This delicious keto Cannoli filling recipe is packed with protein. It’s healthy enough to eat as a satisfying snack. It’s delicious enough to serve to a crowd!
I’m part Italian and cannoli were always one of my favorite desserts. Since switching to a sugar-free lifestyle I hadn’t had cannoli for a while and was missing that sweet treat. One day my sweet tooth was rearing its head so I decided to try making some THM-friendly, keto cannoli filling as a snack.
Here is What You’ll Need:
- cottage cheese
- gentle sweet (or any other low carb sweetener)
- cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- heavy whipping cream
- Lily’s chocolate chips (or other sugar-free chocolate chips)
Now, before you say anything, I know that cannoli filling is made with ricotta cheese. But cottage cheese has fewer carbs, fewer calories, and is lower in fat. Plus, cottage cheese is packed with protein!
While I don’t count calories or fat grams on Trim Healthy Mama, I do pay attention to the carb count when I’m preparing an S meal/snack. I generally have cottage cheese on hand so it’s easy to whip up this low carb cannoli cream recipe any time the craving hits!
If you’re salt-sensitive, you may want to opt for either making your own cottage cheese or use part-skim ricotta when you make your keto cannoli cream. Just be sure to watch your serving size and don’t eat this with berries to keep your carb count under 10 grams.
How to make your keto cannoli cream
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Scoop the cottage cheese and sweetener* into a mini food processor or a blender. I use my Nutri-Ninja food processor when I make a large batch to serve a crowd. Blend on high speed about 30 seconds until completely smooth.
NOTE: Some brands of cottage cheese are wetter than others. If you notice any liquid or whey, be sure to drain that before you blend it. You may want to consider straining it through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer for a thicker dip. I’ve never felt the need to do this with the Daisy cottage cheese.
Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and whipping cream and blend for 5-10 more seconds. I’ve made it without the whipping cream and it still tastes good but the texture is a little less creamy. I’ve also played around with the flavors and added a little (maybe 1 teaspoon?) orange zest. After all: variety is always a good thing!
If you want the dip to be thicker, you can add a few Tablespoons of almond flour without it affecting the taste.
Stir in your chocolate chips by hand or just sprinkle them over the top. Another option is to add chopped pistachios instead of chocolate chips. Or take a walk on the wild side and add 1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips AND 1 Tablespoon of chopped pistachios! 🤩
That’s it! This low carb cannoli dip can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes.
Sometimes I dip berries into my cannoli cream and I’ve also made these Low Carb Cinnamon Dippers from Gwen’s Nest which make this snack much more like eating an actual cannoli. I’ve even used my filling to make this treat from Briana Thomas without adding the berries.
Let me know what you think when you make this delicious keto Cannoli Cream dip for yourself!
* A note on sweeteners
You can find all kinds of information about low carb sweeteners. Here is a great overview of the different types that are available. And here are conversion tables if you have a different sweetener than the one a recipe calls for. I generally use Pyure (which is a blend of erythritol and stevia that I can find easily locally), or Gentle Sweet (a blend of erythritol, xylitol, and stevia). I like Gentle Sweet in this recipe because it’s in powdered form so it blends well without any grittiness.
Be sure to give the recipe a rating and a review after you make it!
More Ideas for Breakfast and Snacks:
- Bacon Cheddar Biscuits (S)| Keto-friendly
- Chocolate Hazelnut Chia Pudding
- Apple Pie Oatmeal
- Southwest Frittata Squares
- French Toast in a Bowl
- Low Carb Cannoli Cream
- What’s On My Plate
Pin it to Remember it:
Low Carb Cannoli Cream | THM-S
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
- 2 Tablespoons gentle sweet can substitute any low carb sweetener to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons Lily's chocolate chips can substitute any sugar-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine cottage cheese and sweetener in a small blender cup or food processor and blend on high speed until smooth. Add cinnamon, vanilla extract and heavy whipping cream and blend on high for 5-10 seconds.
- Stir in chocolate chips by hand and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
I made this, doubling the recipe. It is quite thin, more like a thick liquid than a cream. Is this normal? The taste is great, and I will enjoy it nonetheless. Just wondering about the consistency.
Hi Debbie, I’m so sorry to hear that your cannoli cream turned out thin. I know that some cottage cheeses can be a little more watery than others. In the future, if you notice that the cottage cheese seems to be a little watery, try straining it before blending. Another trick that can help to thicken it up without compromising the taste is to add some almond flour. I’ll be sure to add these tips to the recipe so others can easily find them. <3
Oh my goodness! This was so good! I’m keto but weight lift and have to keep my protein high, especially right before bed. I was growing tired of plain o’le cottage cheese…
This? This was amazing!!! So very tasty!!!!
Hey Jacquelyn! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate it. <3
This was amazing. I have been doing the sugar free thing for 3 weeks. Last night I found myself struggling, big time. A very wonderful lady told me to try this. I am in love.
Hey Laurie! I’m so glad you love this recipe too! It has gotten me through lots of sweet tooth cravings. 😆 You can play around with the flavors too: try a little but if orange zest and chopped pistachios with a dusting of cocoa powder for a really good variation. Hang in there because living life without sugar is so worth it!