The Vegan Cannoli Recipe. I know I’m tooting my horn pretty loud over this one
But let me tell you this Vegan Cannoli Recipe is worthy of an Oscar!
Right off the bat I know I will be getting some flack for not using a traditional fried dough cannoli shell.
But I actually have a story behind this unique “cannoli shell” and I will explain that first
Many years ago I went out to dinner with a friend to her favorite Italian restaurant.
I didn’t realize until I got there just how fancy this restaurant was and I was severely under dressed in the midst of diamond studded ladies and men in finely tailored suits.
This place was as boujee as boujee gets! I don’t remember what I ordered for dinner but one thing I will never forget is the cannoli.
Oh that cannoli!
Cinnamon scented mascarpone cream stuffed into the most delicate honey lace cookie you could ever wrap your lips around.
It was the most perfect cannoli I had ever tasted and then never tasted again and I set out working on a recipe to recreate that experience for several months
And with many fails along the way and I am now confident this is the winner.
I promise you, this is the best Vegan Cannoli Recipe you will ever see, make or taste.
In the video version and the original recipe I was using store bought Tofutti brand ricotta cheese, but have since updated the recipe to an improved version with homemade tofu ricotta!
UPDATED 2022 1 INGREDIENT ~ HOMEMADE RICOTTA RECIPE
- 1 14oz package Firm Tofu
- Place the drained but not pressed, only squeezed of excess water, tofu in the food processor and process to the same texture as ricotta cheese
- Pulse it several times until it starts to come together.
- It will take less than a minute of pulsing.
- Best to use the tofu ricotta right away in your recipe, but it can be stored for up to 4 days in a clean airtight container
Notes for Success:
You will notice in the ingredients below I have Tofutti brand listed for the ricotta and the cream cheese *Not sponsored
But the homemade version listed above is much better, easier and cheaper!
As for the vegan cream cheese you use whatever brand you like the most or even a homemade recipe will work fine since this is not a baked recipe
If you decide to make the Brandy Snap Cookies for the cannoli shell versus a fried dough recipe,
You will have to purchase a silicone baking mat as that is the only way to bake this type of cookie, parchment paper will not work here.
Metal Cannoli Tubes are also necessary to form the shells
It is important to note that these cookie shells will go soggy very quickly so this is not something you can fill ahead of time.
Brandy snap cannoli shells must be filled ala minute~ just before serving
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE THIS VEGAN CANNOLI RECIPE
- For the Brandy Snap Cannoli Shells
- Vegan Butter 3 Tablespoons (42g)
- Dark Corn Syrup 3 Tablespoons (60g)
- Light Brown Sugar 5 teaspoons
- Salt pinch
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon (5ml)
- All Purpose Flour 5 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
- For the Cannoli Cream Filling
- Ricotta Cheese 1½ cup (375g)
- Vegan Cream Cheese 1 cup (226g)
- Confectioners Sugar ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons (75g)
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon (5ml)
- Orange Zest ½ teaspoon
- Ground Cinnamon ½ teaspoon
- Shaved Chocolate *optional
- First to make the brandy snap mix.
- In a small sauce pot melt the vegan butter, remove from the heat and add the light brown sugar, corn syrup, pinch of salt and vanilla extract, stir well to combine
- Add the flour and whisk smooth
- (Store in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 375°F)
- Not only because you only have 4 cannoli tubes, but because the cookies cool fast and forming them has to be equally fast, you will only want to make 4 cookies at a time.
- Spread 1 heaping teaspoon of the batter onto a silicone mat and spread it with a small spatula to the best round shape you can get.
- You can set up multiple sheet pans with the batter, but bake 1 sheet pan with cookies on it at a time.
- Bake for exactly 7 minutes, they will get bubbly all over the surface and start to turn a slightly darker color
- Remove from the oven and let cool just until you can get a small spatula under the cookie and immediately wrap it around a metal cannoli tube and let cool the rest of the way on the tube.
- *If the cookies cool too fast while you are trying to roll them, you can always place the pan back into the oven to get it hot again and attempt to roll it once more.
- Prepare the cannoli cream by combining the vegan cream cheese, cinnamon, sifted confectioners sugar, orange zest and vanilla extract together and paddle it smooth by hand with a large spoon or spatula.
- Fold in the vegan ricotta cheese.
- Fill the brandy snap cannoli shells and then dip the ends in shaved chocolate *optional.
