Cannoli Dip is an irresistible twist on the classic Italian dessert. A rich and creamy dip packed with ricotta, mascarpone, vanilla, powdered sugar, and mini chocolate chips. Served with pizzelle cookies, waffle cones, cookies, or fruit to dip it is simply divine.
Cannoli Dip Recipe
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We love everything about Italian cuisine. Some of our favorite meals and desserts are Italian. Cannoli are one of the most popular and famous Italian desserts but they can be tricky to make from scratch. Instead of needing to make cannoli shells from scratch you can make our divine dip version instead! We love serving this dip for the holidays, at game days, and pot lucks! Everyone always loves the dip and it disappears so quickly.
What is Cannoli Dip
This Italian inspired Cannoli Dip is a fun twist on the classic and famous Sicilian Italian dessert. Cannoli are traditionally made with a crispy fried shell that is filled with a rich and creamy sweet ricotta mixture. The filling often has mini chocolate chips, pistachios or candied fruit. We took the irresistible filing and turned it into a dip served with cookies or pizzelle cookies to dip!
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Ingredients
- Powdered Sugar - this is what sweetens the cheeses. This recipe must be made with powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar or confectioners sugar), not regular white granulated sugar or cane sugar or any other sugar. It must be a powdered sugar or else the dip will have a gritty texture as granulated sugar will not dissolve properly when mixed with the cheeses.
- Mascarpone Cheese - this gives the dip an extra creamy texture. This is often a fairly expensive cheese so you can swap this with a brick of cream cheese if you prefer. The flavor of the dip will be amazing and the texture will just be a bit thicker.
- Mini Chocolate Chips - we love the classic traditional Italian cannoli flavor with mini chocolate chips. You can also use any other mix-in you prefer from another flavor of cannoli (for example, pistachio, candied fruits, etc.).
- Vanilla - adds a great vanilla flavor to the cheeses. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
- Ricotta Cheese - this is the classic ingredient in Italian cannoli's. It's a rich and creamy cheese. We do not recommend swapping this for any other cheese, it can be found in all grocery stores in the cheese department.
- Waffle Cones - we love using waffle cones for dipping, we just break them up into smaller pieces. You can also use pizzelle cookies, fruit or any other cookie to dip!
How to Make Cannoli Dip
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of page
- In a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat mascarpone and ricotta cheeses together until smooth, light fluffy, and creamy.
- Add the vanilla, beat until evenly combined.
- Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beat on low speed. Beat until fully combined, smooth and creamy.
- Using a spatula or spoon, gently fold or stir in the mini chocolate chips (reserve 1 tablespoon for topping).
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dip is best after chilling for 1 hour but can be served after chilling for 15 minutes if needed.
- Just before serving, sprinkle on reserved chocolate chips and dust with powdered sugar (optional)
- Serve with cookies or fruit to dip and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Cannoli Dip
- Cheeses - we recommend using a combination of both mascarpone and ricotta cheese to get the best cannoli flavor. You can swap the mascarpone cheese for cream cheese. If the brand of ricotta cheese used has extra liquid in the package it is important to blot this out with a paper towel to avoid the dip becoming watery.
- Flavor Variations - there are so many possibilities for cannoli flavors. This dip is a classic mini chocolate chip flavor. You can also stir in or top the dip with chopped pistachios, crushed Oreos, holiday sprinkles, candied fruits, toffee bits, and more! Get creative and add your favorite mix-in's!
- For Dipping - the fun thing about dessert dips is that you can serve it with a wide variety of fruits and cookies to dip. This keeps the dip unique every time you serve it and it's a great party food that caters to different flavor palettes. You can serve the dip with strawberries, apple slices, graham crackers, Nila wafers, shortbread cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and really any cookie you like! The possibilities are endless.
FAQ
This dip is served cold and should not be heated up.
Store leftover dip covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (check the expiry date of the cheese use and adjust accordingly).
No this dip is not freezer friendly.
Yes, you can prepare the dip up to 3 days in advance (note the expiry date of the ingredients used). Keep covered in the refrigerator. As the ricotta cheese will give off a bit of liquid while in the fridge, give the dip a stir and you can blot off any excess water with a paper towel before serving.
This dip is vegetarian.
This recipe is gluten free. Serve with gluten free cookies or fruit to dip.
More Easy Dessert Dips
Enjoy!
- Sab
Cannoli Dip
Ingredients
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese (or 1 brick cream cheese, room temperature)
- 1 ½ cup whole ricotta cheese (excess liquid drained)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar, icing sugar)
- ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips
SERVE WITH:
- Pizzelle cookies
- Chocolate chip cookies
- Waffle cones (broken into pieces)
- Graham crackers
- Cannoli shells (broken into pieces)
- Strawberries
Instructions
- In a medium bowl using a handheld electric mixer, add the 1 cup mascarpone cheese and 1 ½ cup whole ricotta cheese and beat until smooth, light fully, and creamy.
- Add the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, beat until evenly combined.
- Gradually add in the 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, beat on low speed. Beat until fully combined, smooth and creamy.
- Using a spatula or spin, gently fold or stir in in the ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips (reserve 1 tablespoon for topping).
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The dip is best after chilling for 1 hour but can be served after chilling for 15 minutes if needed.
- Just before serving, sprinkle on reserved chocolate chips and dust with powdered sugar (optional)
- Serve with cookies or fruit to dip and enjoy!
Nutrition
Dan says
Excellent recipe. Delicious and very easy to prepare. A taste of Italy.
Anonymous says
Easy and delicious. The best cannoli dip recipe