February 7, 2026

How To Make Sicilian Cannoli

Cannoli found in Noto and all across Sicily can be traced back to the Arab occupation of the island between the 9th and 11th centuries. During this period, Sicily absorbed a wealth of culinary influences, including a love of sweet, filled pastries. Over time, these traditions evolved into what we now know as the iconic Sicilian cannolo.

The Cannoli

The pastry shell, known as the scorza, is made from a dough of flour, sugar and wine, then deep-fried until crisp and blistered. It should shatter slightly when you bite into it, never bend.

The classic filling is made from fresh sheep’s milk ricotta, sweetened with sugar and sometimes enriched with chocolate chips, candied fruit or chopped pistachios. Simplicity is key. When done properly, the ricotta is light, creamy and barely sweet.

A perfectly made cannolo is all about contrast. The shell should be hard and crunchy, the filling soft and fresh. Sadly, this balance is often lost. Some cafés sell cannoli that were filled the day before, resulting in a soggy shell and a stiff, overworked filling. These are to be avoided at all costs.

One of my favourite Sicilian mornings was spent in the home kitchen of Chef Maria-Rita, learning how to make cannoli from scratch. Flour dusted the counters, ricotta was carefully drained and piped, and shells cooled patiently on the table.

The result was a joy. Beautiful to look at, fragrant on the nose and utterly satisfying on the palate. A reminder that when cannoli are made with care, time and good ingredients, they are not just a dessert, they are a small piece of Sicilian history.

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Making The Cannoli Shells

We began by mixing the ingredients for the cannoli shells and kneading the dough directly on the kitchen table until it was silky smooth and elastic under our hands.

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Rolling Out The Dough

Next came the careful process of rolling the dough out until it was just a few millimetres thick. Thin enough to fry crisp, but not so thin that it would tear. Once rolled, the dough was cut into neat circles and gently wrapped around cannoli moulds.

Cannoli moulds are essential for shaping the shells and can easily be ordered online, including from Amazon. They are a small investment and absolutely worth it if you plan to make cannoli at home.

Frying The Cannoli Shells

Each wrapped cannolo was carefully lowered into boiling oil and fried individually until golden and blistered. Once cooked, the shells were lifted out and left to cool, filling the kitchen with that unmistakable scent of freshly fried pastry.

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The Cannoli Filling

Next, we turned to its filling. We purchased fresh ricotta cheese from the early morning market, which we spooned into a bowl and mixed in sugar and the zest of a lemon. Loving chocolate, I chose chocolate chips as the treat to add to the cannoli filling.

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While the shells cooled, we turned our attention to the filling. Fresh ricotta was bought earlier that morning from the local market and spooned into a bowl. Sugar was added, along with the zest of a lemon to give brightness and lift.

Being a lover of chocolate, I couldn’t resist folding in a handful of chocolate chips as my chosen extra.

Filling And Finishing

Once cool, the metal moulds were gently squeezed and slid out of the shells. Thankfully, there were no casualties.

The ricotta mixture was transferred into a piping bag and carefully piped into each shell. To finish, I dipped the ends of the cannoli into crushed pistachios, adding both colour and crunch.

There were, of course, a few leftover bits and pieces, so I assembled a small scraps plate which tasted every bit as good as the finished cannoli.

The Best Part

The final step was, naturally, to sit down and enjoy them. When cannoli are this fresh and made by your own hand, it is almost impossible to stop at just one.

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