- Serve immediately see additional notes for serving and storage
The cannoli cream recipe will stay fresh for up to 10 days in the refrigerator in a covered container, fill shells just before serving.
Once you fill the shells with the cream, they will start to break down and get soggy especially at room temperature. You can refrigerate filled cannoli to prolong the breakdown, but it is always best to serve and eat cannoli as soon as they have been filled
Gretchen you are amazing, thank you for the recipe.
This looks amazing. It would be my holy grail too as I’ve always loved cannolis. One question. Have you made it with another vegan ricotta (homemade)? I’ve read such bad reviews about it.
I have not made homemade ricotta yet, but I am planning to launch an entire course for Homemade Pantry items (includiong butter, cream cheese, ricotta, ect…) this to go along with my Vegan Baking Mastery Egg Replacers course CLICK HERE to stay in the loop!
I was wondering if Kite Hill almond ricotta could be substituted for the tofu ricotta?
Yes, you can use whatever brand you like best. However! I used Kite Hill (*thinking the more money I spend the better it will be!) I was so wrong, at least in my opinion, the Kite Hill was better for Lasagna (CLICK HERE FOR MORE), definitely had a strange taste going on for this cannoli recipe! SO back to the Tofutti I went! Or now I just make my own Ricotta like I did here for my awesome Italian Cheesecake!
Good to know! Thanks
Hello,
I wanted to find out if you were using vegan sugar? Regular sugar has bone char, so not vegan.
Best,
Stacey
Any chance for a vegan chocolate soufflé next? 🙂
oooh good idea!
Finally no lard/pork fat recipe. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Thank you so much
I can’t find Tofutti Ricotta cheese anywhere only Kite Hill brand and you stated that brand didn’t work for this recipe. What other options do I have. Went to 3 different stores, imcluding Whole Foods and no luck. Not even listed on Amazon either.
Wow really? Hmm, I have gotten it at Shop Rite and Wegmans. I used the Kite Hill when I first started testing this recipe (thinking it’s so expensive! It’s going to be amazing!) And no, it’s not. Not for this. As I mentioned I LOVE Kite Hill for my lasagna, but not for my baking. I suspect they use too much acid in theirs compared to the toffuti (which on first taste straight out of the jar doesn’t really wow me, but again in the recipes it’s the best)
You can of course use your own almond ricotta (as some people do make their own)
I have always used ricotta (well.. Impastada) before I was vegan – but some people use mascarpone so if you went that route- you can use all vegan cream cheese instead. However I really never liked the mascarpone cannoli. But I guess it is all personal preference
I am looking for a vegan cannoli filling to use for a cake.. trying to make a vegan cannoli cake. Do you think this would work as a cake filling?
YES! Click here for my cannoli roll cake
Can you clarify specifically why you don’t like Kite Hill ricotta for cannolis? You said it was awful in the video, but that you use it for lasagna. In a comment above, you said something about the acid. I am making cannoli for Valentine’s Day and can’t find Tofutti ricotta anywhere.
It’s just the taste that I found to be off putting in sweet recipes. For savory though- excellent. The best. So I can only attribute it to the acid they are using in the Kite Hill. Of course “taste” is subjective and everyone is different, but I think if you taste the Kite Hill directly out of the package, you would see what I mean. Its delicious don’t get me wrong, but not for sweet recipes (in my opinion).
This is awesome! Wow! All the best in this round!
The Vegan Cannoli Recipe is too gooe you have shared very useful informations i just book mark it ..
I wouldn’t trying this recipe did everything it said but my shells still burned!, will not be making this recipe again.
hi gretchen, thank you for this recipe. i have made it several times, a few with success… a few not so much. but my batter never looks as thin as yours was in the video. i wonder if the measurements in recipe are correct? you are able to pour and smear your batter, my batter is thick and i have to try to spread it but because it’s thick and greasy, it doesn’t spread well. it’s been a nightmare to make, even the successful times, though amazingly delicious. i’m wondering why your shell batter is sooooo much tinnier than mine despite measuring everything accurately and making multiple times? HALP
Hmm I am not so sure except that something must be different. I know this recipe is correct because I have made it several times. Perhaps your corn syrup is SUPER VISCOUS? Or the flour you are using is differnt?
Is light corn syrup OK or is there a difference? I almost never use it, so didn’t want to buy the dark if not necessary. Thanks!
Yes light would be totally fine! *sorry for the late reply!**