No bake cannoli bars have a buttery Biscoff crust and a creamy ricotta cheesecake filling hinted with lemon zest and cinnamon. They’re filled with mini chocolate chips and crunchy pistachios. Everyone will love this easy make-ahead dessert!
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These cannoli bars were inspired by the cannoli I used to love having at Modern Pastry when I lived in Boston. Cannoli are Italian pastries that are tubes of fried dough filled with a slightly sweet ricotta filling.
Unlike traditional cannoli, these bars don’t require any special equipment or frying. They’re made with a combination of cream cheese and ricotta cheese and are filled with chocolate chips and chopped pistachios.
If you’re a big fan of pistachios and ricotta, be sure to also try my pistachio cake recipe and banana and pistachio bread and banana bread with ricotta!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Biscoff cookie crust-The two-ingredient, no bake Biscoff crust is buttery and delicious.
- Creamy filling-Cream cheese and ricotta cheese makes this filling ultra rich and creamy! They’re as rich and creamy as these no bake pumpkin cheesecake bars.
- Easy- This his no bake cannoli cheesecake recipe is easier than making traditional cannoli or a full sized cheesecake. You only need simple ingredients and less than 30 minutes of active prep time.
- Make-ahead dessert- They firm up while they chill in the refrigerator. This makes them an excellent make-ahead dessert just like my raspberry cheesecake bars.
Ingredient Notes
Here are some useful notes on some of the ingredients needed to make these cannoli cheesecake bars.
- Butter: Use 5 tablespoons of salted or unsalted melted, slightly cooled butter. Melted butter helps the crust hold together. It also makes the crust rich and delicious.
- Biscoff cookies: You’ll need 2 cups (or 200 g) of Biscoff cookie crumbs. Crush the cookies in a food processor or put them in a large freezer storage bag and crush with a rolling pin. Use the rest of your Biscoff cookies to make these Biscoff chocolate chip cookies!
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese gives the filling an extra creamy texture than just ricotta cheese. Use 2 bricks of full fat, room temperature cream cheese. I leave my cream cheese at room temperature for about 4 hours. Room temperature cream cheese prevents lumps in the cheesecake bars. Use blocks of cream cheese not the whipped tubs.
- Ricotta cheese: Ricotta cheese is traditionally used in cannoli and helps give these bars a cannoli-like texture. Use part skim or whole milk ricotta cheese. It doesn’t need to be room temperature, but I recommend draining your ricotta for 30 minutes before using. Place it in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth set over a bowl and let it drain while you prep the crust. Whole milk ricotta tends to be looser than part skim, so it especially benefits from draining. If you have some leftover ricotta, you can make my lemon ricotta muffins or this raspberry peach cake!
- Pistachios: Pistachios add pops of color, nutty flavor and crunch like in these pistachio chocolate chip cookies. I recommend raw, pre-shelled pistachios. Roasted salted or unsalted pistachios can also be used. You’ll need 1/3 cup of shelled, chopped nuts.
- Mini chocolate chips: Mini chocolate chips make an easy, delicious add-in!
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar incorporates best in the filling. No need to sift the powdered sugar.
- Vanilla extract: For flavor.
- Cinnamon (optional): Don’t worry, the bars won’t taste like cinnamon. A little cinnamon just a hint of extra flavor.
- Lemon zest (also optional): I like to add a pinch of lemon zest for extra flavor.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap in graham crackers in place of Biscoff cookies for the crust. You can also buy pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs.
- Use orange zest instead of lemon zest for a flavor closer to traditional cannolis.
- Add in some chopped almonds in place of pistachios.
- If you have a nut allergy, you can leave out the pistachios.
- If you don’t have mini chocolate chips, use regular chocolate chips!
How to Make Cannoli Bars
Quick Video Recap
Instructions
Step 1: (See photo 1 above). I recommend draining your ricotta for 30 minutes before using. Place it in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth set over a bowl and let it drain while you prep the crust. To make the crust, pulse the Biscoff cookies in a food processor til finely ground. Add the melted butter. Pulse til well combined. Press mixture into the bottom of an 8 inch square pan. Chill in fridge at least 30 minutes.
Step 2: (See photo 2 above). Beat the cream cheese, ricotta and powdered sugar til combined and smooth. Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon zest (if using).
Step 3: (See photo 3 above). Stir in the chopped pistachios and mini chocolate chips til just combined.
Step 4: (See photo 4 above). Spread the filling over the crust. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge at least 4 hours before slicing and serving.
Expert Tips
Tip #1: Use room temperature cream cheese for a smooth filling.
Tip 2: Don’t skip the chill time. The filling firms up while it chills.
Tip #3: Pull up on the parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan.
Recipe FAQs
Use a long, thin knife to slice. Run the knife under hot water and dry fully between each cut.
You can use part skim or whole milk ricotta for this recipe.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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Cannoli Bars
Equipment
- 8 inch square pan or a 9 inch square pan
Ingredients
Biscoff Cookie Crust
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter melted, cooled slightly
- 2 cups (200 g) Biscoff cookie crumbs
Cannoli Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup (248 g) ricotta cheese part skim or whole milk, drained 30 minutes
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) cream cheese full fat, brick style, room temperature
- 1⅓ cup (160 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest optional or swap in orange zest
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (90 g) mini chocolate chips plus more for topping if you like
- ⅓ cup (41 g) chopped pistachios shelled and chopped, plus more for topping if you like
Instructions
- Drain your ricotta. I recommend draining your ricotta for 30 minutes before using. Place it in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth set over a bowl and let it drain while you prep the crust. (Whole milk ricotta tends to be looser than part skim, so it especially benefits from draining.)
Biscoff Cookie Crust
- Line an 8" square pan with parchment paper. Leave a two inch overhang of parchment paper over at least two sides.
- Pulse cookies in a food processor til they are fine crumbs.
- Add the melted butter. Pulse til cookie crumbs and butter are well combined.
- If you're making this without a food processor, place the Biscoff cookies in a large resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Break up any large bits. Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl. Add the butter and mix til the crumbs are well moistened with the butter.
- Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan. Set the pan in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Cannoli Cheesecake Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar and room temperature cream cheese with an electric mixer til smooth and combined.
- Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon zest until fully incorporated.
- Use a spatula to stir in the chocolate chips and pistachios.
- Spread the filling evenly over the chilled crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth over the top. Top with some extra mini chocolate chips and chopped pistachios if you like. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or set in an airtight container such as a cake carier and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, lift straight up on two sides of parchment paper. Set the bars on a cutting board.
- Use a long sharp knife to slice bars. For best results, run knife under hot water and wipe dry in between cuts.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
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