Cannoli are a delicious Italian dessert that combines a tube-shaped pastry shell and a sweet and savory filling made from ricotta cheese, cream, sugar, and spices. They are a portable dessert with an excellent shape for storing or taking on the go. But how long do frozen cannoli last?
Cannoli will last in a fridge for up to 7 days if deconstructed. Separating the shell from the filling helps extend the life of the cannoli in the refrigerator. If you leave a cannoli whole, it will only last for about 2-3 days in the fridge.
This article describes how long cannoli last in the fridge and how long you can store the individual components. We’ll also go over whether or not you need to store cannoli in the refrigerator, and some tips for keeping them as fresh as possible.
How Long Are Cannoli Good for in the Fridge?
Cannoli are a favorite dessert to commemorate special occasions and are often made in large batches. If you have the (not so awful) problem of storing extra cannoli, you may wonder how long they are edible in the fridge?
Whether freshly made or store-bought, whole cannoli can last in the fridge for up to 3 days. After this, the shells will deteriorate, become soggy and potentially break apart when eating. They may technically be safe to eat for up to 7 days, but their structural integrity will be compromised.
Store-bought cannoli brands recommend that you do not consume after three days in the refrigerator (source: Golden Cannoli).
Although they prefer that you don’t store unfilled shells in the fridge, they recognize may need to do it at some point. Unfilled shells should not be stored for much longer than two days.
Similar storage dates go for homemade cannoli. Because there are perishable food ingredients, including cream, eggs, and cheese, you need to consider how fresh they are before making cannoli.
If any of these products’ expiration dates are close to when you use them, the recommended maximum time you can store your cannoli in the fridge will decrease. Be sure to check the dates of all ingredients before making homemade cannoli.
How Long Will Cannoli Filling Keep in the Fridge?
Cannoli filling is something you can make ahead of time and have ready to use in your cannoli shells crisp (source: The Washington Post). Because some ingredients involve dairy, you may wonder how long cannoli filling will keep in the fridge.
Cannoli filling will keep in the fridge for close to one week. Some experts may advise only a day or two for maximum freshness. Generally speaking, as long as the ingredients you used to make the filling were fresh, they should last between 5 and 7 days in the refrigerator.
If you used cream in your filling, they might not last quite as long, especially if the cream was close to its “best by” date. Generally speaking, if you put cream in your cannolis, they will last for about five days rather than a whole week.
There may be some ways that you can extend the storage time of cannoli filling in the fridge. If you set your fridge to the coldest setting available, you may be able to extend its life by a day or two.
Make sure that you set it to the coldest setting and have the creamy filling near the back of the fridge to extend its shelf life longer.
Do You Have To Refrigerate Cannoli?
Cannoli are at their very best when fresh and at room temperature. Eating them at room temperature gives the perfect crunch to the fried pastry shell and the fluffy, creamy, delicate texture of the mascarpone and cream filling. You might wonder if it’s really necessary to refrigerate them.
It is necessary to refrigerate cannoli to preserve freshness. Because of the fdairy-based filling, you have to keep them cool when they are whole. If you have not assembled your cannoli, you can refrigerate the filling but keep the shell at room temperature if it is in a sealed container.
The inside of a cannoli must be refrigerated, or it could become rancid. The eggs, cream, and mascarpone cheese are all perishable ingredients.
All three of these cannoli-filling ingredients need to be kept very cold. If you don’t, they could be damaging to your health. Sometimes in Italian bakeries or delis, you see them on display out of a fridge – but these are very often made and sold the same day.
The shells, however, do not need to be refrigerated. Many people discourage refrigerating them because they will lose some of their crispy texture. Refrigeration is unnecessary as long as you use a proper airtight container to ensure that they do not dry out too much (source: BBC Good Food).
The shells can last up to 3 days without losing much of their crisp texture, color, or flavor. If you need to store the shells longer than this, you can refrigerate them.
Cannoli Storage Tips
There are several things that you can do to keep your cannoli as fresh as possible when storing them. If you use these simple tips, you will maximize the window of freshness for this dessert and be able to enjoy it for a couple of days after making them.
Here are a few things to note when storing cannoli:
- Separate the filling from the shell. Keeping the stuffing separate from the outside can extend the shelf life for up to four days longer than keeping them whole. Your crispy shell will retain its intended texture and color if you store it at room temperature.
- Only use fresh ingredients when constructing a cannoli. The fresher the ingredients, the longer the final product will last. Because the components of cannoli filling are vulnerable to spoiling, you should seek to use only the freshest cream, eggs, and ricotta you can find.
- Keep your filling in the back of your fridge. The coldest part of your fridge is in the back because it’s not exposed to the hotter air when you open the door (source: Science Focus). If you keep your filling in the back of the fridge, it will stay the coldest and thus last longer.
Cannoli treats will last up to seven days in your fridge as long as you store them properly. Separate the filling from the shell and use air-tight storage containers for best results.
