Holy Cannoli! 6 Easy Twists on Your Favorite Italian Dessert

The secret to easy homemade cannoli? Store-bought shells. Stuff them with any of these super-tasty fillings to make them your own.

Start Here!

First, choose your twist. In a medium bowl, gently fold 1 cup fresh ricotta, 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, and the fold in ingredients (see below). Spoon the ricotta mixture into a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, pushing the mixture down into 1 corner of the bag. Snip a 1/2-inch hole in the corner. Pipe the ricotta mixture into 4 store-bought cannoli shells that are about 5 inches long. Add the garnish ingredients. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Makes 4.

Bonus: Fancy up your cannoli by dipping the ends in melted chocolate. Let rest on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper until the chocolate sets before you add your filling.

1. Pumpkin-Pepita Crunch

Fold in: 1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin and 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Garnish: salted roasted pepitas

2. Mochaccino Sundae

Fold in: 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 tsp. instant espresso

Garnish: chopped maraschino cherries

3. Spiked Lemon

Fold in: 2 tbsp. limoncello (lemon liqueur)

Garnish with: lemon zest

4. Dark Cherry-Chocolate

Fold in: 1/4 cup drained Luxardo cherries, chopped and 1/4 cup finely chopped dark chocolate

Garnish with: grated dark chocolate

5. Zesty Fruit & Nut

Fold in: 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries, 1 tsp. orange zest, and 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Garnish with: chopped roasted salted pistachios

6. Tropical Rum Cake

Fold in: 2 tbsp. pineapple jam, 2 tbsp. golden raisins, chopped, 2 tsp. rum, and 1/4 tsp. ground allspice

Garnish with: toasted sweetened shredded coconut and chopped dried papaya