With my upcoming trip to Sicily, Sicilian inspired recipes are very much top of mind! It has also been quite warm in Philly, so I have Ice Cream on the brain. This recipe for Homemade Cannoli Ice Cream is (obviously) inspired by one of Sicily’s most well-known treats: Cannoli.
The traditional dessert is a deep-fried pastry shell filled with a sweet ricotta cream. Cannoli can be decorated with candied orange zest, or chopped pistachios, depending on the region in Sicily. American Italian versions (like many found in South Philly where I live) have chocolate chips stirred into the cannoli cream.
So when I was determining what ingredients to add to my Cannoli Ice Cream, I decided to take inspiration from all three options! The ricotta-based ice cream has a hint of orange zest to bring a light citrus flavor. Mini chocolate chips, chopped pistachios, and bits of broken cannoli shells are stirred in for extra flavor and crunch.
Intrigued? Let’s dig in!
Ingredients (makes 1 quart):
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 (15 oz) container whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1/2 cup broken cannoli shell pieces (Wegmans sells cannoli chips that would work too)
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted pistachios, chopped
If your ice cream maker (paid link) requires you to do so, add the bowl of the ice cream maker to your freezer 24 hours ahead of making your cannoli ice cream.
First, add the heavy cream, whole milk, ricotta, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to a large bowl (paid link).
Whisk (paid link) to combine, whisking long enough to evenly distribute the ricotta and dissolve the sugar within the mixture, about 3 minutes.
Next, zest in the orange zest (paid link) to the bowl and whisk to combine.
Cover the bowl and transfer to your fridge for an hour to let the flavors meld.
When you’re ready to churn your ice cream, remove your ice cream bowl from your freezer.
Add the ice cream bowl to the ice cream maker (paid link) and pour in the cannoli cream mixture.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to churn into ice cream, or until it resembles soft serve ice cream, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Measure out your cannoli shell pieces, mini chocolate chips, and chopped pistachios. If you have a particular affinity for any of these ingredients, feel free to mess around with adding more of that ingredient and less of the others.
Add in the mix ins to your churning ice cream once it resembles soft serve.
Let the ice cream maker run for another minute or so until the mix ins are evenly distributed in the cannoli ice cream.
Finally, turn off the ice cream maker and scoop your ice cream into a freezer-safe container (paid link).
Freeze for at least 4 hours before digging in.
Whatever deliciousness you are imagining, this Cannoli Ice Cream is somehow even better than that! It just might be my new favorite ice cream flavor (and if you’ve seen some of my past ice cream posts, that’s a high bar!)
You get the flavor of cannoli cream with that slight citrus from the orange zest.
The chunks of cannoli shells, mini chocolate chips, and pistachios add a nice texture and over the top flavor to this ice cream.
This Cannoli Ice Cream gets me even more excited for my upcoming trip to Sicily!
Homemade Cannoli Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1/2 cup broken cannoli shell pieces Wegmans sells cannoli chips that would work too
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted pistachios chopped
Instructions
- If your ice cream maker requires you to do so, add the bowl of the ice cream maker to your freezer 24 hours ahead of making your cannoli ice cream.
- First, add the heavy cream, whole milk, ricotta, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to a large bowl.1 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Whisk to combine, whisking long enough to evenly distribute the ricotta and dissolve the sugar within the mixture, about 3 minutes.
- Next, zest in the orange zest to the bowl and whisk to combine.1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- Cover the bowl and transfer to your fridge for an hour to let the flavors meld.
- When you’re ready to churn your ice cream, remove your ice cream bowl from your freezer.
- Add the ice cream bowl to the ice cream maker and pour in the cannoli cream mixture.
- Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to churn into ice cream, or until it resembles soft serve ice cream, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Measure out your cannoli shell pieces, mini chocolate chips, and chopped pistachios. If you have a particular affinity for any of these ingredients, feel free to mess around with adding more of that ingredient and less of the others.1/2 cup broken cannoli shell pieces, 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, 1/2 cup unsalted roasted pistachios
- Add in the mix ins to your churning ice cream once it resembles soft serve.
- Let the ice cream maker run for another minute or so until the mix ins are evenly distributed in the cannoli ice cream.
- Finally, turn off the ice cream maker and scoop your ice cream into a freezer-safe container.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours before digging in.
