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I’ve said it before, but my friends are absolutely amazing.
First, my friend Sara. On Friday night, a group of my book club girls gathered together as we bid a tearful but oh-so-exciting farewell to Sara as she moves across the ocean to be with her love. It’s true. After leaving her job as an English teacher to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter (you must check out her beautiful music — she was even featured on the show “Private Practice”!), her leap of faith also landed her in the path of an amazing man with a rockin’ accent from Britain who…pretty much instantly fell in love with her. And then proceeded to win her heart from halfway around the world. Theirs is truly an amazing love story that has been inspiring to see unfold. Grateful and so excited for her.
So for my contribution to the evening full of wine, sweets, and (always) great conversation, I decided to modify a traditional Italian dessert recipe from one of my other amazing friends — Lisa. I met Lisa years ago when she auditioned for a choir I was directing, and have been inspired and amazed by her story as well. After coming out of a really difficult season in life, this gal met and married another amazing man. And then decided somewhat on a whim to launch her own foodie website, dedicated entirely to Italian dessert recipes. (Hint hint – that’s the name of the site!) Literally, people, every single one I’ve tried has been nothing sort of fantastico!
So when I had the idea for making some little cannoli cups for Sara’s party, I immediately knew whose filling recipe to try. Sure enough, Lisa’s cannoli filling was absolutely amazing! As my friends said to tell the blogosphere, it was subtle, sweet, and really delicious. And they thought they were so tasty that a “wizard” must have made them. Ha – ok, long story. But trust us — they are crazy good. And really easy. So I’m pretty sure you should try them.
Grateful once again today for amazingly talented friends and the amazing joy found in courageous leaps of faith!
Your favorite Italian dessert made simple and served inside adorable little wonton “cups”. You’ll love this cannoli cups recipe!
Ingredients
Scale
1 package (16 oz.) wonton wrappers
1 container (15 oz.) ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/3 cups whole milk
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
In a bowl, slowly whisk *1 cup* of the milk into the cornstarch until smooth. Let sit about 20 minutes.
Transfer mixture into a sauce pan, and then add in the remaining milk and sugar. Heat on medium-low, stirring constantly until it is very thick and smooth (about 7-10 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in the almond and vanilla extracts. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the filling to avoid “skin”, and let cool until the mixture reaches room temperature.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then press 30-35 wonton wrappers (you can do this in multiple batches) into a mini baking cup pan to form the “cups”. (Be sure that the corners do not fold in after the pan sits for a minute!) Bake the cups for 10-15 minutes, or until the wrappers are golden brown. Remove and let cool.
After the milk mixture has reached room temperature, whisk in the ricotta and cinnamon until smooth. (You can also do this with an electric mixer on low.) Use a pastry bag to pipe the mixture into the baked wonton cups, or use a spoon to scoop it in. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips, then dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate, or serve immediately.
Notes
If you’re in a hurry making these (as I happened to be), Lisa recommended letting the milk mixture cool in a shallow pan instead of the saucepan. I tried it (placing it on a cool countertop) and the mixture was ready in about 10 minutes! Very speedy!
Okay, can I just say thank you right off the bat? This is a fabulous idea and couldn’t have come at a better time.
My son (13) keeps asking me to make cannoli. I don’t know why because we aren’t Italian and we’ve never had them before, but I keep saying no because they look difficult to make. I will, however, be making this version and be happy to do it.
My son even quoted this line from “You’ve Got Mail” quoting “The Godfather”…What do I take on my vacation? Leave the gun, take the cannoli. I think he keeps trying to leave me subtle hints.
I’ve been using a recipe for cookie cannoli but the cookies don’t stay crisp in warm humid weather, so I can only make them in the cooler seasons. These cannoli cups look like they would be much easier to make. I’ve also used frozen puff pastry to make the cups but they didn’t look as nice as these.
