Easy Cannoli Cheesecake (mascarpone and ricotta cheese)

This cannoli cheesecake is a rich and decadent dessert that combines the flavors of Italian cannoli with the creamy texture of mascarpone and ricotta cheesecake.

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Why You’ll Love This

It’s an easy yet elegant dessert for any occasion.

Chocolate, a hint of orange, and a touch of cinnamon are the traditional Italian cannoli flavor.

This tested and perfected cannoli cheesecake recipe is going to please everyone!

Some of our other favorite Italian dessert recipes to make are Italian Rainbow Cookies, Italian Ricotta Cookies, Butterball Cookies, Italian Fig Cookies, and Italian Love Cake.

Ingredients Needed

See the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and instructions.

• Ricotta Cheese– I suggest using whole milk ricotta for this recipe. I also highly recommend draining it overnight. You don’t want extra water in the cheesecake. We prefer the Galbani brand, it tends to be less watery.
• Marscapone Cheese – Marscapone cheese is an Italian cream cheese. It’s made from cow’s milk and heavy cream. It contains more fat than typical American cream cheese.
• Eggs – Use large room temperature eggs for this cannoli cheesecake recipe.
• Graham Cracker Crumbs – You can purchase them already crushed or make your own graham cracker crumbs by pulsing graham crackers in a food processor.
• Flavorings – Orange zest, mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

How to Drain Ricotta Cheese

Place a large piece of doubled cheesecloth in a fine mesh strainer. Pour the ricotta cheese onto the cheesecloth and fold the cheesecloth over the ricotta to cover it completely.

Place the strainer over a similar size bowl, place another similar size bowl on top of the cheese, and weigh it down with something a little heavy that will fit inside the bowl. Place it in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 6 hours.

Bring the drained ricotta cheese to room temperature before proceeding with the cheesecake recipe as instructed.

How to Make Cannoli Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Then wrap the bottom and sides of the springform pan in a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

For the crust combine the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, kosher salt, and melted butter together in a bowl.

Press them into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

Be sure to have a large roasting pan ready that will accommodate the springform pan. You will be baking the cheesecake in a water bath, so the springform should fit in the middle and not touch the sides of the outer pan.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat the mascarpone cheese for about 10 seconds, add the mascarpone cheese and beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth.

Add the granulated sugar, vanilla, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, orange zest, and kosher salt. Beat until well combined, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Beat the eggs in one at a time until combined. Fold in 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips.

Pour half the batter over the cooled crust, and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips on top of the cheesecake batter. Repeat with the remaining batter and remaining chocolate chips.

Place the cheesecake in the large deep roasting pan. Place it in the center of the preheated oven. Slowly pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cannoli cheesecake for 1 1/2 hours or until light golden brown, the edges are set but still jiggly in the middle.

Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and let the cheesecake slowly cool in the oven while still in the water bath for one hour. When I’m cracking the oven door I also sprinkle a few more chocolate chips over the top of the cheesecake.

Remove the roasting pan from the oven, then carefully remove the springform pan to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

When the cheesecake is cooled completely cover the springform pan with a large paper towel and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight is best.

Tips

• Room temperature ingredients – The ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, and eggs should be at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients incorporate better and deliver a smoother texture.
• Do not overmix – Overmixing can lead to incorporating too much air into the batter. This can cause the cheesecake to fall and crack.
• Don’t skip the water bath – This helps bake the cheesecake evenly and prevents it from cracking. Be sure to use boiling water, not cold water. Cold water could lower the oven temperature.
• Top browning – The top of this cheesecake tends to turn golden brown if you don’t want the top to brown too much tent it lightly after about 40 minutes of cooking time.
• Do not overbake – Cheesecake is done when the edges are set and the center is still jiggly. It will continue to firm up while cooling. If you see ridges (waves) when jiggling the pan it needs to cook a little longer.
• Avoid sudden temperature changes – Gradually cooling prevents cracks in the cheesecake. Do not open the oven door while cooking and allow the cheesecake to cool slowly by cracking the oven door for one hour.
• Refrigerating – Placing a large paper towel over the top of the springform pan before wrapping it in plastic will prevent condensation from forming and dripping on the top of the cheesecake.
• Chocolate Chips – to keep the chocolate chips from sinking be sure to use mini chocolate chips and coat them in a little bit of flour before incorporating them into the filling.

Variations

• Crust – W prefer a graham cracker crust but you can use waffle cones, sugar cones, crushed cannoli shells, or even biscotti. But I’ve tried the ice cream cones and they tend to become tough, chewy, and kind of sticky.
• Filling – You can use regular cream cheese but the flavor and texture will be different.
• Garnish – Garnish with whipped cream and extra chocolate chips. You can add some chopped pistachios or just dust the top of the cheesecake with powdered sugar.

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