This homemade vegan Italian cannoli recipe brings the flavors of Sicily to your kitchen. The filling is made from a simple, creamy vegan soy ricotta and tastes mild and sweet. The shells become bubbly, light, and crisp—just like traditional cannoli—without eggs, lard, or butter.
Table of Contents
- What to expect
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Equipment
- Instructions
- Tips
- Questions
- Variations
- Storage
- Similar recipes
- Vegan Cannoli Recipe
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What to expect
This vegan cannoli recipe recreates the flavor and texture of authentic Sicilian cannoli. The filling uses a homemade soy ricotta that’s easy to make with just a few ingredients; it has a neutral, mild taste that works perfectly in sweet fillings. The shells fry up crunchy and bubbly—very close to traditional cannoli shells. Make them and enjoy a truly delicious treat.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Ingredients for the vegan ricotta
- Soy milk: any brand works; sweetened or unsweetened is fine.
- Vinegar: white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice.
- Salt: to balance the acidity.
Ingredients for the vegan cannoli filling
- Vegan ricotta.
- Sugar: white sugar for an authentic taste; brown sugar or syrups can be used as alternatives.
- Dark chocolate chips: small drop-style chips work best.
- Grated orange zest: optional, traditional in some Sicilian recipes and adds freshness.
Ingredients for the vegan cannoli shell
- Flour: cake flour gives a light, crisp shell; you can experiment with other flours.
- Sugar.
- Fat: homemade or store-bought margarine/vegan butter works; our homemade margarine blends sunflower oil and soy milk.
- Marsala or wine: sweet red wine gives great bubbles and is an easy substitute for marsala.
- Cacao powder and cinnamon: for color and aroma.
- Oil for frying: vegetable oils like sunflower or peanut oil (vegan alternative to lard).
Ingredients for the cannoli toppings
- Pistachios: unsalted and crushed.
- Candied orange peel: or candied cherries.
- Powdered sugar: to dust the finished cannoli.
Equipment
- Cheesecloth or a clean kitchen cloth to drain the ricotta.
- Cannoli forms/tubes—metal tubes or homemade rolled aluminum wrapped in parchment.
- Round pastry cutters or a knife.
- Pastry piping bag for filling (optional, a spatula works too).
- Rolling pin or pasta machine to roll the dough thin.
Instructions
Make the cannoli shells
Combine flour, sugar, cacao powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add softened vegan butter (or margarine), sweet red wine (or marsala), and water. Mix until a dough ball forms. Knead on a work surface about 5 minutes until smooth and not sticky; add flour if necessary. Let the dough rest, covered, for 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes—this makes rolling easier and the shell lighter.
After resting, roll the dough thin (about 1–2 mm). While rolling, fold the dough over itself 5–10 times before flattening; this helps create a bubbly, light texture. Cut into shapes sized to your cannoli tubes, wrap around the tubes, wet the edge with water, and seal firmly so the shell won’t open while frying.
Fry the cannoli shells
Heat frying oil in a pot filled about halfway; the pot should comfortably fit one cannolo. Heat oil to around 180°C (350–360°F). Use a thermometer if available; otherwise, dip the tip of a wooden spoon—if it bubbles, the oil is ready. Keep the oil at the correct temperature: too low and shells will absorb oil; too high and they’ll burn.
Fry each cannolo one at a time for about 1 minute, turning to brown evenly. If shells slip from the forms while frying, squeeze the dough tighter around the tubes before frying the next ones. When shells are light brown, remove and drain on paper and a cooling rack. They’ll darken slightly as they cool. Remove the forms gently once shells are completely cooled.
Make the cannoli filling
In a bowl, fold together the vegan ricotta, sugar, dark chocolate chips, and a small amount of grated orange zest. Mix gently—do not overmix. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and fill each shell from both ends, starting from the middle outward so the filling reaches the center.
Dip one end of each filled cannolo into crushed pistachios and the other end into candied orange peel or half a candied cherry. Arrange on a platter, dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately. Leftover dough can be rolled thin, cut into triangles, fried, and served with remaining filling as “cannoli nachos.”
Tips
- Drain the ricotta well: press the curds for 15–30 minutes with a weight so the filling won’t make the shell soggy.
