Mini Cannoli Cups are adorable little desserts with creamy homemade cannoli filling in mini phyllo pastry cups. They're a delicious sweet treat for parties and holiday entertaining.
For more delicious desserts, try Stuffed Strawberry Cheesecake Bites and Mini Trifle Cups.
These darling mini cannoli cream cups are a yummy bite-sized treat with creamy ricotta filling topped with mini chocolate chips and toasted pistachios in a crispy shell.
Mini cannoli are the perfect little dessert after a big meal or a delicious sweet treat for a holiday breakfast or brunch (soooo good with a cup of coffee!).
🍫Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Whole-milk ricotta cheese. Buy the best ricotta you can find and afford. Store brands tend to be grainy. I don't have a ton of selection where I live and have always had good luck with BelGioioso.
- Phyllo shells. These cute little cups are made from phyllo dough and make perfect mini cannoli shells. You can find them in the freezer section of the grocery store.
- Almond extract. A little almond flavor is lovely in the creamy filling, but go easy—it can easily overpower. You can always add more.
- Mix-ins and toppings. I leave the filling plain and sprinkle the tops with mini semisweet chocolate chips and chopped toasted pistachios. You can mix them into the filling, add them as toppings, or both. Use any kind of chocolate and nuts, or try dried fruit or candied orange pieces.
🥣How to Make Mini Cannoli
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the ricotta with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and extracts.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks.
Step 3: Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture. Add chocolate chips, if desired. Chill the mixture for 1--2 hours.
Step 4: Heat oven to 350 and bake the phyllo shells for about 5 minutes. Cool. Fill each cup with the cannoli filling using a spoon, piping bag, or ziptop bag with the corner of the bag snipped off.
Sprinkle the tops with chocolate chips and chopped pistachios. Enjoy immediately.
👉Top Tip: Strain the ricotta for 4-24 hours in a fine mesh strainer lined with paper towels or cheese cloth.
☑️Tips
- For quicker, fluffier whipped cream, chill a glass or metal bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or freezer for 15 minutes before whipping the cream.
- To keep the phyllo shells from getting soggy, serve them as soon as possible after filling them.
- If you have leftover cannoli filling, enjoy it as a sweet dip for fruit, pretzels, or graham crackers, as a topping for pancakes, or layered with fruit for a mini trifle.
🎁Storage
Store filled cannoli cups for no more than 1-2 hours before serving -- the shells can get soggy if they sit longer.
📅Make Ahead
Prepare the filling up to a day ahead of time. Cover and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake and fill the shells.
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📖 Recipe
Mini Cannoli Tarts
Ingredients
- 30 phyllo shells
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta, strained (see notes)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, optional
Toppings
- 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
Instructions
- Mix ricotta in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and almond extract and mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, use a whisk or electric mixer to whip the cream to stiff peaks -- peaks are firm and hold their shape.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture with a spatula. If desired, fold in mini chocolate chips. Cover and chill filling for at least one hour, up to one day ahead of time.
- Bake phyllo shells at 350 for 3-5 minutes until crisp. Place on a baking rack to cool.
- Spoon or pipe the cannoli filling into the tart shells. Top with mini chocolate chips and pistachios, if desired. Serve within 1-2 hours of filling.
Notes
- VERY IMPORTANT: Strain the ricotta for 4-24 hours in a fine mesh strainer lined with paper towels or cheesecloth.
- For quicker, fluffier whipped cream, chill a glass or metal bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or freezer for 15 minutes before whipping the cream.
- To keep the phyllo shells from getting soggy, serve them as soon as possible after filling them.
- To make ahead, prepare the filling a day ahead of time. Cover and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake and fill the shells.
- If you have leftover cannoli filling, enjoy it as a sweet dip for fruit, pretzels, or graham crackers, as a topping for pancakes, or layered with fruit for a mini trifle.
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