The Best Cannoli Dip Ever is seriously the easiest dessert you’ll make all year. Creamy ricotta and marscapone cheese, combined with sweet powdered sugar, almond, vanilla, and chocolate chips. As a bonus, I’ve included my recipe for cinnamon sugar tortilla chips!
It’s already September. In fact, we’re already a week into September! Eek! Where did that time go?
Which basically means that the holidays are quickly approaching us. Do you know what you’re going to bring next time you have a party to go? Don’t worry, I have you covered with what is probably the world’s easiest dessert recipe. Seriously, when I say easy, I mean throw-it-in-the-mixer and you’re done type of easy.
The Best Cannoli Dip Ever may even get you invited to more parties, it’s so good. I’ve also included my absolute favorite dipping tool, the cinnamon sugar tortilla chip. Equally as delicious, slightly more time to make, but can be substituted for a store-bought chip.
Easy desserts are the best, aren’t they? It basically means you can fit in a nap before the party, with all that time you were planning on using for cooking. Ah, sleep, you fickle friend.
The holidays just got a little bit brighter, didn’t they?
Check Out How to Make Cannoli Dip!
Raise your hand if you love cannoli filling!
Ah, cannoli filling. I don’t believe I’ve ever met a person who doesn’t like it. Usually, the response to the word “cannoli filling” itself is a mixture of the glossy-eyed nod of the head (you know, while they’re suddenly dreaming of all of the cannoli filling they’ve ever eaten), or the enthusiastic, “Of COURSE I want that cannoli filling!”
Or, at least that’s been my experience. Growing up in New York City (pre-celiac diagnosis), I’ve been lucky to have access to some of the best Italian bakeries in the country. I’m still in mourning over the loss of my weekend hand-made mozzarella. They just don’t do that down here. Maybe Florida just doesn’t know how incredibly delicious Italian food is, when done right. Maybe I have to show them! Ok, I may just have found my life’s purpose here.
…Just kidding, I’m terrible at making mozzarella. I’ve tried it a few times, but to no avail. I ended up with a big pot of messy curds and one teeny tiny ping-pong-sized-ball of mozzarella.
Alas… I’ll have to wait until vacation to visit my favorite deli.
So, when I found out about the whole you need to be gluten free for the rest of your life thing, I had to come up with a way to enjoy some of my favorite foods while getting rid of the gluten. While I do have a set of cannoli forms for a special occasion, it is just a pain to break them out and fry the shells. At least when there’s a really, really fast alternative so easily at hand!
And cannoli cream isn’t that hard to make, either!
Fast is what I’m usually going for when I have a party to get to, especially when you work full-time on a Friday and have to get home in time to clean up, make your cannoli cream, and get to the event at a decent hour before everyone’s already full of the other party desserts there. Alright, cannoli dip, front and center!
Or, you know, you could always make cannoli cream for a weekday, like Andrew and I do. Hello, lazy Wednesday, would you like to be a little bit sweeter this week? Cannoli cream level sweeter? Cannoli cream level awesome?!
As of right now, I have a borderline inappropriate love for this cannoli cream. Aka a sweet, creamy little taste of heaven right here. And I’m on a dessert kick lately, so why not keep it going? I have some dinner recipes coming up soon, I promise. I’ve already taken the pictures! And the cannoli cream was delicious. I know this because I may or may not have eaten three cannolis a few bites of cannoli dip last night.
The perfect cannoli filling recipe?
The fascinating thing about any cannoli filling recipe is that you’ll find a different variation about the “right” way to make it depending on what part of Italy you’re talking about. Some places will use a more dry or creamy form of ricotta (ahem – which you cannot find in Florida, apparently), and others will or will not use marscapone. Some make their cannoli filling recipe out of 100% ricotta, some will use 100% marscapone. Think of it this way, you don’t eat the same way in the north-east as you do in the deep south of the US, right? It’s all regional. The important part is when you take a big spoonful of your own cannoli filling recipe, and go Mmmmmm… I love this cannoli filling recipe.
To me, it doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s delicious.
And gluten free, too.
Of course, this isn’t my first trip to the dessert party-dip category. Which is why I came up with a list! You can check these out if you want a little something extra to bring with a bottle of wine to your next get-together. This list of desserts is either gluten free, or easily converted to gluten free, which is just as good!
These crispy little cinnamon sugar tortilla chips are just an added bonus here! If you have a little extra time, they’re perfect for dipping into this cannoli dip, resulting in a full party-in-my-mouth flavor explosion going on here. Bonus, they’re gluten free!
Cannoli Dip is Fun, But Here’s 5 More Great Dessert Dips!
- Here’s one of my own that’s perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving, Easy Pumpkin Pie Dip!
- Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip from Dinner then Dessert. You can use my gluten free Gingerbread Men Cookies to dip in this one if you want to!
- Brownie Batter Dessert Hummus is apparently what happens when a beautiful chocolate brownie and a handsome can of chickpeas have a secret love child. Yes, I love that. Great for some gluten free pretzels!
- Oreo Cheesecake Dip looks like it’s gluten free up to the chocolate wafers, for which I recommend using a gluten free all-purpose flour.
- Peaches and Cream Dip from Cake Whiz, just in case you’d like something a little lighter and fruity in flavor. I would probably eat a whole bowl of this.
Alright, I may be going into dessert-y dip overload right now. So many options! Nonetheless, I think this dip will remain my favorite dessert dip, with the pumpkin dip coming in a close second.
Unless I’m in a really pumpkin type mood, then you may reverse that.
♡ Today, however, cannoli dip for the win! ♡
- 8 oz mascarpone
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips optional
- 10 corn tortillas
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- In a mixing bowl beat together mascarpone, ricotta, vanilla extract, almond extract, powdered sugar and cinnamon.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cinnamon and sugar to combine.
- Stack tortillas and cut into 4 pieces.
- Lay tortilla pieces on baking sheets, leaving a little bit of room between each one.
- Brush top side of chips with melted butter.
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture liberally on top of each piece.
- Turn tortillas over and repeat on the other side.
- Bake 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Let cool before removing from baking sheets.
You can use one baking sheet for the chips and do it in two batches if you'd prefer.
I love cannolis! I could eat them all the time! And yes, you do need to have authentic ones to truly enjoy the experience. I use both mascarpone and ricotta and I have to drain mine as it is SO wet. And I sometimes use orange zest but I don’t always have them on hand. I do need to get a set of those fabulous molds but I really like a multitasking toy not a one use mold. This dip looks delicious and thanks for including my oreo dip!
Mm, this looks absolutely delicious! I would love to make this dish for desert for our next family dinner. It’s perfect for fall! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe and instructions!
Thanks so much! 🙂
So the recipe above doesn’t have the chocolate chips as an ingredient. How much would you recommend adding?
Oops! I’ll add those in there. I’d use about 1/2 a cup of the mini chocolate chips, more if you’d like for personal preference. Thanks!
I tried this one for my book club and they loved it!!!
I’ll preface by saying I haven’t made this yet, but I have eaten it, and it was delicious!!! I can’t wait to try making it myself!