Lightly sweetened mascarpone cream layered between espresso soaked ladyfingers and finished with a dreamy dusting of cocoa, this tiramisu recipe delivers everything you love about the classic Italian dessert in a version that’s effortless to make at home, with no eggs and no fuss!
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I’ve been fortunate to take several trips to Italy over the years, and every time I come home, I find myself dreaming about their tiramisu!
But if you start looking through recipes, most of them are a lot of work. Traditional methods usually involve tempering egg yolks over a double boiler and whipping raw egg whites into the mascarpone. These techniques are easy to mess up, time consuming, and for anyone a little weird about raw eggs, there are plenty of reasons why making tiramisu at home is tough.
Out of a love for the tiramisu I’ve had again and again in Italy, I set out to perfect a version without the eggs or extra steps.
This tiramisu is silky and luxuriously creamy, with layers that melt into each other as soon as they hit your tongue like my Chocolate Eclair Cake. Espresso soaked ladyfingers are soft but still hold their shape, giving bursts of bold coffee flavor against the light, cloud-like mascarpone cream. A dusting of cocoa adds that bittersweet finish that pulls it all together.
Pair it with an Espresso Martini and you’re basically in coffee heaven. And honestly…my stomach’s rumbling, so let’s dig in.
Why You’ll Love This Tiramisu
- Classic Italian flavor: coffee-forward with subtle sweetness that’s not overly sugary
- Soft yet sliceable: creamy, silky and light yet able to be sliced without a mess
- Impressively beautiful: everyone will think you’ve spent hours when really it was…
- Easy: without sacrificing on flavor or texture
- Make it ahead: and it’ll taste better the next day!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll only need a handful of ingredients to make amazing tiramisu that’s just as good as an Italian bakery’s.
- Savoiardi ladyfingers – look for dry, crisp ladyfingers often labeled as “Savoiardi” which is the Italian name for ladyfingers, meant to absorb espresso and soften. The better the quality, the better your tiramisu will be! Vicenzovo brand is a great Italian brand and can be found on Amazon (this is not an ad).
- Mascarpone cheese – mascarpone gives tiramisu its signature silky, creamy texture and rich taste. It also provides enough structure for sliceable layers.
- Espresso – for classic tiramisu flavor, use freshly brewed espresso! Espresso is concentrated while coffee is more diluted. The next-best option is strong instant espresso, strongly brewed coffee, or Cold Brew Coffee.
- Heavy cream – instead of using raw eggs or trying to temper eggs, Homemade Whipped Cream is an amazing shortcut that, when mixed with mascarpone, creates perfect silky, rich and creamy layers.
- Powdered sugar – to sweeten the cream just a little, add some powdered sugar.
- Coffee liqueur – while you don’t need to add alcohol to the espresso, it amplifies the coffee flavor, adding a subtle vanilla sweetness. Kahlua is the best choice, but you can also use 1 tablespoon of rum if you’d like.
- Vanilla extract – vanilla adds depth of flavor.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – the perfect finish, a dusting of cocoa powder amplifies the coffee flavor and balances the richness of the mascarpone layers.
How to Make Tiramisu
Let’s make tiramisu that tastes like it’s straight from an Italian restaurant, but you can easily make it at home. Below is an outline; for the full instructions, see the recipe card below.
Brew espresso: add the coffee liqueur, stir, and set aside.
Make whipped cream: in a mixer, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until medium peaks form.
Knead mascarpone: In a large bowl, use the back of a large spoon to mash and stir mascarpone until it loosens into a creamy consistency, about 2 minutes. Gently fold in the whipped cream in two batches.
Dip ladyfingers: Working with half of the ladyfingers, dip each one into the espresso mixture for about 1 second each. Arrange the dipped ladyfingers in a single layer in an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Spread: Gently spread half of the mascarpone mixture evenly over the ladyfingers.
Repeat: Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture to create a second layer.
Chill, garnish, and serve: Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Before serving, dust a generous layer of cocoa powder. Slice and serve.
My Pro Tip
Pro Tips For the Best Tiramisu
- Use strong espresso for bold, classic flavor
- Dip ladyfingers quickly (1 second); don’t soak or they’ll fall apart!
- Fully loosen mascarpone before mixing by-hand (not in a mixer) for smooth, creamy layers
- Chill overnight for best texture + flavor
- Dust cocoa right before serving
- Use a sharp, large knife for clean slicing, in a decisive in-and-out motion
Make Ahead and Freezing
Tiramisu actually gets even better overnight! The ideal window for enjoying is 1-2 days, but it does last for up to 4 days if covered tightly and stored in the fridge (although the flavor and texture will start to drop off). Dust with cocoa powder right before serving.
Tiramisu freezes quite well for up to 3 weeks. Fully assemble (except for the cocoa), and wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap, and then add another layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the tiramisu. Thaw in the fridge overnight and dust with cocoa right before serving.
FAQs
Use crisp, dry, Italian-style ladyfingers labeled “Savoiardi” that are meant to absorb espresso quickly without turning mushy. A great brand is Vicenzovo which you can purchase on Amazon (this is not an ad).
Both work but whipped cream is much easier to work with, producing delicious results that are very similar to the more time-consuming, difficult egg version.
Yes! Coffee liqueur adds depth (you can also use half the rum instead), but nonalcoholic versions are still delicious.
An 8×8” square baking dish is ideal for 4 layers that are elegantly tall but still produce clean slices. You can use a 9×9” pan if needed but expect thinner layers.
You’ll need a mixer or hand mixer, spatula, large spoon, mixing bowls, and a fine mesh sieve for dusting cocoa powder (although you can sprinkle by hand if needed).
More No Bake Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
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Easy Tiramisu Recipe
Equipment
- 8×8" baking pan (or 9×9" if needed)
- Stand or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 package dry/crisp ladyfingers, (roughly 7 ounces or 24 cookies) Savoiardi not soft ladyfingers
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese, at room temperature for 1 hour
- 1 ½ cups espresso, or strong black coffee as a substitute
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur like Kahlua, optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions
- Brew the espresso, add the coffee liqueur, stir, and set aside to cool.
- In a mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla over medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 2-4 minutes.
- Scoop mascarpone into a large bowl. Use the back of a large spoon to mash and stir mascarpone until it loosens into a creamy, butter-like consistency. It will seem stiff at first but will smooth out after about 2 minutes.
- Once creamy, gently fold in the whipped cream in two batches, until fully combined and smooth.
- Working with half of the ladyfingers (about 12), dip each one into the espresso mixture for about 1 second, quickly submerging and removing (“in and out”) so they don’t get soggy.
- Arrange the dipped ladyfingers in a single layer in the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking dish, breaking a few in half, if needed, to fit.
- Gently spread half of the mascarpone mixture evenly over the ladyfingers with a spatula.
- Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture to create a second layer.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Before serving, use a fine-mesh sieve to dust a generous, even layer of cocoa powder over the top. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- You can use decaf or regular espresso!
- Don’t have an espresso machine? Use instant espresso or brew very strong coffee (about 2x the strength).
- Do not whip mascarpone in the mixer (do it by hand), as it can split!
- If you’re not using coffee liqueur, add an extra tablespoon of powdered sugar to the whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
