Gluten-Free Cannoli

Sicilian-style cannoli with crisp fried shells and a sweet ricotta filling flavored with orange zest and studded with mini chocolate chips. The ricotta is drained ahead so the filling stays thick, and the shells are filled just before serving.

Prep: 60 min Cook: 20 min Total: 320 min Serves: 16

At a glance: This hard desserts recipe yields 16 servings in about 5h 20m (60 min prep, 20 min cook). It uses 16 ingredients — including whole-milk ricotta, powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract — and walks through 7 steps. Updated October 24, 2026. Browse more desserts recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

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Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Cannoli: When preparing this desserts recipe, fry the shells in fresh oil that has not been used for breaded or battered foods. Store-bought cannoli shells and bakery cannoli are almost always made with flour that contains gluten. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Cannoli: The shells use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and xanthan gum instead of flour that contains gluten. Use ricotta, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, vanilla and a flour blend labeled gluten-free.

Scale Recipe:

servings

Ingredient amounts update automatically

Instructions

1 Line a sieve with cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, add the ricotta and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to drain.
2 For the shells, pulse the gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), sugar, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until it disappears. Add the egg, 3 tbsp Marsala and vinegar and pulse until a firm dough forms, adding the last tablespoon of Marsala if needed. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
3 Roll half the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment as thin as you can, about 1/16 inch. Cut 4-inch rounds. Reroll scraps once.
4 Wrap each round loosely around a greased metal cannoli tube, dab the overlap with egg white and press to seal. Flare the ends slightly.
5 Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry 2-3 shells at a time for 1-2 minutes, until golden and blistered. Lift out with tongs and drain on paper towels. When cool enough to handle, gently slide the shells off the tubes. Cool the tubes before rewrapping.
6 For the filling, beat the drained ricotta with the powdered sugar, vanilla and orange zest until smooth. Fold in half the chocolate chips. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
7 Just before serving, pipe the filling into the shells from both ends. Dip the ends in the remaining chocolate chips and dust with powdered sugar.

Tips & Notes

Drain the ricotta for at least 4 hours. Wet ricotta makes a runny cannoli filling that soaks the shells within minutes.
Roll the gluten-free cannoli dough very thin between plastic wrap. Thin dough blisters and turns crisp in the oil, while thick dough stays tough.
Fill the cannoli at the last minute. Unfilled shells keep for 2 days in an airtight tin, but filled ones soften within an hour.

Common questions

How long does Gluten-Free Cannoli take?

Gluten-Free Cannoli takes about 5 hours 20 minutes, including resting time: 60 minutes to prep and 20 minutes to cook, for 16 servings.

What should I check before making Gluten-Free Cannoli with celiac disease?

Written with gluten-free ingredients. Use products labeled gluten-free, check labels, and ask your clinician about your own needs.

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Cannoli?

Check whole-milk ricotta, powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract before they go into Gluten-Free Cannoli. Fry the shells in fresh oil that has not been used for breaded or battered foods. Store-bought cannoli shells and bakery cannoli are almost always made with flour that contains gluten. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Which gluten-free swaps does Gluten-Free Cannoli use?

Gluten-Free Cannoli relies on a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend, xanthan gum. Keep those gluten-free-labeled products in place of a gluten-containing flour or sauce. If the blend already lists xanthan gum, do not add a second binder unless this recipe says to.

How should leftover Gluten-Free Cannoli be stored?

Fill the cannoli at the last minute. Unfilled shells keep for 2 days in an airtight tin, but filled ones soften within an hour.

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Gluten Free Recipes team

Gluten-free recipe development since 2026

Recipes include certified gluten-free ingredient guidance and cross-contamination notes. Check every label and use certified gluten-free products. Learn more about us.

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