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This Cannoli Cheesecake recipe is made with a mix of ricotta and mascarpone cheese for a cheesecake that tastes like the classic Italian dessert. It has a touch of cinnamon and mini chocolate chips for a truly delicious treat!
If you’re in the mood for more tasty Italian desserts, try this Italian Cream Cake or this Classic Tiramisu Recipe. They’ll definitely hit the spot!
The Best Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe
This post is sponsored by Galbani Italian Cheese, but all opinions are my own.
Sometimes I think I should’ve been born Italian, but sadly I don’t have an Italian background at all. My maiden name is actually French and so were my great-grandparents. However, if there’s a couple desserts I love, it’s cannoli and tiramisu. With cannoli, there’s just something about the combination of ricotta and mascarpone cheeses that has the best flavor and such a fun texture. Then with some vanilla, cinnamon and a few mini chocolate chips, it’s heaven! Such a subtly amazing flavor.
If you’ve been around this blog long enough, you’ve surely seen my Cannoli Poke Cake, Cannoli Layer Cake, Cannoli Icebox Cake, Tiramisu Cupcakes and Pumpkin Tiramisu Layer Cake. The Cannoli Poke Cake is where I truly fell in love and ever since then, I’ve been turning the classic Italian dessert into just about every dessert variation I can think of.
How to Make Cannoli Cheesecake
This cheesecake starts with a classic graham cracker crust. It’s got a touch of sugar added to it to sweeten it up. It’s my favorite way to make a graham cracker crust. Once you mix everything together, pre-bake it for about 10 minutes.
While the crust bakes, it’s time for the filling. To start, you’ve got Galbani Ricotta Cheese and mascarpone cheese. Both are softer cheeses, so it doesn’t take much mixing to combine them. In fact, be sure not to over mix them – mascarpone cheese can get a little thin if over mixed. And I’d definitely recommend the Galbani Ricotta – it is SO good! It’s now made in the U.S. but was originally made in Italy more than 130 years ago. Plus, the quality of the cheese is wonderful. Unlike some ricotta, where you really need to be sure to drain it first, the Galbani Ricotta is wonderfully creamy and smooth. I’d normally say to drain the ricotta before using it (and you certainly can), but I didn’t even think it necessary with this one. Love it!
To the cheeses, you’ll add some vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. It adds just the right amount of flavor and spice. The eggs are next and are added one at a time at low speed, to keep from adding too much air to the batter. Air in the batter can cause bubbles that rise to the top while baking and cause cracks. Nobody wants that.
Can You Make Cheesecake Ahead Of Time?
The cheesecake is baked, then is slowly cooled and refrigerated until firm. I usually make the cheesecake the night before so that it has time to firm overnight, then I’ll finish it the next day and serve.
To finish off the cheesecake, I’ve topped it with a ricotta whipped cream. It’s super easy to make – you just toss everything into the mixer and whip on high speed until stiff peaks firm. Spread it on top of the cheesecake, then add some mini chocolate chips. I sprinkled on some powdered sugar because I love the look, but that’s totally optional.
This cheesecake is to die for! Such a perfect cannoli flavor and texture! It’s a little softer than your average cheesecake made with cream cheese just because of the difference in the cheeses, but it’s perfect for a cannoli cheesecake. Now I’ll add it to my list of favorite cannoli desserts. 🙂
Cannoli Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Cannoli Cheesecake is made with a mix of ricotta and mascarpone cheese for a cheesecake that tastes like the classic Italian dessert. It has a touch of cinnamon and mini chocolate chips for a truly delicious treat!
Ingredients
CRUST
- 2 ¼ cups (302g) graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup (112g) salted butter, melted
- 3 tbsp (39g) sugar
FILLING
- 20 ounces (566g) Galbani Ricotta Cheese
- 12 oz (339g) mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
WHIPPED CREAM
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 5 tbsp (36g) powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp (50g) Galbani Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Mini chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Mix together the crust ingredients until well combined and press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil to prepare it for a water bath. Here is a tutorial on how I set up a pan for a waterbath. Set prepared pan aside.
FILLING
1. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (148°C).
2. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar and flour on low speed until combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks, and to make sure you don’t over mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and mix on low speed until well combined.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust and spread evenly.
6. Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
7. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is still jiggly when moved (but not liquidy).
8. Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Do not open the door.
9. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes. This cooling process helps the cheesecake cool slowly to prevent cracks.
10. Remove the cheesecake from the oven, then remove the pan from the water bath and remove the aluminum foil. Refrigerate the cheesecake until completely cooled and firm, 6-7 hours or overnight.
11. When the cheesecake is cooled and firm, remove it from the springform pan.
12. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, ricotta cheese and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
13. Spread the whipped cream on top of the cheesecake, then sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and a little additional powdered sugar, if desired.
14. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 470
- Sugar: 26.4 g
- Sodium: 260.9 mg
- Fat: 29.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.7 g
- Protein: 10.3 g
- Cholesterol: 133.3 mg
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
While Graham crackers are traditional forms cheesecake…for an real cannoli feel, try crushed cannoli shells..
My cheesecake has about ten minutes left on the timer and is still very liquidy, is this normal? Does it solidify quite a bit more as it cools?
It will still be fairly jiggly in the center (the middle couple of inches), but should be fairly set around the outer part.
This looks delicious!!! Have you ever used crushed Cannoli shells instead of Graham Crackers? I think that would be a great thing! Thoughts?
I haven’t tried that, but have tried some unusual crusts before. The trouble I run into sometimes is that they don’t always hold up well and can end up being too soft after baking and adding a cheesecake filling to it. I don’t know if cannoli shells would have that problem or not. Could be worth trying though!
Could I omit the whipped cream and just put the chocoLate chips on top of the cheesecake when it’s the almost done cooking? Or fold them into the batter?
You can definitely leave off the whipped cream. And mini chocolate chips would be fine either way.
I made this cheesecake and everyone loved it – I will cut down on the cinnamon – to 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon as I fell it overpowered the taste – otherwise very good
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for my son’s birthday. Although a bit timeconsuming, it was such fun to make and the finished product is fabulous! Looks and tastes so amazing. The only modification I would make would be to cut the cinnamon in half, just a little too much in this recipe for my taste. I can’t wait to make this again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Do you think this could be modified to be made in the instant pot pressure cooker?
I’ve never used instant pot so I’m not really sure.
I loosely covered it. It came out perfect can not wait to share it with my family today. Love this receipe. Thank you.
I just made this do I put it in the fridge right after taking out of oven from cooling and do I cover it
Yes you can put in the fridge. You don’t need to cover it until it’s completely cool.
Can this be made w/o the crust and using a lightly buttered parchment liner?
Well, yes. It would bake just fine. But it might be hard to serve without a crust.
Amazing! Made this for Christmas dessert and got rave reviews. Great tip about using the crockpot liner in the water bath. I’ve never used a water bath before for fear of a leak ruining my cake
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Can I ask one more question? I’m sorry :/ Will this cheesecake hold it’s shape if I didn’t do the crust up the side of the pan? Just curious. Not sure how this cheese differs from cream cheese in that way, if it does at all. Thank you so much for your responses. I really appreciate them and your cheesecake ideas!
Yes, it should be fine. It’s still a plenty thick cheesecake.
Hi! This might be a lame qurstion…but just want to double check… the cheeses and eggs don’t need to be at room temp for this one right?
Thanks!
The two cheeses should be fine cool. They aren’t really firm cheeses. The eggs are listed at room temperature in the ingredients, but you could use them straight out of the fridge. They just might need a little help incorporating into the filling.
Can I use this recipe for mini cheesecakes?
Yes you can!
Hi! This looks incredible 🙂 I made the cheesecake up to the filling part, and now I might not be able to serve it until next weekend…do you think I can make the whipped cream part and freeze it all together, or wait until just before serving to make and add it? Thanks!!
You could do either, but I’d personally add the whipped cream just before serving so it looks fresher.
Love this recipe- thank you! Do you have any advice for the cooking time if I were to bake 2 of them at the same time? Thanks
I’m so glad you enjoy it! I don’t know – I’ve never baked two cheesecakes at the same time. My guess is it’d take a good bit of time.
Does it matter if we use whole milk or part skim ricotta? Both are Galbani.
I use the whole milk. I’m not sure if the texture of the skim one is different, but I think it’d be fine.