These Italian Cannoli Cookies combine all the ingredients and flavors you would expect from a cannoli into a cookie! Ricotta cheese, mini chocolate chips, pistachios, amaretto and citrus flavors explode in your mouth – topped off with a dark chocolate drizzle and sprinkles for holiday cheer.
These Cannoli Cookies are my new Christmas cookie love.
I can’t even tell you how wonderful your kitchen will smell when baking these (or while eating the batter). The end result is an interior that is light and tender- almost like a moist cake crumb. I promise they’ll be a showstopper.
It’s this secret extract that makes them that special.
What is Fiori di Sicilia Extract?
First, it’s the perfect stocking stuffer for the baker or foodie in your family. This baking kit which includes the Fiori di Sicilia is one of my picks for best gifts for bakers. I’ve got a whole list of recommended gifts and gadgets here.
Second, it’s a magical ingredient that makes all baked goods taste amazing. It has vanilla, citrus and floral scents all in one extract. It’s the secret ingredient in my Cranberry Walnut Quick Bread.
And most recently…this Easy Cannoli Cake!!
King Arthur Flour suggests that this extract shouldn’t pair with chocolate but I have to disagree. If you’ve ever had a traditional Sicilian cannoli dipped in chocolate – it’s full of citrus and chocolate flavor.
And how could they forget the holiday Chocolate Orange – you know the one that is chocolate perfectly crafted into individual orange slices ready to be broken off piece by piece?
These cannoli cookies do have flavors similar to the chocolate orange – oh how I love them so. They are a combination of Italian pistachio cookies, Italian ricotta cookies, and cannoli all in one delicious little bite. They will become your go-to homemade Italian cookie recipe!
How to Make Italian Cannoli Cookies
These cannoli cookies are the ultimate Italian Christmas cookie and would make an amazing addition to your holiday cookie tray. Just like your nonna would make!
Step 1: Prep Ingredients
Step 2: Cream butter + sugar. Add ricotta, eggs + liquid.
STEP 3: Add dry ingredients + chocolate + nuts. Scoop onto cookie sheets.
Try not to eat any dough. It’s so delicious.
Step 5: Bake until just browning on the edges.
I recommend storing cannoli cookies separate from other cookies. Similar to mint extract, Fiori di Sicilia extract seems to migrate into everything.
* find many more easy delicious cookie recipes for Christmas and all the holidays including this cannoli cake recipe!
Delicate, but full of pistachio, vanilla and orange flavors, these cannoli cookies will become your family favorite.
- 1 cup unsalted butter slightly softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon King Arthur Fiori di Sicilia extract
- 3 tablespoons amaretto liquor
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange or lemon zest
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup roasted unsalted pistachios, finely chopped
- 2 oz Guittard bittersweet baking bar melted
- sprinkles to top
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In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
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Mix in the eggs and ricotta cheese until combined then mix in the extract, amaretto and fresh citrus zest.
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Next, mix in the baking powder and salt until combined. Mix in the flour.
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Stir in chocolate chips and the pistachios. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.
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With the oven rack in the middle setting, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
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Line baking sheets with parchment paper. NOTE: you should use a light colored cookie sheet, not dark colored which tends to brown the bottoms too quickly. The parchment paper helps with browning evenly on this delicate cookie.
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Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, drop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
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Place the cookies in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350F. Bake cookies about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and bottom. The cookies will firm as they cool.
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Once the cookies have cooled, melt bittersweet chocolate over a double boiler on the stove or on a low heat setting in the microwave, stirring in 20 sec intervals until melted and smooth. *TIP: I heat about an inch of water in a small saucepan, place a stainless steel bowl on top with the chocolate and voila - you have a fancy double boiler. I like this method better than the microwave as the chocolate stays evenly melted longer.
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Using a small whisk or fork dipped in the melted chocolate, drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Be artistic! Throw that chocolate around and have fun! Top with sprinkles, if desired. Green and Red sprinkles would be perfect for the holidays.
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Let cookies sit until chocolate is set.
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Serves 40 if they’re that good then I assume serving size becomes 2-3 and it quickly serves less!!
My serving size is about 5 per sitting. 🙂
Got my fiori di Sicilia today! Baking commenced Sunday!
