Heavenly Mini Cannoli Cups Recipe: Easy Bite-Sized Joy

Sweet pastry lovers rejoice as this mini cannoli cups recipe delivers pure Italian dessert magic straight to your plate.

Delicate shells cradle a rich, creamy filling that captures the essence of traditional cannoli.

These bite-sized treats blend crisp texture with smooth ricotta in a way that delights every palate.

You’ll fall in love with the delicate crunch and velvety center of each miniature cup.

The recipe combines simple ingredients to create an elegant dessert that looks professionally crafted.

Powdered sugar adds a perfect finishing touch to these irresistible little delicacies.

FAQs

• Can I make the cannoli cups ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the pie crust cups and filling separately in advance. Keep the baked cups at room temperature in an airtight container and store the filling in the refrigerator. Fill the cups just before serving to maintain their crispy texture.

• What type of ricotta works best for this recipe?

Use whole milk ricotta for the smoothest and richest filling. Drain excess moisture from the ricotta using a cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer to prevent a watery filling.

• Do I need special equipment to make these mini cannoli cups?

No, you just need a mini muffin tin, round cookie cutter, electric mixer, and a zip-top bag for piping. Most home cooks already have these basic kitchen tools.

Mini Cannoli Cups: Why Everyone Smiles

Whip Up Crowd-Pleasing Bites: These mini cannoli cups deliver big flavor in tiny, irresistible packages perfect for any gathering.

Simplify Dessert Prep: No complicated rolling or traditional cannoli shaping required – just cut, press, and fill mini pastry shells with creamy ricotta mixture for stress-free entertaining.

Quick Party Showstopper: Impressive dessert that looks elegant but comes together surprisingly fast, making it ideal for last-minute celebrations or unexpected guests.

Customize with Ease: Swap toppings like chocolate chips and pistachios to match personal preferences or seasonal themes, letting your creativity shine through delicious tiny treats.

Gather Ingredients For Easy Mini Cannoli Cups

• Pie Crusts: A delicate and flaky foundation for the mini cannoli cups.
• Turbinado Sugar: Adds a sweet, crunchy texture to the pastry surface.
• Cinnamon: Provides a warm, aromatic flavor to enhance the pastry.

• Ricotta Cheese: A creamy, smooth base that gives the filling its traditional cannoli texture.
• Powdered Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create a smooth, silky filling.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides additional sweetness to balance the ricotta.
• Vanilla Extract: Brings a rich, sweet flavor to the filling.
• Lemon Zest: Offers a bright, citrusy note to complement the creamy filling.

• Mini Chocolate Chips, Chopped Pistachios: Provide a delightful crunch and additional flavor to top the cannoli cups.
• Powdered Sugar: Adds a light, sweet dusting and classic finishing touch.

Fill & Assemble Your Mini Cannoli Cups

Step 1: Prepare Pastry Rounds

Dust your work surface with flour and unroll the pie crusts.

Sprinkle turbinado sugar and cinnamon generously over the crusts.

Gently press the sugar mixture into the dough using a rolling pin.

Use a 2½-inch round cookie cutter to create pastry circles.

Press each round carefully into ungreased mini muffin cups.

Continue cutting and reshaping scraps until you have 48 pastry rounds.

Step 2: Bake Crispy Shells

Place the muffin tin in a preheated oven at 425°F.

Bake the pastry shells for 10 minutes until they turn a beautiful golden brown.

Allow the shells to cool completely in the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for additional cooling.

Step 3: Create Creamy Filling

• Ricotta cheese
• Powdered sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Citrus zest
• Vanilla extract

Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

Transfer the filling to a 1-gallon zip-top bag and refrigerate until serving time.

Step 4: Fill and Garnish

Remove the filling from the refrigerator.

Snip a corner off the zip-top bag and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling into each cooled pastry shell.

• Mini chocolate chips
• Chopped pistachios

Dust the filled cups with a light coating of powdered sugar.

Step 5: Serve Immediately

Plate the cannoli cups and serve right away to enjoy the perfect blend of crispy shells and creamy filling.

