Pumpkin Cannoli Recipe
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You're going to love my fall Pumpkin Cannoli Recipe! The almond Florentine shells have a hint of orange and sea salt, and they go perfectly with the light pumpkin spice cannoli cream. The caramel flavor of the cookie and the creamy, sweet filling make this a fun fall treat.
Table of Contents
- Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You'll Need
- In Photos: How To Make Pumpkin Cannoli
- More Italian Recipes
I wanted to give classic cannoli a fall twist, so I swapped the usual fried shell for a crisp almond florentine. The orange and sea salt in the shell add a caramel, praline flavor that goes great with the spiced pumpkin filling. These take a bit more work than regular cookies, but shaping the warm shells is satisfying, and the result is worth it.
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The shells are a showstopper. Crisp, caramel-y almond florentines are a fun departure from the usual fried cannoli shell.
- That orange and sea salt combination is unexpected. It adds real depth to the shells instead of leaving them one-note sweet.
- The pumpkin cream is perfectly spiced. Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and fresh nutmeg make every bite taste like fall.
- They're a great make-ahead party dessert. Bake the shells in advance and fill them just before serving.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
For the Shells (Almond Florentines)
- Sliced almonds: Toasted and coarsely chopped, they form the base of the shell.
- All-purpose flour: Helps bind the shell mixture together.
- Kosher or sea salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the caramel flavor.
- Orange zest: Adds a bright, citrus flavor that goes well with the caramel notes.
- Granulated sugar and light brown sugar: Melted together to make a caramel-like syrup that holds the shells together and makes them crisp as they bake.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness to the caramel mixture.
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness to the caramel and helps the shells get crisp as they cool.
For the Pumpkin Cannoli Cream
- Mascarpone cheese: Adds richness and a subtle tang to the filling.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the cream.
- Pumpkin puree: The main ingredient in the filling, giving it real pumpkin flavor.
- Ricotta: Gives the filling the classic cannoli cream texture. Whole milk ricotta makes it extra creamy.
- Ground cinnamon, ginger, and allspice: Add warm, spiced flavor.
- Freshly grated nutmeg: Just a little bit gives a fragrant finish.
- Heavy cream: Whip it separately and fold it in to make the filling light and fluffy.
In Photos: How To Make Pumpkin Cannoli
Step 1: Make Shells
Toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, or in a shallow pan in the toaster oven, about 5 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.
Pulse the toasted almonds a few times in a food processor or mini chopper until coarsely chopped.
Put the chopped almonds in a bowl, add the flour, salt, and orange zest, and toss everything together.
Set it to 350°F and line three half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
Step 2: Make the Caramel
Put the sugars, cream, and butter in a small pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring all the time, until the sugars dissolve and the butter melts.
Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
Take the pot off the heat and pour the hot sugar mixture over the almonds, stirring to mix. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the baking sheets, leaving at least 3 inches between each one because they spread as they bake.
Step 3: Bake
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes. Then, use a thin spatula to lift each one and gently wrap it around the tube of a turkey baster while it is still warm and flexible.
Slide the turkey baster out of each shell and let them cool all the way before filling.
Step 4: Make Pumpkin Cannoli Cream
Place the mascarpone and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
Mix in the pumpkin puree, ricotta, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture, then pipe or spoon the filling into the cooled shells.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Shape the shells quickly. They harden fast as they cool, so work while they are still warm and flexible. Only shape one or two at a time.
- No turkey baster? You can use any similar-sized tool, like a wooden spoon handle or a small rolling pin, to shape the shells.
- Fill the shells just before serving. They stay crisp longer if you don't let the cream sit inside for too long.
- Storage: Keep unfilled shells in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Store the pumpkin cream in the fridge for up to 3 days. Fill the shells just before serving for the best texture.
More Italian Recipes
Ingredients
For the Shells (Almond Florentines):
- 1 ¼ cups (178.75 g) sliced almonds
- ¼ cup (31.25 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- zest of an orange
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ cup (59.15 ml) heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons (59.15 g) unsalted butter
For the Pumpkin Cannoli Cream:
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) mascarpone cheese
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (183.75 g) pumpkin puree
- ½ cup (123 g) ricotta, I used whole milk ricotta
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- a few scratches of freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup (118.29 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Shells (Almond Florentines):
- Toast the almonds, either in a dry pan over medium heat (stirring occasionally), or in a shallow pan in the toaster oven, for about 5 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.
