I just can’t stay away from making cheesecakes! I have another awesome cheesecake recipe to share with you. It’s Mini Cannoli Cheesecakes! A cheesecake with a hint of orange covered in cannoli filing and rolled in mini chocolate chips. Heaven!
I was going through one of my Food magazines and they had a recipe for ricotta cheesecake with almonds. It looked so delicious but for some reason, I got an idea for this cannoli cheesecake instead.
I absolutely love cannoli and in combination with cheesecake, it’s perfection! The smoothness of cheesecake combined with the lightness of cannoli filling is to die for. Add a light orange flavor to it and you have a refreshing, light dessert. Chocolate chips is just a “cherry” on top of this heavenly dessert.
I made these cheesecakes as individual desserts but you can make it into a full sized cheesecake very easily. Just use a spring form to bake your cheesecake and remember to adjust the baking time. Then cover the entire cheesecake with the filling, including the sides. Use your hand to add chocolate chips to the side of the cheesecake.
Mini Cannoli Cheesecakes
A cheesecake with a hint of orange covered in cannoli filing and rolled in mini chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 5-6 waffle cones
- 2 tbs butter
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Cheesecake:
- 2 8- ounce packages of Cream Cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 Tablespoons corn starch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Zest from 1/2 of medium orange
- Cannoli Filling:
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 2 tbs sugar
- 1 cup ricotta whole milk
- Remaining orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbs sugar
- 1 tbs Amaretto, RECOMMENDED but I didn't' add it because of the little guy
- About 1 cup of mini chocolate morsels
Instructions
- Crust: Crush the waffle cones in the food processor. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla. Mix very well. Press the crushed waffle cones into the muffin pan cups, evenly, all over the bottom and a little bit up the side. Set aside.
- Cheesecake:
- Start beating the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and sour cream into the cream cheese mixture. Add the eggs, one at the time, beating after each addition.
- Lower the speed to low and add orange zest, sugar, corn starch and salt. Make sure that all ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the muffin pan with crust, about 3/4 full. (You can use aluminum foil cupcake liners, that are lightly greased inside, to make the cheesecakes. That might make it easier to take out of the pan.)
- Bake at 325, for about 18-20 minutes. Touch the centers with your finger to make sure it's done (It should still jiggle but not be gooey.)
- Cannoli filling:
- Beat the heavy cream and 2 tbs of sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer, until soft peaks appear.
- In a separate bowl, beat ricotta, sugar, vanilla (Amaretto if using) and orange zest for a couple of minutes.
- Slowly, fold the ricotta mixture into the whipped heavy cream until all incorporated.
- Make sure the cheesecakes are completely cooled before covering with cannoli filling.
- Add the chocolate chips to a shallow bowl and spread it out. Cover the sides of the mini cheesecakes with the filling and carefully roll it in the mini chips. Press them in lightly. Using a spatula, spread more filling on the top of the cheesecake.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Note: to take out the cheesecakes from the pan: Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan. Once they are at room temperature, run a lightly greased butter knife between the cheesecake and the cup to separate it from the pan. Then gently take them out using a small rubber spatula. Or, you can bake the cheesecakes in the aluminum foil cupcake cups just make sure to grease inside the aluminum cups so it will be easier to peel off.
Recipe Notes
Recipe from Lyuba @willcookforsmiles.com
Here is some more inspiration!
Layered Creme Brulee Cheesecake
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I will be sharing this recipe at the wonderful parties in my party tab + Weekend Potluck, Thirty Handmade Days, and Rattlebridge Farm. Swing by and link up your own projects!
Jewel
July 20, 2013 at 11:15 amThey look amazing, can’t wait to try them. You are so talented.
lyuba
July 20, 2013 at 5:54 pmThank you so much, Jewel!
george
July 20, 2013 at 3:47 pmI am a cheescake lover and baker. I’ve made tons of cheesecakes. Thank you for sending me this recipe… I will try it soon. .
lyuba
July 20, 2013 at 5:55 pmThank you, George! I do love making cheesecakes 🙂
Becca from ItsYummi.com
July 20, 2013 at 8:15 pmI can’t even stand how good these look!!
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:01 pmAwww, thanks!
Winnie
July 21, 2013 at 2:54 amThese mini cheesecakes are looking fantastic!!
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:10 pmThank you, Winnie!
Susan @ SunfowerHugs.blogspot.com
July 21, 2013 at 8:36 pmWow! These are amazing recipes!
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:10 pmThank you, Susan!
Vanessa
July 21, 2013 at 9:25 pmOh, that looks delicious! Cheesecake is my weakness.
