Amazing Vegan Cannoli Recipe (Baked)
These amazing vegan cannoli taste just like the classic Sicilian pastry! With a super flaky pastry formed into tubes and filled with a creamy dairy free ricotta filling, no one will know these cannoli are entirely vegan, eggless, and dairy free! Based on my great grandpa’s recipe!
What are cannoli?
Cannoli are a wonderfully sweet and delicious Sicilian pastry. They’re made from pastry dough that’s shaped into a tub (cannoli literally translates to “little tubes”), and filled with a sweet ricotta filling that often contains chocolate chips or pistachios, and is dusted with a little powdered sugar.
In America, you might often hear people refer to these pastry tubes as “cannolis” but that’s actually incorrect. “Cannoli” is already the plural form of the Italian dessert, and “un cannolo” is the singular. So if you see me refer throughout the blog post to either “cannoli” or “cannolo” now you know I mean one or more!
My great grandpa, Andrea (or “Sonny” as everyone in the family called him), was “famous” in our family for making his cannoli. He was from Palermo, and was quite a chef. While his cannoli were not vegan, I have missed having his famous dessert since he passed about 15 years ago, and I actually don’t think I’ve had a cannolo since. That’s why I decided to make his recipe entirely vegan, eggless, and dairy free. Even the filling!
Trust me, you won’t even know these cannoli are vegan! The pastry shell is so flaky and just lightly sweet (think like an unglazed doughnut) and the vegan ricotta filling is perfectly sweet!
What is cannoli filling made from?
Cannoli are actually filled with a ricotta cream that’s been mixed together with sugar. It’s super fluffy, and just sweet enough. Typically, the filling is mixed and topped with either chocolate chips or pistachios. But here are a few other fun ideas for your cannoli fillings:
- Chopped almonds
- Crushed hazelnuts + chocolate shavings
- Sprinkles
- Crushed candy canes (for a more winter theme)
- Powdered freeze dried raspberries or strawberries
Special equipment needed:
For these cannoli, you’ll need:
- Food processor
- Large bowl OR a stand mixer
- Hand mixer (or a stand mixer- see above!)
- Round 3″ or 4″ cookie cutter
- Cannoli forms (molding shells for the cannoli shells
- Piping bag + piping tip
How to make vegan cannoli from scratch (overview)
For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.
For ingredients, here’s what you’ll need to make this vegan cannoli recipe:
- Flour
- Vegan butter
- White wine: I used non-alcoholic white wine, as I’m alcohol free, but you can use regular wine or use 40 mL of water + 10 mL apple cider vinegar!
- Sugar
- Dairy free yogurt: I used a pretty soft yogurt, Forager Project. I wouldn’t recommend a thick creamy yogurt, like coconut. This is our egg replacement.
- Vegan ricotta filling: This is a mixture of vegan butter, powdered sugar, and a touch of dairy free yogurt.
- Chocolate chips
- Pistachios
Now to make the cannoli, you can do this all in one day or space it out over two days. You can make the cannoli shells the first day and fill them the next if that’s easiest. Since these are baked cannoli shells rather than fried, there’s little to clean up afterwards, and not as much hands-on time!
Here’s an overview of the steps to make these easy vegan cannoli:
How to make vegan cannoli:
- Make the dough:
Pulse the flour and vegan butter together in a food processor. Then add in the remaining ingredients and pulse again until you reach a thick dough. This is a very similar process to making pie dough! Then you’ll chill the dough for about 30 minutes or longer.
- Form the cannoli shells:
Make sure to grease all of the cannoli forms before beginning. Then roll out your dough super thin, nearly 1/8″ thick. Then use your cookie cutters and cut out as many shells as possible. You can re-roll the dough. Form the shells over the cannoli forms and seal the edges together. This ensures that they don’t fall apart when baking!
- Bake the cannoli shells:
Brush the vegan cannoli shells with our vegan “egg wash” (a combination of soy milk and maple syrup), and place the cannoli into the freezer to chill while the oven preheats. Then place the baking sheet into the oven to bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow the cannoli shells to cool on the forms before filling.
- Make the ricotta filling:
In a large bowl, cream together the vegan butter until light and fluffy. Then add in the remaining ingredients, and mix again until fluffy again. I stir in my chocolate chips instead of adding them on top, but you can do either!
