![Air fryer cannoli with mini chocolate chips](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/air-fryer-cannoli-1024x576.jpg)
Air fryer cannoli with mini chocolate chips
Tonight’s culinary adventure: air fryer cannoli. SO ridiculously easy to make. It only takes about half an hour of active time from start to finish! However the filling requires at least 12 hours of inactive advance prep time, so please plan accordingly.
Cannoli is a treat that brings me straight to Commercial Street in Boston’s North End. Meaning, it makes me good and homesick. Arguably the best little Italy spot in America, it’s where two rival bakeries create some of the yummiest confections known to man. Had I known I could make cannoli shells in the air fryer, and it was this freakin easy to make, I’d have started making these for myself a LONG time ago and saved myself some heartache.
Another fun fact: cannoli is the plural. Cannolo is the singular. One treat is a cannolo, more that one treat are cannoli. If you say “cannolis”, that’s like saying “geeses”. Enough color commentary! Read on to learn how easy these things are.
Ricotta is MOIST
I can’t stress this enough: ricotta cheese is moist af. Sorry not sorry if you hate that word, because I want you to associate ricotta with the word moist for the rest of your days. (Article: The Science Behind Why People Hate the Word Moist) Ricotta needs to be drained as much as possible to have a pleasantly non-soggy filling. That means, it is essential to set your cheese to drain well in advance of making the rest of the cannoli. More liquid that you thought was possible will come out by the end. You will be shocked. SHOCKED, I say.
Drain the cheese
To drain the cheese: set a fine mesh strainer over top of a deep bowl. Make sure the bottom of the strainer doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Ideally there should be at least 1-2 inches of empty space between the bottom of the strainer and the bottom of the bowl for the liquid to accumulate.
![Air fryer cannoli prep: a fine mesh strainer set over a medium glass bowl.](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/strainer-bowl-1024x768.jpg)
Air fryer cannoli filling prep: A fine mesh strainer set over a medium glass mixing bowl in preparation for draining ricotta cheese.
Line the strainer with cheesecloth. I felt joy in finally using cheesecloth for its namesake purpose, hopefully you do too.
![Ir fryer cannoli prep: Cheesecloth set inside a fine mesh strainer, set on top of a medium glass mixing bowl.](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/strainer-bowl-cheesecloth-1024x768.jpg)
Air fryer cannoli prep: cheesecloth set inside a fine mesh strainer, set on top of a medium glass mixing bowl.
Scoop the ricotta on top of the cheesecloth (resist the urge to dump it in from the container, to avoid dumping out any unnecessary additional liquid out of the container), and pack it down with the bottom of your spoon. Distribute it into the bottom of the strainer and around the sides, to maximize the surface area the liquid will drain from. Cover the top of the cheese with plastic wrap, and press down. Set a small bowl on top of the plastic wrap, and place a large heavy canned food into the bowl, to act as a weight. You really want to get as much as possible of the liquid out. Set that whole shabang in the fridge, and leave to drain for at least 12 hours. If that seems like a long time: it’s not. Leave it in there for up to 24 hours for light, fluffy, not-soggy filling.
![Air fryer cannoli prep: drained ricotta, in draining contraption.](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/strainer-bowl-weight-768x1024.jpg)
Air fryer cannoli prep: here is the ricotta, after draining for 5 hours, still inside the draining contraption.
Air Fryer Cannoli Forms
Cannoli forms are these little metal tubes that you’d typically wrap cannoli shell dough around. Then, you’d drop the dough-wrapped forms into a vat of hot oil to cook. With this recipe, we’re cooking in the air fryer and using premade refrigerated pie crust, so we can get creative with what we use for forms.
I cut down an old 3/4-inch diameter wooden dowel rod I had lying around to 5.5-inch lengths. After lightly sanding and wiping them down, I carefully wrapped them in aluminum foil.
You can also crimp up and sculpt the forms out of just aluminum foil. I wanted a clean, perfectly round hollow for my shells, so I used the dowels. The dimensions don’t seem to be super important, just as long as the circle of crust you cut out can wrap completely around your form with a bit of overlap. But if you’re wanting to be traditional, 3/4-1″ diameter by 5-5.5″ length hits the target.
![Homemade air fryer cannoli forms](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/dowels-wrapped-1024x768.jpg)
Wooden dowels wrapped in smooth aluminum foil makes a great diy air fryer cannoli form. Not so good for traditional deep fried cannoli shells.
![DIY cannoli forms, end view.](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/dowels-on-end-1024x768.jpg)
Wooden dowels wrapped carefully in aluminum foil for air fryer cannoli forms. Wrap and fold carefully around the ends to secure.
Air Fryer Prep
Not a heck of a lot to do, but crucial none the less, clean out your basket to remove any grease/crumbs leftover from cooking savory things. Dry off, and later coat with nonstick cooking spray.
Cut your dough into circles
Turn out your pie crust onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Using a heavy rolling pin, wine bottle, or pint glass, roll out to 1/16″ thickness. Using a 4″ diameter circle cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or other 4″ circle cutting device (I used a fried egg form), cut your pie crust into circles. The size of the circle is important here, it should wrap comfortably around the shell form with at least 1″ overlap.
Wrap the crust around the form
Whatever you’re using for forms, give them a good spray with nonstick cooking spray. Cannoli shells are usually deep fried in a vat of hot oil, and for that type of cooking method this step would be unnecessary; but for this air fryer recipe, the forms need a little bit of light greasing so that the cooked, crispy pie crust shells don’t stick and crumble into pieces when removed.