Cannoli Cup Perfection: Smart Tips & Tricks

• Gently roll a rolling pin over the pie crust to ensure the sugar and cinnamon blend seamlessly into the dough for a more even flavor distribution.
• Refrigerate the ricotta mixture to help it set and develop a richer, more cohesive texture before piping into the pastry cups.
• Allow the pastry cups to cool completely in the pan to maintain their crisp structure and prevent moisture from softening the base.
• Use a zip-top bag with a snipped corner for clean, controlled filling of the cannoli cups, ensuring a professional and neat presentation.
• Dust with powdered sugar and sprinkle toppings just before serving to maintain the crispness of the pastry and the freshness of the filling.

Cannoli Cup Variations For Sweet Tooths

• Gluten-Free Cannoli Cups: Replace pie crusts with gluten-free pie crust or almond flour pastry for a celiac-friendly version.
• Vegan Cannoli Cups: Swap ricotta with cashew or tofu-based cream, use coconut sugar, and replace chocolate chips with dairy-free dark chocolate chunks.
• Low-Sugar Cannoli Cups: Substitute powdered and granulated sugar with stevia or monk fruit sweetener, reduce overall sugar content while maintaining delicious flavor.
• Keto-Friendly Cannoli Cups: Use almond flour or coconut flour for crust, replace sugar with erythritol, and incorporate cream cheese with ricotta for lower carbohydrate content.

Fun Ways To Present Mini Cannoli Cups

• Sweet Brunch Centerpiece: Arrange the mini cannoli cups on a beautiful tiered serving platter with fresh berries and mint leaves for an elegant breakfast or brunch display.
• Party Appetizer Delight: Create a stunning dessert buffet by clustering these bite-sized treats on decorative platters, perfect for cocktail parties or holiday gatherings.
• Customizable Topping Bar: Set out small bowls of chopped pistachios, mini chocolate chips, and powdered sugar, allowing guests to personalize their cannoli cups with their favorite toppings.
• Dessert Wine Pairing: Serve alongside a chilled moscato or sweet dessert wine to complement the creamy ricotta and delicate pastry cups.

Save Your Cannoli Cups For Later Enjoyment

• Store filled cannoli cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the filling and cups separate to prevent sogginess, filling the pastry just before serving.
• Wrap completely cooled, unfilled pastry cups tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before filling.
• Keep the ricotta filling in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Stir well before using and discard if any separation or odd smell occurs.
• Briefly warm unfilled pastry cups in a 300°F oven for 3-5 minutes to restore crispness. Always add fresh toppings and fill with cold filling just before serving to maintain texture.

Mini Cannoli Cups Recipe

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4.8 from 28 reviews

• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Craving Italian dessert magic? Mini Cannoli Cups deliver sweet Sicily right to your plate, blending crisp pastry shells with rich ricotta cream. Sweet tooths will adore these bite-sized delights that pack classic flavor into one perfect nibble.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 1 container (15 ounces / 425 grams) whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 box (2 count) refrigerated pie crusts
• 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios

Sweeteners and Flavor Enhancers:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Additional powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation Ingredients:

(None)

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Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425°F, preparing a mini muffin tin for pastry shells.
2. Dust work surface with flour and unroll pie crusts. Sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar and cinnamon, gently pressing sugar into dough with rolling pin.
3. Use a 2½-inch round cutter to create pastry circles, carefully pressing each into muffin cups. Reroll dough scraps to maximize circle count.
4. Bake pastry shells for 10 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely in tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
5. Whip ricotta with powdered sugar, granulated sugar, citrus zest, and vanilla extract using electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
6. Transfer filling to a zip-top bag and refrigerate until serving time.
7. Before serving, pipe approximately 1 tablespoon of filling into each cooled pastry shell.
8. Garnish filled cups with mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios, then dust lightly with powdered sugar.
9. Serve immediately to maintain crisp texture and fresh flavor.

Notes

• Swap pie crusts with gluten-free alternatives for celiac or gluten-sensitive guests, ensuring everyone can enjoy this delightful dessert.
• Try ricotta cheese substitutes like mascarpone or cashew cream for those with dairy restrictions, maintaining the creamy texture.
• Control sugar content by using monk fruit sweetener or reducing overall sugar quantity, making the recipe more diabetic-friendly.
• Prepare pastry cups ahead of time and store in an airtight container to streamline party preparation and reduce last-minute stress.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 295 kcal
• Sugar: 19 g
• Sodium: 310 mg
• Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 10 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
• Trans Fat: 0.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g
• Fiber: 1.5 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 70 mg