Learn how to make the easiest eggless tiramisu! Tiramisu takes just 15 minutes of hands-on work and requires no cooking or baking. Eggless tiramisu is the perfect summer dessert!

side shot of two plate full of tiramisu

ESPRESSO PATRONUM!

I am such a Potter nerd. But let’s face it, this is probably one of the only times I could have used that one and just barely gotten away with it. Can you blame me for jumping at the opportunity?

Eggless Tiramisu is what we’re making today. Ladyfingers or savoiardi biscuits soaked in freshly brewed espresso and layered in between whipped swoops of mascarpone and finished with a generous dusting of cocoa powder.

Now, that is my idea of a fantastic, no-bake dessert.

top shot of tiramisu on speckled plate on white marble

There’s no denying that all of my favorite desserts usually contain some sort of espresso. Take my Starbucks copycat espresso brownies for example. In college, whenever my stress meter was about to explode, one of those brownies would be the answer to it all.

Today’s eggless tiramisu recipe is a little different than what comes to mind when you think ‘tiramisu.’ For starters, as the title suggests, my tiramisu recipe is completely eggless. So if you’re uncomfortable with the thought of raw egg yolks in your dessert, this eggless tiramisu recipe goes out to you! Keep in mind though that if it’s an egg allergy that you’re dealing with, you’ll want to check the ingredients in your ladyfingers or savoiardi biscuits as well. Those often contain eggs unless specifically marked.

Another ingredient this eggless tiramisu doesn’t contain – alcohol. So it’s suitable for everyone.

perfect square of eggless tiramisu on a speckled plate topped with a generous dusting of cocoa powder

What is tiramisu?

Literally translated the word ‘tiramisu’ means ‘pick me up.’ I assume it’s the espresso that they’re referring to as I’m sure the flavor would jolt anyone back to life (note factual.) It is an extremely popular Italian dessert which contains sponge cakes in the shape of fingers that have been soaked in espresso and layered in between whipped mascarpone cheese and dusted with cocoa powder. Often, recipes call for the use of liqueur and brandy, I’ve opted to leave the alcohol out of this recipe entirely.

What do you need to make eggless tiramisu?

  • cold heavy cream
  • powdered sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • mascarpone cheese
  • strong brewed coffee or espresso
  • ladyfingers (or savoiardi)
  • granulated sugar
  • cocoa powder, for dusting

lady fingers on a white marble surface

using an offset spatula to smear mascarpone mixture of espresso soaked ladyfingers

Where can I find ladyfingers?

I’ve checked a ton of grocery stores and what I’ve come up with is that they are usually in 1 of 2 aisles… and sometimes in both! The first place I suggest looking is in the cookie aisle. They are usually all the way at the top or at the bottom and rarely located at eye level as they aren’t often bought for anything but tiramisu. 

The second place you might find them is in the international aisle located where all of the other Italian specialty items can be found.

Do I have to use mascarpone cheese in this recipe?

I have tried this recipe with cream cheese as well to see if that would be an option for those that can’t find mascarpone cheese readily or if it’s sold at an unreasonable price, which a lot of the times, it is. 

I found that a brick of cream cheese (8 ounces) to replace the mascarpone cheese will work. However, if you use 7 ounces of cream cheese and 1 ounce of sour cream, the flavor is very similar to what you’d get when you use store-bought mascarpone. So use what you like best!

using a spoon to break the eggless tiramisu on a speckled plate

How to make the easiest eggless tiramisu:

  1. Whip it good: Whip the heavy cream with the vanilla and the sugar until it thickens into a super soft, but somewhat shaped cream. Add the mascarpone at this point and with the mixer running on medium, allow it to whip until it thickens. Be sure to use both super cold heavy cream and super cold mascarpone. If you use cream cheese, it should be at room temperature. The sour cream should still be cold.
  2. Dip the ladyfingers in the espresso and granulated sugar mixture and line them in a flat layer in an 8×8 baking dish. Then top with a layer of mascarpone cream, the second layer of dipped ladyfingers and finally, the last of the whipped mascarpone.
  3. Sprinkle the cocoa powder on top and allow the dessert to cool for 4-6 hours. Better if you let it go overnight as the flavor really develop!

The best tip for making eggless tiramisu:

  • Make sure both the whipped cream and the mascarpone are cold from the refrigerator. I made the mistake of letting the mascarpone sit at room temperature for an hour before making this the second time, and guess what? It belly-flopped. My whipped cream and mascarpone mixture turned to butter! I didn’t even know you could turn mascarpone into butter, but I managed to do it!
And there it is, my all-time favorite, go-to summer dessert: Eggless Tiramisu!
square of eggless tiramisu on a speckled plate dusted with cocoa powder
Yield: 6-9 servings

The Easiest Eggless Tiramisu

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes

Learn how to make the easiest eggless tiramisu! This takes just 15 minutes of hands on work and requires no cooking or baking. Eggless tiramisu is the perfect summer dessert!

The Easiest Eggless Tiramisu

Ingredients

  • 1¼ cup heavy whipping cream, cold
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 (8-ounce) mascarpone cheese, cold
  • 2 cups strong brewed coffee or espresso (see notes)
  • 1 (7-ounce) package ladyfingers (or savoiardi)
  • 2 tablespoons EACH: granulated sugar AND cocoa powder, for dusting

Instructions

  1. WHIP IT GOOD: Add the heavy cream into the bowl on a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat for 30 seconds. Then, add the powdered sugar and the vanilla and continue to whip until the whipped cream starts to thicken into a super soft cream. Add the mascarpone cheese and continue to run the mixer on medium until the cream fluffs up and stiff peaks form. When it doubt, stop the mixer and mix using a spatula, you don’t want to over mix this or it will turn to butter!
  2. ESPRESSO: While the mixer is running, combine the prepared espresso and the granulated sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.
  3. LAYER IT: Grab an 8x8 baking dish (or something similar in size.) Do a quick dip of the ladyfinger into the prepared espresso and place them in a single layer in the baking dish (about 9-10 ladyfingers.) Spread half of the prepared mascarpone mixture on top of the layer of ladyfingers and spread using an offset spatula. Make a second layer of ladyfingers by quickly dipping them in espresso and laying them side by side. Spread or pipe the remaining mascarpone cream on top. 
  4. DUST IT OFF: Place the cocoa powder in a small sieve and dust the top of the tiramisu. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. I prefer to make this one day ahead of when I plan on serving it as it cuts cleaner pieces! It’s the ideal make-ahead dessert!

Notes

  • See post for mascarpone substitutes
  • I usually purchase instant espresso powder and just add it to room temperature water! It dissolves quickly, and works really well here! Start with about 2-3 tablespoons powder, and adjust with additional to taste!
  • For a less sweet tiramisu, feel free to omit the granulated sugar from the recipe! I find that the addition of the sugar makes it the perfect level of sweet for us.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

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