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August 1, 2026Short & citedBlog
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Everyday Life • Food & Drink

Cannoli

Cannoli are Sicilian pastries made from tube-shaped fried pastry shells filled with a sweet, creamy filling, most often based on ricotta cheese.

Updated August 1, 20261 min readCited sources

Cannoli are tube-shaped Sicilian pastries with a crisp fried shell and sweet ricotta filling. They are a classic dessert in Italian and Italian-American cuisine, typically filled just before serving.

What it is

Cannoli consist of a deep-fried pastry shell shaped like a tube, filled with a sweet cream made from ricotta cheese and sugar. The filling may include citrus, chocolate, nuts, or candied fruit. The plural is cannoli; a single pastry is a cannolo.

Where it comes from

Cannoli originated in Sicily and are closely tied to Sicilian culinary traditions. They are widely recognized as a traditional dessert from southern Italy and have become popular in Italian-American cuisine.

How it is served

Cannoli are usually filled just before eating to keep the shell crisp. The assembled pastries can be frozen if needed, though the shell may lose some crispness when thawed. Calories vary but a typical cannoli contains about 200 to 300.

In short

  • Crisp fried shell with sweet ricotta filling
  • Sicilian origin, popular in Italian-American cuisine
  • Best filled just before serving
  • Plural is cannoli; singular is cannolo
Canadian angle

Cannoli are commonly available in Canadian bakeries, Italian delis, and restaurants, especially in cities with large Italian Canadian communities.

Quick questions

What is a cannoli?
A cannoli is a Sicilian pastry with a fried tube-shaped shell filled with a sweet cream, usually made with ricotta cheese.
What is cannoli filling made of?
Traditional cannoli filling is made from ricotta cheese and sugar, often with flavourings such as vanilla, citrus zest, chocolate chips, nuts, or candied fruit.
Can you freeze cannoli?
Yes. Unfilled shells and some filled cannoli can be frozen, but filled cannoli are best frozen only if necessary because the shell may lose crispness when thawed.

Sources

  1. Merriam-Webster — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cannoli
    Supports: Definition of cannoli as a deep-fried tube of pastry filled with sweetened and flavored ricotta cheese.
  2. La Cucina Italiana — https://www.lacucinaitaliana.com/glossary/cannoli
    Supports: Sicilian origin, shell and filling composition, and the recommendation to fill cannoli shortly before eating.
  3. Cambridge Dictionary — https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/cannoli
    Supports: Cannoli as a sweet food originally from southern Italy made from fried pastry filled with sweet cream.
  4. Allrecipes — https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-a-cannoli/
    Supports: General description, typical ingredients, and note that filled cannoli can be frozen if made ahead.
  5. Vocabulary.com — https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/cannoli
    Supports: Plural/singular form and etymology meaning 'small tube.'
  6. Britannica Dictionary — https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/cannoli
    Supports: General definition of cannoli as a pastry filled with sweetened cheese.