These gluten free cannoli bites are delicious hand-held desserts that are great for entertaining. You will love that these little-baked cannoli cups are baked and not fried. They have all of that yummy cannoli flavor with only half the work!

The mini cannoli bites on a serving dish.

Since going gluten-free, cannoli has been the one thing I have missed. It is flaky, crunchy, and just plain delicious. These baked cannoli bites are delicious and easy to make. These bite-sized filled gluten-free cannoli shells are perfect for entertaining and look extra fancy on a dessert buffet. 

You get all of that yummy cannoli flavor in a finger food portion! If you love dessert as much as I do, you will want to check out some of my best gluten free dessert recipes.

Some of that crunch comes from frying the cannoli in oil. I have tried to re-create cannoli several times, but I wanted to make a healthier version that didn’t need to be fried in oil. I hope you will like these baked cannoli shells…trust me, they are absolutely delicious!

Recipe At A Glance:

  • Skill Level – Advanced beginner.
  • # of Ingredients – 11
  • Flour Blend Tested – King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.
  • Cook Time – 1 hour, 5 minutes.

Allergen Information:

This baked cannoli bites recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free.

Ingredient Notes:

Photos of the baked cannoli ingredients.
  • Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this blend with both King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flour brands. If you use a different blend, you may need to tweak moisture levels.
  • Xanthan Gum – If your blend doesn’t contain a binder, you will need to add one. I prefer xanthan gum, but guar gum will also work. Add ¾ a teaspoon.
  • Sugar
  • Ground Cardamom
  • Salt
  • Butter – Use unsalted butter.
  • Egg – Size large.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar and Water
  • Mascarpone Cheese
  • Powdered Sugar

Step-By-Step Directions:

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, ground cardamom, and salt. Use a whisk to blend them.

Step 2: In a smaller bowl, add the egg, apple cider vinegar, and partially melted butter. Whisk to blend.

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix into a nice, soft but workable dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Gluten Free Baked Cannoli dough with shapes cut out for the cups.

Step 4: Remove the dough from the fridge and place a silicone mat on the counter. You can also use a flour-dusted prepared clean surface if you prefer. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to â…“ inch thickness.

Step 5: Use a small round cookie cutter to cut circles out of the dough.

Picking up a cannoli dough circle cutout.

🔑 Sandi says: The colder the dough, the easier it is to work with!

A mini muffin tray with the cannoli dough in each section.

Step 6: Spray a mini muffin tin. with gluten free baking spray. Press each dough circle into a muffin tin hole. Press in the middle to make cup shapes out of the dough.

Step 7: Bake until they are crispy and hard. Allow these gluten free cannoli cups to cool fully before adding the cannoli filling. Bake the cannoli cups for 13-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and move it to a wire cooling rack.

Step 8: While the cannoli cups are baking. Add your mascarpone, powdered sugar, and ground cardamom to the bowl of a standing mixer. Use the whisk attachment and whip the filling for 3 minutes until it is creamy. Cover and chill the filling for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator.

Step 9: Fill each gluten free cannoli cup with the cannoli mixture. You can either spoon it in or use a frosting bag with a large star tip to pipe the cannoli mixture into each cup. Decorate with sprinkles.

Tips and Recipe FAQ:

Can you make traditionally shaped cannoli rolls with this dough?

I did try to make traditionally shaped cannoli shells with this recipe but they didn’t keep their shape well during baking. You could try pushing an aluminum foil roll into the middle and see if it will hold its shape better.

Are sprinkles gluten free?

Unfortunately, some sprinkle brands are NOT gluten free because they are made on shared equipment with wheat. If you are really sensitive to gluten as I am, you will want to read my article on gluten free sprinkles.

How do you store these baked gluten-free cannoli cups?

Store the cups and mascarpone filling in a large, airtight container in the refrigerator. Store them separately and fill them before you serve the dessert. If you store them together, the baked cannoli cups can get soggy in the refrigerator.

If you love no-bake desserts, try this easy Gluten Free Key Lime Pie recipe!

The close up of two Gluten Free Baked Cannoli Bites with chocolate sprinkles on them. The cannoli cups are on a silver platter.

Can I use other fillings in these gluten-free cannoli cups?