- Fill your cannoli!
Spoon the vegan ricotta filling into a piping bag and fill each cannolo on both sides.
Then you can sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with more chocolate chips! Keep these cannoli in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Then enjoy!
What can I substitute for cannoli forms (metal tubes)?
If you’re making these cannoli the day of and realize that you don’t have the cannoli forms, don’t panic. There is a way to make homemade cannoli forms! However, I do recommend you purchase the forms, as they’re much easier to work with and will yield a much more uniform look.
If you’re really pressed for time, though, you can follow the instructions of this video for making your own cannoli molds.
Can I fry these cannoli shells instead of baking?
I personally have not tried making these particular vegan cannoli shells fried instead of baked. That being said, it is based off of my great grandpa’s recipe, and he always fried the shells.
If you were to fry them, you need a large pot and neutral oil. Heat the oil to 350F, and use a slotted spoon to carefully place the cannoli into the oil. Cook until lightly golden brown, then remove and place back onto a baking sheet.
Please note that you’ll also have to ensure that the cannoli shells are entirely sealed!
Can I make the dough without a food processor?
Yes, you can definitely make the cannoli dough without a food processor! Instead of a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter or fork, and cut the vegan butter into the flour. Then continue to use the pastry cutter or fork as you add in the other ingredients. It will be a bit more work than using a food processor, but it’s completely doable.
Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!
PrintAmazing Vegan Cannoli Recipe (Baked)
- Prep Time: 20
- Chilling Time: 30
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These amazing vegan cannoli taste just like the classic Sicilian pastry! With a super flaky pastry formed into tubes and filled with a creamy dairy free ricotta filling, no one will know these cannoli are entirely vegan, eggless, and dairy free! Based on my great grandpa’s recipe!
Ingredients
Cannoli Shell:
- 2 cups (250 grams) all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (67 grams) salted vegan butter, cubed and chilled
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) vegan non-alcoholic white wine (or marsala wine if you’d like to use the classic version)
- 1/3 cup (65 grams) dairy free unsweetened yogurt
- Vegan “egg wash” ( 1 tbsp soy milk + 1 tbsp maple syrup)
Vegan Ricotta Filling:
- 1 cup (226 grams) vegan butter, room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 ounces vegan dairy free yogurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional 1/2 tsp vanilla powder)
- Dash of cinnamon
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- Optional: 1 cup chopped pistachios
Instructions
- Please read through all instructions before beginning.
- Prep: You’ll make the cannoli shells first, followed by the filling. Make sure that you have the cannoli forms and cookie cutter. If you can’t find them in stores or online, here is a way to make DIY cannoli forms.
- Make the cannoli shell dough: In a food processor, process together the flour and vegan butter until you reach a slightly sandy mixture. Add in the granulated sugar, non-alcoholic wine, and dairy free yogurt. Blend again until a smooth dough forms, about 2 minutes. Form the dough into a flat disk, and wrap the dough in parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- While the dough is chilling: lightly grease each cannoli form with coconut oil or melted vegan butter. Be careful not to grease them too much though, as you don’t want the shells to slide while baking. Whisk together the vegan “egg wash” and set aside.
- Roll and shape the cannoli shells: Once the dough is chilled, flour a clean surface and rolling pin. Place the dough onto the floured surface, and roll the dough out to be about 1/8″ thick. Try to get the dough as thin as possible without breaking it. Use a 3″ or 4″ cookie cutter, and cut as many shells as you can from the dough. You can re-roll the scraps for remaining shells. Take one cut out shell and wrap it tightly around a cannoli form. Press the edges together enough for them to seal, then brush with the vegan “egg wash”. Place the cannoli shell onto the baking sheet and repeat for the remaining shells.
- Bake the shells: Place the baking sheets into the freezer to chill while the oven preheats to 400F. When the oven is preheated, place the baking sheets into the oven. Carefully watch the shells with the oven light on to make sure they’re not sliding down. If they are, you can remove the baking sheet quickly and carefully with oven mitts push the shells back up and sealed. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Remove the shells from the oven: Allow the shells to cool on the cannoli forms and rest on the baking sheet. Once fully cooled, begin to make the filling.
