The Simple Frosting Swap You Need For Ridiculously Delicious Cookies

While the average Pillsbury or Betty Crocker frosting is absolutely delicious in a pinch, there's a type of homemade icing to swap them for on cookies or cakes that will make a good dessert into a great one: cannoli frosting.

A cannoli is a tubular Italian dessert made of fried dough piped with a cream filling. The thing that makes these desserts stand out compared to other sweet treats, however, is the fact cannoli filling is often made using ricotta and mascarpone cheese. While the other flavors in the cream are dependent on the baker's taste — like the inclusion of cinnamon or chocolate chips — it, like most frostings, is also usually made with powdered sugar and vanilla extract.

This unique concoction spread on a delicious, warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie is to die for. You can even make cookie cups and pipe them with homemade cannoli filling. Compared to regular store-bought frosting, which can be too sweet, this substitute provides a fresh, yummy tang that comes from the various cheeses used in its recipe.

While cannoli filling and homemade frosting are almost always guaranteed to taste better than the containers of icing found at the grocery store, some bakers may be in a pinch and have to use whatever they can buy. However, all hope is not lost. Just like with upgrading homemade frosting, there are many ways to enhance premade frosting to be far more delicious — and taste more like cannoli filling.

To boost the flavor and richness of store-bought frosting, consider mixing in cream cheese, which provides a similar tang to the cheeses found in cannoli filling. This addition will also tone down any excessive sweetness and make the frosting more creamy and enjoyable.

Drawing more inspiration from cannolis, you can also add other spreads or ingredients to your frosting. While the traditional Italian treats often let vanilla extract shine, many versions of cannoli feature fillings with unique flavors, from chocolate to pistachio. By adding peanut butter, Nutella, marshmallow fluff, cookie butter, or fruit preserves, the frosting will have an elevated taste. Mix-ins are another great way to improve frosting. Chocolate chips, which are a popular addition to cannoli filling, are great, but there are plenty of other options. Many families have uneaten candy and snacks around the house that will inevitably go stale, so why not add them to your frosting? Perhaps some M&M's, crushed pretzels, or sprinkles will make an average frosting into something new and tastier for topping your cookies.