About Cannoli Dip
For as much as I claim to love desserts dips I’ve seriously been neglecting them as of late. I had to check my recipe archives to be sure, but my last dessert dip was posted all the way back at the beginning of March.
So, clearly, this easy cannoli dip was more than called for.
And if you’re like me and haven’t fully come to terms with the fact that we’re almost half way through the month of May (!!) that means it’s been two whole months since I whipped up something sweet and dippable.
Like, seriously.
Time, you need to slow your roll.
Wait, are the cool kids still saying “slow your roll”?
Yes?
Maybe no?
Guess I’ll just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best, cause I’m just not ready to upgrade my slang and use “on fleek” in a sentence.
Anywho, where was I?
Oh, right – DIP!
I have to admit that the recent lack of dessert dips is all due to the “parfait craze” I’ve been on lately. Once the Baileys Cookies and Cream Parfait post took off, it was hard not to make even more parfaits. I gotta give the masses what they want, right?
But, sadly, none of my other parfaits did anywhere near as good as the Baileys one, so aside from one more awesome parfait I have planned (seriously, it’s a doozy!) I’ll probably cool it with the parfaits for a while and go back to my tried and true dip recipes.
Although, at the end of the day, I’m game for any type of no bake dessert. I’m not the best baker (though I do try!) so anytime I don’t have to depend on whatever voodoo magic my oven casts on baked goods is fine by me.
Parfaits and dips are just the easiest route to all the sweet food I crave.
Now, the cool part about this dip is that it surprised me. I wanted to make a dip with the ingredients I had on hand, and it just so happens I always seem to have a lot of cream cheese in my fridge.
So cream cheese is definitely in this dip, and in 99.9% of cases that means you’re still going to taste at least a little bit of the cream cheese no matter how hard you try to dress it up…
But for this cannoli dip, that wasn’t the case, because you can’t taste the cream cheese in this. Like, at all.
And I would never have believed that if I had not made it myself and learned the truth.
So there you have it: a five-ingredient dip that’s easy to throw together and still has all the indulgent flavor of a true cannoli. I can’t wait to make this at our next party!
Do you have to use Cream Cheese?
Since I posted this recipe, many readers have said they wished it didn’t include cream cheese. And I totally understand that – cream cheese can be very overpowering and it’s not a flavor you normally think of with cannoli.
However, in this case, I promise that you can’t taste the cream cheese in this recipe. The only reason why cream cheese is used is to give the app a little thickness and consistency.
Do you have to use Ricotta Cheese?
Other readers have also asked for an alternative to the ricotta cheese, as they love cannolis but dislike ricotta… but I gotta be honest with you here:
Most traditional cannoli recipes are made with ricotta cheese.
You might find some variations, but from what I’ve read, ricotta cheese tends to be a cannoli staple. So if you love cannolis but are unsure about ricotta, invite a few friends over and give this dip a try as it’s written. I promise the taste will be very similar to the cannoli you already love. And if not? Your friends can help you eat what’s left.
How to make sure your cannoli dip is creamy
I’ve made this dip a few times without any issues, but some readers have said that their dip came out watery or grainy.
Thankfully, there are a few easy things you can do to help prevent this from happening to your dip.
- I would highly recommend splurging on a high-quality brand ricotta made with whole milk. I like to use Shamrock brand.
- Make sure the ricotta is very fresh and ideally from a container that’s just been opened. This will help lessen the chance of excess liquid in the ricotta.
- If you do notice that your ricotta has extra liquid or isn’t a firm, you can use cheesecloth to help drain any excess liquid from the ricotta. If you’re unsure how to do this, check out this tutorial on how to strain ricotta cheese.
Using any one (or all!) of these tips will help ensure your dip has a nice creamy consistency.
Notes & tips for this cannoli cream dip
- For this recipe, I highly recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. This isn’t a recipe you can make by hand with a whisk.
- If making the dip in advance, refrigerate in a covered container overnight, then allow the dip to soften on your counter until it has a firmness you’d like for dipping.
