Florentine cannoli take the classic Italian dessert in a completely different direction, and the result is just as satisfying. Instead of a fried pastry shell, the shell here is a homemade florentine, the thin lace cookie that bakes in a few minutes and crisps up as it cools.
While the cookie is still warm and pliable, you wrap it around the handle of a spatula or a whisk, let it set into a little tube, and you have a cannoli shell that is thinner and crunchier than the traditional version.
Then you pipe in an easy ricotta and mini chocolate chip filling and finish the ends with more chocolate chips or finely chopped pistachios.
The idea behind the recipe is very practical. It was developed for anyone who has wanted to make cannoli from scratch but does not want to fry.
Frying means a pot of hot oil, careful temperature control, and a kitchen that needs a serious cleanup afterward. Baking florentines avoids all of that. It also avoids the trickiest part of traditional cannoli, which is rolling and shaping a firm dough.
Here the batter is dropped in small spoonfuls and the oven does the spreading for you.
The equipment list is short: two sheet pans, parchment paper, a small saucepan, a whisk, a mixing bowl, and a handle to shape the cookies around.
The recipe makes about 30 cannoli, with 30 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of cook time, so roughly 1 hour in total.
It is a baked, vegetarian, Italian dessert that works beautifully for the holidays or any evening when you want something that looks far more complicated than it is.
And if you would rather skip the shaping altogether, the florentines are excellent left flat and eaten plain.
One quick note on the numbers: each filled cannoli comes in around 89 calories, with 10.5 g of carbohydrates, 8.9 g of sugar, 4.5 g of fat, 2.2 g of protein, 0.2 g of fiber, and 34.1 mg of sodium, based on the source nutrition for a single serving.
There are two short lists to gather: one for the florentine shells and one for the ricotta filling, plus a couple of garnishes for the ends.
Nothing here is hard to find, and most of it is already in a well stocked pantry or the dairy case.
For the florentines
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Unsalted butter is the better choice here because it lets you control the salt in the batter. Light brown sugar is what gives the cookies their caramel like flavor and helps them spread into those delicate lacy circles. Use real honey if you can.
Genuine honey has a floral taste and aroma that comes through in the finished cookie, while inexpensive grocery store honey is sometimes blended with cheaper syrups such as corn syrup.
All purpose flour is the tested option, and the recipe has not been tested with gluten free flour. The salt and vanilla are small amounts, but they balance the sweetness and keep the cookies from tasting flat.
For the cannoli filling
2 cups ricotta, drained to remove as much moisture as possible
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest (optional)
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Mini chocolate chips, for serving
Finely chopped pistachios, for serving
Draining the ricotta is the single most important step in the filling. If you skip it, the filling turns out watery and thin, and that extra moisture can soften the crisp florentine shells.
Powdered sugar provides the sweetness, and you can adjust it up or down to taste. Vanilla rounds out the flavor.
Orange zest is listed as optional, but it is worth adding, because even a small amount brings a bright citrus note that pairs beautifully with ricotta, chocolate, and honey.
Mini chocolate chips go into the filling and get pressed onto the ends of the finished cannoli, and finely chopped pistachios make a pretty alternative or addition.
How to Make this Florentine Cannoli Recipe
The process splits neatly into three parts: draining the ricotta, baking and shaping the florentines, and mixing and piping the filling. Start with the ricotta, because it needs to sit while you work on everything else.
Drain the ricotta. Lay out 2 pieces of paper towel on a flat surface. Spread the ricotta in a thin layer on top, then cover it with more paper towel and press down until the towels feel wet. Let it sit for 30 minutes, replacing the paper towel once halfway through. This removes as much moisture as possible so the filling ends up with the right consistency.
Preheat and line. Set the oven to 375 degrees F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
Melt the base. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, and honey until everything is melted and smooth.
Finish the batter. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the flour, salt, and vanilla until no lumps remain.
Portion the cookies. The dough is easier to work with once it has cooled, so you can chill it first. The recipe places it in the freezer for 20 minutes. Each dollop should be a heaping 1/2 teaspoon, which works out to about 3/4 teaspoon. Space the dollops at least 3 inches apart on the sheet pan, because these spread a lot.
Bake. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the florentines are golden brown. As soon as you pull the pan out, slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a cooling rack so they stop baking.
Shape while warm. Let the florentines cool for about 30 seconds, just until they are cool enough to handle, then carefully wrap each one around the handle of a spatula or whisk. The handle used in the recipe measures about 3/4 inch around, and you want the circle to overlap itself. They harden quickly, so keep moving.
Repeat and rescue as needed. Work through the remaining florentines. If any of them solidify before you can shape them, put them back in the oven for about 15 seconds to make them pliable again.
Mix the filling. In a mixing bowl, stir together the drained ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and mini chocolate chips until well combined.
Fill the shells. Using a round piping tip, pipe the ricotta mixture into each florentine shell. Fill one side halfway, then flip the cannoli and fill the other side.
Finish the ends. If you like, dip each end in more mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios. Enjoy.
Work in small batches when you shape the shells. Florentines firm up in less than 2 minutes, and a small batch is much easier to handle than a whole pan at once.
This adaptation follows the original florentine cannoli from Crowded Kitchen, and you can compare it with another take on the same florentine cannoli recipe if you want to see how the two line up.
Storage
Storage depends on whether the cannoli are filled yet. The florentine shells hold up well on their own, but they are fairly fragile, so handle them gently and stack them loosely rather than pressing them together.
