Description
Delight in these easy-to-make Cannoli Cups, featuring crispy baked pie crust mini cups filled with a creamy ricotta and chocolate chip filling. This Italian-American dessert offers a perfect blend of textures and flavors, ideal for parties or a sweet treat anytime.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust Cups
- 1 package (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)
- Non-stick cooking spray
Ricotta Filling
- 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (plus more for dusting)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- â…“ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Prepare the crust cups: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Unroll the pie crusts and use a round cookie cutter (about 3 inches) to cut out circles. Gently press each circle into the cups of a mini muffin pan to form cup shapes. Prick the bottoms with a fork to prevent puffing during baking. Lightly spray each cup with non-stick cooking spray.
- Bake the cups: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the crust cups are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool completely in the pan before carefully removing each cup.
- Make the ricotta filling: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and heavy cream. Stir or whisk until smooth and well blended. Fold in the mini chocolate chips gently to distribute them evenly throughout the filling.
- Assemble the cannoli cups: Once the crust cups have cooled, use a spoon or a piping bag to fill each cup generously with the ricotta mixture. After filling, lightly dust the tops with additional powdered sugar for a beautiful finish and added sweetness.
Notes
- For a smoother filling, strain the ricotta cheese through cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve before mixing.
- Add chopped pistachios or candied orange peel to the filling for added texture and flavor variety.
- Ensure crust cups are completely cool before filling to prevent the ricotta from melting.
