Holy Cannoli! The Cannoli Cowboy brings Western hospitality and sweet treats to the Calgary Stampede

Known for his dashing good looks and decadent treats, CJ Roberts, better known as the Cannoli Cowboy, has become hard to miss around Stampede Park.

Wearing his signature cowboy hat and carrying what he calls his “wanderin’ cannoli service,” Roberts has built an online following by travelling to festivals and parties, delivering cannolis while serving up southern hospitality with a side of powdered sugar.

This year, the moustached ricotta ranger brought his larger-than-life personality and freshly piped treats to the Calgary Stampede for the first time.

“It’s kind of overwhelming with everything there is to do,” Roberts said. “The people are great. You can really feel the energy out here.”

Born in Massachusetts and raised in southern Florida, Roberts grew up in a household where meals were made from scratch and food brought people together. His business partner, Hayley Stonehouse, better known as the Cannoli Cowgirl, grew up baking alongside her grandmother.

Together, those traditions helped inspire Cowboy Cannolis, the company the pair created by combining their love of food with a cowboy aesthetic rooted in chivalry, southern hospitality and their own family histories.

What started as a playful way to represent the company has since taken on a life of its own, attracting more than 175,000 followers on Instagram and millions of views across social media.

“It was just supposed to be a name,” Roberts said. “Now, it’s become like I’m a fictional character, which is pretty cool.”

Behind the character is a lifelong passion for food. Roberts spent much of his career helping build organic and “better-for-you” food brands and wanted to bring the same farm-to-table philosophy to Cowboy Cannolis.

Roberts and Stonehouse have since expanded their culinary ventures to include Shuck and Saddle and Yeehaw Caviar, which bring cowboys and cowgirls together to shuck oysters and serve caviar to guests.

For Roberts, cannolis are about more than perfectly crisp pastries and creamy ricotta filling. The dessert is a reminder of family traditions and time spent in the kitchen with a nonna or grandmother.

“Everyone’s got a story,” he said. “We put it together with Cowboy Cannolis, and we’re out here making people smile and spreading joy.”

That mission has followed Roberts throughout Stampede Park. He said he continues to be surprised when guests recognize him, shout his name or stop to meet him. Others pretend not to notice him, only to send him a message online the following day.

“No matter how big I get, I still get excited to meet every single person,” Roberts said. “I think I’ll always be that way.”

Being invited to the Calgary Stampede represents another step forward for Cowboy Cannolis and an opportunity for Roberts to connect with supporters from Canada and around the world.

“The Stampede is huge,” he said. “For them to hire me in the way that they did has been overwhelming, and it’s been really fun.”

As the 2026 Calgary Stampede approaches its own dessert course, Roberts is already considering how he can add some Calgary flavour to his next visit.

Maple whisky, bourbon and a red-and-white Canadian cannoli are among the ideas currently on the table, though Roberts is keeping the final recipe under wraps.

“Next year, we’re going to come ready,” Roberts said. “We’re coming back with cannolis in a bigger way, and I think we’re going to bring some fun flavours.”