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:26 pmThank you, Vanessa 🙂
Nat D.
July 21, 2013 at 10:02 pmI love cannoli’s! My family is Italian and we make these every Christmas! It sounds soooo good in cheesecake form.
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:26 pmThank you! I hope you give it a try 🙂
Teresa
July 21, 2013 at 11:34 pmI was wondering if I made these for a dessert bar, could they be made in a mini tart pan? What would be the difference in cooking time? Thanks – can’t wait to try!
lyuba
July 22, 2013 at 10:50 pmHi Theresa!
These are already mini, muffin size. If you want to go even more mini, you can adjust the cheesecake part to 15 minutes. I would warn you though that it would be very time consuming to make so many little ones. If you have time, go for it and have fun! 🙂
Krista @ joyfulhealthyeats
July 22, 2013 at 11:03 amBelieve it or not, I’ve never had a canoli. But these mini cannoli cheesecakes look delicious. Plus built in portion control. 🙂 Great recipe Lyuba! Pinning.
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:27 pmHaha, true! You should give it a try! Thank you, Krista 🙂
Shannon {Cozy Country Living}
July 23, 2013 at 12:00 amWow! These look amazing! I can’t wait to try these! I love cannoli and cheesecake:)
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:27 pmAwww, thank you, Shannon!
[email protected]
July 23, 2013 at 4:02 amyou always have the best recipes! I love cannoli AND cheesecake–I’ll have to give this recipe a try!
xoxo
Michelle
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:31 pmThat is so sweet, Michelle! Thank you!
Megin
July 23, 2013 at 11:19 amOh my goodness ~ I’m drooling all over your blog, lol! Such yummy creations. I’ve been sooo into cheesecake lately and these look divine!
I’m visiting you today from CRAFT. I co-host a Linky Party Sundays (thru Fri) and would LOVE for you to add this. I hope you get a chance to stop by my blog, leave a comment and Link Up, too!
~ Megin of VMG206
Join me for DIY Showcase Link Party ~ and Summer Giveaway~
lyuba
July 26, 2013 at 9:59 amThank you so much, Megin!
Dria
July 23, 2013 at 10:22 pmThese look so delicious!! I rarely bake but I may just have to try these (visiting you via city farm house!)
lyuba
July 24, 2013 at 2:32 pmThank you so much, Dria!
Jocelyn @BruCrew Life
July 24, 2013 at 3:22 pmI can never stay away from cheesecake for very long either! These look absolutely delicious!!!
lyuba
July 25, 2013 at 8:27 pmThank you, Jocelyn!
Amy
July 24, 2013 at 6:05 pmWhat temperature do you bake them?
AnnMarie
July 24, 2013 at 8:45 pmThis sounds too good to be true!! Cannoli’s as cheesecake? Yum! Pinned! Visiting from Marvelous Mondays and already following you via Bloglovin’!
lyuba
July 25, 2013 at 8:27 pmThank you so much, AnnMarie!
Mackenzie
July 25, 2013 at 2:39 pmOh my goodness I love all those chocolate chips around the edges; yum-o!
lyuba
July 25, 2013 at 8:26 pmThank you, Mackenzie!
Lori @Lori's Culinary Creations
July 25, 2013 at 4:26 pmThis looks amazing!! Cheesecake is an all time favorite of mine!! Found you over at Somewhat Simple. I am co-hosting Tasty Tuesdays this week and would love for you to link up this recipe.
http://www.lorisculinarycreations.com/2013/07/TastyTuesdays1.html
Lori
Lori’s Culinary Creations
lyuba
July 25, 2013 at 8:25 pmThank you, Lori!
Amy
July 25, 2013 at 5:05 pmFollowed the directions exactly, and I’m pretty disappointed with the outcome. They don’t taste ANYTHING like cannoli’s. But, it’s a good base recipe for cheesecake cupcakes. I especially like the waffle cone crust – it’s better than the standard graham cracker crust most cheesecakes use.
lyuba
July 25, 2013 at 8:23 pmThank you, Amy! I’m sorry you didn’t like cannoli part. It’s a pretty standard recipe but you can try adding a little hazelnut liquor to it to extra something something 🙂
I’m so sorry that I didn’t answer the previous comment right away, the temperature was 325!
lyuba
July 25, 2013 at 8:24 pmOk, that was supposed to be “for a little extra something, something 🙂 “
Allison {A Glimpse Inside}
July 26, 2013 at 12:56 amOh my goodness! These look delicious!!
