Easy Tiramisu Recipe

This easy tiramisu recipe is beyond decadent! Made with layers of espresso-soaked Ladyfinger cookies, fluffy mascarpone cream, and plenty of chocolate. You’ll feel like you’re at a fancy Italian restaurant when you dig into this classic dessert.

Easy Homemade Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of those desserts that always felt super fancy to me. I only ever got it at Italian restaurants and always loved the contrast between the creamy mascarpone filling and the coffee-soaked ladyfinger cookies. The cocoa powder sprinkled on top made it even better, since as you know I am a deeply devoted chocolate fan!

If you have never tried tiramisu I recommend giving this recipe a try. Contrary to what I previously thought, tiramisu is surprisingly easy to make at home as long as you buy pre-made Ladyfingers. (You can also make them from scratch but that would be much more involved.)

If you can operate a stand mixer and layer things in a dish, you can definitely make this classic Italian dessert. Each bite of tiramisu tastes like the perfect mix of cream, coffee, and chocolate. It’s hard to resist!

What Is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu (pronounced tee-ruh-mee-soo) is a classic Italian no-bake dessert. It’s made with Ladyfinger cookies that are dipped in a mixture of espresso + liqueur, then layered with mascarpone cream and grated chocolate or cocoa powder.

The word “Tiramisu” means “carry me up” or “pick me up,” which is a reference to the caffeinated shot of espresso in the dessert. Sometimes it is also called a Tuscan Trifle.

What You’ll Need

You only need a few ingredients to make this tiramisu recipe. Here’s a quick recap. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for specific amounts.

• Eggs
• Sugar
• Mascarpone cheese – This is similar to cream cheese, except it is made with whole cream instead of milk. 
• Heavy whipping cream
• Ladyfingers – If you can’t find these at your local market, you can buy authentic Italian lady fingers on Amazon. Get real deal ladyfingers (the firm ones, not the soft ones). These are also called Savoidari. 
• Hot water
• Espresso powder – This adds the signature coffee flavor to tiramisu.
• Kahlua
• Cocoa powder

Can I make authentic tiramisu without alcohol?

While the Kahlua does add a nice depth of flavor, it is not essential. If you would prefer not to use alcohol in this recipe you can easily skip it and just soak your ladyfingers in espresso instead.

How To Make Tiramisu

Tiramisu is where I fell in love with mascarpone cheese have since used it in so many desserts and toppings, including my Stabilized Mascarpone Whipped Cream. Yum!

Step 1: Make Your Mascarpone Cheese and Egg Mixture

To get started, you’ll combine the egg yolks and sugar in the top of a double boiler (or in your metal mixer bowl over the top of some simmering water, as I use). When you first whisk the eggs and sugar together, it’ll be chunky and funky, but as it heats up it’ll thin out.

Continue whisking while the mixture heats up and cooks. You don’t want to scramble your eggs, so keep it moving and keep an eye on it. Cook the mixture for about 5-8 minutes or until the mixture grows in volume, thickens and turns a pale yellow. You want the sugar to melt, but if it’s still a little gritty, that’s ok. It will smooth out as you go on.

Set the egg mixture aside to cool until they are just a little warmer than room temperature. Add the mascarpone cheese and gently combine it all using a folding motion until well combined.

Step 2: Fold In Whipped Cream

Next, you’ll add the whipped cream. (You can see my tutorial on how to make homemade whipped cream here.) Fold it gently into the mascarpone/egg mixture and then set that aside. If you’re anything like me, you’ll have tasted it about 5 times before setting it aside because it’s basically the best stuff EVER! You could just eat it with a spoon and be perfectly happy!

Step 3: Make a Simple Espresso Mixture

For the espresso mixture, I like to add some Kahlua. I love the flavor it adds, but feel free to turn it down a notch, or leave it out completely. I added a note about how to adjust.

Step 4: Assemble the Tiramisu

The rest is just layering. Dip the ladyfingers into the espresso mixture for about 3-5 seconds. The longer you dunk them, the more moisture they’ll soak up and the stronger the flavor will be.

This recipe has two layers of ladyfingers and two layers of the mascarpone mixture. Once you’re done layering, sprinkle some cocoa on top and maybe some chocolate shavings. Refrigerate overnight and enjoy! Trust me, it won’t last long.

How to Store

You can store tiramisu in the pan you assembled it in. Just cover the top with saran wrap. It will keep in the fridge for up to one week and you might find that the flavors actually get even better after it has been stored for a couple of days.

Since tiramisu keeps well in the fridge you can make it in advance. The flavor really peaks around two days in, so I’d recommend making it no earlier than two days in advance.

Tiramisu Inspired Desserts to Try

I hope you enjoyed this tiramisu recipe! If you’re looking for even more tiramisu flavor, I recommend trying one of these desserts:

• Easy Tiramisu Cheesecake
• Mini Tiramisu Trifles
• Tiramisu Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Tiramisu Layer Cake
• Caramel Macchiato Tiramisu Trifle (with Nutella!)
• Oreo Brookie Tiramisu

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Recipe was originally posted 10/15/13. It has been updated but if you’d like a copy of the original version, download it here.

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