This sweet and creamy cannoli dip is made with ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract for a rich and delicious dessert dip, that’s perfect for serving up at a party!
This cannoli dip is pure deliciousness, it’s thick, rich, and sweet, and perfect served up at a party with a smattering of delicious dippers. I love sweet dips served up as a dessert, and because this makes a lot it’s perfect for serving for a crowd.
Cannoli dip is like the inside of a stuffed cannoli, but served up in a big old bowl with your favorite things to dip in it. This dip can be served with a variety of your favorite fruits, cookies, and more. Here are some of my favorite ideas!
What to serve with Cannoli Dip?
- strawberries (pictured)
- apple slices
- banana slices
- graham crackers
- vanilla wafer cookies
- pretzels
- cubed angel food cake or pound cake
- animal crackers
- broken ice cream waffle cones or sugar cones
- broken cannoli pastry shells or cannoli chips
- pizelle cookies
- stroopwaffle cookies
- crepe wafer cookies (pictured)
How to make Cannoli Dip?
This cannoli dip is so easy. It only takes a few steps, and a few minutes to make. First you will want to drain your ricotta. You can do this with a cheesecloth, but you some of the moisture may get trapped in the center of the ball. Instead I like to spread the ricotta out on top of paper towels, then put more paper towels on top of the ricotta to press down on the cheese, and push out and soak up the extra moisture. You may need to do this twice depending how wet your ricotta is, and how absorbent your paper towels are.
Scrape the ricotta into a large bowl or a stand mixer. Add in the mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Scoop the dip into a bowl for serving, sprinkle a few more mini chocolate chips over the top for decoration, and enjoy with your favorite dippers.
How to store Cannoli Dip?
Cover the cannoli dip in the bowl, and store it in the fridge. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week, just make sure to let it sit at room temperature for a while before serving, as it will get quite hard and thick in the fridge.
Tips for making Cannoli Dip:
- This dip may be thick depending how much moisture you get out of your ricotta, because because I wanted to replicate cannoli filling, as close as possible.
- Many cannoli dip recipes use cream cheese, but mascarpone is more authentic to an Italian dessert, and isn’t as overpowering of a flavor.
- This cannoli dip can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 1 week. It will harden a bit in the fridge, so let it sit at room temperature for about 15 to 20 minutes, then if needed, remix it with a hand mixer to soften it back up before serving.
- Up to an additional 1/2 cup of powdered sugar can be added to the dip to make it sweeter. Don’t add more than that as it will make the flavor of the powdered sugar too strong and can make the dip too thick.
Cannoli dip is a great option in the summer, because it’s quick, easy, and doesn’t require any baking, and it’s a nice cool dip. But it’s also great for the holidays because it’s perfect for holiday entertaining and parties. It’s a tasty option for a Christmas or New Year’s Eve party!
More Dessert Dip Recipes:
- Marshmallow Fluff Fruit Dip
- Funfetti Dip
- Caramel Apple Dip
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
- Brownie Batter Dip
Connect with Like Mother, Like Daughter
Be sure to follow us on social media, so you never miss a single post!
Cannoli Dip
Ingredients
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese (softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 TBS vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips (+ 2 TBS for serving)
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
Instructions
- Place four layers of paper towels out on a flat surface, and spread the ricotta over the top of the paper towels into a thin layer. (Leave a safe perimeter around the edges). Use four more layers of paper towels on top of the ricotta and press down to remove any excess moisture from the cheese. Repeat with a second round of paper towels as needed, if ricotta is still wet.
- Scoop the ricotta off the paper towels, into a large bowl, or stand mixer (using a paddle attachment).
- Add in the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
- Spoon the mixture into a bowl for serving, and sprinkle more mini chocolate chips over the top of the bowl.
- Serve immediately with your favorite fruit, or cookies, or other dippers.
Alli Leah says
This was a fun dip to add for a charcuterie board as well as for a crepe filling. I added some orange zest to really make it taste more cannoli-ish. Delish!