Cannoli Pancakes Recipe

Pancakes for dessert, or dessert as pancakes? You decide. This decadent dish captivates the taste buds either way. Food photographer and recipe developer Jessica Morone was inspired to combine cannoli with this breakfast staple for a perfectly sweet stack of pancakes. 

According to Cannoli Kitchen, this rich pastry roll is traditionally filled with almonds, honey, and ricotta as a customary treat. Morone's love for her own Italian ancestry sparked her creativity to morph the standard pancake into an Italian dream. "I was inspired to make these pancakes because my Italian grandmother used to always make cannoli for us, and they became my favorite pastry," she told Tasting Table. "I wanted to use the same flavors for a breakfast/brunch dish." 

And while you may not want to whip up cannoli pancakes every weekend — they're next-level rich, after all — they make an excellent "special" breakfast for birthdays and holidays, or for other special occasions. 

Before you start cooking, you'll want to gather your ingredients for the pancakes and the cannoli filling. You'll need 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt,  2 ¼ cups buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter, 1 cup room temperature mascarpone cheese, 1 cup room temperature whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips, and cooking spray for greasing your pan. 

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. 

In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then whisk in the melted butter. 

Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until they are just combined. Don't worry if the batter is slightly lumpy, but allow the lumps to settle a bit to help perfect your Cannoli Pancakes. 

Morone told us, "There are a few secrets to perfect pancakes. You want to make sure you don't overmix your pancake batter, or they can end up flat."

Spray your skillet thoroughly with cooking spray. Set it over medium heat and wait until it's hot. Spoon about ½ cup of the pancake batter into the pan. Cook the pancake until the edges appear cooked. Flip the pancake over and cook the other side until it's golden brown. 

Morone gave us her secret to get the golden aesthetic, "While you are cooking the pancakes, you want to look for bubbles on the top of the pancake. Once they pop, you are ready to flip the pancakes." 

When the pancake is cooked to perfection, remove it from the heat. Repeat the processes until all the pancake batter has been used. 

Now it's time to make the deliciously cheesy cream topping. This is the part our developer loves, "My favorite thing about these is the cannoli cream, it's so delicious." Use a stand (or electric) mixer to beat the mascarpone cheese until it's creamy. Drop in the ricotta cheese and beat until it's thoroughly combined. Drizzle in the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the powdered sugar in increments, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Finally, fold in your chocolate chips.

You've reached the final step of assembly. Simply layer the pancakes with cannoli filling, creating stacks 2-4 pancakes tall. Alternatively, you may fold the pancakes in half and fill them with the cream and chocolate to serve. 

Like all pancakes, these are best enjoyed fresh. "These pancakes are really a whole meal all by themselves. You don't need to serve anything with them. But if you wanted to serve eggs or bacon with them, they would pair well with anything you want," Morone says. 

We hope you'll cherish these decadent cakes. From our kitchen to yours, enjoy!