Editor’s Note: A Top Pick Of The Week from 2018, we updated this article in June 2026 to re-introduce Golden Cannoli Chips.

Our favorite discovery of the summer is Golden Cannoli Chips, The Original Cannoli Chip.

Golden Cannoli Chips are triangle-shaped, crimped edge cookie chips, in two flavors:

 
The chips deliver authentic cannoli‡ flavor and crunch.

At home, we dip them into some sweetened ricotta cheese, to enjoy “deconstructed” cannoli (the full recipe follows). There’s no need to spend time and effort piping the ricotta filling into cannoli shells.

Below:

> Cannoli dip recipe.

> More ways to use cannoli chips.

> About Golden Cannoli.

> Where to buy the chips.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 15+ pastry holidays.

> The history and different types of pie and pastry: a photo glossary.

> The history of cannoli.

> The history of ricotta.

> National Cannoli Day is celebrated on June 16th, and September is National Cannoli Month.
 
 
RECIPE: CANNOLI CREAM DIP

The hack is to sweeten a container of ricotta to taste, with or without chocolate chips, and start dipping (we admit to using Splenda to sweeten ours).

Here’s the full-blown cannoli cream recipe.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. WHIP the cream in a mixing bowl, until stiff peaks form. Move to a small bowl and set aside.

2. ADD the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to the mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Fold in the whipped cream and chocolate chips.

3. CHILL the cannoli cream for at least 2 hours. Serve with the cannoli chips (or, use them to fill cannoli shells).
 
 
MORE WAYS TO USE CANNOLI CHIPS

Have fun with them, as decorations, garnishes, and more:

 
 
(continue below photo)

[1] Our favorite “chips and dip” (photos #1, #3, and #5: The Nibble; all other photos © Golden Cannoli).

[2] Golden Cannoli Chips are made in two flavors: Powdered Sugar, the “authentic” cannoli flavor, and Cinnamon Sugar.

[3] Scooping ice cream is just one fun use for Golden Cannoli Chips (photo: The Nibble).

[4] Ready to dip! Here are more ways to use the chips.

The predecessor of Golden Cannoli was founded by cousins in greater Boston in 1970, as an Italian bakery. Cannoli shells were part of the product line.

The bakery soon was asked to produce cannoli for local bakeries. Production expanded so much that the cousins sold bakery and opened Golden Cannoli, to focus on cannoli shells, cannoli filling, and related items.

The cannoli chips were a happy accident. The company was selling its products at a trade show, handing out samples of filled cannoli. The samples quickly ran out (who can resist a free cannoli?).

The solution was to break up cannoli shells and put them in cups of cannoli cream as a dip…and The Original Cannoli Chips were born!
 
Back from the show, the company quickly got to work to make Golden Cannoli Chips a reality.

The company sells cannoli shells, chocolate-dipped cannoli shells, cannoli filling, and if you’re having a big party, cannoli chips in bulk.

For more information, head to GoldenCannoli.com.
 
 
GET YOUR CANNOLI CHIPS

In addition to the Golden Cannoli website, you can find the chips on Amazon, and at retail at Fresh Thyme Market, Giant, Walmart, and Wegmans.

________________

*To strain, set a strainer over a bowl or a pot, and add the ricotta. Let it drain naturally, and then use a spatula to lightly press out most of the remaining liquid. You can substitute low-fat ricotta.

†Cheesecake is an open-face pie, not a cake; as Boston Cream Pie is a cake, not a pie. The terms originated long ago, when naming conventions were not so precise.

‡The singular form in Italian is cannolo, the plural is cannoli. In the U.S., some people use cannoli as the singular and cannolis as the plural. Both of these latter uses are incorrect.
 

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Perline, or pearl balls (photo © Lioni Lattanici).

Take a bite: These mozzarella bites are low in calories and high in flavor and crunch.

Balls of mozzarella are traditionally available in eight sizes (see the chart below). Perlini are the smallest.

You can use them in and on baked potatoes lasagna, nachos, omelets, pasta, pizza, salad, soups, tacos and vegetables.

We’ve even put them on cocktail picks along with diced celery, as a Bloody Mary garnish.

This recipe, from BelGioioso, is both elegant and fun. It uses their perline (“little pearls” in Italian, also called pearl balls in English).
 
RECIPE: MOZZARELLA BITES

Ingredients For 8 Pieces

 
For The Champagne Tarragon Vinaigrette

1. PLACE the tomatoes in a bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the vinaigrette ingredients and whisk until emulsified. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and allow to marinate for at least one hour.

2. SLICE the cucumber into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place on a serving tray. Top each cucumber slice with marinated tomatoes and place three Fresh Mozzarella Pearls on top.

Nick of Dude Foods is nothing if not creative.

These Waffle Fry Sliders are an example.

“The only real problem I came across when making my Waffle Fry Sliders was finding decently sized waffle fries,” says Nick.

“I bought a bag of frozen fries from the grocery store and upon opening it I noticed that about 80% of them were way too small to be used as slider buns.

“Luckily though, I still had enough for six sliders, plus a pretty big pile of leftover fries to eat on the side.

“As the fries were baking in the oven, I grilled up my hamburger patties; and when both of those were done it was only a matter of adding some lettuce, tomato slices and cheese before my Waffle Fry Sliders were ready to eat!”

Thanks, Nick. Next time, invite us to join you!

Waffle Fry Sliders from Dude Foods.