Cannoli Sandwich Cookies

If you love cannoli but don’t want to deal with rolling and frying shells, these cannoli sandwich cookies are for you.

They take all the best parts of a classic cannoli and turn them into something much easier to make at home.

You get soft, buttery cookies with a hint of orange and cinnamon, filled with a creamy ricotta and mascarpone center.

The mini chocolate chips add little bits of sweetness in every bite, just like the real thing.

I like to make these when I want a fun dessert that still feels a bit special but doesn’t take all day.

Why You’ll Love It

All The Cannoli Flavor – You get that classic cannoli taste in an easy cookie without any tricky shells to fry or roll.

Creamy Dreamy Filling – The ricotta and mascarpone blend into a rich, smooth filling that tastes like a bakery treat.

Soft Meets Creamy – Buttery cookies hug a cool, thick center for the perfect mix of tender and creamy in every bite.

Bright Orange And Cinnamon – Orange zest and warm cinnamon give these cookies a fresh, cozy flavor that feels special.

Recipe Ingredients

For The Cookies

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Orange Zest
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Fine Salt

For The Cannoli Filling

• 3/4 cup Whole Milk Ricotta, Well Drained
• 4 oz Mascarpone Cheese, Softened
• 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/3 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 2

Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy. Mix in the egg, vanilla, orange zest, and cinnamon.

Step 3

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the butter mixture. Mix just until a soft dough forms.

Step 4

Portion the dough into 20 small rounds and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten each one and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.

Step 5

Beat the drained ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla until thick and smooth. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Step 6

Place the cannoli filling on the flat sides of 10 cooled cookies. Top with the remaining cookies and gently press to form sandwiches.

Step 7

Refrigerate the sandwich cookies for 30 minutes before serving. Keep any remaining cookies refrigerated so the filling stays firm.

My Tips

Drain The Ricotta Really Well

This is the most important step for a filling that holds up. Ricotta has a lot of water in it, and if you skip this, your filling will turn out runny and slide right out of the cookies.

Set the ricotta in a fine strainer or a cheesecloth over a bowl and let it drain in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight if you can. Press down on it gently a couple of times to push out the extra liquid.

From my experience, well-drained ricotta makes the filling thick and creamy instead of watery, so don’t rush this part.

Don’t Skip The Orange Zest

The orange zest and cinnamon are what give these cookies that classic cannoli flavor. Without them, you just have a plain sugar cookie.

When you zest the orange, only grab the bright orange part on the outside. The white part underneath is bitter and will make your cookies taste off.

My favorite trick here is to rub the zest into the sugar with my fingers before adding anything else. This releases the oils and spreads that orange flavor all through the dough.

Watch The Bake Time Closely

These cookies go from perfect to overbaked fast. You want to pull them out when the edges are just lightly golden and the centers still look a little soft.

They will keep firming up as they cool on the pan, so if you wait until they look fully done in the oven, they’ll end up hard and dry.

I’ve found that checking them at the 9 minute mark is the safest bet, since every oven runs a little different.

More Recipes

• Italian Lemon Cookies
• Lemon Ricotta Cake
• Pistachio Tiramisu
• Classic Tiramisu
• Pistachio Baklava Cheesecake

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to drain the ricotta first?

Ricotta holds a lot of water, and if you skip draining it your filling will turn out runny and soak into the cookies.

Just set it in a fine strainer or wrap it in a clean towel for about 30 minutes to press out the extra liquid so your filling stays thick and creamy.