Pistachio Cannoli Pie

I always have trouble picking between pistachio or chocolate chip cannoli when standing at the counter of my favorite Italian bakery. It’s hard to beat chocolate anything, but Italian desserts with pistachio are some of my favorites. So when Test Kitchen editor Maggie Knoebel concocted this pistachio cannoli pie, which combines the two typical cannoli fillings into one, I knew she had solved it.

It’s genius, really. Ricotta, cream cheese and a healthy amount of pistachio cream make the filling nutty and rich, and mini chocolate chips are dispersed throughout. There’s a hint of cinnamon and orange zest, with chopped pistachios and maraschino cherries on top. It all sits on a crunchy crust made from crushed cannoli shells and graham cracker crumbs. It’s a perfect no-bake dessert for summer, yet it also has all the qualities of an easy Christmas dessert.

Ingredients for Pistachio Cannoli Pie

• Crust: When we say no-bake, we mean it. Not even the pie crust is baked! How do we do it? Store-bought cannoli shells and graham cracker crumbs make up the base, which is sweetened with a bit of sugar and held together with melted butter.
• Cream cheese: The base of this pie is made with two packages of cream cheese. Soften the cream cheese to room temperature so it blends smoothly with the other ingredients. You don’t want your filling to have lumps.
• Confectioners’ sugar: The filling is sweetened with confectioners’ sugar instead of granulated sugar. The latter needs heat to dissolve the sugar crystals, which isn’t possible with a no-bake pie. Confectioners’ sugar dissolves without heat.
• Orange zest: With so many rich ingredients, a touch of sweet orange zest is added to brighten the filling. Orange pairs well with chocolate and pistachios, so it’s the best citrus fruit for the job. Zest the orange the same way you’d zest a lemon, stopping once you hit the bitter white pith.
• Cinnamon: Warm, woody cinnamon adds coziness to the pie. It’s a baking spice that pairs beautifully with oranges, chocolate and pistachios, so it really ties everything together.
• Ricotta: Be sure to buy part-skim ricotta cheese for this pie filling. Since it has some of the fat removed, it holds its shape better. Plus, the two packages of cream cheese more than make up for the richness.
• Pistachio cream: You can find pistachio cream online or through specialty food retailers. Just be sure you’re not buying pistachio butter; they’re not the same.
• Mini chocolate chips: Cannoli are typically finished with either chopped pistachios or mini chocolate chips. Our perfect cannoli-style pie uses both. Mini chocolate chips are much more pleasant to eat in a pie than regular chocolate chips, plus they’re more closely related to traditional cannoli.
• Toppings: While optional, the pie looks so pretty when finished with chopped pistachios, candied orange peels or maraschino cherries.

Directions

Step 1: Make the crust

Pulse the cannoli shells in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the granulated sugar, graham cracker crumbs and melted butter, then pulse just they’re until combined.

Press the crust mixture onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate the crust until it’s firm, about one hour.

Editor’s Tip: I like to use a 1/4-cup measure to smooth the graham cracker crust into the pie plate. Try not to pack in the crust with all your muscle, or it will be hard to cut through when serving.

Step 2: Mix the filling

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, orange zest and cinnamon together until they’re blended. Beat in the ricotta cheese, pistachio cream, vanilla extract and food coloring, if using, until everything is completely blended.

Step 3: Spread the filling in the crust

Finally, switch to a rubber spatula or wooden spoon and stir in the mini chocolate chips until they’re evenly dispersed. Spread the filling evenly into the crust. Cover the pie with storage wrap and refrigerate it until it’s set, about four hours.

Step 4: Chill and garnish the pie

Finally, remove the storage wrap and garnish the pie with chopped pistachios, maraschino cherries or candied orange peel as desired.

Recipe Variations

• Use another crust: Can’t find cannoli shells? Waffle cones are a great alternative, and are super easy to find at the grocery store. Really, though, any crumb crust ingredients work here, like Nilla wafers, shortbread or golden Oreos. You could also make a basic graham cracker crust.
• Make it in a different pan: If you don’t own a pie plate, build this pie in an 8-inch cake pan. You’ll have to scoop servings out with a large spoon, but I think it still looks pretty.
• Go gluten free: Pistachio cannoli pie is almost gluten free; you just have to change up the crust. Try to find gluten-free cannoli shells and gluten-free graham crackers as replacements. Gluten-free waffle cones are a great alternative if you’re coming up short on gluten-free cannoli shells. Also, make sure your baking spray is gluten free—they often contain flour.

How to Store Pistachio Cannoli Pie

Store leftover cannoli pie in the fridge for up to four days. The crust will get a bit soggier as the days go on, though, so just be wary of that. Keep the pie covered so the filling doesn’t absorb lingering fridge smells.

Can you make pistachio cannoli pie ahead of time?

Yes, you can make pistachio cannoli pie ahead of time. Assemble the pie the night before or the morning of serving (not any earlier than that, though, or the crust will become soggy) and keep the pie covered. When you’re ready to serve it, just remove the cover and dig in!

Pistachio Cannoli Pie Tips

Why is my pistachio cannoli pie grainy?

Your pistachio cannoli pie may have turned out grainy if you used whole milk ricotta. Part-skim ricotta has much of its moisture removed, but whole milk ricotta retains all its moisture. Too much moisture, and the filling’s emulsion will separate, turning it grainy.

What’s the difference between pistachio butter and pistachio cream?

The difference between pistachio butter and pistachio cream is that pistachio butter is only made from ground pistachios, while pistachio cream is made from ground pistachios, milk, sugar and other flavorings. I always liken the comparison of pistachio butter vs. pistachio cream to that of hazelnut butter vs. Nutella: they both have ground hazelnuts, but Nutella is enriched with milk, chocolate, sugar, oil and other ingredients.

What can I do with leftover pistachio cream?

You probably won’t use all the pistachio cream in the jar, so save leftovers for other pistachio cream recipes. Dubai chocolate recipes surged a few years ago, so whip up a Dubai chocolate latte. Or layered strawberry cups or very decadent cheesecake bars. Other ways to use up pistachio cream include adding a little to vanilla frostings, smearing it into cinnamon roll fillings or eating it by the spoonful—it’s that good!