Depending on how far apart you want the cans, you may be able to pull
it off.  Search for "flexible drill bit".  Several manufacturers make
them.  You would cut a hole for the first can, then use this through
the hole to drill through the joists to get to the next hole.  You can
get through 2 or 3 pretty easily, and if you work from both sides you
can manage spacings of 4-6  joists with some fair amount of fussing to
feed the wires.

Use remodeling cans, which let you stuff all the works through the
round hole you make for the housing.  You wire them while they are
hanging out, then stuff everything up through the hole and snap in the
trim.

Just be careful you don't drill through something important, like
another wire, pipe or heating duct.  Avoiding (and locating) that kind
of stuff is often the hardest part of the job.

HTH,

Paul