The Decadent Cream Pie That's Made For Cannoli Fans

When life gets chaotic, a slice of pie is a surefire way to sweeten your day, and a special pie elevates any occasion. Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone shares this almost no-bake cannoli cream pie recipe that takes two delicious desserts and combines them into one decadent treat. "I love cannoli, they are one of my favorite desserts to get so I'm a big fan of this pie," Morone comments. The mascarpone adds an element of tanginess to cut through the richness of a traditional cream pie, and the cinnamon and orange zest add pops of spice and citrus. If you want to spend less time baking and more time savoring slice after slice of pie, this is the perfect recipe to add to your list.

Aside from the top-notch flavor profile, this recipe cuts out the finicky work required by both of the recipes that inspired it: You don't need to roll out a shortcrust pastry or individually fill cannoli shells. Morone highlights the simplicity of this recipe and notes, "You don't have to fry up your own cannoli shells as you would if you were trying to make traditional cannoli since the crust is made from graham crackers, but it satisfies all your cannoli cravings." Enjoy this Italian twist on a rich cream pie and serve it the next time you want to impress your guests.

For the pie crust, you'll need graham cracker sheets, granulated sugar, and unsalted butter (melted). For the filling, get heavy whipping cream, mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, whole milk ricotta cheese, vanilla extract, cinnamon, orange zest, and mini chocolate chips. If desired, use extra whipped cream and chocolate chips to garnish. If you can't find mascarpone, you can call on many substitutes, such as sour cream, crème fraîche, or Greek yogurt.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Place the graham crackers into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they become finely ground.

Add in the granulated sugar and melted butter and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles wet sand.

Pour the mixture into an ungreased pie dish and press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, beat the mascarpone until smooth.

Mix in the powdered sugar and beat until combined.

Add in the ricotta, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and orange zest, beating until well combined.

Gently fold in the whipped cream.

Mix in the mini chocolate chips.

Spread the filling evenly into the cooled pie crust.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours until set, then top with more whipped cream and chocolate chips if desired.

Cut and serve.

Though this pie is far simpler to throw together than a lattice-topped apple pie or a batch of fresh cannoli, it still requires a few steps, and Morone has a few tips to guarantee success. You might notice a few types of ricotta at the store, so pay attention to the labels. Morone suggests, "Use a good quality whole milk ricotta for the filling," and warns that anything less than whole milk will be more watery and will require straining before you can use it. However, for extra creaminess or if you can't find whole milk she says, "You could also whip the ricotta before adding it to the other ingredients for an even smoother filling." Since the mixture also contains mascarpone, which has a high fat content, Morone notes that it will help boost the creaminess of the filling.

"The crust in this recipe is baked, which ensures that it doesn't get too soggy while it chills," she explains. However, if you're planning to make the pie ahead of time and won't serve it for 24 hours or more, she recommends, "You can bake the crust and make the filling separately, chill the filling, and then fill the pie much closer to when you are serving it so that the crust doesn't get soggy."

Morone designed this recipe to closely mimic a classic cannoli, but even cannoli come in a variety of flavors and are open to experimentation. She offers several ideas to switch up some of the flavors without changing the overall essence of this pie. 

The crust is an easy place to make changes. Start by using a ready-made graham cracker pie shell to skip the bake. Morone suggests, "Crushed-up ice cream waffle cones are a good choice as well, or you could buy a package of actual cannoli shells and crush those up instead." Meanwhile, she says that  most other cookie crumbs would work well, and if you want to add more chocolate to the mix, opt for perennially-popular Oreo cookies. 

As for the creamy filling, Morone says, "You could swap the mascarpone cheese for cream cheese for a tangier and firmer filling." Aside from chocolate chips, she suggests, "You could also add some pistachios to the filling, which are also traditional for cannoli, for more crunch, or add in some almond extract for additional flavor."