It’s important to strain the ricotta overnight before using…I learned this the hard way the first time I attempted to make it and got a soupy mess.
Jenn —
Seriously? If this is true (and I am not a great cook – so this isn’t first hand knowledge to me), I’m thinking this should’ve been mentioned in the beginning of the recipe. :|
Aluvendale —
I did not strain the ricotta. I just used a 15oz container from my local grocery store. No issues.
Sandy —
Did you use riccotta or cottage cheese?
JenStorm —
Soupy mess here too. Used Ricotta (full fat even!) but no luck. Any suggestions on how to make it thicker?
JenStorm —
I added more ricotta and it’s not too mushy now. Not nearly as pretty as shown above but at least a little firmer. I just made more cups though because now I have WAY more filling. :)
adrien1441 —
I got a soupy mess too :( Maybe that is where I went wrong? Although the ricotta did seem really thick, so I am not sure if there would have been much to strain? Either way, would love to know what I did wrong :(
Made these for my ladies group last night. Totally addictive…to me, at least. Loved the not-too-sweet filling combined with the crunchy shells. They tasted good for breakfast this AM, too.
Any idea how long you can refrigerate these for before the cups get soft? I’d like to make them the night before but I’m afraid they’d be soft in the morning
These are so much easier than making cannolis tube shells…..What a cute and great time saver…Now my kitchen doesn’t need to smell like hot oil all day nor do i spend all day making homemade shells….Except for the Holidays….Tradition is still needed!! Thanks
Hi, was very excited to make these, however I just finished the cannoli filling and all I have is what looks like a bowl of milk?!? I really wanted to take these to a family gathering tomorrow, anyone have any suggestions??? Thanks!
adrien1441 —
Same here – I too got a bowl of milk. What do we need to do to make the filling thick like in the pictures above?
Hey there! Just curious, how do the cups turn out. I saw a great alternative to breaded & fried mozzarella sticks on pintrest by wrapping them in wanton wrappers and baking. DISASTER. they were a chewy/hard mess. Your wanton cups look so crispy, just like cannoli shells – did you do anything special? Spray them with cooking spray? Anything? Or was it just package to pan? Sorry for so many questions I’m just so excited to make these!! Thank you for the recipe!!
Aluvendale —
I made these last night and it was just package to pan. baked at 350 for about 15 minutes. They were very crispy.
These looked great and filling tasted great, but shell still tasted like a wonton – not dessert. I will use the filling again, even made it with no fat ricotta and it turned out delicious, just need a better dessert shell…
Looks like a fantastic recipe! I think the idea of draining the liquid off the ricotta makes sense–like Greek yogurt instead of the soupy regular version. I will also sprinkle powdered pistachios over the finished product, along with the choc. chips. Thanks!!!!
I tried to make the filling tonight for a function tomorrow night. The filling is really thick, and is not at all creamy like I was dreaming it would be. I followed the directions exactly. I mixed the ricotta and the milk/cornstarch, once cooled, by hand. Although I stirred for quite some time, they never seemed to fully combine. Should I have used a mixer instead? I was hoping to make these for a gourmet club lunch next week, but I am hesitant. (Also, as a side note: the milk/sugar/cornstarch thickened on my gas stove within 3 minutes.)
I literally just got done making these cute little desserts! Its Italian night here and these Cannoli Cups are going to be perfect for after my Lasagna Rolls! Now I had the same “watery” problem. It just wasn’t Cannoli thick after I completed the recipe, so I popped that mixture back into the sauce pan on med/high and whisked till it was connoli thick…probly 10 more mins or so. Turned out PERFECT! Was able to pipe it into the cups after it was cooled. Looked and tasted amazing!
I tried making these last night. Everything came together very easily and looked super pretty in the cups. but i did not like the taste of the cream at all, it did not taste like a cannoli to me. it tatsed more like rice pudding. i think maybe next time i would try with a mascarpone cheese? and less almond extract.
