A crunchy waffle cone crust is topped with a creamy pistachio cannoli filling, a layer of piped whipped cream, mini chocolate chips and more chopped pistachios for a delicious twist on cannoli that's perfect for serving to a crowd! This is the perfect no bake, make ahead recipe for the holidays that's easy to throw together in just a few steps.
This post is sponsored by Zwilling. All opinions are our own.
Last year, we made these florentine cannoli (cannoli filling in a crispy lace cookie shell) and they were a huge hit both at home and on social media! Although they're absolutely delicious, I won't lie – they're a bit fussy.
I am a huge fan of cannoli, so this year we set out to make something simpler that still captures those flavors, but makes more sense for the busy holiday season. This cannoli pie is just that!
The filling is just 5 ingredients, although if you'd rather skip the pistachio cream for a more traditional cannoli filling, it would be equally tasty. Orange zest adds a bright, citrusy kick (and some depth) to the filling, and we fold in some of the whipped cream to lighten it up a bit.
We use crushed up waffle cones for the crust. If you can find cannoli shells, that will work, too, or you can even use pizzelles. The whipped cream topping is stabilized with a bit of mascarpone cheese, but you can leave it out if you don't have any (it will just be softer and may collapse a bit when you serve it).
You can leave the top plain, but it's extra pretty (and delicious) with more mini chocolate chips and some chopped pistachios.
The best part? You can make it up to 3 or 4 days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
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Step by step instructions
Strain the ricotta: A few hours before making this (or the day before), place the ricotta in some cheesecloth (or paper towel) in a strainer over a bowl to drain some of the excess liquid. Place in the fridge. If you don't have time, the filling will still taste great but may be slightly more runny.
Make the crust: Pulse waffle cones and salt in a food processor until a fine crumb forms. Add the melted butter and salt and pulse until combined.
Use the bottom of a measuring cup to firmly press the crust mixture into the bottom of a baking dish. We use this 12.5 inch gratin dish, but you can also use a 9x13 inch baking dish. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Make whipped cream: Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form (2-4 minutes) and set aside.
Make pistachio filling: Using an electric hand mixer, mix together the ricotta, pistachio butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and orange zest until smooth. Add in the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.
Using a spatula, fold in about 1 cup of your prepared whipped cream until evenly combined.
Assembly: Spoon the pistachio filling over the crust, smoothing it into an even layer. Top with remaining whipped cream, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios and chocolate chips.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. Scoop to serve, and enjoy!
Equipment
I don't have an outlet on my kitchen island (bad planning, I know!), so my Zwilling XTEND cordless appliances are a total lifesaver! They have everything from a chopper (which we used to make the crust and chop the pistachios), to a hand blender, to a hand mixer (we used it for the pistachio filling AND the whipped cream).
They even have a mini cordless vacuum for cleaning up small messes! You just need one battery that's compatible for all of the devices. They're so easy to use and I absolutely love that I don't have to deal with cords.
Any of their products would also make for a fantastic holiday gift (wink, wink 😉).
We also used our favorite Staub 12.5 inch gratin dish! Slicing pies is overrated – I prefer to scoop instead. So much easier! We also use this baking dish for baked oats, casseroles, and baked dips like this jalapeño artichoke dip.
How to store and make ahead
You can make this pie up to 3 or 4 days in advance. Just make sure it's covered and stored in the refrigerator.
You can also store leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. We don't recommend freezing this recipe.
Lexi & Beth's Top Recipe Tip
To stabilize your whipped cream (which is especially important if you're making it a few days ahead!), we suggest adding a bit of mascarpone. It keeps the whipped cream from getting watery in the fridge, so it's a great hack for entertaining occasions.
More pie recipes to try
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📖 Recipe
No Bake Pistachio Cannoli Pie
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A crunchy waffle cone crust is topped with a creamy pistachio cannoli filling, a layer of piped whipped cream, mini chocolate chips and more chopped pistachios for a delicious twist on cannoli that's perfect for serving to a crowd! This is the perfect no bake, make ahead recipe for the holidays that's easy to throw together in just a few steps.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 7 oz waffle cones (~12 cones)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Whipped Cream:
- 1 ½ cups cold heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese (optional, but stabilizes the whipped cream)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pistachio Cannoli Filling:
- 3 cups ricotta cheese (~32oz)
- ¾ cup unsweetened pistachio butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- Pinch of salt
- For topping: 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios (unsalted) and 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Strain the ricotta: A few hours before making this (or the day before), place the ricotta in some cheesecloth (or paper towel) in a strainer over a bowl to drain some of the excess liquid. Place in the fridge. If you don't have time, the filling will still taste great but may be slightly more runny.
