Healthy Cannoli Recipe – Easy High Protein Cups!

Easy and Healthy Cannoli Recipe with a high protein, sugar free filling in crispy tortilla cups. Protein Cannoli Cups are a baked and healthier alternative to the classic Italian dessert.

I definitely waited way too long to try out this recipe. But I tell you – TRY THIS RIGHT NOW!

As my husband said – this tastes like Cannoli, but much better because the shell it isn’t deep fried!
Got that rich and creamy ricotta filling, but made with low fat ricotta cheese, nonfat Greek yogurt and protein powder for a sugar-free and healthy dessert.

Trust me you’re gonna love it!

Ingredients for Healthy Cannoli Recipe

This healthy cannoli recipe is made with low fat ricotta cheese and Greek yogurt, and sweetened with protein powder for a high protein and sugar-free recipe! It’s also low fat using a baked toritlla shell instead of deep fried rolls.

Here’s what you need:

• Part Skim Ricotta Cheese for a low fat and low calorie cannoli cups recipe
• Non-fat Greek Yogurt to add extra protein!
• Vanilla Protein Powder – this makes for a sugar free protein cannoli since it serves as the sweetener in place of sugar. I used the vanilla protein powder from Quest for this recipe.
• Sugar Free Mini Chocolate Chips – I used these semi sweet mini chocolate chips from Lakanto.

For the shells:

• Mini Tortillas aka Street Flour Tortillas as a cannoli shell substitute
• Oil Spray

How to make High Protein Cannoli Cups

These high protein cannoli cups are extremely easy to make! Here’s what it takes:

1. Prep:
   Preheat the oven to 375°F
   
2. Bake the cannoli shell substitute:
   Press down a tortilla in cavities of a muffin pan – firmly down and along the sides.
   Lightly spray with oil spray.
   Bake about 25 minutes until shells are browned and crunky.
   Let cool for about 5 mins!
   
3. Make the filling:
   Beat ricotta cheese well until smooth, light and fluffy.
   Add in Greek yogurt and beat again.
   Add in vanilla protein powder and beat again (scrape down the sides as needed).
   Then add the mini chocolate chips and fold with a spoon (don’t beat or the chips might break).
   
4. Assemble:
   Use a piping bag to divide the filling among the cannoli shells.
   Make sure the baked tortilla cannoli shells cools completely before you add the filling, or the filling will melt away.

To store Light Cannoli Recipe

This light cannoli cups recipe is best had fresh since the cannoli shells will be crunchy. 

You can make these protein powder cannoli cups in advance – store the shell and filling separately; The assembled cannoli will get soft.
Keep them in the fridge for 1 week in an airtight container.

Healthy protein cannoli cups are freezer friendly too! Freeze the shells in a freezer-safe zipper bag for 2 or 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for 12 hours before serving.
Make filling before serving and assemble.

Alternatives for Baked Cannoli Cups

I used this set of ingredients for a low fat, low calorie and high protein baked cannoli cups recipe, but here are some alternatives to try:

• Street Tortillas: Regular flour tortillas work too. Just use a large mug or small pot to cut out 5-6” circles
• Part Skim Ricotta Cheese: Regular ricotta cheese
• Non-fat Greek Yogurt: 2% fat or other low fat Greek yogurt, or even sour cream or whipped cottage cheese
• Whey-casein Protein Powder: Use whey protein, but also use less yogurt – maybe about ⅓ cup
• Sugar Free Mini Chocolate Chips: Regular mini chocolate chips work just as well

Some more healthy desserts with soft cheese to try:

• Healthy Protein Powder Cream Cheese Frosting
• Protein Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
• Carrot Cake Protein Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Cottage Cheese Protein Ice Cream
• Protein Tiramisu
• Cottage Cheese Protein Cheesecake

Healthy Cannoli Recipe – Easy High Protein Cups!

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Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Servings: 8 cannoli cups

Calories: 154kcal

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian, Multi-Cuisine

Easy and Healthy Cannoli Recipe with a high protein, sugar free filling in crispy tortilla cups. Protein Cannoli Cups are a baked and healthier alternative to the classic Italian dessert.

Ingredients

Shells:

• 8 Street Flour Tortillas (Mini 6” Tortillas)
• Oil Spray

Filling:

• 1 cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese, 220g
• ½ cup Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt, 112g
• ⅓ cup Vanilla Protein Powder, Whey-casein, 30g
• 2 tablespoon Mini Chocolate Chips, Sugar-Free recommended below, 28g

Instructions

Shells:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Nestle one tortilla in each muffin pan cavity, pressing the tortilla into the bottom and along sides.

  Spray with Oil Spray.
• Bake for 25 minutes until brown and crisp-looking.

  Remove from pan and let cool 5 min.

Filling:

• Place ricotta in a bowl and whisk with a wire whisk or hand mixer (alternatively use a small food processor) until light and airy; About 30-45 seconds.
• Add Greek Yogurt and beat again.
• Add protein powder and beat again.
• Add in mini chocolate chips and mix with spoon.
• Use piping bag (or ziploc with hole in one corner) to fill shells with the filling dividing mixture equally.

Notes

• Nutrition value is calculated using part skim ricotta cheese and products recommended below.
• See post for alternate ingredients, tips and storage options.

Product Recommendations:

• Quest Nutrition Vanilla Whey-Casein Protein Powder
• Lakanto Sugar Free Mini Chocolate Chips

Nutrition:

• Yield: 8 cannoli cups | Serving size: 1
• Calories: 152 cal
• Fat: 4.9g | Saturated fat: 2.5g
• Carbohydrates: 17.2g | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 3.1g
• Protein: 9.7g