Vanilla Bean Cannoli Cookies (Gluten Free)

Today’s Vanilla Bean Cannoli Cookies are amazing. All the flavors of classic cannoli but easier to eat. And each bite bursts with vanilla thanks to Nielsen-Massey’s remarkable products. 

When I married an Italian, I knew there would be culinary differences in our comfort foods, but I didn’t know how extensive they would be. From our choices of main courses to desserts we have huge contrasts.

With my Irish heritage, I grew up loving potatoes as a side dish while The Artist had pasta. For The Artist, pasta was a starter course in a meal, for me pasta meant spaghetti, always a main course. Growing up I didn’t even know there were any shapes other than spaghetti and macaroni.

The same applies to desserts. I grew up baking cakes and pies for my family while The Artist ate Italian cookies, semifreddo, neapolitan ice cream, and of course cannoli. He will always choose cookies if they are on the menu. So, today’s vanilla bean cannoli cookies were the perfect choice to make his day!

These cookies are delicate in texture and packed with vanilla flavor. You get a beautiful combination of crunchy cookies with creamy filling, and if you add the chocolate chips (be sure they are minis) you get a bit of chocolate in every bite.

I decided to make delicate vanilla cookies as a lovely textural component with the creamy filling. I found a fantastic recipe from Sue of The View from Great Island, made a couple of small modifications to make them gluten-free, and paired them with a cannoli filling from a Nielsen-Massey recipe. Perfection!

I hope you all love these easy-to-make and absolutely delicious Vanilla Bean Cannoli Cookies!

Have a fabulous week and Happy Chocolate Monday!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!

Key Ingredients for Vanilla Bean Cannoli Cookies:

• Gluten-free flour blend, salt, baking powder, butter, sugar
• Vanilla, eggs, ricotta, mini semisweet chocolate chips

 

PRO Tip:

Ricotta is a very soft cheese which gets softer as you stir it. Prepare to refrigerate it for a little while before using to fill the cookies. It is light and fluffy and totally delicious!

 

How to make Vanilla Bean Cannoli Cookies:

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy then mix in the vanilla and eggs; add the dry ingredients, beating until smooth and creamy
2. Refrigerate dough to firm up slightly, about 15 minutes
3. Scoop balls of dough and place 2-inches apart on parchment-lined (or use Silpats) baking sheets; for best results bake one sheet at a time
4. Refrigerate dough between loading baking sheets; bake 9 to 10 minutes until edges of cookies are golden brown and cool completely
5. Stir together the ricotta, sugar, and vanilla and fold in chocolate chips if using; refrigerate 15 minutes or until ready to use
6. Sandwich two cookies together using 1 to 2 tsp of the filling for each cookie, pressing together gently; serve immediately

 

PRO Tip:

Baking one pan of cookies at a time will help you get the most consistently baked cookies – especially helpful when you have delicate dough like this. Your cookies will be more evenly browned and you can set the pan aside as you put the second pan in the oven. When they are baking it will be time to transfer the first set of cookies to the cooling racks and reload the baking sheet for the next round.

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Kitchen scale
• Baking sheet pans
• Parchment paper or Silpats
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Spring-loaded scoop
• Wire cooling rack

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

 

 

 

 

Create a New Tradition Today!

 

Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in Sept 2018. The article was updated in 2022.