You can use these cups for lots of different fillings. Here are a few ideas:

  • Fill with a creamy mousse. My popular fresh raspberry mousse is a great choice!
  • This homemade chocolate custard would make a great filling as well!
  • Add a fresh strawberry and drizzle with melted chocolate.

More Gluten Free Party Foods:

mini cannoli bites on a serving dish

Easy Gluten-Free Baked Cannoli Bites

Sandi Gaertner
Easy baked gluten-free cannoli cups that are perfect for a dessert buffet or entertaining.
4.95 from 20 votes
gluten free allergy icon
nut free allergen icon
soy free allergy icon
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Gluten Free Dessert Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 24 cups
Calories 106 kcal

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups gluten free flour blend * See notes
  • 3 tablespoons cane sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • â…› teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter cold
  • 1 large egg large
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons cold water

Filling

  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar Sift it if there are a lot of chunks.

Instructions
 

Cannoli Cups:

  • Add flour, sugar, ground cardamom, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to blend them.
  • In a smaller bowl, add the egg, apple cider vinegar, and partially melted butter. Whisk to blend.
  • Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix into a nice, soft but workable dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes.
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and place a silicone mat on the counter. You can also use a flour-dusted prepared clean surface if you prefer. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to â…“ inch thickness.
  • Use a small round cookie cutter to cut circles out of the dough.
  • Spray a mini muffin tin. with gluten free baking spray. Press each dough circle into a muffin tin hole. Press in the middle to make cup shapes out of the dough. 
  • Bake until they are crispy and hard. Allow these gluten free cannoli cups to cool fully before adding the cannoli filling. Bake the cannoli cups for 13-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and move it to a wire cooling rack.

Filling:

  • While the cannoli cups are baking. Add your mascarpone, powdered sugar, and ground cardamom to the bowl of a standing mixer. Use the whisk attachment and whip the filling for 3 minutes until it is creamy. Cover and chill the filling in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.
  • Fill each gluten free cannoli cup with the cannoli mixture. You can either spoon it in or use a frosting bag with a large star tip to pipe the cannoli mixture into each cup. Decorate with sprinkles.

Notes

  1. I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I have not tested other flours. Other blends should work, but you may need to modify the liquid or dry ingredient quantity.
  2. Xanthan Gum – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add ¾ teaspoon.
  3. Store the cups and mascarpone filling in a large, airtight container in the refrigerator. Store them separately and fill them before you serve the dessert. If you store them together, the baked cannoli cups can get soggy in the refrigerator. These cannoli cups will keep fresh for up to 3 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
Flour Measuring Tips:
To measure your gluten free flour, I recommend using the spoon method or leveling method. In a perfect world, people weigh their flour, but most do not own a kitchen scale.
Put the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour. Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level along the top to remove the extra flour.

SPECIAL NOTE

Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 106kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 37mgPotassium: 5mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 201IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @FearlessDining or tag #FearlessDining!

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

(*Note, this post was updated from an older June 2015 post.)

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22 Comments

  1. Good afternoon. First let me state that I am not an experienced baker. But these sounded so good that I had to give them a try. I followed the directions for the dough to the letter but it was very dry. It would not hold together. I read all the ingredients numerous times but I didn’t miss anything. As I was reading the ingredients for the filling I saw 6 tablespoons of cold water but when you read the instructions it doesn’t mention the water for the filling. I thought about it and thought the water should have been one of the ingredients for the dough. I tried it and it was the missing ingredient.

    1. Hi Patricia, I am so sorry. I see what you mean. I think when I separated the ingredients by cannoli and filling, I didn’t slide that water up. I am really glad you were able to add it in. Thank you so much, it is corrected now.

    1. Hi Mary, The baked shells are a little hard, but not so hard they are difficult to bite into. Frying definitely adds air bubbles and crispiness that can’t be duplicated by baking.

  2. 5 stars
    These sound so good and I love that they’re gluten free. I’ve actually never had cannoli but I think I need to try these! Sounds amazing.

  3. I haven’t had cannoli’s in a very long time. These look so good. I will try them over the weekend.

  4. Yum!!! These look SO delicious and I love that these are baked and not fried. Pinning and making these soon!!