Yummy!! Tasted just like a cannoli and I will defiantly be making these cannoli cups again!! So good and I totally recommend these because they are quick,easy,and delicious!!
Thanks for the great recipe! I made this for a very Italian family party last week, and they were a hit!
Some tips I learned: I dusted the cups with powdered sugar before filling them, which I think helped make them taste more dessert-like. I also drained the cheese overnight.
Thanks Ali :)
We are having some family & friends over for a BBQ for my hubby’s birthday next month so I’, going to make these little beauties as part of a desert platter!
They look great & so easy to make. I have always wanted to make cannolis and now I will :)
Thank you, Anita xx
I just made these and they were so good! I had eggroll wrappers and did a test but didn’t like the flavor or lack of. I had an extra puff pastry sheet so I cut little rectangles (for dipping), covered with egg wash and sprinkled with cinn and sugar and cooked according to box. They taste great with the cannoli cream. I followed the recipe exactly minus the almond extract bc I didn’t have any so I increased the vanilla a little bit. The recipe is delicious! Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for.
Just finished making these and they are in the fridge for a party tomorrow! I’m curious if anyone has found a replacement for the wonton shell…they are perfect for tiny desserts, but lack a bit in the taste department. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We hope you enjoyed these, Allison! Egg roll wrappers, maybe?
Ii didn’t have whole milk and only buy skim so I used vanilla coffee creamer for the milk with great success still using the vanilla extract. Dusting the cups with powdered sugar when they come out of the oven is a must!!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Oooh, we love that idea, way to be resourceful! : )
I love this idea! Quick question, can I bake the wonton earlier in the day and then stiff them later? I just want to make sure they won’t get soggy since I’m doing them early.
Thanks!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Melissa, yes you can definitely do that! We hope you enjoy these!
Have you tried making these in advance and freezing? Any tips or tricks? Thanks! Love your site. :)
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Monica! Unfortunately we don’t think these would freeze well, because of the cream. It’s so delicate, and it will likely separate. We hope you enjoy these though!
Lovely little sweet treat! I cannot wait to make them for my 3 year old & myself to nibble on. Question, Is the almond extract necessary? My son has a tree nut allergy. I wonder if puff pastry shell could be used as well as the wonton papers or do you think it would get soggy?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks Carla! The almond extract isn’t totally necessary (you could just use vanilla if you wanted). We would still recommend using the wonton papers though. We hope you and your kiddo enjoy!
What a wonderful and adorable idea!
I love how quick and easy these are – they look great!
Not gonna lie, this is pretty genius.
These are so pretty!!
these are so fun! the hubs would love these
Thanks, Brandi! :-)
Look at theeeeeeese!
Yay! Thanks, Bev! Welcome home!!!
Okay, can I just say thank you right off the bat? This is a fabulous idea and couldn’t have come at a better time.
My son (13) keeps asking me to make cannoli. I don’t know why because we aren’t Italian and we’ve never had them before, but I keep saying no because they look difficult to make. I will, however, be making this version and be happy to do it.
My son even quoted this line from “You’ve Got Mail” quoting “The Godfather”…What do I take on my vacation? Leave the gun, take the cannoli. I think he keeps trying to leave me subtle hints.
Ha — love this, Susan! I thought the classic cannoli looked difficult too, but these were a breeze! Hope you enjoy them. :)
These are so cute and would be perfect for a party or shower! Love that you put them in wonton wrappers!
Thanks, Stephanie! We totally loved them at our party!
These look great!
Thanks, Shari!
Look at those photo boards! These photos look amazing, as do the cannoli cups!
Whoo! I have you and Paul to thank!! :)
Mild….so mild.
Ha…wizardly! :)
Are these not the cutest?! I have to make these for my next get-together. My friends will be so impressed! :)
Thanks, Chung-Ah!
Brilliant! I can’t wait to make these!
Thanks, Jennifer!
