Chocolate-Drizzled Vegan Cannoli with Fresh Peaches By Kelli Roberts Vegan Chef

Sadly, I have not had a cannoli since becoming vegan, so I decided to create the ideal late-summer version: sweet whole grain shells filled with tangy cashew cream and perfectly ripe peaches, all drizzled with chocolate.

For the filling:
1 cup cashews (soaked for 2-4 hours if you don’t have a high speed blender)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3-4 tablespoons water
1-2 tablespoons agave
½ cup diced fresh peaches

For the shells:
3 teaspoons egg replacer, mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water
4 tablespoons Earth Balance (coconut oil may also work, but I haven’t tried it)
1/3 cup organic sugar/coconut sugar/sucanat
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup spelt flour

For the chocolate drizzle:
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Make the filling first by blending together all of the filling ingredients except the peaches. I made mine more tangy than sweet, so I used 4 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon of agave. If you prefer your filling sweeter, you can add more agave and reduce the water accordingly. Stir in the diced peaches. Place in the fridge to chill while baking the shells. The filling can also be made a couple of days in advance.

For the shells, begin by creaming the Earth Balance and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg replacer and mix well. Blend in the vanilla, balsamic vinegar and flour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, make thin flat circles of batter 3-4 inches in diameter (I drew circles on the parchment to make sure I had the right size and shape). Do only about 3 at a time. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, until the edges are brown and the dough is cooked through. Let cool for a minute or so, and then while the dough is still pliable, roll it around something about 1” in diameter. I used cannoli forms for this, but you can also use a bottle neck or the handle from your mortar & pestle. Let it stay wrapped until it starts to cool and holds its shape. Place on a cooling rack until completely cool.

Melt the chocolate chips and non-dairy milk together in the microwave or on the stovetop. Whisk together to make a smooth, drippable chocolate.

Once the shells are completely cooled, pipe the cashew filling into them using a pastry bag or plastic bag with a hole cut in the corner (make sure it’s big enough for the peaches to go through!). Drizzle with chocolate and a dusting of powdered sugar if desired. Serve immediately.

This amount makes about 10 cannoli.

Kelli Roberts is a skilled Vegan Chef with a plant-based diet certificate from Cornell University, and is a certified health & nutrition counselor from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She has been vegetarian for nearly 20 years and vegan for 11, and is a Level 3-certified TriYoga teacher. Kelli teaches vegan cooking classes and programs to transition to a plant-based diet (online and in person), leads vegan yoga retreats, and offers individualized nutrition and lifestyle counseling.

Related articles

• Carrot Cake Waffles – Breast Cancer Vegan Recipe (breastcanceryogablog.com)