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.
Equipment
- Mini muffin tin or baking sheet / parchment
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk or electric mixer
- Piping bag or spoon
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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Chill the filling 15-30 minutes if possible (this helps it firm up and pipe nicely).
- Fill each cooled shell with a generous spoonful or pipe the filling in using a pastry bag.
- Top each mini cannoli cup with chopped pistachios, additional mini chocolate chips, or candied fruit as desired. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
- Serve immediately for best texture (shell stays crisp). If you prep ahead, store shells and filling separately and assemble just before serving.
Notes
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}