This Cannoli Cheese Ball has the flavors of cannoli filling turned into a cheese ball. It is a super easy recipe for entertaining!
I love a good dessert cheese ball! If you are a fan, you can also try this Red Velvet Cheese Ball or this S’mores Cheese Ball.
If you’ve never made a dessert cheese ball before, it is seriously the easiest recipe. It might get a little bit messy, but it’s totally worth it.
And if you love cannoli, but don’t want to go to all of the work of making them, this Cannoli Cheese Ball is a great alternative that gives you that cannoli flavor!
This is the perfect dessert for a holiday party or potluck. It is definitely a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- Cream Cheese: For the best results, use full fat cream cheese.
- Ricotta Cheese: You want to make sure you are using a fairly firm ricotta cheese. The best ricotta will be full fat without any stabilizers, but most grocery store brands do have the stabilizers. If it is not creamy and thick, you will want to drain it before adding it.
- Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar will give the cheese ball some sweetness.
- Cinnamon: You can add more cinnamon or use less, depending on your tastes. I thought the amount was subtle, but add to your preference.
- Chocolate Chips: You want to use mini chocolate chips – to make it easier to coat in the chocolate, and easier to serve.
- Dippers: I used vanilla wafers, but you could also use graham crackers or broken cannoli shells. A reader even suggested using broken up sugar cones, which I think is a great idea!
How to Make a Cannoli Cheese Ball
- Beat the cream cheese until it is smooth. I used a hand mixer. Add the ricotta, powdered sugar, and cinnamon and beat to combine. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
- Lay out two pieces of plastic wrap perpendicular to each other. Place the mixture in the middle, then wrap it up and refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours.
- Lay the remaining chocolate chips on a plate, then unwrap the cheese ball and roll it in the chocolate chips.
- Serve!
Cannoli Cheese Ball Video
Tips and Tricks
While I have never had a hard time having the cheese ball set up, some have said that their dip was too runny to serve as a cheese ball. You want to make sure the ricotta is not too wet, and if it is, you’ll want to drain it before using.
If your ingredients don’t firm up, you can just serve this as a dip. Simply sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.
While this can set up in as little as 2 hours, I prefer to make it the day before and let it refrigerate overnight.
The leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated.
More Crowd Pleasing Desserts
Dump Cake Recipe
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Fruit Pizza
Italian Cream Cake
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip
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Cannoli Cheese Ball
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 3/4 cups mini chocolate chips, divided
- vanilla wafers or graham crackers, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the ricotta, powdered sugar, and cinnamon and beat until combined. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
- Lay out 2 pieces of plastic wrap perpendicular to each other. Dump the mixture out into the center. Gather the plastic up around the mixture and shape into a ball shape. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours, or overnight.
- Place the remaining chocolate chips on a plate. Remove the cheeseball from the plastic wrap onto the chocolate chips. Roll in the chocolate chips to coat.
- Serve the cheese ball with vanilla wafers or graham crackers.
T Willett says
I made this for my daughter’s soccer team party soccer ball being the thought behind it. It was gone in minutes! Making it for Super Bowl party today. Think I will double it and shape like a football. Serving with bills wafers and graham crackers.
PAM says
I loved this recipe…I made the cheese mix…and refrigerated till stiff….I made small balls the size of a truffle, and then rolled in mini choc chips, served with sugar cone pieces and choc Maria wafers . made for a great Buffett dessert
Deborah says
I love that! What a fun twist on this recipe. 🙂
Carey Chapman says
Can you add cut up pieces of cherry?
Boyd Kobe says
Wow, this looks incredibly delicious!!! My kids would love it.
Annum says
I just made this, and it turned out great. I hope it’s a hit for Super Bowl !
Deborah says
I’m so happy it turned out well for you!
Traci P says
Mine also turned out runny. So, I just served it as a dip instead. But, I also needed another 1/2 cup of sugar because, to me, it just tasted like cinnamon cream cheese.
Katherine says
My brother has used broken sugar cones for the dip…they taste very similar to cannoli shells, so you could also use these for the ball!
Deborah says
Such a great idea!
Billy says
This looks really good
Cassandra says
I just made this for a new years pot-luck party I am attending tonight and it turned out perfect! I have never made it before, I have been meaning to for a long time, and I am so glad I chose to today for this party. It was NOT runny at all! I used “traditional” Ricotta cheese and scooped from the top of the container, the ricotta cheese was the same ‘thickness’ as the filling of a cannoli. I used an electric beater not a mixer for the cream cheese and then the ricotta. I mixed the cinnamon and the icing sugar in a separate bowl (you know- mix ‘liquid’ ingredients together and ‘dry’ ingredients together first, then combine the ‘liquid’ and the ‘dry’ together with a spatula so the powder doesn’t fly up when mixing then beat again with the hand beater and then by hand with the spatula mix in the chocolate chips. I followed the instructions perfectly and I got a perfect cheese ball. I have it back in the fridge until the party starts because no one wants to eat a warm cheese ball and it’s not really food safe, I’m so excited to show it off and eat it later. Thank you!
Deborah says
I’m so happy it worked out for you!