- Place the almonds in a food processor or mini-chopper, and pulse a few times, until they are coarsely chopped.
- Transfer the chopped almonds to a bowl and add the flour, salt, and orange zest. Toss to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line (3) half-sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Place the sugars, cream, and butter in a small pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugars are dissolved and the butter is melted.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and pour the hot sugar mixture over the almond mixture. Stir to combine, and use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to drop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets. (Allow at least 3 inches in between; cookies will spread during baking.)
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then lift with a thin spatula, and carefully form the cookies around the tube of a turkey baster, while still very warm and pliable.
- Slide the turkey baster out of the shells and cool completely. Fill with Pumpkin Cannoli Cream.
To Make the Pumpkin Cannoli Cream:
- Place the mascarpone and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin, ricotta, and spices and mix until incorporated.
- In a smaller bowl, whip the heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture, and pipe or spoon into cannoli shells.
So has anyone besides the author actually made these? Cuz I read through the comments and everyone is writing about how they LOOK fantastic and the flavors SOUND great , and there's no denying that they do. I made these because they LOOKED fantastic and SOUNDED great, and both the cream and the cookie were really good. But it is important to know that the shells do not form like it looks in the picture. I followed the recipe perfectly and I'm a really good cook. But the shells either completely crumbled upon trying to form them around a turkey baster, or they collapsed into themselves and fell apart. We've been eating pieces of crumbled almond cookies cuz I didnt want to throw them out and waste all those good ingredients. I ran out and bought cannoli shells at the bakery early Thanksgiving morning so I could save the day. Cream was delicious. Shells were delicious. Just could not put the two together.
When you say “sliced almonds” do you mean those thin ones? Cuz I bought slivered almonds to make this recipe. Can I use slivered almonds?
They get ground in a food processor, so it doesn't really matter.
So I made these last night for thanksgiving dessert today. I’m a good cook and so I don’t typically worry about trying a new recipe on a new group. And I don’t often use recipes but for desserts I do follow and I’m always looking for something unique. Well the cream is delicious but the shells did not form at all. First batch were full of holes when they spread out, and YES, they REALLY spread! I could not get them around the blaster cuz when I tried to form them they broke in pieces. Crumbles. Next batch I cooked a little less time so they would be softer. Tried forming them after they cooled slightly. No go. They folded in half and collapsed. Without going into detail about all the different ways I tried to form these things into cannoli shells, it just didn’t work. Now I’m trying to figure out what to do with them. They taste delicious but m I trying to find a way to put them together. I’ve resorted to cupcake liners with crumbled candied almond shells on the bottom and pumpkin cream on top. Ant other ideas? Thankfully, I bought cannoli shells at the bakery, to save the day, just in case.
Hey, I’m really sorry you had so much trouble. To answer your questions, yes, the almond florentines do bake up quite delicate & lacey. You can probably see from the photos that there are a lot of holes. Also, 3 minutes is definitely the sweet spot for forming. You’ll see in step 8 of the recipe where is says to remove them from the oven & allow them to cool for 3 minutes before forming them around the turkey baster. Any less that that & they are too soft, any more & they become too brittle. If they collapsed I think it may have been becaus the turkey baster was taken out before they had cooled enough & hardened. Florentines are kind of a tricky confection, but if you follow the recipe closely you should have good success!
Hi thanks for your reply. The first batch was too brittle from the get go. The second batch timed for 3 min cooling time and too soft too form. Still too soft after several minutes. Still too soft now. I followed the directions closely but I just didn’t have success with these. I cook a lot. I’m pretty good at it. I often don’t need recipes but I followed yours cuz it was something I never made before and wanted it to come out perfect for a unique thanksgiving dessert. It’s not a big deal, I ran out and got store bought cannoli shells so the dessert was saved. But the store bought were not as tasty as your recipe. I broke up the hard and soft brittle and put them in cupcake liners and will put the pumpkin cream on top. Also used some of them as the bottom in a creme brûlée ramican and will put some of the pumpkin filling on top. Just don’t know how long they last and I have a lot of cream left over. It’s quite a bit of relatively expensive ingredients. Does it freeze? Cuz it’s only me and the hubby and we don’t have any dinner partys planned at this point. Any other ideas of what to do with the brittle and left over pumpkin cream? Thanks.
