Cannoli Bars
No bake cannoli bars are the perfect easy make-ahead dessert. They're made with a buttery Biscoff cookie crust and a creamy cannoli cheesecake filling! Add chocolate chips, pistachios or any of your favorite cannoli toppings!
Servings: 12 bars
Calories: 457kcal
Equipment
- 8 inch square pan or a 9 inch square pan
Ingredients
Biscoff Cookie Crust
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, cooled slightly
- 2 cups Biscoff cookie crumbs
Cannoli Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup ricotta cheese part skim or whole milk, drained 30 minutes
- 16 ounces cream cheese full fat, brick style, room temperature
- 1⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest optional or swap in orange zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips plus more for topping if you like
- ⅓ cup 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
Biscoff cookies: Instead of Biscoff cookies, swap in equal parts graham cracker crumbs.
Pistachios: Use raw, pre-shelled pistachios or roasted salted or unsalted pistachios. You'll need 1/3 cup of shelled, chopped nuts.
Cream cheese: Use full fat, block-style, room temperature cream cheese. Room tempeature cream cheese will make sure your filling is smooth and free of lumps.
Ricotta cheese: Ricotta cheese is traditionally used in cannoli and helps give the filling a cannoli-like taste and texture. Use part skim or whole milk ricotta cheese. It doesn't need to be room temperature, but I recommend draining the 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.
Lemon zest and cinnamon: These are both optional, but recommended. The bars won't taste like lemon or cinnamon, but both ingredients add to the overall flavor. Instead of lemon zest, you can swap in orange zest.
Chill time: The filling firms up in the refrigerator. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Decorating: Top with extra mini chocolate chips and/or chopped pistachios before or after chilling.
Serving: Pull up on the sides of parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan. Set them on a cutting board to slice. Slice into 12 or 16 squares. Use a long, thin knife. Run the knife under hot water and dry fully between each cut.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 186mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 5028IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 1mg
