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–+ servings
Angled view of dip in bowl with strawberry surrounded by dipping options
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5 from 1 vote

Cannoli Dip

Looking for a deliciously easy, minimal ingredient and tasty recipe? This Cannoli Dip is the perfect solution, whips up quick and tastes amazing.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Dessert, Dip
Cuisine: American, Italian
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 768kcal
Author: Tornadough Alli

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese about 1 (15oz.) container
  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbs vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Place four layers of paper towels on a flat surface, with a rubber spatula spread the ricotta cheese over the top until you get a thin layer, make sure you leave a decent perimeter around the edge of the towels.
  • Using four more layers of paper towels, put on top of ricotta cheese and press removing any excess moisture from the cheese. Depending on how absorbent your paper towels are you may have to do this a few times.
  • Next, scrape the ricotta cheese off of the paper towel and place in a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add in the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and chocolate chips and mix until combined.
  • Once combined, place in a serving bowl and serve with your favorite fruits, cookies, etc.

Notes

  1. Nutritional value is calculated by cup.
  2. This dip is a thicker consistency because I wanted to replicate cannoli filling as close as possible, but the mascarpone does thicken it quite a bit.
  3. If you prefer a softer, smoother dip, you can skip draining the ricotta.
  4. I don’t recommend using a cheesecloth to squeeze the ricotta because a lot of moisture still gets trapped in the center of the ball, this is a much more effective way to remove the excess moisture.
  5. Yes, there is a lot of vanilla in this recipe. You can reduce it, but I really think it helps smooth out the flavor. 
  6. Many other recipes use cream cheese in cannoli dip, but mascarpone is much more authentic to an Italian dessert AND it’s not as overpowering flavorwise. 
  7. This dip can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week after making, it will stiffen so let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes then re-beat with a hand mixer to soften it back up.
  8. Even though the ingredients add up to 4 ½ cups, once the ricotta has been drained it loses some of its volume and the recipe yields about 4 cups of dip.
  9. Up to an additional ½ cup of sugar can be added to make it sweeter, but I wouldn’t add more than that or the flavor of the sugar can become overpowering.
  10. This can be frozen, see my tips above.

Nutrition

Calories: 768kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 97mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 1305IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 323mg | Iron: 1mg