Really sorry to hear that Donna. It sounds like if the batches were that much different then something is either up with the way the ingredients were measured, or your oven is really inconsistent. Recipes don't really have that vast a difference in terms of results if they're prepared and cooked the same way. As for your question about freezing, you can definitely freeze the cream filling. But once the shells are filled (or topped, in your case) they start to become soggy so I would not recommend doing that.
These are GORGEOUS!! Love cannolis! Pinned!
Thank you so much Jen! And thanks for pinning too 😀 😀 😀
Oh my, these look incredible! I wish I knew about Big Traveling Potluck- always looking for one kinda close to me -I'll keep it in mind for next year. Hope you had a great time!
I did! Sherri I didn't realize you were close! It's a fun conference, low key and on the smaller side. Definitely follow them for updates because it sells out in a heartbeat! Hope to see you there next year, and thank you for the sweet compliment!
How brilliant of you to make the florentines into cannolis! Someone needs to give you a cookbook deal!
This is such a unique pumpkin dessert- I love it! Pinning these to make this fall.
Aw thank you so much for the pin, Sarah! I hope you enjoy 😉
Uhm... I'm not a regular cannoli fan, but these look absolutely freaking incredible! Like, I wish I could dive head first into the screen and take a bit. Yea, that good. Love this creative recipe Allie!
Thank you so much Chris! If I can convert a cannoli hater to a cannoli lover, then I guess my job's done 😉
I have never made a cannoli but you definitely make me want to try. These are so stunning girl!
Thanks Jocelyn! I used to make tons back in my pastry chef days but the shells were always pre-made. I was so happy to find an easy way to make them from scratch!
Holy cow, these are absolutely gorgeous!!! I have got to get my hands on that cookbook 🙂 Can't wait to see little glimpses into the weekend blog party 🙂
Yay! So glad you like, Amy! Ps your pizza waffles blew my mind! (having trouble commenting again:() But seriously they looked amazing! Such a gun idea too, I really want to try it for my kids!
I am always amazed at your creativity and talent. These cannolis are so pretty and elegant. You've been one busy girl lately. One day I hope to join in on all the conference fun. It would be so exciting to meet you and so many other talented bloggers who's blogs I creepily stalk, lol. Have a fantastic trip!
I would love that Jen! I know conferences and travel can be so expensive, but I always feel like the return on investment is so worthwhile. Thank you so much for the sweet comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cannoli 😉
They're gorgeous! I've yet to make cannoli but I'd love to give it a whirl.
The new design look fantastic!
Hope your week is off to a great start!
Thanks Melanie! So far so good. Take care, girl! xo
Wow Allie these are ridiculously perfect! Loving the sound of the almond outer shell. I am such a sucker for cannolis! Beautiful!
Aw thank you so much Tashiana! I love cannolis too, and I feel like they're just a little more special than the everyday cookies and such. Hope you're having a great week, my dear!
Oh Allie these look amazing!! I love the flavors and the way you turned them into cannolis. I just can't wait for this weekend!!
Same here! So excited!!! Safe travels, my dear 😀 😀 😀
THESE are gorgeous cookies! I made cannoli recently but wimped out and just made pizzelle and rolled them up. Yours look amazing, so light and crispy! And I love the fall flavors you've incorporated. Amazing!
I've also thought about making them with pizzelle! I am a huge pizzelle fan... so glad to know I'm not the only one! These were super light and extra sweet (almost like candy) but honestly, they fell right apart after only an hour or so. Pizzelle would probably be a bit stronger, but if you can eat these in a hurry, they sure are delish! Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Meggan!
You are never afraid to try something new and impressive, Allie! I'm in absolute awe of these cannoli - what I wouldn't give to be invited around to yours for dessert some day!
Girl, you have an open invite! Any time you find yourself in my neck of the woods you just let me know 😉