Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (2024)

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This Cannoli Tart has all the great flavors of a cannoli wrapped into one simple tart! With a touch of cinnamon and mini chocolate chips, it’s got all the things I love most about cannolis.

Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (1)

Table of Contents

  • Cannoli Tart
  • How to Make a Cannoli Tart
  • Get the Recipe

Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (2)

Cannoli Tart

So I spent most of my baking time this past week on this one darn recipe for the cookbook. It just would not cooperate. It wasn’t bad, per se, but it also wasn’t just right. And truly, I’m quite picky. Especially when it comes to a book that’s going to be published. Talk about scary.

So I had several versions of said recipe stacked in several cupcake carriers around the kitchen. Saturday morning I came down early to keep working on it. Several hours later when the hubs came down, he revealed that he’d had trouble sleeping the night before and when he came downstairs to watch tv, he got into the cupcakes.

Of course my brain immediately went into panic mode – for about 5 seconds. Did he eat ones I needed for comparison purposes?! Oh no!

But then he followed up with, “But I ate ones from different tiers so they weren’t all the same batch.”

Phew! 😉

He could see my relief – and laughter – and claimed that he was proud of himself because he now knows how to properly steal cupcakes from me. Ha! Thief!

It was also his birthday, so I couldn’t be too mad. 🙂

Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (3)
Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (4)

This cannoli tart is absolutely worthy of some major thievery.

If you’ve hung around this blog for a while, you’ve probably realized that I love cannoli desserts. I don’t always love getting cannolis from bakeries. I find they tend be to super sweet, which is weird to hear me say, but it’s true. But I love making my own cannoli-inspired desserts. A cannoli poke cake, cannoli icebox cake and now a tart. And I’m sure there’s more to come. I can make them just sweet enough with just the right amount of cinnamon. Mmm mm mm!

And this particular dessert is nice because it’s so easy. It’s almost completely no bake, but I did actually bake the crust. I wanted to be sure it held together a little better when sliced.

How to Make a Cannoli Tart

The filling is made first by making homemade whipped cream. It lightens up the tart filling nicely.

The next step is to combine the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. I love using mascarpone cheese. It’s so darn yummy. Some cannolis actually use a combination of mascarpone and ricotta, but because ricotta can be a little finicky with the amount of water I stuck to mascarpone. Feel free to replace some of it with ricotta if you prefer.

Carefully fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture. You want to use a folding motion so that you don’t deflate the whipped cream.

Spread the filling into the tart, top with some mini chocolate chips and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Refrigerate it until firm and devour! Such an easy to way to enjoy a wonderful cannoli dessert! Yum!!

Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (5)
Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (6)

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Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (7)

Recipe

Cannoli Tart

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 7 minutes
  • Total Time: 17 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This Cannoli Tart has all the great flavors of a cannoli wrapped into one simple tart! With a touch of cinnamon and mini chocolate chips, it’s got all the things I love most about cannolis.

Ingredients

CRUST

  • 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 5 tbsp butter, melted

CANNOLI FILLING

  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
  • 12 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • mini chocolate chips, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9 inch tart pan.
2. Combine ingredients for crust and press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
3. Bake crust for 7 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
4. To make the whipped cream, whip heavy whipping cream on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Cream will initially bubble a little bit, then start to thicken.
5. As the cream starts to thicken, add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
6. Whip on high until stiff peaks form, for a total whipping time of about 5-7 minutes.
7. Set whipped cream aside and combine mascarpone cheese, remaining powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix on slow speed until combined. Do not over mix.
8. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
9. Spread filling into the tart crust and refrigerate until firm, 3-4 hours.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Silce
  • Calories: 459
  • Sugar: 19.1 g
  • Sodium: 157.1 mg
  • Fat: 35.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 31.3 g
  • Protein: 4.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 98.3 mg

Filed Under:

  • Christmas
  • Easter
  • Holidays
  • No Bake Desserts
  • Other Sweets
  • Recipes
  • Sweets and Treats

Enjoy!

Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (8)

Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (9)

Cannoli Tart | Quick and Easy Homemade Tart Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of cannoli molds? ›

If you don't have metal cannoli tubes, create your own while you wait for the dough to be ready. For each tube you make, you'll need a 12×12 inch sheet of aluminum foil. Fold the sheet in half, then wrap it tightly around a dowel that's about 1 1/4 inches in diameter.