What an adorable idea! I’ve done cannoli cones before but never cups! Must try!
Oh wow! I adore cannoli, but I don’t enjoy frying cannoli shells. I can’t wait to try this instead!
well aren’t these just the cutest little things ever!
Making these now for a barbecue tonight. I can’t wait to rake in the compliments ;-). Thanks for a great recipe!!
I’ve been using a recipe for cookie cannoli but the cookies don’t stay crisp in warm humid weather, so I can only make them in the cooler seasons. These cannoli cups look like they would be much easier to make. I’ve also used frozen puff pastry to make the cups but they didn’t look as nice as these.
It’s important to strain the ricotta overnight before using…I learned this the hard way the first time I attempted to make it and got a soupy mess.
Seriously? If this is true (and I am not a great cook – so this isn’t first hand knowledge to me), I’m thinking this should’ve been mentioned in the beginning of the recipe. :|
I did not strain the ricotta. I just used a 15oz container from my local grocery store. No issues.
Did you use riccotta or cottage cheese?
Soupy mess here too. Used Ricotta (full fat even!) but no luck. Any suggestions on how to make it thicker?
I added more ricotta and it’s not too mushy now. Not nearly as pretty as shown above but at least a little firmer. I just made more cups though because now I have WAY more filling. :)
I got a soupy mess too :( Maybe that is where I went wrong? Although the ricotta did seem really thick, so I am not sure if there would have been much to strain? Either way, would love to know what I did wrong :(
Made these for my ladies group last night. Totally addictive…to me, at least. Loved the not-too-sweet filling combined with the crunchy shells. They tasted good for breakfast this AM, too.
Any idea how long you can refrigerate these for before the cups get soft? I’d like to make them the night before but I’m afraid they’d be soft in the morning
I would love to make these, but I can’t seem to find the wonton wrappers anywhere- help!
They have wonton wrappers at most grocery stores… Try a Walmart in the produce section by the tofu and pre-cut fruits and veggie platters…
These are adorable! I never even thought to do them cup style.
These are so much easier than making cannolis tube shells…..What a cute and great time saver…Now my kitchen doesn’t need to smell like hot oil all day nor do i spend all day making homemade shells….Except for the Holidays….Tradition is still needed!! Thanks
Can I use phyllo cups instead of wonton wrappers?
Wondering if I could use 2% milk and reduced fat ricotta cheese for a slimmer dessert?
These look so good!
Hi, was very excited to make these, however I just finished the cannoli filling and all I have is what looks like a bowl of milk?!? I really wanted to take these to a family gathering tomorrow, anyone have any suggestions??? Thanks!
Same here – I too got a bowl of milk. What do we need to do to make the filling thick like in the pictures above?
Hey there! Just curious, how do the cups turn out. I saw a great alternative to breaded & fried mozzarella sticks on pintrest by wrapping them in wanton wrappers and baking. DISASTER. they were a chewy/hard mess. Your wanton cups look so crispy, just like cannoli shells – did you do anything special? Spray them with cooking spray? Anything? Or was it just package to pan? Sorry for so many questions I’m just so excited to make these!! Thank you for the recipe!!
I made these last night and it was just package to pan. baked at 350 for about 15 minutes. They were very crispy.
I tried making these cannoli cups and the filling turned out watery.. any idea why this is? I followed directions exactly
Such pretty treats!
You are awesome!!!! Thank you for sharing!
These are adorable, bite size and a lot easier than stuffing the cannoli tubes. I can’t wait to try them!
Hello! I made these last night and they were a huge hit. Thank you very much!!
These looked great and filling tasted great, but shell still tasted like a wonton – not dessert. I will use the filling again, even made it with no fat ricotta and it turned out delicious, just need a better dessert shell…
Looks like a fantastic recipe! I think the idea of draining the liquid off the ricotta makes sense–like Greek yogurt instead of the soupy regular version. I will also sprinkle powdered pistachios over the finished product, along with the choc. chips. Thanks!!!!
