What does cannoli mean?
Cannoli are iconic Sicilian pastries made from crisp, tube-shaped shells of fried dough filled with sweetened whipped ricotta, commonly enriched with candied orange, chocolate chips, or pistachios and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. The word is the Italian plural of 'cannolo', meaning 'little tube', and in everyday English it functions as a plural noun — though speakers frequently treat 'cannoli' itself as a singular item. Cannoli are strongly tied to Sicilian identity and were traditionally associated with Carnival celebrations before becoming a year-round staple of Italian bakeries, especially in Italian-American communities. The word evokes indulgence and festivity, and the pastries are prized for the contrast between the crunchy shell and the creamy filling. For anyone writing about food or culture, 'cannoli' is a vivid, well-established term that instantly conjures images of Mediterranean sweetness.
nounA Sicilian pastry consisting of a tube-shaped fried pastry shell filled with sweetened ricotta cheese, typically studded with candied fruit or chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar. In English it is usually treated as a plural noun, its singular being 'cannolo'.
- A Sicilian pastry made of a tubular fried shell filled with sweetened ricotta, often garnished with candied fruit, pistachios, or chocolate.
"The bakery's pistachio-studded cannoli sold out within an hour."
"She ordered an espresso and two cannoli at the corner café."
"Every year the festival features a table piled high with fresh cannoli dusted in powdered sugar."
'Cannoli' is already plural in Italian; the singular is 'cannolo', though English speakers frequently order 'one cannoli'. Both usages are accepted informally.
"He bought six cannoli for the party — one cannolo for each guest."
The name literally means 'little tubes' in Italian — cannoli are named after the river reeds that Sicilian shepherds once used as molds for frying them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cannoli
Cannoli comes from Italian, where 'cannolo' means 'little tube', a diminutive of 'canna' meaning reed or cane. That Italian word descends from Latin 'canna', which itself was borrowed from Greek 'kanna', referring to the hollow reed stalks found along waterways. The same Latin root gives English words such as 'cane', 'canal', 'channel', 'cannon', and 'canyon'. The pastry's name recalls the tradition, attributed to Sicily, of shaping the dough around reeds before frying.
How cannoli is actually used
In Italian, 'cannoli' is grammatically plural and 'cannolo' is singular; in English usage both forms appear as plurals, and many speakers also use 'cannoli' loosely as a singular ('a cannoli'). The word carries warm, indulgent connotations and is strongly associated with Sicilian-American cuisine and Italian bakeries.
Easily confused with cannoli
Cannelloni are large pasta tubes stuffed with meat or cheese and baked, whereas cannoli are crisp fried pastry shells filled with sweetened ricotta.
A cannula is a thin medical tube inserted into the body, while a cannolo is a filled dessert pastry.