- Fold the dough: folding several times while rolling creates a lighter, bubbled shell—do this 5–10 times.
- Roll very thin: aim for about 1 mm thickness so shells fry quickly, stay light, and absorb less oil.
- Seal edges firmly: wet the seam with water and squeeze the dough tightly around the tube before frying.
- Fill at the last minute: to avoid sogginess, fill cannoli right before serving.
Questions
Traditional filling is made from ricotta di pecora (sheep’s milk ricotta). This vegan version uses curdled soy milk to create a creamy, ricotta-like filling.
Use bamboo canes or rolled aluminum foil wrapped in parchment as a homemade substitute.
Yes. Use margarine, vegan butter, or vegetable oil instead of lard for a vegan-friendly shell.
Yes. Some recipes replace wine with a mixture of water and vinegar. Wine or vinegar helps create the shell’s characteristic bubbles.
Variations
- Chocolate-shell cannoli: dip the shell edges (or the entire shell) into melted dark chocolate, cool, then fill.
- Cannoli nachos: use leftover dough to make thin triangles, fry briefly, and serve with cannoli filling as a dip.
- Nut swaps: replace pistachios with almonds or hazelnuts if preferred.
Comments and feedback help refine recipes—if you try this or want other vegan Italian dishes, share your thoughts.
Storage
Filled cannoli become soggy quickly; store filled pieces in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours. The best approach is to store shells and filling separately: keep shells covered in a dry place for up to 4 days (not refrigerated) and refrigerate the filling in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The filling may slightly change color but will remain fine to eat.
Similar recipes
If you enjoy plant-based desserts, consider exploring other sweets like Italian chiacchiere, vegan donuts, vegan lemon cake, and more.
- Italian chiacchiere
- Vegan donuts
- Vegan lemon cake with lemon curd
- Vegan vanilla cake
- Soft orange curd cake
- Easy orange cake with orange curd filling
- Carrot and orange cake
- 7-ingredient vegan apple cake
Share your favorite sweets in the comments if we missed one.
Vegan Cannoli Recipe
Equipment
- Cheese cloth or clean kitchen cloth to make the ricotta
- Cannoli tubes
- Rolling pin
- Pastry cutter or a sharp knife
- Pastry piping bag optional
Ingredients
For the homemade vegan ricotta (about 630 g / 23 oz)
- ¾ gallon soy milk
- 6 tablespoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the cannoli filling
- 23 ounces vegan ricotta
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon grated orange zest
For the cannoli shells
- 1½ cups cake flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine (softened)
- 4 tablespoons sweet red wine or marsala
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon dark cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 5 cups frying oil
For the toppings
- 6 tablespoons pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 16 pieces candied orange peel
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare the vegan ricotta
- Bring soy milk to a boil in a large pot while stirring. Turn off the heat, add salt and vinegar, stir for 1 minute, and set aside for 10 minutes to curdle.
- Line a strainer with a clean kitchen cloth or cheesecloth over a large bowl. Pour the curdled milk into the strainer and wrap the curds in the cloth. Place a weight on top and drain for 15–30 minutes. The longer it drains, the drier the ricotta.
- After draining, the ricotta is ready to use for sweet or savory dishes.
Prepare the cannoli shells
- While the ricotta drains, mix flour, sugar, cacao powder, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add softened vegan butter, wine, and water, mixing until a dough ball forms.
- Knead the dough about 5 minutes until smooth and not sticky. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough thin (1–2 mm), folding it several times during rolling to create bubbles. Cut into shapes sized for your tubes, wrap around the tubes, wet the edges, and seal.
- Heat frying oil to about 350°F (180°C). Fry each cannolo one by one for about 1 minute, turning to brown evenly. Drain on paper and cool completely before removing forms. Fill shells only when fully cooled.
Make the ricotta filling
- Gently mix vegan ricotta with sugar, dark chocolate chips, and orange zest. Do not overmix.
- Pipe the filling into shells from both ends, starting from the middle so the filling reaches the center. Dip ends into crushed pistachios and candied orange peel.
- Arrange on a platter, dust with powdered sugar, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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