Red, White, and Blue Cannoli
These festive red, white, and blue cannoli are the perfect sweet bite for patriotic parties. Choose the all-natural version or go bold with food coloring for a bright, beautiful dessert.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese well-drained
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional 2 tablespoons cream cheese for thicker texture
- 24 mini cannoli shells store-bought
Natural Color
- 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberries crushed into powder
- 2 tablespoons freeze-dried blueberries crushed into powder
Bold Color
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
Instructions
Filling
- Drain the ricotta using paper towels or cheesecloth until most of the moisture is gone.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Mix until smooth using a hand mixer or whisk.
- If desired, add cream cheese and mix again for a firmer filling.
- Divide the filling evenly into three separate bowls.
Natural
- Leave the first bowl plain (white).
- Stir the crushed freeze-dried strawberries into the second bowl for red filling.
- Stir the crushed freeze-dried blueberries into the third bowl for blue filling.
Bold Color
- Leave the first bowl plain (white).
- Add a small amount of red gel food coloring to the second bowl and stir well.
- Add a small amount of blue gel food coloring to the third bowl and stir well.
- Let colored fillings sit for a few minutes to deepen in color.
Final Steps
- Cover each bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, transfer each color filling into its own piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped.
- Just before serving, pipe each cannoli shell from both ends toward the center, filling with red, white, or blue cream.
- Arrange filled cannoli on a tray in rows or flag pattern for a festive look.
- Serve immediately or within 1–2 hours for best crispness.