- Make the crust: Pulse waffle cones and salt in a food processor until a fine crumb forms. Add the melted butter and salt and pulse until combined.
- Use the bottom of a measuring cup to firmly press the crust mixture into the bottom of a baking dish. We use this 12.5 inch gratin dish, but you can also use a pie pan or a 9x13 inch baking dish. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Make whipped cream: Using an electric hand mixer, whip the heavy cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form (2-4 minutes) and set aside.
- Make pistachio filling: Using an electric hand mixer, mix together the ricotta, pistachio butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and orange zest until smooth. Add in the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.
- Using a spatula, fold in about 1 cup of your prepared whipped cream until evenly combined.
- Assembly: Spoon the pistachio filling over the crust, smoothing it into an even layer. Top with remaining whipped cream, then sprinkle with chopped pistachios and chocolate chips.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight. Scoop to serve, and enjoy!
Notes
You can also use cannoli shells or pizzelles in the crust.
You can make this pie up to 3 or 4 days in advance. Just make sure it's covered and stored in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American/Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 scoop
- Calories: 532
- Sugar: 30.6 g
- Sodium: 106.8 mg
- Fat: 35.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.1 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 12.5 g
Aspasia says
Hello! If I were to use cannoli shells, how many would I need? I ask because I think they are smaller than the waffle cones.
Thanks
Lexi says
Hi! It would be the same weight – 7 ounces.
Kat says
This dessert was a hit at our Thanksgiving spread! I traveled to Italy this year, so wanted to bring the taste of cannoli to our table. I couldn't find the pistachio butter in stores, so I made my own with raw, unsalted pistachios. I used cannoli shells from our local Italian bakery and needed much less butter for the crust in that case. I used a pie pan and it fit perfectly. The mascarpone in the whipped cream stabilized it so it was easy to make ahead and still have it look amazing. The dessert was rich, so served a lot. Definitely a unique, easy dessert!
Lexi says
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed. Thank you so much!
Teri says
Loved this recipe, flavor was great. I would have given it 5 starts but it was so hard to get the crust out of the pan when I served it. I split it into 2 smaller pans, one to serve and one to give away.
Kristina Voulgaris says
Hi! This looks delicious and I’m going to make this for Thanksgiving. What brand or kind of pistachio butter do you use? I’ve never bought it before so I’m lost! Thank you!
Lexi says
Hi there! We used an unsweetened pistachio butter (pistachios are the only ingredient) from Whole Foods. If you can only find sweetened, you can cut the amount of sugar in the filling by half and adjust it after tasting.
Kayla says
This looks amazing! I have hunted everywhere and can only find sweetened pistachio butter (even the kind you recommended is sold out), would you lower the powdered sugar?
Lexi says
Oh no! Yes, that would work just fine. I would cut the powdered sugar by half, then taste and adjust as you see fit!
Deb says
Sounds delicious. Where do you find pistachio butter though? Can you make it?Thanks!
Lexi says
Hi! We got our at Whole Foods. A lot of grocery stores carry it now since it's so popular, or you can always order on Amazon. You can also make your own, similar to how you would make peanut butter.
Laura says
Sound delicious. But I don’t have this staub dish. Can this be made in a pie pan? Or what size pan?
Lexi says
Yes, you can use a large pie pan or even a 9x13" baking dish (just note that the layers will be thinner in this).
pamela marchant says
Is pistachio butter homemade or can I use pistachio spread? 😘
Lexi says
We used store-bought! I got it at Whole Foods. This is the one I used: https://amzn.to/4oE25Rw
LDTH says
I LOVE cannoli, and this looks A-MA-ZING!
Request: “1 scoop” does provide clarify into the size of the serving. Going forward, would you mind providing the serving size as a weight (ex: 25 grams) or volume (1/4 cup).
Personally, I’d prefer weight (easier to just plop on the scale versus cramming into & then scooping out of a measuring cup), but I recognize not everyone has the $20 to invest in a scale.
Thanks!!!