Classic cannoli are perhaps the most famous Italian dessert. Marta’s family hails from Sicily – the home of cannoli – and we both grew up eating these treats. But the classic recipe is neither healthy nor suitable for allergy sufferers or dieters. One look at the ingredients is enough to gain a kilo: eggs, sugar, butter, ricotta cheese, whipped cream; everything fried. Our mission today is to show you how to flip this recipe and make it super healthy.
It took us two days of testing, but now you can have it egg free, dairy free, vegan, Low fat content, sugar freeAnd few calories cannoli We think you will love them! Of course, roasting will yield different results than baking in the oven, but these cannoli are just as crunchy and delicious.
We’ve tried to use as few ingredients as possible to keep the recipe simple and accessible. Check out the FAQ section below where we give you some replacement options.
First, we’ll show you how to make vegan cannoli bowls. We used whole wheat flour here, so the recipe is not gluten-free. But our pistachio cannoli are both vegan and gluten-free, so give this recipe a try too. By the way, don’t worry if you don’t have proper cannoli molds. We’ll show you how easy it is to make homemade cannoli tubes.
Once you have the shells, we’ll help you prepare a low-fat filling made from tofu and the sugar-free sweetener erythritol. The filling will burst with chocolate and orange flavor, so delicious!
Has our hard work paid off? Let’s take a look at the numbers. Compared to the traditional ones, these vegan cannoli have almost half the calories seven times less saturated fats and sugars. So if you’re losing weight, following a vegan diet, or have dairy and egg allergies, you can now enjoy Sicilian-style cannoli worry-free. Have fun creating!
frequently asked Questions
How to make vegan cannoli filling without soy (tofu)?
Tofu makes an excellent cannoli filling in this recipe. It’s low in fat and thick enough to stay in the cannoli shell. In addition, its subtle flavor is completely overtaken by the essence of orange and chocolate, which is what we want.
But soy might not be a good option for you. Maybe you don’t like it, or maybe you’re allergic to it. Fear not, dear reader. We have them!
We recently made vegan mayo with cashews. You wouldn’t use mayo in this recipe, but the texture of this cashew spread is just what we need here. So we’re going to make some small changes to this recipe to make it suitable for our vegan cannoli.
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Take 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cashews. Soak for 30 minutes and then drain.
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Make aquafaba following our vegan mayo step #2.
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Puree the cashews into a cream
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Beat the aquafaba until it forms a firm foam (like the one you would get from whipped egg whites) for 5 minutes.
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Fold the aquafaba into the cashew cream using a vertical circular motion.
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Add the erythritol, chocolate, and zest, following the cannoli recipe above (step 7).
The secret to a crispy cannoli shell is in the rolling. The thinner you can roll this dough into sheets, the crispier the cannoli shapes will be after baking.
Ideally, roll out the dough into a 1-millimeter sheet.
If you can’t get it quite that thin, don’t stress it. Do your best and the cannoli will still come out crispy. We promise.
Can I Freeze Cannoli?
We wouldn’t recommend freezing the cannoli as the shapes won’t be crispy once thawed.
When is the best time to fill cannoli?
Sicilian tradition recommends filling the cannoli just before consumption. They do this to prevent the filling from soaking the shapes. We encourage you to follow this advice whenever possible.
A little tip if you want to batch cook this recipe. Make the shells and filling, but don’t assemble them yet. Store the molds in an airtight container and the filling in the fridge. Don’t fill the molds until you’re ready to eat your cannoli.
Can I make cannoli without cannoli tubes/molds?
Yes you can! Time to put on your DIY hat and follow our step number 3 in the recipe above. We’ll show you how you can make it easily and cheaply using kitchen foil.