This is The Best Tiramisu Recipe! Adapted from Barefoot Contessa. Easy to make and bursting with chocolate, dark rum and espresso. What’s not to love! It really is a restaurant quality no bake dessert.

Best Tiramisu in a glass

Why This Best Tiramisu Recipe Is So Good!

  • A classic Italian dessert that’s bound to please
  • Easy to make and delicious!
  • A great dessert for big dinner parties.
  • Rich and creamy.

Best Tiramisu Ingredients

  • Egg yolks
  • Sugar
  • Mascarpone creme & mascarpone cheese
  • Dark rum
  • Espresso (or strong coffee)
  • Espresso syrup
  • Italian lady fingers
  • Dark Chocolate bar

How To Make The Best Tiramisu – Step By Step

Spoon out the mascarpone into a bowl – with fork or whisk, whisk the mascarpone just a bit to soften and make it easier to mix in later. In your mixer whisk yolks and sugar on high for 5 minutes. It should be creamy and light yellow. Lower speed to medium. Add the cooled espresso, rum and marscapone.

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients of the Espresso Syrup together.

Quickly dip the ladyfinger in the Espresso Syrup. Then line the dipped ladyfingers on the bottom of the pan/cups). Follow this with another layer of dipped ladyfingers. Finish with remaining mascarpone Cream. Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

A Super Easy Tiramisu Recipe

If the food gods could create the most perfect dessert, it would combine my three favorite ingredients: espresso, chocolate and dark rum. Surprisingly, Tiramisu is very easy to make, especially since it sounds so fancy and costs $8.95 at an Italian restaurant. If you don’t have an espresso maker, you can just brew super-strong coffee or even use instant espresso granules in a pinch. You can make Tiramisu in a large pan, or as I prefer, in cute little individual dessert cups. These were made in ice cream bowls I found on sale at Marshalls.

I also found that the original recipe left me with runny mascarpone creme – I’ve modified the technique to include whisking the mascarpone to lighten and fluff just a bit. If you don’t soften the mascarpone cheese to room temp before mixing it in, your creme mixture will be lumpy. If you don’t cool your espresso before adding to the egg yolk/sugar, the creme mixture becomes too runny.

In case you do run out of the mascarpone creme before you finish assembly – you can just spread the creme as evenly as you can and then top with whipped creme to cover. I often use whipped creme to add more height to the dessert. Sometimes I sneak a little more dark rum into the whipped creme too!

Can I Substitute The Rum?

You can use dark rum or golden rum. You can also substitute the rum with a little Grand Marnier, or amaretto. If you prefer to omit the alcohol completely, you can just leave out the rum or add a little bit of vanilla extract to taste.

Can I Freeze Tiramisu?

The tiramisu can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and stored in refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4 days in total and leftovers should be refrigerated immediately. Freeze Note: The tiramisu can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator and top with nuts and cocoa, as directed in recipe.

Top Tips For The Best Tiramisu 

  • Make sure you coffee and creme cheese is cooled to room temperature, before incorporating into the recipe.
  • Swap alcohol for vanilla extract, if you want a booze free dessert.
  • Soak the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture briefly. Don’t let them get soggy, it will ruin the dessert.
  • Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Check Out These Other Delicious Desserts 

I love hearing from you! If you have made this Tiramisu recipe, be sure to leave me a star rating and a comment below!

The Best Tiramisu Recipe

Best Tiramisu Recipe

This is The Best Tiramisu Recipe! Adapted from Barefoot Contessa. Easy to make and bursting with chocolate, dark rum and espresso. What's not to love! It really is a restaurant quality no bake dessert.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 -8 servings
Calories 821 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 6 extra large egg yolks at room temperature (or 7 large egg yolks)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Mascarpone Creme
  • 1/4 cup dark rum
  • 1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee - cooled to room temperature
  • 16 oz mascarpone cheese - softened to room temperature
  • Espresso Syrup for dipping
  • 1/3 cup dark rum
  • 1 1/2 cups espresso or strong coffee - cooled to room temperature
  • 30-40 Italian lady fingers
  • Dark chocolate bar shaved with vegetable peeler

Instructions
 

  • Spoon out the mascarpone into a bowl – with fork or whisk, whisk the mascarpone just a bit to soften and make it easier to mix in later. In your mixer with whisk attachment,whisk yolks and sugar on high for 5 minutes.
  • It should be creamy and light yellow. Lower speed to medium. Add the cooled espresso, rum and marscapone.
  • In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients of the Espresso Syrup together. Set up your assembly line - from left to right:
  • Ladyfingers - Espresso Syrup - Pan/Indiv Cups - mascarpone Creme
  • Quickly dip the ladyfinger in the Espresso Syrup - a 2-second dip is all that you need. If you dip too long, too much of the syrup gets absorbed and the ladyfinger will get too soggy to lift out of the bowl.
  • The ladyfinger should still be a little hard - don't worry, they will all soften up in the refrigerator.
  • Line the dipped ladyfingers on the bottom of the pan/cups).
  • Follow this with another layer of dipped ladyfingers. Finish with remaining mascarpone Cream.
  • Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Notes

You can use an 8.5 x 8.5 x 2.5 pan or 6 individual dessert cups (my dessert cups pictured above hold 1.5 cup capacity). If you have a slightly larger or smaller pan, thats ok too.
 
Make sure you coffee and creme cheese is cooled to room temperature, before incorporating into the recipe.
Swap alcohol for vanilla extract, if you want a booze free dessert.
Soak the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture briefly. Don’t let them get soggy, it will ruin the dessert.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Nutrition

Calories: 821kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 16gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 402mgSodium: 141mgPotassium: 195mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 1755IUCalcium: 184mgIron: 4mg
Keyword barefoot contessa, coffee dessert, tiramisu
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