Cannoli are an amazing and delicious Italian dessert, but making them can be labor-intensive. Instead, you can make an easy, sweet, and creamy Cannoli Dip in about an hour. It’s the perfect sweet dessert dip for your next party.
Making cannoli dip is so simple! This is the classic, creamy cannoli filling that you love, and instead of making and frying cannoli shells, we can use waffle cones or cookies to dip into it!
This recipe for cannoli dip is a smart shortcut that will save you time. This sweet dip tastes just as amazing as the classic cannoli dessert that you love.
Cannoli Dip comes together without any cooking, and with just 5 ingredients. The tangy and creamy ricotta and mascarpone filling is perfectly sweetened and swirled with mini chocolate chips. Enjoy this sweet sharable at brunch, a football party, or anytime you’re sharing food with great people.
I love dessert dips! Make Funfetti Cake Batter Dip next.
Key Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ricotta Cheese: This tangy Italian cheese is found in both sweet and savory dishes. You will recognize the fine texture of ricotta in homemade cannoli, and it has the same effect in this dessert dip. Use whole milk ricotta for best results.
- Mascarpone Cheese: Another Italian cheese, most commonly enjoyed in Tiramisu, mascarpone is similar to cream cheese, but with more flavor and a bit of sweetness.
- Powdered Sugar and Vanilla Extract: These two give your Cannoli dip the perfect level of sweetness and the warm flavor you’d expect from a dessert dip.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: The best cannoli are the ones dipped in chocolate chips, and so we must add them to cannoli dip as well!
Tip!
Be sure to drain any excess liquid from the Ricotta and Mascarpone cheeses before starting.
How to Make Cannoli Dip
- Mix: In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta with mascarpone and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and beat until thick and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and mix again. Finally, fold in ¾ of the mini chocolate chips.
- Chill: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.
- Serve: Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
Cannoli dip can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-4 days before serving, or as leftovers.
What to Serve With Cannoli Dip
- The easiest way to dip into sweet cannoli dip is with broken-up waffle cones or sturdy pizzelle cookies.
- You can also try serving this dip with any lightly flavored cookie such as Nilla Wafers, graham crackers, or even animal crackers!
- Cannoli dip is delicious on strawberries or apple slices if you want to be a bit healthier.
- Add a salty dipper like pretzel thins if you like as well!
Tip!
Serve cannoli dip with a variety of different dippers to keep things interesting.
FAQs
You might want to substitute something else for the ricotta in this recipe, but I’m telling you that you shouldn’t. Most traditional cannoli recipes are made with ricotta cheese, so if you leave this ingredient out of your cannoli dip, it isn’t going to taste like cannoli! Use full fat, fresh ricotta for best results and you will not be disappointed. If you have extra ricotta, be sure to try my Lemon Ricotta Pasta next!
If your ricotta seems to have a lot of excess moisture, it’s a good idea to strain it first. It’s easy to do! Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, and line the strainer with a piece of cheesecloth. Add the ricotta on top of the cloth, and press gently with a spatula to remove the excess liquid.
If you cannot find mascarpone cheese, the next best thing is full-fat cream cheese. It’s not exactly the same, but you will get a similar texture from this swap. I prefer to use mascarpone in this recipe because the flavor of the dip is more authentic.
Yes, you should keep cannoli dip in the fridge. Refrigerate the dip after it’s made and until you are ready to serve.
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Everyone is going to love this easy-to-make and addicting Cannoli Dip! Make sure to pin it so you can make it ASAP.
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Cannoli Dip
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Hand mixer
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese drained/strained (that’s 2 cups)
- 8 ounces full fat mascarpone cheese excess liquid drained (that’s 1 cup)
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips divided
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta with mascarpone and beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, and beat until thick and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and mix again.
- Fold in ¾ of the choc chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours.
- Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips. Serve with broken waffle cones or cannoli chips and fresh strawberries.
Notes:
- If your ricotta seems to have a lot of excess moisture, strain it first. Place a mesh strainer over a mixing bowl, and line the strainer with a piece of cheesecloth. Add the ricotta on top of the cloth, and press gently with a spatula to remove the excess liquid.
- If you cannot find mascarpone cheese, the next best thing is full-fat cream cheese. It’s not exactly the same, but you will get a similar texture from this swap. I prefer to use mascarpone in this recipe because the flavor of the dip is more authentic.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Bet says
I use cream cheese most of the time in place of mascarpone. I whip 8oz with 1/4 cup of heavy cream and a teaspoon of sugar.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you for the tip, Bet! Cream cheese is usually much less expensive than real mascarpone, so that’s a great option!
Robin Claire says
This barely made it to the table! My bestie and my sweet daughter and I tested it and then “forgot “ to share it is that good! It is great with Nilla wafers but I prefer it with strawberries
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so glad it was such a hit! Thank you so much for the great feedback.
Taylor says
I am obsessed with this dip! So creamy, rich and the perfect amount of chocolate in every bite. Tastes just like a cannoli, but easier! Loved serving it with broken waffle cone pieces.
Allyssa says
Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make cannoli dip recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again!
Agnes says
Oh yum! This truly was so good as a fruit dip!