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!
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.
Pat says
I made this today. It is delicious. I didn’t have mini chocolate chips so I substituted chocolate and peanut butter chips. Still yummy!
Lspeert says
I used this as a filling between layers and on the top of a dense chocolate cake; then iced the sides of the cake with a fudgy chocolate icing. A year later, all the guests for a New Year’s Eve party are asking me to make it again!
Carol L says
After cooking all day, I made this recipe last and totally spaced it with the semi sweet morsals.
I had both regular size, and mini morsels on my counter and used the larger by accident. Do you think it chang s texture or consistency, or quantity needed for recipe?
It doesn’t look as good as yours but I decorated with chips and marachino cherries with a tad sprinkle of cinnamon.
Betty anderson says
How far ahead of serving can I make this.
Jennifer says
Can this be frozen and used later? I made a batch and it was delicious but I have leftovers that I’d like to save.
Paul says
substitute mascarpone for cream cheese and you’ll eliminate the tang. Garnish with chopped pistachios.
Kristan says
Friends and family absolutely love this recipe!
One question…you list the nutritional info, but what is the serving size that you calculated this for?
Thanks so much!
Joann says
Besides broken up waffle cones, I serve this with strawberries also. Always a hit!
Judy Krysztofik says
This was so easy and very tasty. Made it for a party and made pizzelles instead. Was a big hit.
Amor82 says
Tried this dip because it promised it would not taste like cream cheese, but it was an epic fail. I did everything suggested and even bought real Italian ricotta that’s expensive and I did not like it.
Jodie Buchanan says
Next time use mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese.
Theresa says
I made this dip and piped it into mini cannoli shells using a frosting bag and slanted tip. It was a hit! I can’t wait to make it again!! Great tasty recipe!
Julie says
Way easier than the real deal. Also I like this version better than ricotta only recipe I found. Better texture for a dip.
debbie says
Brought this to a party – everyone loved it! Super easy to make, but addictive.
Kerri says
Made this dip a couple times and always a huge hit. This time I am making it for a baby shower so added a couple drops of red food dye because we are trying to have some pink food elements. Obviously it’s s girl. The dip can be colorful for a variety of
Festivity’s with just a couple drops of your desired color dye.
michelle says
TASTES LIKE CREAM CHEESE
Shannon says
People assume this is what I am bringing to every family gathering now because this seems to the the only food EVERYONE likes! It’s so easy to make- especially last minute. This time I’m going to put it in little filo dough shells for easier munching.