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Mini Cannoli Cups

Mini Cannoli Cups

Bite-sized cannoli-inspired dessert: crisp little pastry or phyllo cups filled with a sweet, creamy ricotta-mascarpone filling with chocolate chips and optional pistachios — no frying required.
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Préparation 15 minutes
Cuisson 10 minutes
Chill Time (optional) 20 minutes
Temps total 35 minutes
Portions: 20 mini cups
Plat: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Italian-inspired
Ingredients Equipment Préparation Notes

Ingrédients
  

Cups / Shells
  • 1 package mini phyllo cups or pre-made pastry cups (or you can make cups from pie crust or puff pastry/wonton wrappers)
  • 1 Tbsp butter melted, optional (for brushing shells)
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar optional – to sprinkle inside shells for sweetness/crispness
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon optional – for flavoring shells
Filling
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese well-drained
  • ½ cup mascarpone cheese or substitute part/all with cream cheese for similar texture
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar adjust sweetness to taste
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract or almond extract for variation
  • orange or lemon zest optional — a fine grater works best
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips fold into filling and as topping, optional
Optional Toppings / Garnish
  • chopped pistachios optional, for crunch and color
  • candy cherries or candied orange peel optional, for decoration
  • powdered sugar for dusting before serving

Équipement

  • Mini muffin tin or baking sheet / parchment
  • Mixing bowl
  • Whisk or electric mixer
  • Piping bag or spoon

Préparation
 

  1. If using pre-made cups (phyllo, puff pastry or wonton-based): preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C), place cups on a baking sheet, brush lightly with melted butter if desired, sprinkle with a bit of sugar+cinnamon for extra flavor/crispness, and bake 5-10 minutes until just golden and crisp. Let cool completely.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the drained ricotta, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract — add citrus zest if using — until smooth and creamy. Then gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
  3. Chill the filling 15-30 minutes if possible (this helps it firm up and pipe nicely).
  4. Fill each cooled shell with a generous spoonful or pipe the filling in using a pastry bag.
  5. Top each mini cannoli cup with chopped pistachios, additional mini chocolate chips, or candied fruit as desired. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
  6. Serve immediately for best texture (shell stays crisp). If you prep ahead, store shells and filling separately and assemble just before serving.

Notes et conservation

These mini cannoli cups are a no-fry, quick and elegant dessert. They’re easily customizable — try citrus zest, different nuts, or chocolate drizzle. Shells can be made from pre-made pastry, puff pastry, phyllo, or even wonton wrappers for a lighter option. Based on several publicly available recipes. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}