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Mini Cannoli Cups Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 80 reviews

Mini Cannoli Cups combine a crispy, cinnamon-sugared pastry shell with a creamy, richly flavored ricotta filling. These bite-sized desserts are easy to make using refrigerated pie crusts and classic cannoli ingredients like orange zest, vanilla, and chocolate chips or pistachios for garnish. They’re perfect for parties or a sweet treat that looks elegant but requires minimal effort.

Ingredients

Scale

Filling

  • 1 container whole-milk ricotta cheese (15 oz., drained)
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pastry Cups

  • 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box (2 count)
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Garnish

  • 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios
  • Additional powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 425°F to get it ready for baking the cannoli cups.
  2. Prepare Pastry-Rounds: Lightly flour a work surface and unroll the softened pie crusts. Sprinkle both crusts evenly with turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon. Use a rolling pin to gently press the sugar and cinnamon mixture into the dough. Using a 2½-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible (aiming for 48). Gently press each round into an ungreased mini muffin cup, re-rolling dough as needed to cut out all circles.
  3. Bake Pastry Cups: Place the muffin tin with pastry cups in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until they turn golden brown. After baking, allow the cups to cool completely in the tins for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool fully.
  4. Mix the Filling: While the cups cool, beat together the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, orange or lemon zest, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Transfer this filling to a large resealable gallon bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
  5. Fill Pastry Cups: Just before serving, remove the filling from the refrigerator. Snip off one corner of the bag and pipe about 1 tablespoon of filling into each cooled pastry cup. Top each with miniature chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios, then dust with additional powdered sugar for a beautiful finish.
  6. Serve Immediately: Present these delightful mini cannoli cups fresh for best texture and flavor.

Notes

  • Make sure to drain the ricotta cheese well to avoid watery filling.
  • If you don’t have a 2½-inch cookie cutter, a small glass or cup rim can work as a substitute.
  • You can substitute lemon zest for orange zest depending on flavor preference.
  • For a nut-free option, use only chocolate chips for garnishing.
  • Store any leftover filling in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, but fill the pastry cups just before serving to maintain crispness.

Keywords: mini cannoli cups, ricotta dessert, easy cannoli recipe, bite-sized desserts, cinnamon sugar pastry cups

Find it online: https://flavorsbymaya.com/mini-cannoli-cups-recipe/