Everything You Need to Know About the Donnoli: the Donut-Cannoli Hybrid

Frangelli’s Bakery in South Philly has been around since 1947, but until three weeks ago, most people had never heard of it.

John Colosi took over the neighborhood joint four years ago, keeping the pastry shop’s donut recipe the same as it was 67 years ago. Although Frangelli’s is a favorite among the South Philly crowd, they’ve been getting more attention recently, and for a delicious reason. It all started just a few weeks back when John decided to squeeze some chocolate chip cannoli cream inside one of their plain donut shells, and the result was simply genius. Thus, the donnoli was born.

John invited Foodbeast into his kitchen to show us how donnoli is made.

The secret to the delicious cannoli filling is the addition of chocolate chips and a bit of buttercream to thicken up the mixture. John pipes a generous amount of the sweet filling onto half of their classic airy donut.

The dessert sandwich gets covered in a heavy dusting of powdered sugar, reminiscent of carnival funnel cake (and it smells like it, too).

Frangelli’s even makes miniature donnolis if you’re looking to purchase a party tray, but chances are you’ll eat enough minis to equal a few full-size versions. They’re also pretty adorable.

As for my first donnoli experience, John’s filling is creamier and less tangy than your standard ricotta-based cannoli cream. It’s unlike any Italian pastry I’ve ever had, and other tasters tend to agree. Just like Dominique Ansel drew crowds for his Cronut last year, Frangelli’s has already received donnoli requests from across the country and has a rapidly-growing fan base.

Watch out kids, it just might end up being this year’s Cronut.