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This Cannoli Icebox Cake is so easy to make with layers of graham crackers and cannoli filling! It’s a simple dessert that’s extremely moist and delicious!
Looking for another cannoli dessert recipe? Try my Cannoli Tart or these fun Cannoli Ice Cream Cones!
Cannoli Icebox Cake Recipe
We had a pretty uneventful weekend. It was busy and full of plenty of baking, but not particularly exciting. And yet, sometimes those are the weekends I love the most. The hubs and I enjoyed some nice time together.
Our church actually streams the 11 o’clock service online and we decided to stay home and watch church from the comfort of our couch. After the weather has gotten into the 70s lately, it was in the 20s yesterday morning. Instead of braving the cold (we’re wimps, I know), I made us a nice warm breakfast and then we watched church.
It was really great message – you should totally check it out. It was about how God uses difficult times in our lives to help us learn and grow and depend on him more. It’s a message that the hubs and I could not related to more. We’ve learned and grown so much over the last several years. We’ve had our share of difficult things, including our fertility struggles, and we know God’s been with us through it all. We continue to trust that he’s got a plan for us and the family we hope to have one day, so we loved the message.
We also love icebox cakes. You can do so much with them. I’ve made several different flavors (Strawberry and Blueberry Cheesecake Icebox Cake, Mint Oreo Icebox Cake, Funfetti Birthday Cake Icebox Cake), and this is one of my new favorites.
After making my Cannoli Poke Cake last year, I love using the flavors of cannoli’s in dessert. In this icebox cake, the flavor is light and sweet – but not too sweet. In fact, it’s a little less sweet than the poke cake, which makes sense since there’s no sweetened condensed milk in this recipe.
The graham crackers act like the shell of a cannoli and the filling is cannoli filling. So simple, but so delicious. A great way to eat a cannoli without all the work.
Tips For Making This Tasty Cannoli Cake
I only used mascarpone cheese in this filling, though some cannoli fillings use a mix of mascarpone and ricotta. Ricotta can tend to have a lot of liquid in it, so I avoided it in this recipe. You can substitute half of the mascarpone for ricotta though, if you’d prefer. You’ll probably want to drain the ricotta before using it.
One thing I thought might be fun to try in this icebox cake is cinnamon sugar covered graham crackers. I used regular ones, which were delicious, but if you wanted to sweeten it up a bit – which you know I love – that’d be a fun option.
More Cannoli Dessert Recipes
Cannoli Cheesecake
Cannoli Layer Cake
Cannoli Tart
Cannoli Poke Cake
Cannoli Cones
Cannoli Icebox Cake
- Prep Time: 5 hours
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 15-18 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Cannoli Icebox Cake is so easy to make with layers of graham crackers and cannoli filling! It’s a simple dessert that’s extremely moist and delicious!
Ingredients
- 32 oz mascarpone cheese*, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 oz Cool Whip, divided (or homemade whipped cream)
- 14.4 oz box graham crackers
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 353
- Sugar: 20.7 g
- Sodium: 44 mg
- Fat: 28.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 64 mg
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
How do I make homemade wip cream to replace cool whip
You’ll need one recipe of my homemade whipped cream.
I made 1/2 the recipe and put in 8×8 pan. Used tru whip instead of cool whip and sugar free dark chocolate chips. Good
what can you use instead of graham cracker. can you use a biscotti
Biscotti would probably work. You could also try shortbread cookies. They may just not soften quite as much as graham crackers.
How far ahead can you make this and how many days will it keep please.
The longer it sits, the softer the graham crackers will get. It’s going to be best for the first day or two. It’ll be fine after that, the graham crackers will just get softer. It should keep overall for about 3-4 days.
could you crush the graham crackers and mix with butter to form a crust?
I suppose you could. I might only do that on the bottom, but you could certainly try it. I’m just not sure if it’d be as stable or not.