Thanks so much for linking up to this week’s Catch a Glimpse party. I’ll be featuring this tomorrow! 🙂
lyuba
July 26, 2013 at 10:00 amThank you so much, Allison!
The Better Baker
July 26, 2013 at 2:28 pmGolly – I thought I knew all about cheesecakes, but this one is unique and looks super duper. I would sooo enjoy one. Great post! Your photos are always sooo inviting. Thanks much for sharing at Weekend Potluck.
lyuba
July 28, 2013 at 8:34 amThank you so much!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust
July 26, 2013 at 3:25 pmGorgeous Lyuba! Love this so much.
lyuba
July 28, 2013 at 8:34 amThank you, Dorothy!
Jeni
July 26, 2013 at 5:32 pmThis sounds heavenly and such a great idea!!
lyuba
July 28, 2013 at 8:35 amThank you, Jeni!
Miz Helen
July 27, 2013 at 9:06 pmThese little cheesecakes will just be perfect for a luncheon that I am having soon. Thanks for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and hope you are having a great weekend!
Miz Helen
lyuba
July 28, 2013 at 8:35 amThank you, Miz Helen!
[email protected]
July 28, 2013 at 12:28 amWow…..those look amazing Lyuba! I’m sure they are delicious. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Best of the Weekend. Have a wonderful week, and we hope to see you again next week!
lyuba
July 28, 2013 at 8:35 amThank you, Lisa!
Shamene
July 28, 2013 at 1:23 amwow these look so good!!!
lyuba
July 28, 2013 at 8:36 amThank you, Shamene!
Kristen Duke
July 28, 2013 at 11:55 pmOh my goodness! These sound amazing! Cheesecake and cannoli are both so tasty by themselves so I can only imagine them together!
lyuba
August 1, 2013 at 12:49 pmThank you so much, Kristen!
katie
July 30, 2013 at 9:42 amYum! My husband would go ga-ga over these mini cheesecakes!
lyuba
August 1, 2013 at 12:48 pmThank you so much, Katie!
[email protected]
July 30, 2013 at 1:59 pmOh my goodness – these are GENIUS, Lyuba!!
lyuba
August 1, 2013 at 12:49 pmAwww, thank you, Cathy!
Heather @ French Press
July 31, 2013 at 4:19 pmgorgeous!
lyuba
August 1, 2013 at 12:49 pmThank you!
Stephanie Pass
July 31, 2013 at 11:49 pmThey look amazing! I just went to the store to grab a couple of the ingredients I was missing.
How hard is it to get them out of the muffin pan?
lyuba
August 1, 2013 at 12:52 pmThank you! It wasn’t hard at all. Just make sure you that you do grease the muffin pan and let them cool after taking the out of the oven. Run a knife between the cheesecake and the muffin cup and then very gently twist. I also use a thin fork to help me lift them.
Lindsay @Artsy-Fartsy Mama
August 1, 2013 at 2:24 amOh my…these look amazing!! I definitely need to try them out!
Thanks for sharing at Artsy Corner, you were featured this week!
lyuba
August 1, 2013 at 12:53 pmThank you so much, Lindsay!! Yay 🙂
Marylou
November 26, 2013 at 9:00 amYou say to crush cones, then you say press graham crackers in tin, but you do not list graham crackers
in the ingredients. Are you using any graham crackers or just the crushed cones?
Love canolis, don’t love making the shells!
lyuba
December 16, 2013 at 5:55 pmI apologize for the misprint and the late response! It is supposed to be waffle cones! Thank you for letting me know, Marylou!
lori
November 4, 2014 at 7:56 pmThis looks like a fantastic recipe…..to bake it as a single larger cheesecake, what size springform pan would you suggest and what would the baking instructions be for that size? Thanks!
lyuba
November 4, 2014 at 9:20 pmHi Lori!
You can definitely make it into one cheesecake. Since the recipe is only for mini ones, I’d use an 8-inch spring form so that the cheesecake looks a little bigger. You can follow the baking and water bath instructions from this cheesecake: https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/2014/07/white-chocolate-raspberry-swirl-cheesecake.html but start checking for doneness after 55 minutes since it’s a smaller cheesecake. I hope it works out well for you!!
Donna
July 31, 2015 at 2:32 amHow do I get the cheesecakes out of the muffin tins?
lyuba
August 2, 2015 at 2:42 pmHi Donna!
Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan. Once they are at room temperature, run a lightly greased butter knife between the cheesecake and the cup to separate it from the pan. Then gently take them out using a small rubber spatula. Or, you can bake the cheesecakes in the aluminum foil cupcake cups just make sure to grease inside the aluminum cups so it will be easier to peel off.