manu’s Menu) – Perfect for lemon lovers!

cannoli croutons in glass bowl

Hope you enjoy this homemade Italian Cannoli Croutons recipe. Tell me in the comments about how you served them!

 

Shop the Post:


These crotons would go great with my Homemade Peanut Butter Sauce for Ice Cream for sundaes!

crunchy cannoli croutons in glass bowl
Print Pin it!
5 from 4 votes

Cannoli Croutons

Cannoli Croutons, fun dessert recipe that is great with dessert dips, on ice cream sundaes, and more!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 48 croutons (serves about 4-6)
Author Lisa Huff

Ingredients

  • 4 slices Cannoli Bread (day or two old, and about 1/2-inch thick)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  • Cut each slice of bread into about 12 cubes. Place on baking sheets.
  • Bake about 15 minutes then flip cubes over and bake another 15-20 minutes or until dry and crispy around edges. Cool completely to firm up.

Notes

SNAPPY TIPS: Be sure to use day or two old bread for best results and so bread dries out quicker in the oven. You can easily make more or less croutons depending on how much bread you have. Cut bread into any size you'd like, but adjust baking time as needed for smaller or bigger cubes. Serve with your favorite dessert dips or cut into smaller cubes for ice cream sundaes.
 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: homemade sundae topping
Did you try this recipe?Tag @SnappyGourmet or #SnappyGourmet!

collage of cannoli croutons

Tags: cannoli, croutons, dessert, italian, recipe Categories: Desserts (All), Misc. Desserts, Recipes

About the Author

Lisa Huff is a Cookbook Author, Freelance Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Blogger/Writer, and award-winning home chef. She loves creating unique recipes from healthy to decadent including cocktails, appetizers, main dishes, dessert recipes and more and has appeared on various shows, publications, and websites. <More about Lisa Huff>

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kylie Archer says

    November 23, 2020 at 8:38 pm

    So cute! Loooking forward to making them!

    Reply
  2. Elaine says

    November 23, 2020 at 8:30 pm

    I remember someone told me about this recipe before – I am so glad that I have found it. It will work great for me this holiday season!

    Reply
  3. Jessica Formicola says

    November 23, 2020 at 6:48 pm

    Oh my goodness, this is genius! Cannolis are my favorite, and I will definitely be making these soon!

    Reply
  4. Chris Collins says

    November 23, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    I love how easy these croutons are to make! I’ll definitely be topping my next ice cream sundae with them :)

    Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel

Recipe Rating




sidebar

Blog Sidebar

Lisa-Huff-snappy-gourmet
Lisa Huff is a cookbook author, recipe developer, food stylist, food photographer, & award-winning home chef.

FREE E-Book & Recipes

(Slow Cooker) Buffalo Chicken Macaroni & Cheese Recipe

Footer

Popular Posts

  • Holy Cannoli Cookies Recipe (Italian Christmas Cookies)
  • Homemade Alfredo Sauce Recipe
  • Money Cake (DIY Fun Cake with Money Inside!)
  • Cannoli Cake Recipe
  • Chocolate Dump Cake
  • Easy Almond Flour Muffins

© All rights reserved. Do not copy, distribute, or reproduce without permission.

Home | About | Contact | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions