Our homemade cannoli dip is the lazy, deconstructed version of a classic Italian cannoli. It’s filled with the rich flavor of ricotta cheese and the tanginess of cream cheese.
Mix in powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, and semi-sweet chocolate chips, and you’ve got a dip that will have your friends and family reaching for seconds before they finish their first taste!
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I’ve served cannoli dip as an appetizer, as well as a dessert, and I will not confirm or deny that I served it for breakfast one morning on top of a waffle. But no matter when you serve it, this dip is guaranteed to be a hit.
The cannoli originated in Sicily, where Italian grandmothers made fried pastry tubes, then filled with a lightly sweetened blend of ricotta and mascarpone.
While a traditional cannoli is made with candied citrus peels and garnished with chopped pistachios or chocolate chips, our cannoli dip is an American spin-off of this Italian classic. Creating a dip with all the flavor but without all of the hard work of making cannoli shells.
Our cannoli dip pairs perfectly with Pizzelles, or broken-up cannoli shells (store-bought) if you’re really trying to be semi-authentic. But, if you are feeling adventurous, try dipping strawberries, broken waffle cones, graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or lady fingers into the creamy goodness.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Easy Cannoli Dip recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Make Adjustments to the Recipe?
We used a blend of ricotta cheese and cream cheese to make the recipe. For a more traditional flavor, use mascarpone in place of the cream cheese. And while it may seem sacrilegious to Italians, you can use cottage cheese instead of ricotta.
I love the balance that semisweet chocolate chips bring to the recipe, but you can use dark chocolate or any of your favorite baking chips. If you use milk chocolate or a sweeter chip, you may want to cut back on the powdered sugar.
To kick up the flavor for an adult party, use Kahula, amaretto, Frangelico, or any of your favorite liqueurs. To make it a chocolate cannoli dip, add cocoa powder to the mixture.
How to Make Cannoli Dip
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make cannoli dip in your home kitchen.
Strain any excess liquid from the ricotta. It should be as dry as possible.
- Add the ricotta cheese and cream cheese to a medium bowl.
- Use an electric hand mixer and mix until smooth.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl.
- Continue to mix until smooth and creamy. Be careful not to overmix, because the cheese will get thinner.
- Add the mini chocolate chips into the mixture.
- Fold the chocolate into the mixture until combined.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Whether you serve our creamy cannoli dip as a dessert or an appetizer, I can promise you, there won’t be any left. So make sure to get a few scoops for yourself before it’s all gone!
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. We do NOT suggest freezing the dip, as the ricotta cheese can take on a different texture.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. It can be made 2 days in advance. Just make sure you store it in an airtight container and give it a good mix before serving.
Yes, you do. At a minimum, the dip should go into the fridge for 10 minutes to set up before serving (60 minutes is even better).
If you can’t find dry ricotta, you definitely need to drain it. Ricotta tends to be watery, and if you don’t drain it, your dip will be runny. I recommend letting it drain overnight in a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
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Cannoli Dip
Equipment
- Mixer – either stand or hand mixer
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
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Instructions
Instructions:
- Strain any excess liquid off of ricotta.
- Combine ricotta cheese and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to the bowl, and continue to mix.
- Once sugar is fully mixed in, turn off the mixer.
- Fold the mini chocolate chips into the mixture.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes.
- Transfer dip into a bowl for serving.
- Serve with pizzelles, fresh fruit, or wafer cookies.
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