I tried to make the filling tonight for a function tomorrow night. The filling is really thick, and is not at all creamy like I was dreaming it would be. I followed the directions exactly. I mixed the ricotta and the milk/cornstarch, once cooled, by hand. Although I stirred for quite some time, they never seemed to fully combine. Should I have used a mixer instead? I was hoping to make these for a gourmet club lunch next week, but I am hesitant. (Also, as a side note: the milk/sugar/cornstarch thickened on my gas stove within 3 minutes.)
I literally just got done making these cute little desserts! Its Italian night here and these Cannoli Cups are going to be perfect for after my Lasagna Rolls! Now I had the same “watery” problem. It just wasn’t Cannoli thick after I completed the recipe, so I popped that mixture back into the sauce pan on med/high and whisked till it was connoli thick…probly 10 more mins or so. Turned out PERFECT! Was able to pipe it into the cups after it was cooled. Looked and tasted amazing!
I tried making these last night. Everything came together very easily and looked super pretty in the cups. but i did not like the taste of the cream at all, it did not taste like a cannoli to me. it tatsed more like rice pudding. i think maybe next time i would try with a mascarpone cheese? and less almond extract.
After reading all the comments, I thought the shells might taste better if you dusted them with sugar before baking. Has anyone tried this?
I made these and they looked great but they didn’t taste at all like canoli. The shell just tasted like wonton….
Yummy!! Tasted just like a cannoli and I will defiantly be making these cannoli cups again!! So good and I totally recommend these because they are quick,easy,and delicious!!
Thanks for the great recipe! I made this for a very Italian family party last week, and they were a hit!
Some tips I learned: I dusted the cups with powdered sugar before filling them, which I think helped make them taste more dessert-like. I also drained the cheese overnight.
Thanks Ali :)
We are having some family & friends over for a BBQ for my hubby’s birthday next month so I’, going to make these little beauties as part of a desert platter!
They look great & so easy to make. I have always wanted to make cannolis and now I will :)
Thank you, Anita xx
I just made these and they were so good! I had eggroll wrappers and did a test but didn’t like the flavor or lack of. I had an extra puff pastry sheet so I cut little rectangles (for dipping), covered with egg wash and sprinkled with cinn and sugar and cooked according to box. They taste great with the cannoli cream. I followed the recipe exactly minus the almond extract bc I didn’t have any so I increased the vanilla a little bit. The recipe is delicious! Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for.
Just finished making these and they are in the fridge for a party tomorrow! I’m curious if anyone has found a replacement for the wonton shell…they are perfect for tiny desserts, but lack a bit in the taste department. Thank you so much for this recipe!
We hope you enjoyed these, Allison! Egg roll wrappers, maybe?
Ii didn’t have whole milk and only buy skim so I used vanilla coffee creamer for the milk with great success still using the vanilla extract. Dusting the cups with powdered sugar when they come out of the oven is a must!!
Oooh, we love that idea, way to be resourceful! : )
Hi
I love this idea! Quick question, can I bake the wonton earlier in the day and then stiff them later? I just want to make sure they won’t get soggy since I’m doing them early.
Thanks!
Hi Melissa, yes you can definitely do that! We hope you enjoy these!
Have you tried making these in advance and freezing? Any tips or tricks? Thanks! Love your site. :)
Hi Monica! Unfortunately we don’t think these would freeze well, because of the cream. It’s so delicate, and it will likely separate. We hope you enjoy these though!
Lovely little sweet treat! I cannot wait to make them for my 3 year old & myself to nibble on. Question, Is the almond extract necessary? My son has a tree nut allergy. I wonder if puff pastry shell could be used as well as the wonton papers or do you think it would get soggy?
Thanks Carla! The almond extract isn’t totally necessary (you could just use vanilla if you wanted). We would still recommend using the wonton papers though. We hope you and your kiddo enjoy!