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You won’t believe how easy this Tiramisu recipe is! A classic no-bake dessert made with coffee-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, amaretto liqueur, and powdered chocolate. Dreamy and delicious, and simple to make!
Heavenly Homemade Tiramisu
Tiramisu is the dreamiest dessert. Layers of sweet coffee-soaked sponge and whipped mascarpone filling, while the light and airy goodness is topped with a dusting of cocoa… Do you hear that? That’s the sound of angels rejoicing.
Whenever I spot a sale on ladyfingers, you best believe that this tiramisu is in the cards! It’s one of my favorite no-bake desserts with all of its deliciously creamy, coffee flavors. And I especially love this version, as it’s foolproof. SO simple.
So without further adieu, let’s get started with the easiest recipe for tiramisu. Possibly ever!
What is Tiramisu?
In case you may be wondering: Tiramisu is an Italian dessert made from ladyfinger cookies dipped in coffee and liqueur, then layered with whipped mascarpone filling and dusted with cocoa powder. It requires zero baking, and it tastes incredible!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need for this easy homemade tiramisu:
- Egg Yolks: While a traditional tiramisu filling involves sugar with raw egg, I opt to warm and combine the egg yolks and sugar over a double boiler instead. Just in case!
- Egg Whites: The egg whites, though, remain raw and are added into the filling later.
- Mascarpone Cheese: I highly recommend making this recipe with mascarpone for tradition’s sake. However, if you’re stuck, cream cheese is the next best substitute!
- Ladyfingers: I use store-bought ladyfinger cookies from my local grocery chain. You can also find them in many Italian delis! If you find ladyfingers hard to come by, you can also use sponge cake slices, pound cake, or biscotti in a pinch.
- Espresso Coffee: Cooled down before you use it. And make it strong!
- Disaronno Amaretto: A brand of the Italian liqueur often used in tiramisu. It really enhances the flavors! Next best options would be dark rum, brandy, or coffee liqueur (like Kahlua).
- Cocoa Powder
- Sugar
- Chocolate Shavings: For garnish, optional but always recommended!
How to Make The Best Tiramisu
Did I mention that you can make this restaurant-worthy tiramisu in under an hour? Here’s a rundown of the steps involved:
Prepare the Filling: Over a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Pop this mixture into the fridge for a half hour to cool down again, then fold in the mascarpone. Beat the egg whites, and fold this into the mascarpone mixture too.
Soak the Sponge: One at a time, dip the ladyfingers into a mixture of espresso and amaretto. Layer the soaked sponges tightly side by side in a dish.
Make the Layers: Spread the mascarpone filling in an even layer over the ladyfingers, then give this a sprinkle with cocoa powder. Repeat this a second time with the remaining ingredients. I also like to give my tiramisu a final layer of chocolate shavings, for good measure.
Chill: Place your tiramisu in the fridge to chill for a few hours. This allows all the delicious flavors to blend together!
Can This be Made in Advance?
Absolutely. In fact, tiramisu is even BETTER when it’s made in advance! This tiramisu can stay in the fridge for up to 3 days, giving the amazing flavors and ingredients all sorts of time to mingle.
You can also make this tiramisu recipe ahead and then freeze it. See my section below for freezing and storing tips!
Tips and Tricks
- Prepare the Mascarpone Mixture First: Have your mascarpone cheese mixture completely ready to go before you even start to soak the ladyfingers. This way, you don’t have to leave the sponges soaking too long, while you wait to begin the layers.
- Make Alcohol Free Tiramisu: If you’d rather make this dessert without alcohol, you can leave it out entirely. Add a couple teaspoons of vanilla extract instead for the extra flavor.
- Do I Need To Use Espresso?: If you don’t have an espresso machine, or if you would prefer, you can substitute espresso with regular coffee or even decaf.
Storage Instructions
Tiramisu can be stored airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days, wrapped in plastic wrap.
Can I Freeze This?
You can! If you’re planning to freeze this tiramisu, follow the recipe up until the final dusting of cocoa powder. Leave this off, and cover the dish tightly in plastic wrap. I like to add an extra layer of aluminum foil to protect against freezer burn. Store your tiramisu in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to serve it, thaw the tiramisu in the fridge. Dust with cocoa powder, and enjoy!
More No-Bake Desserts to Try
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Easy Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tub (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
- 2 egg whites
- 20 ladyfingers
- 1 cup cold brewed espresso coffee
- 2 tablespoons Disaronno Amaretto
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- chocolate shavings for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the egg yolks and the sugar over a double boiler. Whisk for 10 minutes, continually.
- Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Once cooled, fold in the mascarpone cheese.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into the mascarpone cheese mixture, continue to fold until blended.
- In a small mixing bowl combine the espresso and amaretto.
- Dip the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture, one at a time, and layer them very close together in a dish or in glass cups.
- Spread half of the mascarpone mixture evenly over the ladyfingers and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
- Do another layer of dipped ladyfingers, and top with the remaining mascarpone mixture, then sprinkle with cocoa powder.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours.
- Top with chocolate shavings before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
You don’t have to say Tiramisu to me twice. It’s gorgeous, hope you and the family have a great holiday weekend.
-Gina-
THE quintessential Italian dessert! I have frozen ladyfingers and they do okay.
This sounds so delicious! I’ve always wanted to make tiramisu, but haven’t gotten the chance to do it. What a lovely recipe that you shared with us! I hope to get some of those ingredients and make that soon! =]
This is my first time checking out your site, and I really like it! And I just have to commiserate with you… why is it that I can never find ladyfingers?! They are like this mystical ingredient that can only be found every 1,000 years! 😛 But your recipe looks amazing, so I’m glad you found them!
99 cent ladyfingers!! Heck yeah!
The presentation is gorgeous! And the recipe a delight!! Soon you’ll be in top 9 haha
This is a beautiful dessert. I love that you can fool your guests into thinking that it took all day to make too. Those are my favorite kinds of desserts. Looking forward to seeing the tiramisu ice cream recipe….with lots of amaretto I hope!
hhhmmm….This is my best dessert in our family.. I love your tiramisu
Sounds great Kate! I love anything creamy, in my book tiramisu is one of the best desserts..really creative recipe!
You whip up something just because and make this beautiful tiramisu. It’s called skills… 😉 I don’t know what will come out when I whip up, but definitely not dessert… only in my dream! I enjoyed looking at your yummy dessert!