More fun dessert dips
How to make cannoli dip
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), add ricotta, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Whip them together on medium-high speed until ultra creamy.
Step 2 – Toss in the vanilla extract and mix until absorbed, about another 30 seconds or so.
Step 3 – Add chocolate chips and gently fold them into the cannoli mixture.
Step 4 – Serve dip and enjoy!
Watch the recipe video
Recipe Details
Cannoli Dip
Ingredients
Instructions
Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer + large bowl), add in ricotta, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Add in vanilla extract and whip for another 30 seconds.
Taste test the dip - if you'd like it sweeter, add more powdered sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time. You can safely add up to another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (8 tablespoons) without negatively impacting consistency.
- Fold in mini chocolate chips, reserving some to sprinkle on top for decoration if desired.
- Serve dip immediately with broken waffle cones for dipping.
Nutrition
This sounds and looks so good! When I tried to post on facebook the picture wouldn’t load. Just wanted to let you know. But I can’t wait to try this.
Hi we just made this it is AHHHMAZING! How long would you say itss good for though as we made way too much haha
This is a great recipe and always a hit when I make it……..plus it takes only 5 minutes to make! A real winner!
Super easy to make, and it was a big hit at my party. I followed the recipe – only added 1 cup of powered sugar!
This is a very quick and delicious desert. My husband and 3 of my four children love it, which really surprised me. I will say that you definitely have to use the right cream cheese and Ricotta. The first time I made it I used Philadelphia cream cheese and Galbani Whole milk Ricotta and it turned out perfect. The next time I used a cheaper Ricotta and cream cheese and it came out runny and gritty. So we went back to the store and got the ingredients we used the first time and it came out perfect. I’m so glad we found this recipe!
Thanks for writing in, Lindsey! I’m so glad everyone liked it 😀 And good to know about the ingredients. I know some other readers have had some difficulty with consistency so hopefully your insight will help 😀
This is really tasty! I’ve taken it to a couple of parties and everyone loved it. I found that the waffle bowls break up better than the cones.
Thank you for this recipe it was excellent!! I did not change anything from your ingredients and this was superb. I made it on a Sunday and we were still finishing it up on Thursday and it was still fabulous as day one! I’m a “cannoli snob” and only purchase them from our Italian bakeries that have been around for generations and I will tell you this dip tastes just as good and we are picky! Mine didn’t get watery at all and bought my ricotta the same day I made it so it was super fresh. And would only use whole milk ricotta with this recipe as the part and low ricotta would in my opinion cause a watery result. And we loved the waffles cones with it! Thank you again for a fab recipe!
Used mascarpone instead of cream cheese because that’s what I had (the ricotta and mascarpone were left over from two recipes, they are not my normal house hold cheeses lol). I’m honestly not sure what a canolli tastes like as I’m not sure I’ve ever had one but what I made was delicious. I followed everything else to a T.
I made this dip for a Christmas party and it was gone in no time flat! It was delicious and everyone loved it!
Had this at a party with cinnamon sugar pita chips for dippers instead of waffle cones. It was to die for!
This Cannoli Dip was fantastic! I even used skim milk ricotta. My boyfriend is Italian, & his grandma makes some pretty amazing Cannolis/Cannoli cake. He said nothing could be compared… until he tried this. He LOVED it. 😄 Thanks for sharing!
I made this dip tonight to take for teacher appreciation luncheon. It is super yummy. I like it even without the chocolate chips. Thanks for the great recipes.
Quick and easy to make. I made individual servings with chocolate waffle cone pieces to take to a dinner party. It was a huge hit – everyone loved it! Will definitely make again.
Outstanding recipe-so quick and easy-got it from my s-i-l who served w/gluten free cinn. crackers for my celiac nephew. Def. make w/the whole milk ricotta-great tip. Used store brand cream cheese-zero issue, perfect texture, no runny watery issue. Doesn’t need more than the 1cup of powdered sugar. I served with cannoli chips from the local store, too. A+ on ease (my do or die), taste, and time.