cannoli brownies on cooling rack by fork in the kitchen

If you thought nothing could get better than a fresh cannoli, you’re about to change your mind.

Two words: CANNOLI. BROWNIE.

cannoli brownies overhead by fork in the kitchen

That’s right – the best of both worlds are here, and ready to help get you through this arctic blast.

Roll call: who here is from the midwest and/or the north? For those of you not, let me explain what I mean by “arctic blast”. The temperatures are excepted to fall – with windchill – to somewhere around -50°F. Yes, there’s a NEGATIVE in there.

cannoli brownies on cooling rack by fork in the kitchen

There are only a few things one can do when it gets that bad (yes, anything warmer we generally do things that require being outside… I know, it’s insane).

  1. Stay home. Stay under blankets.
  2. Drink lots of warm beverages.
  3. Bake. Specifically, Cannoli Brownies this time around.
  4. Finally binge all those shows you haven’t had time for until now.

Speaking of – what shows are binge-worthy? I definitely need some recs for the next few days.

hand holding up cannoli brownie by fork in the kitchen

I didn’t intend for Cannoli Brownies to be the brownie to mark this tundra week. VALENTINE’S DAY, you guys! It’s right around the corner and I’m pretty convinced that these brownies are the perfect treat for the day.

Brownies seem to be a theme for Valentine’s Day for me.

Cannoli + Brownie =

Can I just leave it at one word: utopia?

cannoli brownies on cooling rack by fork in the kitchen

Let’s look a little closer though, for the sake of chocolate.

Starters: a thick, fudgy brownie. We’re not messing around with any cake brownies here – it’s pure fudgy brownie. With chocolate chip chunks in there, because we like to be extra like that. Especially when making cannoli brownies, my friends.

The fudgy brownies are topped with a rich, creamy cannoli filling. It’s got all the right cannoli flavors:

  • dash of cinnamon
  • a little lemon brightness
  • slightly sweetened ricotta cheese
  • creamy whipped cream
cannoli brownies overhead by fork in the kitchen

Key Tips to Making Cannoli Brownies

There are a few key points to making Cannoli Brownies – but one SUPER SPECIFIC STEP.

Let me back up a second. These brownies have been in the “development” stage for a long time. Embarrassing long. My coworker requested a cannoli recipe – and I just wasn’t about the fussiness of making the shells, etc.

And I didn’t want to cheat on that step.

One of my favorite parts of a cannoli though is, like with anything, the chocolate. And all the other parts, but I knew chocolate pairs so wonderfully – hence the pairing of brownies.

Now, here’s the tricky part, and what took me so long to finally come to a recipe that WORKED.

You MUST drain the ricotta.

I recommend draining it for 24 hours. I know that requires a little planning, but if you don’t properly drain the ricotta you’re going to end up with a watery mess of a topping. Trust me on this.

cannoli brownies on cooling rack by fork in the kitchen

I place the ricotta in either my nut milk bag (yes, that’s a thing…haha!) or in some cheesecloth. You want something that’s super fine so the ricotta doesn’t seep through it.

P.S. Those are affiliate links up there – I haven’t used that specific brand of cheesecloth yet but love that it’s reusable and since my current stash ran out, I’ll be ordering it next!

Then, I place that in a mesh strainer over a large bowl and place it back in my fridge. A day – or sometimes two – later, I bake the brownies, mix the cannoli topping and then devour.

That’s basically THE key tip.

Secondary, I would say if the topped brownies sit longer than a day they do start to become soggy, so serve them the same day or the next day.

cannoli brownies on cooling rack by fork in the kitchen

You’re set!

That’s that – Cannoli Brownies coming to your kitchen ASAP, whether it’s to make it through the next few days of incredible cold, for a sweetheart on Valentine’s day (yes, the sweetheart can and should be YOU), or because it’s Tuesday and we need some damn brownies.

Don’t forget to leave me those show recommendations. Thanks, loves!

Love brownies? Check out these other brownie recipes!

 

hand holding up cannoli brownie by fork in the kitchen
5 (1 rating)

Get the Recipe Cannoli Brownies

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 17 minutes
Servings: 9 large brownies
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Thick, fudgy brownies topped with a luxuriously creamy cannoli topping.

Ingredients

BROWNIES:

CANNOLI TOPPING:

Instructions
 

  • THE NIGHT BEFORE: Place ricotta in a nut milk bag or cheesecloth, inside a mesh strainer, over a bowl, at the least for 12 hours, to allow all the moisture to drain out. 
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease, or line an 8x8 square pan with parchment paper. 
  • In a microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. Whisk together with sugar until pale in color. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, whisking between each addition until combined. 
  • In a separate bowl, sift together cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, espresso powder, and salt. Fold into wet ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips until just combined. 
  • Bake for 26-30 minutes, until edges are set; the center may still seem jiggly, but that's just fudgy brownies! Let brownies cool before topping.

TOPPING:

  • Gently stir together drained ricotta cheese, lemon zest, vanilla, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside while you make the whipped cream.
  • In a chilled bowl, add heavy cream. Using an electric mixer (hand or stand), beat the heavy cream on medium until peaks begin to form, approximately 3-5 minutes. The whipped cream will hold its shape - but stop at the point it begins to hold - if you keep going you'll have butter 🙂
  • Fold whipped cream into the ricotta mixture along with the mini chocolate chips. Top cooled brownies with topping and garnish with additional mini chocolate chips. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

Don't forget to drain the ricotta!
Course: Dessert
Author: Becca Mills
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!

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