Rose says
Cannoli filling typically uses powdered sugar at a ratio of about 1/4 the amount of powdered sugar to the ricotta. I would imagine that if you were experiencing a runny texture that a few tablespoons of powdered sugar or cornstarch if you don’t want the sweet, would solve the problem. The recipe uses part cream cheese which is firmer than the ricotta and would therefore require less powdered sugar than the typical cannoli filling
Lisa says
I’m going to make this for an Italian themed graduation party. Can I make it ahead and freeze it?
Deborah says
I have not tried freezing it, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. Sorry!
Marisa says
HI Everyone, I made this last night for a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon today, like most of you mine was not firm, but I still think it’s going to work. But no where on here does it say that we should drain the ricotta. I will try this again for a party I am hosting Friday night with my girls. I will get it right!!! I will also add less cinnamon.
Christine says
I tried this twice last weekend for different parties, both times it was way too soft to make into a ball, even after staying in the refrigerator overnight. (Still was a big hit at both parties as a dip.) I wasn’t giving up, and I have another event on Friday, so I just tried it again and drained the ricotta in a paper towel in a bowl (I am not a great cook, no cheese cloth in this house) for 30 mins prior to starting…and…I have a perfect ball!!! Now it will be delicious AND pretty! Thank you for all of the suggestions in the comments.
Connie says
Tried it, was perfect, have made different versions the football, was the biggest hit!
You have to drain the Ricotta
Deborah says
I’m so glad you loved it, Connie!
sebnem says
looks good
Missy says
Just made this for Super Bowl party tonight-not runny AT ALL. I’m not sure what ya’ll are doing but there are no ingredients in this that should make it “runny.” With that said, I myself used low fat cream cheese and part skim ricotta and it was still fine…and SO good!!! Had to refrigerate it again after rolling onto chocolate chips, (maybe cause of reduced fat ingredients,) but no biggie! I’m not gonna lie, about three tablespoons of it didn’t make it to the “ball!”
susie says
Used full fat ingredients and got very runny results…milkshake consistency. It’s chilling in a bowl at the moment, but doesn’t seem promising. Unless a miracle occurs, there is no way I’ll be serving this at my super bowl party!
Mariano says
Maybe as someone else posted here… the ricotta cheese might has not be fully drained. There are variants of ricotta, some of them has more liquid than another… Check that, may you must get another ricotta…
sarah says
I made this and it turned out awesome! Not runny at all! Thank you for sharing!!
Deborah says
So glad you loved it!!
Rebecca says
I just made this! Its in the fridge chilling at the moment. I’m taking it to a dinner party tonight and I have a feeling its going to be a big hit! If someone else’s turned out runny, it isn’t the recipe because I followed it to a T and it turned out perfect. Thanks for posting this!
Susan says
Made mine tonight, turned out PERFECT! I used whole milk ricotta, did not stir it first, left juices in bottom half of a new container. Very good, but prefer a little less cinnamon….next time ; ) I’ll never pay $3.99 for a Cannoli again~
Deborah says
yay!! I’m so glad it worked out for you.
Renee says
I have never had a cannoli before in my life. I have never lived in a place where cannolis were ever made. They look so good & I would like to sometime like to try one. This cheese ball looks really good & I’m thinking of making it, but after reading other comments it seems to come out runny instead of kind of firm. I don’t want a cannoli dip, I want a cannoli cheese ball. Guess all I can do is follow instructions to a “T” & hope it comes out correct.
Deborah says
Renee – Just make sure you use full fat ingredients and it shouldn’t be runny.
Tracy says
Those saying the mixture is runny must not have drained the ricotta cheese first.
Ger says
I had to use cheese cloth and a paper towel to get all the liquid out of the ricotta cheese to get the final result of firm. But, I do believe it was not full fat.
Amber says
is there a shelf stable version of this I could use? Or a way to use a cream cheese emulsion with a shelf stable substance instead of the cream cheese?
Deborah says
I’m not quite sure, as I haven’t tried any substitutions. Sorry!
jennifer says
Followed recipe perfectly.. And it turned out almost runny… Any ideas on how to firm it up? Tastes great, and worked well as a dip I suppose.
Deborah says
It shouldn’t be runny – it will be pretty soft before it gets refrigerated, though. Just make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature, and that it’s not microwaved or melted.
krystine says
Mine was runny also, made more of a dip. It turned even more runny after adding the powdered sugar. I have a friend who made it too and same thing happened to her and she did hers by hand while I did mine with my kitchenaid. Tried adding more sugar but I would have had to add a minimum of 3 cups to reach a thicker consistancy. 🙁
Deborah says
Was it just soft or actually runny? It is soft before you refrigerate it, but it shouldn’t be runny at all. If it was a dip consistency, then it will firm up in the refrigerator.
Dianne says
I’ll thrid that. I made it and it was runny. Not soft actually kinda liguidy. Like dip and pour off spoon runny.
Deborah says
Can you let me know what kind of ingredients you are using? Were they full fat, or lowfat/skim?
Joanne says
Being UBER italian, my family always has cannolis on the dessert table…but maybe this year we should mix it up and have cannoli cheeseball instead!
Nidhi@peppergarlickitchen.com says
This is so apt for a party…easy and yummm
Chels R. says
Such a fun idea! I have never made any cheese ball of any variety. I’m going to need to jump on the bandwagon here at some point.
Angelyn @ Everyday Desserts says
this looks amazing!
Amy @Very Culinary says
It’s like our recipes are cousins! Love yours. Pinned.