Can cannolis be frozen? - The best way

Italy is famous for its sweet temptations. Some of the best certainly come from Sicily.

Who has not heard of the famous Sicilian cannoli? Cannoli is that special Sicilian dessert whose taste you remember for a long time. The cannoli is that part of Italian cooking that seems like you haven’t tasted anything without.

Picking up the sensation of unadulterated flavor, aroma and freshness in every bite, cannolis carry the tradition of an entire culture that has developed over centuries. They keep the secrets of difficult times and happy afternoons, of joyful laughter, but also of battles and conquerors.

Even though Italy is too far away for most of us, we can always make cannoli at home and bring a bit of unique Italian cuisine into our home. However, while they are extremely easy to do, there is a lot to consider. We are here to teach you the subtleties.

With that being said, can cannolis be frozen?

Yes, you can try freezing the cannolis, but you probably don’t want to, as the creamy filling soaks into the shells and makes the cannolis soggy and less palatable. Instead, we recommend freezing just the filling, up to a month, so you can thaw it when you want to make cannolis.

In the following article, we’ll talk about all the little details about freezing cannolis and everything related to their proper preservation.

Can cannolis be frozen?

Cannoli is the type of dessert that is made in large batches and often for gatherings with friends or family. Although it can easily be counted among the easiest desserts to prepare, it is also one of the sweets that are made following specific instructions and rules.

In general, cannolis should be filled at the very last moments before serving. Any previous preparation would not give the results you imagined in your mind in terms of flavor and texture.

The most common cannoli filling is made of ricotta cheese and whipped cream, and that’s where the problems begin. There’s just no way to avoid getting soggy when it comes to stuffed cannolis.

This is the main reason why you should only refill your cannolis at the last minute. Any other means of storage will cause the filling to break in the tube, turning it into a whole new dessert.

With that being said, what is the proper way to store cannolis? Should you refrigerate them or can you freeze them?

If you try to freeze the filled cannolis, the thawed dessert will look nothing like the cannolis you originally frozen. Also, if you freeze them incorrectly, they won’t last long in the freezer.

Instead of freezing the entire filled cannoli, you can prepare the filling and freeze it separately. This is the smarter option, giving you the opportunity to make the actual cannolis whenever you want, just by defrosting the filling.

However, you can expect the filling to taste slightly different from its original state. This is because both cottage cheese and whipped cream change when frozen.

Even if you stabilize the filling before freezing it, ricotta often becomes watery on freezing and thawing, while whipped cream may lose its texture and volume.

How to freeze cannolis

Now that we’ve learned that you probably shouldn’t freeze the stuffed cannolis, just the stuffing itself , it’s time to learn all the finer points, as there are a few details to keep in mind. To make it easier, we’ll break the process down into a couple of steps.

Since the filling for cannolis usually consists of whipped cream and ricotta as base ingredients , we will explain how exactly to freeze this filling.

If you plan to add additional flavors, such as chocolate chips, Nutella , or anything else common in today’s recipes, consider how well each ingredient freezes before adding it.

For example, chocolate won’t cause a problem, but certain fruits that are often mixed with cream and ricotta don’t freeze well and could destroy your filling once frozen. 

Step 1: Stabilize the filling with gelatin

While you can usually freeze cannoli filling without gelatin or any stabilization, it really freezes better when you take that extra prep time.

It helps maintain the volume that whipped cream tends to lose when frozen, and also protects the filling from becoming watery, which is a common problem with ricotta cheese.

All you have to do to stabilize the fill is

1. Prepare the gelatin in a little water before adding the whipped cream.
2. Once these two ingredients are well mixed, you should add the ricotta cheese and any additional flavorings you have according to the recipe or your own desires. We have mentioned several above.

Step 2: Time to freeze

As with any other type of food, you’ll need a trusty airtight container, or several if you have a larger batch of stuffing that you need to freeze.

Of course, you can also use a freezer bag, but this method could make a big mess when it comes time to thaw. Personally, we recommend using an airtight container.

Your freezer should be below 0 F. In general, stuffing could last for months in the freezer , but it will continually lose quality after the first few weeks. As always, we recommend defrosting and consuming it within a month. 

How to thaw frozen cannolis

When it’s time to defrost your cannoli filling, remember to leave it in the fridge overnight. No other method will favor you.

If you thaw it in the microwave, you can kiss the texture goodbye. If you thaw it at room temperature, it would stimulate the growth of bacteria that could endanger your health. Always give it time to thaw naturally in the fridge. 

Once done, be sure to beat it in a mixer or by hand. This will return the texture to its original state in case the cottage cheese has separated. You can also add additional flavorings to freshen up the mix.

Can stuffed cannolis be refrigerated?

Again, we do not recommend storing stuffed cannolis in the fridge, just as they should not be stored in the freezer. Unfortunately, this is a dessert that simply does not retain its shape and quality when stored.

You can generally refrigerate cannolis for a day or two , but don’t expect to see the same dessert the next day. It’s not that it tastes bad, but you should consider it a totally different treat.

Ultimately, there’s little you can do to prevent moisture from completely softening your cannolis, but we have an idea that could extend the life of their crunch for, say, an extra day. 

It’s a bit of work, but all the methods and the end result are better than having soggy cannolis in less than four hours, right? So, to prolong their shelf life, you must carefully wrap each one separately. 

The idea is to isolate them completely from any contact with the air. You can do this with just aluminum foil or, as we prefer, wrap them first in waxed paper and then a second time in aluminum foil.

For maximum effectiveness, you can place the cannoli wrappers in an airtight bag, but be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible. Like we said, it sounds like a lot of work, but it could save leftover cannolis for a second meal.

Related questions

We hope you enjoyed this guide to saving your cannolis—or at least your cannoli fillings—by freezing them. We’ve also included some related common questions below, should you have any further questions.

How long do cannoli shells last?

Most people buy their cannoli shells at the store or online, but there are those who take the time to make them at home from scratch.

As with most homemade foods, cannoli shells that have been made at home will have a shorter shelf life than store-bought shells. It is not recommended to keep them for more than a week in an airtight container.

As for store-bought cannoli shells, you can usually keep them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a month, although we recommend using them sooner. You can also keep them in the fridge, but this is usually not necessary unless you live in a warm climate.

Can the cannolis be left out?

Unless you think otherwise, the filling in your cannolis is usually dairy. If this is the case, you shouldn’t leave the cannolis out for more than a couple of hours or you risk contamination with bacteria. 

Also, if it’s not your first time making cannolis, you ‘ll know they get soggy within hours.

There is no better option than to make the cannolis just before eating them and only the ones you need for the meal. Otherwise, then they will be a completely different dessert.