Recipe
Sicilian-Style Vegan Cannoli Recipe
Cannoli have been delighting Sicilian sweet tooths for centuries, and one taste of this plant-based version makes it easy to see why. Crack through the crisp, golden shell to a silky, citrus filling, then finish with chocolate chips, pistachios, or candied peel. Trust us — this vegan cannoli will stay with you long after the last bite!
You will need
Makes 12
For the ricotta filling:
- 350g extra firm tofu
- 1/4 cup neutral flavoured oil, like sunflower oil or refined melted coconut oil
- 1/4 cup soy milk
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1 cup (approximately 200g) vegan cream cheese
- Juice of 1 small lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
For the cannoli shells:
- 200g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 1/4 cup oil (sunflower, canola, light olive oil, or melted vegan butter)
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 - 2L sunflower or canola oil, for deep-frying
Optional fillings:
- Vegan chocolate chips
- Candied citrus peel
Optional garnish:
- Crushed pistachios
- Glacé cherries
- Citrus peel
- Vegan chocolate chips
To serve:
- Icing sugar, to dust
Recipe: Nadia Fragnito
Directions
90 mins to prep
24 hours to chill
-
Step 1
For the ricotta filling: In a food processor, blend the tofu, oil, soy milk and sugar until combined well. Add the cream cheese and lemon juice and continue to process until completely smooth.
-
Step 2
Transfer the filling into a container or cheese mould that is double lined with cheesecloth or a thick serviette.
-
Step 3
Refrigerate overnight. This will create a thicker consistency for piping into the shells.
-
Step 4
For the cannoli shells: Make a dough by sifting the flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir through the sugar. Gradually pour in the oil and wine and mix until a dough is formed. Add a dash of water to bring the dough together. If it’s a little too dry, add an extra dash of water. If it’s too wet, add an extra dash of flour.
-
Step 5
Knead for about 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth (though some texture is okay). Wrap the dough and rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
-
Step 6
Remove from the fridge and cut the dough into thirds for easier handling. Working with one piece of dough at a time. First, flatten with your hand and then either roll out by hand or through a pasta machine.
-
Step 7
If using a pasta machine, start on the thickest setting. Roll your flattened piece of dough through the machine once or twice to create a neat sheet. Then fold the sheet in half and roll it through again. Repeat this step through each setting, rolling through once, then folding and rolling again. Finish at setting No.5 or 6 (on a Marcato Atlas machine) or to about 1-2 mm thick. NOTE: If your dough sheet is tearing, dust the sheet lightly with flour before rolling through the machine, particularly as it gets thinner.
-
Step 8
If you don’t have a pasta machine, use a rolling pin and roll pieces of dough into 1-2 mm thick rectangle sheets. You may need to lightly dust your surface with flour as it gets thinner to prevent it sticking or tearing.
-
Step 9
Now, trim the edges and cut each sheet into neat squares — about 11cm squares for larger cannoli, and 9cm squares for medium cannoli.
-
Step 10
Wrap each square diagonally around a cannolo mould, seal and join the edges together with a little water on your fingertip. The water will allow the dough to stick together and be less likely to unravel when frying.
-
Step 11
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or saucepan until it reaches approximately 180C. A thermometer is helpful here. If you don’t have a deep fryer, be sure to fill a pot at least half way with the oil, so the cannoli have plenty of room, to prevent them from burning on the base of the pot.
-
Step 12
Lower the dough-wrapped moulds into the hot oil, 1-2 at a time and deep fry for approximately 1-2 minutes until crisp and golden brown. If the cannoli brown too quickly, take the pot off the heat and allow the oil to cool a little. If they take too long to fry, it is because the oil isn’t hot enough and they will absorb too much.
-
Step 13
Carefully remove the cannoli from the oil and drain well on absorbent paper. Once the moulds are cool enough to handle, gently slide the cannoli shells from them (if too hot, use tongs or a towel).
-
Step 14
Allow to cool. Unfilled cannoli will stay crisp in an airtight container for several days. They remain fresh beyond a few days, but will lose their initial crispness.
-
Step 15
For the filling and assembly: You may like to keep the filling plain, but for something extra special, fold through a large handful of chocolate chips or a handful of diced candied citrus peel into the ricotta filling.
-
Step 16
Spoon the filling into a piping bag and fill the cooled cannoli shells. Garnish each end with extra chocolate chips, candied peel, pistachios or cherries. When ready to serve, dust with icing sugar.
Did this hit the spot? Thank you!
Rate it to help others find new favourites! Your rating helps give the best recipes a boost.
Select a star to rate the recipe
Recipe: Nadia Fragnito