Is cannoli filling unhealthy? ›

Worst: Cannoli

The filling is full of more fat and calories, in the form of ricotta cheese and sugar.

What can be used as a cannoli form? ›

You can use wooden dowels cut to size… but the easiest method is to buy Stainless Steel Cannoli Forms from a specialty store or online. These metal cannoli forms can be fried (or even baked in an oven), are dishwasher safe, and can be used for a variety of pastries and treats.

What Italian dessert is made from sweetened ricotta stuffed into crispy pastry tubes? ›

Cannoli (singular cannolo) literally translates from Italian to “l*ttle tubes.” Cannoli are hand-formed, crispy little pastry tubes filled with a decadent ricotta filling. Marsala wine added to the pastry dough creates the perfect texture, and when fried, you end up with golden, flaky, slightly sweet cannoli shells.

How do you stiffen cannoli fillings? ›

To thicken, add cornstarch 1 tbsp. at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add cannoli cream to a bowl to dip your Golden Cannoli Chips, or a pastry bag to fill your Golden Cannoli Shells, and serve with your favorite toppings!

What pastry is cannoli made of? ›

What Is a Cannoli and What Is It Made Of? A cannoli is a tube-shaped Italian dessert that consists of fried pastry dough stuffed with a sweet, creamy cheese filling. The crispy pastry shell is made with the usual suspects: flour, sugar, whole eggs, and butter.

Can I eat a week old cannoli? ›

Once opened or after the first bite, it should be eaten as quickly as possible, ideally within a day, to avoid the shell getting soggy. Homemade cannoli have a similar expiration timeline, with the shell lasting for about a week and the filling for up to 2 days.

Can diabetics eat cannolis? ›

Managing dessert cravings with diabetes

You need to plan when to indulge. Choose healthier options and control your portion sizes. Cannoli filling might be a delightful option for a low-sugar dessert, especially for individuals looking to satisfy their cravings without compromising their sugar intake.

What is the difference between Italian and American cannoli? ›

Chief among them is the type of milk used for each. The Italian version makes use of sheep's milk, while Italian-American cannoli employs cow's milk (leading to significant distinctions in taste and consistency).

What do Italians call cannoli? ›

In Italian, cannoli is plural; the singular is cannolo ( Italian: [kanˈnɔːlo]; Sicilian: cannolu [kanˈnɔːlʊ]), a diminutive meaning 'little tube', from canna, 'cane' or 'tube'.

What is a Roman cannoli? ›

The Cannolo, or little tube, is Italy's best-known Sicilian pastry dish. It consists of a fried tube-shaped shell and is filled with a sweet cheese cream filling. Cannoli are a truly timeless dessert that will usher you back into the heart of ancient Sicily.

What is the difference between cannoli and Sicilian cannoli? ›

The Venetian dessert is slightly different than the Sicilian version. Here are a few distinctions: The Venetian shell is in a cylinder shape while the Sicilian shell looks like a bow tie wrap. While the Sicilian dough is deep-fried, the Venetian dough is baked.

What is the most eaten dessert in Italy? ›

Perhaps the most iconic Italian dessert, tiramisu appears on menus at restaurants not only throughout Italy but also all over the world.

What brand of ricotta is best for cannoli filling? ›

Classic Cannoli Ricotta | Galbani Cheese.

How to make cannoli shells not stick? ›

Lightly spray a bit of non-stick oil on cannoli molds to ensure the cannoli shells do not stick. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 smaller pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough as thinly as possible. Carefully lower the cannoli shells down into the hot oil.

How do you keep cannoli from getting soft? ›

There are a few things you can do to keep your cannolis crisp. First, make sure they're well wrapped - either in plastic wrap or in a tightly sealed container. Second, if possible, store them in the fridge rather than at room temperature. And third, don't wait too long to eat them!

What makes cannoli filling grainy? ›

Over time recipes have begun using powdered sugar as both the sweetener and to stabilize the watery ricotta, but this, in turn, makes the filling a grainy and overwhelmingly sweet pastry cream. To fix this dilemma, I use a mixture of ricotta, mascarpone, goat cheese with granulated sugar.

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