Mini Cannoli Cups Recipe
These Mini Cannoli Cups are a delightful twist on the classic Italian dessert, featuring crispy baked pastry shells filled with a creamy, sweet ricotta mixture enhanced with citrus zest and vanilla. Topped with mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios and a dusting of powdered sugar, these bite-sized treats are perfect for parties or elegant gatherings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 48 mini cannoli cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Filling
- 1 container whole-milk ricotta cheese (15 oz., drained)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pastry Cups
- 1 box refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box (2 count)
- 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Toppings
- 1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios
- Additional powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 425°F to prepare for baking the pastry cups.
- Prepare the pastry rounds: Lightly flour a clean work surface and unroll the refrigerated pie crusts. Sprinkle turbinado sugar and ground cinnamon evenly over the dough. Using a rolling pin, gently roll over the top to press the sugar and cinnamon into the crust. Cut out 2½-inch pastry rounds with a cookie cutter.
- Form and bake the cups: Gently press each round into an ungreased mini muffin tin to form small cups. If needed, re-roll scraps to cut out more rounds until you have 48. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool completely in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool further.
- Make the filling: While the cups cool, mix whole-milk ricotta, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, citrus zest, and vanilla extract in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth. Transfer the filling to a large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Pipe the filling into cups: Just before serving, remove the filling from the refrigerator. Snip off one corner of the bag and pipe about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each cooled pastry cup.
- Add toppings and serve: Sprinkle the filled cups with mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios and dust lightly with additional powdered sugar. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Make sure to drain the ricotta well to avoid watery filling.
- You can substitute lemon zest for orange zest for a slightly different flavor.
- For a nut-free version, use chocolate chips only and omit pistachios.
- These cups are best served the same day to maintain the crispness of the pastry.
- Store any leftover filling separately in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Keywords: mini cannoli cups, ricotta dessert, Italian dessert, party appetizers, baked cannoli, ricotta filling, bite-sized dessert
Find it online: https://thedishspot.com/mini-cannoli-cups-recipe/