Unfilled shells at room temperature: up to 3 days
Unfilled shells in the refrigerator: up to a few weeks
Unfilled shells in the freezer: up to 3 months
Filled cannoli: best eaten within a few hours, since the ricotta eventually softens the crisp shell
Ricotta filling on its own: up to 5 days in an airtight container or a piping bag, then piped into the shells just before serving
The practical approach is to keep the shells and the filling separate until you are ready to serve. That way the florentines stay crisp, and the filling stays cold and fresh. If you are planning ahead for a party, make the shells in advance and pipe them the same day.
Top tip
Chill the florentine dough in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before you portion it. Once it is firm, you can roll it into balls, which gives you perfectly round, uniform cookies that spread evenly. Warm dough is much harder to shape and tends to produce slightly misshapen florentines.
More tips
These shells are thin, crisp, and genuinely fragile, so treat them gently from the moment they come off the pan. They do become a bit sturdier once they are filled with ricotta, which is one reason the filling is worth making right before serving. Until then, keep them flat and protected.
Give the cookies plenty of room. At least 3 inches between dollops is not a suggestion, it is a necessity, because the batter spreads quite a bit in the oven. Baking in smaller batches beats having cookies run into each other, and since each batch bakes in under 10 minutes, the extra rounds do not add much time.
Speed matters when you roll. The florentines harden in less than 2 minutes, so set up your workspace before the pan comes out of the oven. If a cookie stiffens before you get to it, return it to the oven for 15 to 20 seconds to soften it again.
Toppings are wide open. Mini chocolate chips and pistachios are the classic finish here, but you can also dip the ends in sprinkles, candied citrus pieces, English toffee pieces, or toasted coconut.
For an extra polished look, dip the shell ends in melted chocolate and then into your topping of choice, and dust the finished cannoli with powdered sugar just before serving.
Finally, do not skip draining the ricotta. It takes 30 minutes with the paper towel replaced once at the halfway point, and it is the difference between a filling that holds its shape and one that weeps into the shell.
FAQs
How do you make cannoli shells from florentine cookies?
Make the florentine batter from butter, brown sugar, honey, flour, salt, and vanilla, then drop heaping 1/2-teaspoon dollops onto parchment-lined pans. Bake at 375°F for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown. After the cookies cool for about 30 seconds, wrap each one around the handle of a spatula or whisk so the circle overlaps. They harden quickly, so return any too-stiff cookies to the oven for 15 seconds to make them pliable again.
What is the best ricotta for cannoli filling?
For this recipe, use 2 cups of ricotta drained to remove as much moisture as possible. Whole-milk ricotta works well and gives a creamy, sturdy filling. Traditional sheep's-milk ricotta is firmer, but cow's-milk ricotta is easier to find in the United States. Drain it on paper towels for 30 minutes, replacing the towel halfway through, before mixing it with the other filling ingredients.
How do you keep cannoli shells from getting soggy?
The most important step is draining the ricotta well so the filling is not watery. Spread the ricotta in a thin layer on paper towels, press, and let it sit for 30 minutes, replacing the paper towel once halfway through. Fill the florentine shells only shortly before serving, and eat filled cannoli within a few hours. Unfilled shells stay crisp when stored in an airtight container.
Can you make florentine cannoli ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the components ahead. Unfilled florentine shells keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for a few weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. The ricotta filling can be refrigerated in an airtight container or piping bag for up to 5 days. Pipe the filling into the shells just before serving, since filled cannoli are best enjoyed within a few hours.
Florentine Cannoli Florentine cannoli take the classic Italian dessert in a completely different direction, and the result is just as satisfying. Instead of a fried pastry shell, the shell here is a homemade florentine, the thin lace cookie that bakes in a few minutes and crisps up as it cools.
Ingredients
Scale
Florentines 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ¼ cup light brown sugar 3 tablespoons honey ¼ cup all purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Cannoli Filling 2 cups ricotta, drained to remove as much moisture as possible 1 cup powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon orange zest ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips mini chocolate chips, for serving finely chopped pistachios, for serving
Instructions
1-Drain the ricotta: Drain the ricotta: Lay out 2 pieces of paper towel on a flat surface. Spread the ricotta in a thin layer on top of the paper towel. Top with more paper towel and press down until it feels wet. Let sit for 30 minutes, replacing the paper towel once halfway through. This will remove as much moisture as possible from the ricotta so the cannoli filling is the proper consistency. 2-Make the florentines: Make the florentines: Preheat oven to 375˚F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper. 3-In a small saucepan over medium heat,: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the butter, brown sugar and honey until melted. 4-Remove from heat and whisk in the: Remove from heat and whisk in the flour, salt and vanilla until no lumps remain. 5-Optional: Optional: Let the dough cool so it’s easier to work with (we place ours in the freezer for 20 minutes). Each dollop of batter should be a heaping ½ teaspoon (~¾ teaspoon). Place the dollops of batter on the sheet pan, making sure to leave at least 3 inches of space between each cookie. (These spread a LOT!) 6-Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden brown: Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and carefully transfer the parchment paper + cookies to a cooling rack right away (we slide it off the pan to the cooling rack). 7-Let the florentines cool for about 30: Let the florentines cool for about 30 seconds just until they are cool enough to handle. Using the handle of a spatula or whisk (ours has a ¾-inch circumference), carefully wrap the florentine around the handle so the circle overlaps. It will harden pretty quickly. 8-Repeat with remaining florentines – if they: Repeat with remaining florentines – if they start to solidify too quickly, pop them back in the oven for 15 seconds to make them pliable again. 9-Make the ricotta filling: Make the ricotta filling: In a mixing bowl, mix together the drained ricotta, powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest and mini chocolate chips until well combined. 10-Using a round piping tip, pipe the: Using a round piping tip, pipe the ricotta mixture into the florentine shells. Fill one side halfway, then flip and fill the other side. 11-Optional: Optional: dip each end in more mini chocolate chips or chopped pistachios. Enjoy!
