Red White and Blue Cannoli

These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)

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These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)We recently had a company come out to give us a quote for adding an escape window in our basement.  As I’ve noted before, our basement is a finished room that serves as a gym, a man cave, a wine cellar, a photography studio and of course a storage room.  Currently, the stairs are the only exit in the basement, and we’ve been thinking it would be wise to add an escape window.

These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)We had a nice chat with the salesman, and then we sent him on his way with a Red White and Blue Cannoli.  I’m fairly certain that was the first (and last) time that he’ll ever walk away from a sales call with a Red White and Blue Cannoli!  You see, I’d made a big batch of these cannoli that morning, and I had just finished taking the photos when he arrived.  Cannoli are a bit unique in that they need to be eaten fairly soon after being filled.  If you’ve ever eaten a cannoli that sat around too long after being filled, then you know what I mean.  The shell turns soft and chewy…and it’s just not that appetizing.

Since I had a whole plate of filled cannoli, I decided to send one with the salesman.  I like to think he sat in his car and downed that Red White and Blue Cannoli before he ever left our driveway.  That’s what I would’ve done!

These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)Red White and Blue Cannoli

To be fair, these Red White and Blue Cannoli are a classic cannoli recipe dressed up with colorful sprinkles for Independence Day.  If you’re making these at any other time of the year (or you’re not into colorful sprinkles), then just omit the sprinkles.  The chocolate chips are optional as well, but I personally like the bit of texture they add to the cannoli filling.  Plus, chocolate tastes good.

These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)For these cannoli, I stopped by the bakery department of our grocery store and asked if they sold unfilled cannoli shells.  I was in luck!  Well, sorta.  She had a few trays left, but she said they wouldn’t be selling them anymore as their cannoli were going to start arriving pre-packaged.  Pre-packaged cannoli?  As noted above, the shells become soft and chewy if they are filled too early.  So how can you make pre-packaged cannoli?  Ah, who knows!  I like to make my own cannoli filling at home anyways – it’s easy and delicious.

On a side note, I actually own a set of cannoli tubes (aff. link).  However, I’ve never tackled frying my own cannoli shells.  Perhaps this is a sign that I need to learn how to make my own shells – either that, or I’ll just find a different bakery/grocery store to buy my unfilled cannoli shells!  After all, part of the appeal of this recipe is its simplicity.

These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)If you’re looking for a fun and unique dessert for 4th of July celebrations, then I highly recommend these Red White and Blue Cannoli.  These cannoli will certainly disappear quickly when you bring ’em out of the kitchen!

Did you make a batch of these Red White and Blue Cannoli at home?  Leave a comment, or better yet snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog).  I’d love to see your version!

These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)

Red White and Blue Cannoli

These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Draining Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 206kcal

Ingredients

For the Filling

For the Cannoli

  • 12 full-sized or 24 mini cannoli shells (see note)
  • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup red white and blue sprinkles
  • powdered sugar for dusting tops

Instructions

For the Filling

  • Place ricotta in a fine mesh strainer and set over a large bowl. Cover bowl lightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. (Note: ricotta can be drained overnight.)
  • Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest.
  • Using a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

For the Cannoli

  • Using a pastry bag with no tip, fill each cannoli shell with the ricotta filling.
  • Place mini chocolate chips and sprinkles in a shallow bowl. Dip each end of the cannoli into mixture. Dust tops of cannoli shells with powdered sugar.
  • Serve immediately. (Cannoli shells will soften once filled, so plan on filling the shells as close to serving as possible.)

Notes

Unfilled cannoli shells are often available in either the baking aisle or from the bakery department at most supermarkets.
I recommend whole milk ricotta when making cannoli filling.

These Red White and Blue Cannoli make for a festive and tasty 4th of July dessert!  (Hint: Using store-bought cannoli shells makes this recipe super easy!)

Looking for more festive 4th of July dessert recipes?  Check out these other favorites, too:

These Red White and Blue Cookies are a fun way to celebrate the 4th of July!  These cookies are a fun twist on the classic sugar cookie, and they're quite tasty!Red White and Blue Cookies

This No Bake Lemon Cheesecake makes for a tasty dessert on a warm summer evening!  Enjoy!No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Celebrate summer and the 4th of July with a slice of this Red White and Blue Cheesecake Cake!Red White and Blue Cheesecake Cake

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8 Comments

  1. sorry just saw this now will be making this soon can i use vegan ricotta and coconut cream as am a vegan do you have homemade cannoli shells on your website i never had red and blue cannoli before perfect for my home snacks while i work on the computer and phone will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya

    1. Hey Ramya! I actually don’t have a homemade cannoli shells recipe (yet). It’s something I want to learn how to make, though. If you find a good recipe, will you share it with me? I typically just buy the pre-cooked cannoli shells at a bakery. Thanks!!

  2. 5 stars
    While I cannot say I am particularly partial to sprinkles (I normally avoid donuts or cookies simply sprinkled with them.), I must admit these cannoli look stunning and festive! That’s a perfect 4th of July dessert! (Also, I urgently need to make maple-infused red & white cannoli to celebrate Canada day next week!)

    1. In truth, I also avoid donuts with sprinkles. I don’t know, but they just don’t call to me. Those frosted cookies with sprinkles, though? I’m all about those! Sprinkles are such an easy way to add a festive touch to a dessert. Also, I love (!!) your idea of maple cannoli with red & white sprinkles. What a cool idea!!

  3. these look very bright and festive david. I love a sprinkle! in fact my pantry has 4 jars of different coloured ones or is that 5? We had a tradie in fixing up a door handle the other day and he was a bit obvious in his longing for a piece of my freshly made lemon syrup cake. So i had to give him some! but he gave me a marvellous critique!

    1. Sprinkles are a fun way to add a bit of festive flare to a dessert! I have an assortment of colors in a baking box that I keep stashed away…but even then, I still never have the color I need! Haha. Also, I’m coming to your house to do work – but only on days that you are baking! 🙂

    1. Haha – yes, I recognize that celebrations like this vary in time based on the country. But the concept still remains that cannoli are easy to make at home, and you can vary the decorations to make them fit any occasion! Thanks, Raymund!

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