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Homemade cannoli squares with ricotta filling and powdered sugar on white kitchen counter

Cannoli Squares Recipe

All the classic flavors of cannoli—creamy ricotta, mascarpone, chocolate chips, and pistachios—baked into easy-to-serve squares. A stress-free Italian dessert that looks fancy but comes together in under an hour.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian-American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours
Servings: 16 squares
Calories: 320kcal
Cost: $12–15

Equipment

  • 9x13 inch baking pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Electric mixer
  • Pastry cutter or food processor
  • Offset spatula
  • Sharp Chef’s Knife

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup cold unsalted butter cubed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2–3 tablespoon ice water

For the Cannoli Filling

  • 32 oz ricotta cheese drained well
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Zest of 1 orange optional

For the Topping

  • ¼ cup chopped pistachios
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
  • Chopped maraschino cherries optional

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°F and line a 9x13 pan with parchment.
  • Combine flour, sugar, and salt; cut in cold butter using pastry cutter or processor.
  • Stir in egg, vanilla, and ice water until dough forms.
  • Press ⅔ of dough into pan, prick with fork, and bake 18–20 minutes.
  • Drain ricotta in fine strainer for at least 10 minutes.
  • Beat ricotta, powdered sugar, mascarpone, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange zest until smooth.
  • Fold in mini chocolate chips gently.
  • Spread ricotta mixture evenly over warm crust with offset spatula.
  • Crumble remaining dough over the filling.
  • Sprinkle pistachios and extra chocolate chips on top.
  • Bake 35–40 minutes until golden brown.
  • Cool in pan 1 hour at room temperature.
  • Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
  • Lift using parchment, slice into squares, dust with powdered sugar, and garnish with cherries if desired.

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

Nutrition

Serving: 90g | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 450IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 1.5mg