Turn leftover panettone into easy Christmas cannoli with creamy ricotta filling. A quick 30-minute holiday dessert you can prep ahead and fill last minute.
If you’ve got leftover panettone sitting on the counter after Christmas (and let’s be honest, we all do), this recipe is for you.
These Christmas cannoli are my favourite kind of festive dessert: quick, clever, and loaded with Italian holiday flavors.
Instead of classic fried cannoli shells, I use thin slices of panettone, rolled and baked until crisp, then filled with a simple ricotta cream.
If you love tradition, you can always go for classic Italian cannoli, just like you’d find in a Sicilian pastry shop.
But if you have a sweet spot for panettone, you’ll absolutely want to try these cannoli, or my Christmas tiramisu, which turns leftover slices into a show-stopping Christmas dessert.
Best of all, these panettone cannoli are ready in 30 minutes, can be made ahead, and filled at the last minute, making them perfect for stress-free holiday entertaining!
Ingredients
Trust me, once you try this super simple recipe, you'll be making these cannoli over and over again!
In typical Italian fashion, you only need easy-to-find inexpensive ingredients.
Here are the 5 ingredients you need:
- Panettone: Pick a good-quality store-bought panettone or make homemade panettone. You can substitute it with the equally popular Pandoro or use a simple sponge cake.
- Ricotta: Use fresh whole sheep or cow's milk ricotta. You can even make your own homemade ricotta if you like.
- Powdered sugar: Opt for icing sugar that doesn't contain cornstarch, or make your own powdered sugar in a blender.
- Orange: Since the recipe calls for orange zest, it's best to use an unwaxed organic orange.
- Candied fruit: I like to decorate the cannoli with candied cherries or candied fruit, but chocolate chips or chopped pistachios work amazing too.
How to make Christmas cannoli
This Christmas cannoli recipe comes together easily with minimum efforts!
Follow these easy 4 steps, and in no time you’ll be sitting down to enjoy a delicious Italian dessert.
Keep scrolling to the end of the post for the full printable recipe!
STEP 1. Whisk all the ricotta cream ingredients until smooth. Chill until needed.
STEP 2. Slice the panettone and roll each piece thin with a rolling pin.
STEP 3. Cut into circles, wrap around cannoli tubes, and seal with egg white. Bake until crisp.
STEP 4. Fill with ricotta cream just before serving, decorate with candied cherries or chocolate chips and enjoy.
Storage tips
I always recommend storing the cannoli shells and the ricotta filling separately.
Store the panettone cannoli shells in an airtight container lined with a paper towel, this will absorb the moisture in excess and keep them nice and crispy.
Store the cannoli ricotta filling in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Christmas desserts to try
Looking for more Christmas desserts to try?
Alongside these festive cannoli, you can’t go wrong with Italian Christmas cookies, rich chocolate salami, a show-stopping pandoro Christmas tree cake, or a timeless classic tiramisu.
Easy, festive, and perfect for sharing at any holiday table!
Did you try this recipe?
Please let me know how you liked it! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thepetitecook!
Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Recipe
Christmas Cannoli
Ingredients
- 1 Panettone, about 750 g/ 26 oz
- 500 g Fresh ricotta cheese, about 2 cups, well drained
- 150 g Icing sugar, about 1¼ cups
- Zest of ½ orange
- Butter, for greasing the cannoli molds
- 10 Candied cherries, or ¼ cup candied fruit, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk the ricotta, icing sugar, and orange zest until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and arrange a baking tray on the middle shelf.
- Cut the panettone horizontally into slices about 1 inch / 1.5 cm thick. You should be able to make 4-5 slices. Roll each slice gently with a rolling pin until thin and pliable.
- Cut out circles approximately 10 cm / 4 inches in diameter. Wrap each circle around a lightly buttered cannoli molds. To close each shell, secure the edge with a little butter.
- Arrange on the baking tray covered with parchment paper, and bake for 8 minutes, until lightly toasted.
- Allow the panettone shells to cool completely, then gently remove the molds. Pipe or spoon the ricotta cream into the panettone cannoli just before serving. Decorate with candied cherries or candied fruit and serve.
Notes
- No cannoli molds? You can shape the panettone circles around foil tubes or oven-safe metal cones. Make sure they’re lightly buttered so the shells don’t stick.
- Make ahead: Panettone cannoli shells can be baked 1-2 days in advance. Once completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Ricotta filling: The ricotta cream can be prepared 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
- Drain the ricotta well: For a thick, creamy filling, place the ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and let it drain for at least 2 hours (or overnight in the fridge) before using.
- Fill at the last minute: Assemble the panettone cannoli just before serving to keep the shells crisp and light.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Leave a Reply