Indulge in this irresistibly creamy, no-bake cannoli dip, crafted with velvety cream cheese and ricotta cheese, studded with mini chocolate chips, and accompanied by crunchy waffle cone pieces for the perfect scooping experience.
Best Cannoli Dip
Our creamy Cannoli Dip recipe is a quick and easy way to turn the tastes and textures of a classic Italian dessert into a deliciously dippable party snack.
This easy recipe for cannoli dip is made in 5 minutes with ricotta, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon, and chocolate chips throughout; the mixture is made to mimic the inner cannoli filling flavor, and the waffle cones resemble the outer shell.
Although cream cheese is not a flavor normally associated with a cannoli filling, it’s necessary to provide the thickness and consistency to make this dessert dippable!
There’s nothing better than capturing the true essence of a complicated sweet treat and converting it into a simple cannoli cream cheese dip complete with chocolate chips – serve your spread with chocolate chip cookies, broken waffle cones, fresh fruit, and snacks for scooping.
Why We Love This Easy Cannoli Dip Recipe
- Quick and easy to prepare in 5 minutes.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Better than a classic Cannoli and so much easier to make!
- Tastes like the filling of a cannoli turned into a creamy, delicious dessert dip.
- Enjoy a traditional dessert at home without the hassle of making cannolis.
- Perfect sweet treat for parties, potlucks, holidays, and game day gatherings.
Cannoli Dessert Dip Ingredients
- Ricotta cheese: Whole milk ricotta cheese has the least liquid to prevent your dip from turning too runny or grainy.
- Cream cheese: I love the tang of cream cheese, but feel free to use mascarpone cheese.
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Lemon zest
- Lemon juice
- Mini chocolate chips
- Waffle cone pieces for serving
Substitutions and Additions
- Make With Mix-Ins: In addition to the mini chocolate chips, you can add some chopped nuts or whipped cream for a lighter, fluffier dip.
- Delicious Dippers: Use your favorite snacks for dipping and scooping your dessert. Some ideas include pizzelle cookies, graham crackers, chocolate chip cookies, broken waffle cones, fresh fruit (like strawberries and banana slices), and cannoli chips.
Recommended Tools
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
How to Make Cannoli Dessert Dip
- Make The Mixture: Blend together the ricotta, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Mix in the vanilla, lemon juice, zest, and most chocolate chips.
- Chill: Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Serve: Garnish with chocolate chips and serve with broken waffle cone pieces and assorted fruit. Enjoy!
how To Strain Ricotta Cheese
If you notice that your ricotta has extra liquid or isn’t particularly firm, you will need to strain it. The easiest way to do this is to spoon it on to paper towels and press out all the moisture. You may need to do this several times. Another method is to line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, place the ricotta on top, and gently press on the ricotta to let the excess moisture drain away.
Tips For Making The Best Canoli Dip
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature.
- Be sure to allow this dessert dip to chill. It may require chilling for more than 30 minutes.
- I highly recommend combining the ingredients with a stand or hand mixer.
- You can purchase waffle ice cream cones or waffle bowls for the waffle cone pieces. Break them into potato chip-size pieces for dipping.
- For a pretty presentation, serve this dip in a large bowl in the middle of a platter surrounded by waffle cone pieces and halved strawberries.
How to Store Cannoli Dessert Dip
- To Store: Store your cannoli dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dip. When frozen and thawed, the texture will become grainy and no longer creamy.
More Easy Dessert Dip Recipes
More Dip Recipes
Cannoli Dessert Dip
Ingredients
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces (2 8-ounce) blocks cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest from one lemon
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Broken waffle cone pieces for serving
Instructions
- Add ricotta, cream cheese and powdered sugar together in a medium mixing bowl using an electric hand or stand mixer. Blend on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until fully combined.
- Add in vanilla, lemon zest, and most of the chocolate chips (reserving a handful for garnishing). Mix well using a rubber spatula.
- Cover dip and place inside the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- When ready, garnish with the remaining chocolate chips. Serve with broken waffle cone pieces and assorted fruit.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store your cannoli dip in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this dip. When frozen and thawed, the texture will become grainy and no longer creamy.
- Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature.
- Be sure to allow this dessert dip to chill. It may require chilling for more than 30 minutes.
- I highly recommend using a stand mixer or hand mixer to combine the ingredients.
- This dessert dip can appear more “flat”. It contains heavier ingredients and won’t look as “whipped” as other dessert dips due to the consistency.
- For the waffle cone pieces, you can simply purchase waffle ice cream cones or waffle bowls. Break them into potato chip size pieces for dipping.
- For a pretty presentation, serve this dip in a large bowl in the middle of a platter surrounded by waffle cone pieces and halved strawberries.
