Easy cannoli dip made with ricotta and cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and chocolate chips. This sweet treat tastes like the original dessert and is the perfect party dip for sharing!
Best Cannoli Dip
My homemade cannoli dip tastes just like the classic Italian dessert in the form of a creamy shareable dessert dip.
The best dessert dips are made by turning classic desserts into fun dips that contain all the flavors of the original but with a fraction of the effort! No bake cheesecake dip, brownie batter dip, funfetti cake batter dip, and this sweet cannoli dip are just a few of my favorites.
Why This Recipe Works
- An anytime treat. I like to make this Italian cannoli dip recipe for girls’ nights, weekend movie nights, game days, and all sorts of parties.
- Easy no-bake dessert. Whip it up in 10 minutes and it’s ready to serve! Pair it with your favorite dippers like fresh fruit and cookies!
Cannoli Dip Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Full-fat ricotta cheese: Strain it to get rid of excess moisture. Even after straining you’ll need to pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Cream cheese: Bring it out to room temperature about an hour ahead of time so it’s nice and creamy. I would recommend using a block rather than a tub of spreadable cream cheese.
- Sugars: Both sifted powdered sugar and brown sugar for extra flavor.
- You’ll also need: Vanilla extract and mini chocolate chips. Oh, and some fresh strawberries and butter waffle cookies for dipping!
Substitutions and Variations
For the cannoli filling I like to use ricotta, but if you’d like to make a mascarpone cream filling instead, feel free. Ricotta and mascarpone cheese aren’t always interchangeable, but in this case, you can use either.
Sprinkle a little orange zest or lemon zest into the filling for added flavor. You could also switch it up and use almond extract instead of vanilla extract.
You could swap the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips or chopped nuts like pistachio. Whatever you’d find in classic cannolis you can add them to this dip!
How to Make Cannoli Dip
In a medium bowl use an electric mixer or a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, cream the ricotta and cream cheese until smooth.
Add the sifted sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla then mix until smooth and creamy. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Dive right in or put it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it with a variety of your favorite dippers.
Cannoli Dip Dippers
You can’t go wrong with fresh fruit and berries like strawberries and sliced apples.
You’ll also want to add some crunchy items like cannoli shells if you have them, pizzelle cookies, broken waffle cones, cinnamon tortilla chips, vanilla wafers, butter cookies, and mini chocolate chip cookies.
Expert Tips
- To drain the ricotta of excess liquid, let it sit in a cheesecloth over a bowl. If you don’t have a cheesecloth, a coffee filter also works.
- Use full-fat or whole milk ricotta. Not only for the best texture and richness but also for the least amount of liquid to have to drain.
- Refrigerate within 2 hours. Although the powdered sugar acts as a stabilizer and preservative, with the amount of dairy in this best cannoli dip recipe, you’ll need to put it in the fridge within a couple of hours of serving.
More no bake desserts to try include this fruit dip, easy strawberry fruit dip and homemade marshmallow fluff!
More Dessert Dips
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Cannoli Dip Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese , strained
- 8 ounces (1 block) cream cheese , softened to room temp
- 1 cup powdered sugar , more to taste
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips , plus more for topping
For serving: butter waffle cookies, strawberries
Instructions
- Strain ricotta. Strain any excess moisture from the ricotta and pat with a few paper towels or strain in a cheese cloth.
- Blend. Add 1 cup ricotta and 8 ounces cream cheese to a medium sized bowl. Using an electric mixer, blend them together until smooth and creamy.
- Add sugar. Add 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla to the cheese mixture. Mix with a handheld mixer until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
- Add chocolate chips and serve. Fold in 2/3 cup chocolate chips with a spatula and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve alongside dippers.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
Add a bit of heavy whipping cream with the cheese mixture. About 1/2 cup should be good.
If you are using regular granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar, you’ll find the texture won’t be as smooth. The same goes for not sifting the powdered sugar beforehand. Although, granulated sugar will still give you a grittier result.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the fridge. Just before eating it again, give it a stir in case any liquid has pooled at the bottom of the container.
Categorized as: American, Desserts, Gluten-Free, Italian, Kid-Friendly, No-Bake, Nut-Free, Reader Favorites, Valentine's Day
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I made this for a party and everyone LOVED it! And so easy to make.
I made this for our book club night and I found my son eating it with a spoon!! lol!!
Needless to say I need to make it again, it’s so good!
It makes me happy to hear that you enjoyed the dip Teresa!