Pistachio Milk

Recipe

Pistachio Cannoli: An Easy Recipe with Pistachio Ricotta Filling

Crisp shells, a creamy pistachio-ricotta filling, chopped pistachios on the ends. The easy home version.

Written by Elena Ricci, Founder & lead writer Published Updated

Quick answer

Pistachio cannoli are crisp shells filled with a creamy pistachio-ricotta filling and finished with chopped pistachios. Beat well-drained ricotta with icing sugar, pistachio paste and vanilla, pipe into shells just before serving so they stay crisp, then dip the ends in chopped pistachios. Shop-bought shells work perfectly.

Pistachio cannoli take the Sicilian classic and lean into pistachio, with a creamy pistachio-ricotta filling and chopped pistachios on the ends. The filling is genuinely easy; the only rule is to fill the shells at the last minute so they stay crisp.

The filling

The recipe above makes a smooth, lightly sweet pistachio ricotta. Draining the ricotta well is the single most important step — wet ricotta gives a loose filling. Use pistachio paste for the cleanest flavour, or grind shelled pistachios finely (see pistachio powder).

Shells

Shop-bought shells are perfectly good and save a lot of time. If you make your own, fry them until deeply crisp so they hold up to the filling.

Finishing and serving

Pipe from both ends, dip the ends in chopped pistachios, and dust with icing sugar. Serve straight away. For more pistachio sweets, see pistachio desserts and the recipe collection.

Frequently asked questions

How do you keep cannoli shells crisp?
Fill them just before serving. The filling's moisture softens the shells within an hour or two, so pipe at the last minute and keep filled cannoli no more than a couple of hours.
Can you make pistachio cannoli without pistachio paste?
Yes — blitz shelled pistachios to a fine meal or smooth butter and beat that in instead. It gives a slightly more textured filling but the same flavour.

Allergy note: Pistachios are a tree nut. If you have a nut allergy, avoid pistachio milk and pistachio products, and check labels for cross-contamination warnings. This article is general information, not personalised dietary or medical advice.