Cannoli Frosting

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This Cannoli Frosting is rich, creamy, and lightly spiced. It's made mascarpone cheese, well drained ricotta, powdered sugar, and a bit of cinnamon. It's smooth enough to spread and sturdy enough to pipe on cakes, cupcakes, cookie cups, etc.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

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This Cannoli Frosting is rich, creamy, and lightly spiced. It tastes like the cannoli filling right from the cannoli. It’s made mascarpone cheese, well drained ricotta, powdered sugar, and a bit of cinnamon. It’s smooth enough to spread, sturdy enough to pipe, and versatile enough to use on cakes, cupcakes, cookie cups, etc.

I never used to care for cannoli desserts as a young adult, but I’ve totally fallen head over heels for it now. We always go crazy getting cannolis when we’re up near Boston. Mike’s Pastries is where it’s at, but my cannoli filling, cannoli cake, and cannoli cups are pretty tasty too!

Why You’ll Love This Cannoli Frosting

Thick, creamy texture that pipes well!
It has the classic cannoli flavor without the shells.
It’s not overly sweet.
It’s perfect to frost cakes, cupcakes, and cookies with.

Ingredients

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.

Mascarpone cheese – This acts similar to cream cheese in a frosting, but it smoother, sweeter, richer, and less tangy.

Ricotta – This gives the cannoli flavor that we all love. I highly recommend full-fat ricotta that has been well drained at least overnight. The more liquid that’s remove, the thicker the frosting will be.

Cinnamon – I love a light cinnamon flavor in my cannoli frosting. It gives it a nice warmth and pairs really well is the sweet mascarpone cheese.

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Substitutions and Variations

Leave out the mini chocolate chips so the frosting is pipeable and can be smoothed out.
Add 1/2 teaspoon or orange zest for a bit of citrus.
Add other warm spices like nutmeg to the frosting.
You can substitute the mascarpone cheese for cream cheese in a pinch. Use the same amount and let the cream cheese come up to room temperature.
You can add more or less powdered sugar to the frosting depending on how sweet you prefer it.
Chopped pistachios or other nuts would make a great addition.

NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations

How to Make Cannoli Frosting

Four-step process of making Cannoli Cream: straining ricotta, combining ingredients in a bowl, mixing until smooth, and piping finished Cannoli Frosting with chocolate chips onto a plate.

Step 1: Drain the ricotta overnight using a fine mesh strainer over a medium sized bowl.

Step 2: Beat the mascarpone and drained ricotta until smooth.

Step 3: Mix the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until thick and creamy.

Step 4: If using mini chocolate chips, fold them in now.

Step 5: Chill until you’re ready to use it.

Tips for Success

Drain the ricotta well! This is the most important step for a frosting consistency. Do NOT skip this. The longer it drains, the better.
Make sure the mascarpone cheese and ricotta cheese are both at room temperature for a smooth texture.
Chill the frosting 20 to 30 minutes if it feels too soft. You can also add additional powdered sugar if needed.
Don’t overmix the frosting. Mix just until combined to avoid thinning the frosting by breaking down the ricotta cheese more.

How to Use Cannoli Frosting

Frost layer cakes or sheet cakes
Pipe onto cupcakes
Fill cannoli shells
Spoon into cookie cups or pie crust cups
Use as a dip or just use my cannoli dip recipe.

A single swirl of chocolate chip cookie dough sits on a small white plate, with a frosted cake decorated with chocolate, chocolate chips, and luscious Cannoli Filling in the background.

How to Store and Freeze

Store the cannoli frosting covered with plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

It isn’t recommended to freeze this frosting. The texture can change and become grainy once the frosting is thawed.

Recipe FAQs

How do you thicken cannoli frosting?

First, I recommend chilling the frosting. The mascarpone cheese can become too warm and make the frosting hard to work with. The next step if that doesn’t work, you will need to add more powdered sugar. Try not to overmix the frosting as it breaks down the ricotta and then it releases moisture.

Can I skip the mascarpone?

No, the mascarpone cheese is a must for this frosting. You can however substitute it with cream cheese if you need to.

Why does the ricotta need to be drained?

Not only should it be drained, I recommend placing some weight on it to help it release it’s moisture. Ricotta has a lot of moisture in it and draining it prevents the frosting from becoming too runny.

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