Delicious! Similar to a cassata cake. I used half marscapone cheese and half ricotta. The graham crackers absorb any liquid so it turned it out perfect. Added a few maraschino cherries to the top as well. A new favorite in our family.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can you use cream cheese?
Sure, you’ll just have a little different flavor.
I’ve made this like 4 times. It’s amazing. I do have a question though–I saw a post about making it on Tuesday and serving it on Thursday-you said it should be fine. I’ve never held these longer than say 18 hours. Will it be okay if I make it on Thursday evening for it to be served say Christmas Day? Will the graham crackers completely turn to mush? I know it’s a “cake”, but I’m making this FOR someone and I don’t want them to think it’s anything other than amazing. Thanks for the recipe, it’s a keeper.
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it! Gosh, I don’t think the graham crackers would turn to mush. They’d certainly be softer, but I guess it depends on how important that texture is to you.
Hi Lindsay–Thanks for responding so quickly! It’s going to be 9 degrees here in TN on Friday and I’m not sure I want these folks to meet me in the cold to get them. Glad you said they’d be okay for that long. I may just go with Plan A and get them to them on the 23rd. Maybe they won’t wait til Christmas to eat them! LOL Thanks again. And Merry Christmas!
Do you think I could make this with lady fingers instead of graham crackers, or do the graham crackers mimic the flavor of the cannolli shells?
Ladyfingers should work fine. I don’t know if it’ll necessarily mimick cannoli shells, but it sounds like it would be good.
Do you think it would be ok to add the mini chocolate chips or maybe chopped pistachios to the layers like a typical cannoli, or would that make it too much?
Yes, that should be fine.
I made this recipe. It was excellent! However quite large for 2 of us. Can I freeze it?
Yes, you can freeze it.
Made this for our “homebound” senior church members. As part of an Italian themed meal delivered to their homes we chose to make them individually, using a cookie scoop to portion the marsapone mixture and topping with aerosol whipped cream. Super easy and a delicious “homemade” treat. Thank you! It was fun for our volunteers (from grade schoolers to seniors) to assemble, and easy for the coordinator (me) to set up. I recommend this for any large scale event in need of an easy sweet.
Peace!
I’m so glad to hear it worked out well and that everyone enjoyed it!
I just finished making this cake, super easy but only used 3-8 oz. pkgs. mascarpone. Added dash of cream as thick even with whipped cream added. Had a few graham piecess left so put in processor & added over top Can’t wait to see if it comes out neatly when serving.That seems to be a problem area.
if I make this Tuesday will it be good in the fridge till Thursday to serve or is that too long?
Yes, it’ll still be great.
Do you have a good source for mascarpone? My store sells 8 oz for 4.99, so to make this with all mascarpone would cost $20 just for that ingredient alone. Even if I substitute 1/2, that’s expensive! Are there any other substitutions you can make?
Yea, it does tend to be more expensive. You could try using ricotta, but you’d want to be sure to strain it first, since it can tend to be watery depending on the brand.
I actually just had my very first cannoli, and LOVED it – so I am all over this cake
What sermon were you refering to exactly? They all sound good. But, I’d like to hear the one you mentioned.
Thank You
Here is the link. It’s called “Even when it hurts”.
So cute! This looks delicious 🙂
Honestly, I would live stream church every Sunday if I could sit home in my PJs :), but I am so glad that the topic this week was what it was. I think you and Ian are so strong to go through what you are going through! Also this icebox cake. Genius.
Thanks girl! You are the best!
My husband and I LOVE cannolis, and in cake form, this is a must for us!
Yum!! Anything cannoli-related is right up my alley! Can’t wait to try this!
Jillian
I love the twist you put on these, yum!
This is my kind of dessert! I love this new twist on cannolis!
Love that you used mascarpone cheese in this recipe! It looks amazing!
Wow, I wish my place of worship streamed sermons for me to watch. That would be a lot more convenient!
I love the idea of deconstructing cannoli into an icebox cake! This looks seriously amazing.