Cannoli Cookies

Cannoli Cookies bring the flavors of a traditional Italian cannoli into a soft, fluffy, cake-like cookie that’s irresistible in every bite. The creamy filling combined with sweet spices creates a perfect balance of flavor and texture. They’re ideal for dessert, snacking, or even dunking in your favorite coffee for a cozy treat.

Love More Christmas Cookies? Try My Italian Christmas Cookies or this Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

These Cannoli Cookies are soft, chewy, and bursting with all the classic Italian flavors you love. Creamy ricotta keeps them moist, while chocolate chunks and pistachios add delicious texture and sweetness. Finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar, they’re perfect for holidays, special occasions, or just indulging yourself!

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Ingredient List

For the Cookies:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (≈ 260 g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (one stick)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest (from about ½ large orange)
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese, well-drained
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup dark chocolate chunks, chopped (mini chocolate chips work too)
• ½ cup shelled pistachios, lightly chopped

For the Optional Topping:

• 2 tablespoons dark chocolate, melted (for drizzling)
• OR powdered sugar for dusting

Can’t find pistachios? Almonds work great. Don’t have dark chocolate? Regular chocolate chips are fine. This recipe is pretty forgiving.

Why These Ingredients Work

The ricotta is doing all the heavy lifting here – it keeps these cookies soft and gives them that signature cannoli taste. I learned this trick from my friend’s Italian grandmother who said ricotta belongs in more than just lasagna. The orange zest is what separates these from regular chocolate chip cookies – it brightens everything up. And honestly? The cinnamon and nutmeg make your whole kitchen smell like Christmas morning.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You probably have most of this stuff already:

• Two mixing bowls (one big, one medium)
• Electric mixer (I use my old hand mixer from college)
• Rubber spatula
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Cookie scoop or just a regular spoon
• Wire racks for cooling
• Plastic wrap

How To Make Cannoli Cookies

Step 1: Mix Your Dry Ingredients

Grab your medium bowl and whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set it aside – you’ll need it in a few minutes.

Step 2: Cream the Base

In the big bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and orange zest with your mixer until it looks fluffy. Takes about 2 minutes. Don’t skip this part – it makes the cookies lighter.

Step 3: Add Ricotta and Egg

Dump in your drained ricotta and crack in the egg. Mix just until combined. Don’t go crazy here.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry

Slowly add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture, mixing on low. Stop as soon as it comes together. The dough looks weird compared to regular cookie dough – that’s normal.

Step 5: Fold in Mix-ins

Use your spatula to fold in the chocolate and pistachios. Try to distribute them evenly but don’t stress about perfection.

Step 6: Chill the Dough

Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for at least an hour. This dough is sticky as hell without chilling. Trust me on this one.

Step 7: Prep for Baking

Heat your oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 8: Shape the Cookies

Scoop about 1½ tablespoons of dough (I eyeball it) and roll into balls. Space them about 2 inches apart – they spread a little.

Step 9: Bake

12-14 minutes until the bottoms start getting golden. The tops won’t change much color, which freaked me out the first time but it’s fine.

Step 10: Cool Properly

Let them sit on the pan for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. They’re fragile when hot.

Step 11: Add Finishing Touches

Once cool, drizzle melted chocolate over them or dust with powdered sugar. Both look fancy but the chocolate is my favorite.

You Must Know

The ricotta MUST be drained. I cannot stress this enough. Wet ricotta equals mushy, weird cookies. Stick it in a strainer for 30 minutes minimum. I’ve learned this the hard way more times than I care to admit.

Here’s my secret: I zest the orange right into the sugar and let it sit while I get everything else ready. Those oils soak in and make the whole cookie taste brighter. My sister thinks I’m crazy for this extra step until she tastes the difference.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Your butter needs to be actually soft. I take mine out when I start my morning coffee.
• Don’t overbake these. They’re done when the bottoms barely turn golden. They’ll keep cooking on the hot pan.
• If your kitchen is warm (like mine in summer), chill the dough longer. Sometimes I leave it overnight.
• Use a cookie scoop if you have one. Makes them all the same size so they bake evenly.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Want to mix things up? Try lemon zest instead of orange – tastes amazing. Or swap the pistachios for chopped almonds. My cousin adds extra chocolate chips because she has zero self-control. You could also try a tiny pinch of cardamom if you’re feeling fancy.

Make-Ahead Options

The dough keeps in the fridge for 2 days, covered. You can also freeze it for up to a month – just thaw it overnight before baking. The baked cookies freeze great too. I sometimes make a double batch and freeze half for when my mother-in-law visits unexpectedly.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

These cookies are supposed to be soft and cake-like, not crispy. If yours turn out crispy, you probably overbaked them or your ricotta wasn’t drained enough. The dough will seem stickier than regular cookie dough – that’s the ricotta doing its job. If it’s completely unworkable even after chilling, add a tablespoon more flour.

Serving Suggestions

Perfect with coffee, obviously. I also like them with a glass of cold milk. They’re great for potlucks because they look fancy but they’re actually easy to make. Pack them in a nice container and people think you spent way more effort than you did.

How to Store Your Cannoli Cookies

Keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Room temperature is fine for 3 days. If you freeze them, they last a month. Let the chocolate set completely before storing if you drizzled it, or you’ll have a mess.

Allergy Information

These have gluten, dairy, eggs, and tree nuts. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 flour substitute but the texture will be different. I haven’t tried dairy-free versions but vegan ricotta exists if you want to experiment. Just know I can’t guarantee the results.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I skip the pistachios?

Yeah, or use different nuts. Almonds are good. So are hazelnuts if you’re feeling European.

Why is my dough so sticky?

That’s normal. Chill it longer. If it’s still impossible to work with, your ricotta might have been too wet.

Can I use low-fat ricotta?

Whole milk ricotta tastes better but part-skim works. Just drain it really well.

How do I know they’re done?

Look at the bottoms – they should be barely golden. The tops stay pretty pale.

💬 Made these? Tell me how they turned out! I love hearing about your kitchen adventures.