I’m really not a fan of Amaretto even though I like almonds. How essential is it to this recipe? Can I omit it or do you recommend subsituiting almond extract for it? Also, I think I have part skim ricotta in my fridge. Do I need to strain it to substitute it for whole milk ricotta? I actually have the fiori di sicilia and the recipe sounds divine so I look forward to your suggestions.
Hi Elissa,
I think it would be fine to just omit the amaretto all together – maybe add a splash of milk if the dough seems too dry, but I think you should be ok. There’s already a ton of flavor from the fiori extract, so I wouldn’t add any almond extract. For the part skim ricotta – just pour off any liquid and use it. You will go crazy over these – I promise! Can’t wait to hear how you like these!
Hi
I plan on baking these in advance. How many days I’ll they stay good for?
I made a batch ahead of time and froze them. The texture isn’t quite as perfect as when they were freshly baked, but still taste amazing. If you are planning to make some in advance without freezing them, I would say 2-3 days would be fine. Keep them stored in an air tight container.
And another option is to make the dough a couple days in advance – stored in fridge. I did this with one batch as well…just made dough balls and stuck them on a baking sheet and refrigerated overnight and baked them two days later. Lots of options here! Good luck! They’ll be awesome!
Do you have to turn the oven temperature up and lower it again every time you put another pan in the oven?
Hi Chrissie. That’s a good question! It won’t make or break the cookies if you skip raising the temp between batches. I start with a higher temp to get them to puff a little higher and bake faster without browning the bottoms too much. You might just need an extra minute with the second batch.
These cookies are also my new favorite holiday cookies (or really cookies in general, who needs the holidays!?). They were sooo good that I had to make 2 more batches before Christmas!! Everyone loved them. The texture, flavor profile, and lightness are amazingly balanced. Thanks Emily!!
Hi Brian! Thank you so much for your sweet comment! I’m honored that they are professional chef approved!! I’m planning on making more of these for Easter too! Hope you are well!
Are the pistachios salted or unsalted?
Hi Chrissie, I used unsalted pistachios. Thanks for asking. I will make sure to clarify that. You’ll love these!
These sound amazing!!….can the amaretto be substituted with sweet Marsala???
Thank you!
Michele
Hi Michele, I’ve never tried it with Marsala. I’m a big amaretto fan! I certainly think it’s worth a shot if you don’t have a bottle of amaretto laying around. Marsala is fruity similar to amaretto. Let me know!
This looks so good! What a fun new cookie variation! It is nice to break out of the typical ones like chocolate chip, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, etc.
Thanks Suzanne! I’m working on a cannoli cake version of these as we speak!
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
They don’t keep long because you can’t stop eating them!! 🙂 I would say they are best eaten within the first 5 days.
Can chocolate chips be omitted? My son loves cannolis but not chocolate…
Hi Vanessa,
Absolutely you could omit chocolate chips. Maybe dust the cookies with a little powdered sugar to give them that extra cannoli feel.
Made these for Christmas last year. They were great. Making again because I cannot stop thinking about them.
I’m glad it’s just not me that is obsessed with these cannoli cookies! 🙂 Wishing you a happy holiday this year and a plateful of delicious cookies to share! XOXO
Making these today! Getting ready for Christmas. Thanks for sharing.
Dottie
Merry Christmas to you + your family! Enjoy the cookies!
Can these be cooked, frozen without the chocolate on top and then defrosted close to Christmas and brought to room temp and drizzle the chocolate. I like to bake Christmas cookies early.
Hi Nancy. I have frozen them ahead of Christmas. Freezing the cookies does change their texture a bit, so I definitely prefer them freshly baked, but it can be done. Happy baking and happy holidays!
A Great Idea to actually making Cannolis can’t wait to try them
Hi can you shape these cookies like savoradi lady finger cookies ? instead of round balls ?.
Hi Rita,
I don’t see why you couldn’t! 🙂
The recipe calls for 1.5 tsp of baking powder. What is the .5 equal to; is it 1/2 tsp, etc.?
1 1/2 tsp is correct
Can the unbaked dough be frozen and baked later?
Hi Susan. I don’t recommend freezing this dough. I have done it, but the texture and delicate nature of these cookies is lost a bit when you do so. That includes freezing them after baking as well.