Wrap the dough carefully around the greased forms. Where the crust edges overlap, brush a bit of beaten egg white, which acts like glue to adhere the overlapping crusts together. Make sure to not get any of the beaten egg white on the form itself, or else your shells will stick.
![Wrapping the crust around the form.](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IMG-4710-768x1024.jpg)
Carefully wrap the pie crust circle around the greased shell form. Pictured is a 4″ diameter circle of pie crust wrapping around a 3/4″ diameter shell form.
Coat them shells with sugar and bake
Pour 1/4c of turbinado sugar (or other coarse sugar – but turbinado caramelizes in the best way) into an even layer on a plate. Brush the outside of the shells with some more of the beaten egg white, again making sure to not brush too close to the edge or onto the form, and roll carefully but firmly in the to coat the shells with the sugar.
Coat air fryer basket with nonstick spray, and preheat your air fryer to 400F. Add a few shells at a time, about an inch apart, cook until they are golden and crispy, and the sugar melted/caramelized in spots – about 5-7 minutes. My 7-qt capacity air fryer basket fit 4 shells at a time. Carefully remove with tongs to a wire rack to cool. Cool for a couple minutes until you can handle them. Grasping the shell in your closed fist, gently twist and wiggle the form to remove. Replace the shells to the wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining shells.
![Air fryer cannoli shells cooling on wire rack](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/airfryer-cannoli-shells-1024x768.jpg)
Air fryer cannoli shells cooling on wire rack
Mix the filling
Take your well-drained ricotta out of the fridge. Marvel at how much liquid drained out. Pat yourself on the back for thinking ahead.
Plop that drained ricotta into a clean mixing bowl, stir in powdered sugar, orange zest, vanilla, and salt. Spoon into a piping bac fitted with tip of your choosing. Chill for at least 15 minutes, or until ready to use.
![Liquid drained from ricotta.](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ricotta-liquid-768x1024.jpg)
Air fryer cannoli prep: LOOK AT HOW MUCH LIQUID DRAINED! YOU could take a bath in it!
Finish the Air Fryer Cannoli: Pipe the filling
Taking one cooled cannolo shell in one hand and your chilled cannoli filling in the other, pipe them betches. You’ll want to pipe from both ends and make sure some filling makes it to the middle of the shell. Once piped, sprinkle the ends with mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or coarsely chopped roasted pistachios. Serve/devour immediately.
![One air fryer cannolo (cannoli).](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/cannoli-done-1024x768.jpg)
One air fryer cannolo (cannoli).
![Air fryer cannoli with mini chocolate chips](https://culinarilyadventurous.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/air-fryer-cannoli-300x300.jpg)
Equipment
- air fryer
- mesh strainer
- cannoli form
- piping bag
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 15oz tub Ricotta Whole Milk Ricotta - NOT reduced fat or skim
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Shells
- 1 15oz package refrigerated pie crust
- ½ cup turbinado sugar
- 1 egg egg white only - beaten
Optional
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or chopped roasted pistachios
Instructions
Filling - Cheese Prep
- Set a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl, and line with cheesecloth. Spoon ricotta into prepared strainer. Distribute ricotta evenly around bottom and sides of strainer, pressing down with the back of the spoon or a silicone spatula. Cover ricotta with plastic wrap, and place a bowl with some pie weights or a big heavy can of food inside to weigh it down - you want to press the liquid out of the cheese and into the bowl. Place in the fridge and let drain for at least 12 hours (up to 24hrs).
Shells
- Spray the basket of your air fryer and the cannoli shell forms with cooking spray.
- Spread turbinado sugar (or other coarse sugar) on a plate. Set aside.
- Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out one sheet of refrigerated pie crust to about 1/16" thick.
- Cut 4" circles of crust. Use a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, small bowl, large glass, any smooth-edge circle. I used a fried egg mold.
- Crack egg into a small bowl, separating egg white from yolk. Discard yolk (or save for another recipe), and beat the egg white.
- Wrap one circle of pie crust around a prepared cannoli mold. Brush beaten egg white where the circle edges overlap to seal, making sure not to get any egg white on the cannoli form - this will make your cannoli shell stick to the form.
- Carefully brush egg white on the outside of the cannoli shell (again making sure to not get any on the form), and then roll in sugar to coat. Repeat for remaining forms.
- Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
- Add a few shells to air fryer basket, making sure they don't touch each other. (My air fryer basket fit 4 shells at a time.) Cook at 400°F for 5-8 minutes, until shells are crisp and golden brown, and some of the sugar has caramelized. Remove with tongs and let cool on wire rack for a few minutes.
- Once shells are cool enough to handle, gently grasp cannoli shell in your hand, and slide the form out of the shell. You may need to twist a little bit. I find it easier to hold the shell still and move the form at first to loosen. Repeat with the rest of the shells. Let cool completely.
Filling
- Remove the ricotta from the fridge, and scoop into a clean medium bowl. (Be AMAZED at how much liquid drained out.)
- To the bowl of ricotta, add powdered sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Stir to combine.
- If you have a piping bag - spoon the filling into the piping bag and place into fridge again to chill. If you do not have a piping bag, put the bowl into the fridge to chill.Pipe or spoon the chilled filling into the cooled shells.
- If using, sprinkle ends of cannoli with chocolate chips, sprinkles, or chopped roasted pistachios. Serve/devour immediately!
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