- Make the vegan ricotta filling: In a large bowl with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer with whisk attachment, cream the butter until light in color, about 3 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time while you continue to mix, stopping to scrape down the sides every so often. Then add in the dairy free yogurt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Cream together until fluffy. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add in the chocolate chips. Fold together until even distributed.
- Pipe the ricotta filling into the shells: Remove the shells from the molds. Spoon the filling into a piping bag with star tip or open tip attached. Pipe the filling into each side of the cannoli and sprinkle with chocolate chips if desired.
- Serve and enjoy! Dust with powdered sugar, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Keywords: vegan cannoli, vegan cannolis, vegan cannoli recipe, cannoli recipe, baked cannoli
Can this be made Gluten Free?
Hi Nancy! I haven’t personally tested this recipe with GF flour so I can’t say for sure- you’re more than welcome to try it with a GF 1:1 baking flour such as Bob’s Red Mill (this would be my first try if I were to make it GF!), but I just can’t guarantee it!
Hi. Thank you for another wonderful recipe. These look amazing! Do you think it would be OK to try these with GF flour?
Aw I hope you love it! So I haven’t tried it with gluten free, but it does bake similarly to pie crust, and I use Bob’s Red Mill GF 1:1 baking flour in the blue bag for that. I would recommend trying that first but I can’t guarantee the results!
Thank you so much for your cannoli recipe. My grandpa also lived in Sicily he was in Palermo and still has family there he has passed away but we have family there. We are the Cusumano’s
Thank you again for the wonderful recipe
Stephanie Cusumano Russo
★★★★★
Oh my goodness!! This is so wonderful, I’m so happy you loved the recipe! My great grandpa is from Palermo too that’s amazing! I know that he left some family there when he came over, but we’ve unfortunately lost contact- would love to reconnect with them some day!!
Enjoy and buon capodanno!
Hi, I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I’m eager to. I just wanna know, how many does this recipe make?
Hi Veronica, of course! It makes 12 cannoli 🙂 Enjoy!
Hi again! I finally made the cannoli for my vegan teacher with the biggest sweet tooth in the world, and he LOVED them! I bought (vegan) mini shells so I ended up with 16 cannoli to give to him, and I still have left over filling so I have it all to myself now.
I tried it myself too and it is truly amazing. I’ve never had a vegan pastry before, and this was a great first experience. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Oh this is wonderful!! I’m so happy to hear it!! Thank you so much for coming back to share this!! How wonderful! Enjoy, and happy holidays 🙂
Question regarding the dairy free yogurt…
“Dairy free yogurt: I used a pretty soft yogurt, Forager Project. I wouldn’t recommend a thick creamy yogurt, like coconut. This is our egg replacement.” and then this is in the recipe… “3 ounces thick vegan dairy free yogurt (I used a heavy coconut cream yogurt)”
So what dairy free yogurt would you recommend? Forager is cashew or should I use a coconut cream yogurt? What actually is better?
You are correct, I forgot to update part of the recipe! Previously I was making it with a thick coconut yogurt, however, I found that others were having trouble with this, as coconut yogurt brands REALLY vary (even a coconut cream from the same brand can be a dud sometimes) so I stuck with a more consistent brand of dairy free yogurt. I hope this helps! I recommend the Forager Project one if you can have nuts!
2 questions:
-Should the vegan yogurt be unsweetened?
-Instead of the spherical shells, cab this dough be made into cannoli “chips” and dipped into the filling mix?
★★★★★
Hi Jody! I recommend using unsweetened yogurt, and absolutely! That sounds like a really delicious idea!
I am so excited to make these! I have tried a vegan variation before and it was kind of time consuming (making a plant-based ricotta) and the cannoli turned out pretty good, because well it’s Cannoli! Every New Year’s I would make the Cannoli, my husband would make the Antipasto and my sister would make the Penne Rosa. I miss those days for my sister and I are far apart and since we’ve been apart I have become plant-based. The family I am with will be so happy! I heart Cannoli! I am glad my son found your site for his Birthday cake! I thank you for your efforts!
★★★★★
Hi Britt,
Are the cannolis freezer friendly to make ahead?
Thank you
Hi Jenny! Yes they are! 🙂 You can transfer them to the fridge from the freezer to thaw when you want to serve them!
Is it possible for me to make the shells a day in advance, freeze them, and make the filling the following day?
Yes totally fine! Enjoy 🙂