A dessert that I absolutely love, but almost never make since my husband doesn't like coffee, is tiramisu. I do have one tiramisu recipe up my sleeve, though - this creamy, rich, easy-to-make Chocolate Espresso Tiramisu.
This no-bake recipe is flavorful and decadent. It's easy to make a half recipe (like for yourself when your husband doesn't like coffee). The only "cooking" you do is melting chocolate. It's fluffy and creamy, somehow light and rich at the same time. And, it's a make-ahead dessert.
Basically, it's fantastic!
[This post contains affiliate links. I may make a commission for purchases made through links on this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.]
Ingredients
Tiramisu is a decadent, creamy dessert, and this no-bake version is easier than other recipes! It takes:
- Ladyfingers
- Espresso
- Chocolate
- Mascarpone cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
- Heavy Cream
Ladyfingers are a lightweight that's similar to a dry sponge cake. They're usually made with eggs, and are perfect for soaking up liquid.
Tiramisu generally takes coffee or espresso. Even if it's a light-roast, coffee gives tiramisu a signature flavor. Espresso, or another strong coffee, is a dominant flavor in this recipe. Be sure you use something that takes good to you. Bitter, stale, or substandard coffee will ruin your dessert.
I use dark or semisweet chocolate in this, to pair with the notes from the espresso.
Mascarpone cheese is a creamy cheese that also gives tiramisu one of its main flavors and its texture. Check out the substitutions section if you have trouble finding it.
Powdered sugar, instead of granulated, helps thicken the filling.
While most tiramisu recipes take eggs, this recipe includes heavy cream that you whip into the filling to provide more creamy and rich texture. (Be aware that ladyfingers often have eggs. If you need an egg-free dessert, be sure that you use egg-free ladyfingers or a substitute.)
Instructions
My friend Molly and I made this recipe back in 2014, from a recipe from the Publix grocery store magazine! I've made a few changes to how I make it in 2025.
Be sure to pull your mascarpone cheese out to soften before you start! I recommend 30-60 minutes, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
Go ahead and melt the chocolate. Set it aside and let it cool briefly while you prepare the filling.
- Slice your ladyfingers (or pound cake, in my pictures above). Layer them into the bottom of a pan, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons espresso.
- Beat together the mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of espresso. (My cream is pale in these photos because I made this batch with regular coffee.) Mix until creamy.
- Add the melted chocolate. Beat until mixed, scraping the bowl to be sure everything is combined. It'll look like above. Then, add the heavy cream and mix until thick and creamy. Don't overmix.
- Dollop half of the mixture over your soaked ladyfingers. Be careful as you spread the mixture; don't push too hard, or the cake may move around.
- Top with the remaining ladyfingers, drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons espresso...
- ...and dollop with the remaining mascarpone cheese mixture, covering the cake as you did before.
Melt a little more chocolate, and drizzle it along the top.
Cover the tiramisu, and store in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving.
Substitutions
Ladyfingers are sometimes hard to find. Sponge cake is a good substitute. Although we originally made the tiramisu with ladyfingers in 2014, I recreated it with thinly sliced pound cake in 2025. Pound cake is dense; you will need more than 7 ounces.
If you don't have espresso, you can use strongly brewed coffee instead. However, your dessert may not be as coffee-forward. See the FAQ for more details.
While mascarpone cheese can be found in most stores, it's expensive. You can hack together a substitute by using 6 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and 2 tablespoons yogurt or sour cream. That is how I made this recipe in 2025. PS: The leftover cream cheese is exactly what you need to Sprinkle Cookies.
Equipment
I strongly recommend that you use a hand mixer (affiliate link) to whip the mascarpone cream, because it will be so much faster. However, I know that Molly and I did it by hand in 2014, so it is possible without one.
You can layer the tiramisu in any kind of container, since it's a no-bake dessert. I recommend glass so you can see the layers from the outside.
Storage
Store the tiramisu in the refrigerator. Since it has so much dairy, do not leave at room temperature for more than an hour if serving at a party.
FAQ
Tiramisu is a layered Italian dessert made with ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, usually eggs, and coffee. This recipe doesn't take eggs, although eggs are often an ingredient in ladyfingers.
I'd categorize tiramisu as a type of trifle, since it's a cake layer (ladyfingers) soaked with coffee and layered with a creamy filling. We don't make a lot of trifles in the US, but the main one that comes to mind is a banana pudding.
I've successfully made this tiramisu using leftover pound cake. It needs to be thinly cut. Many recipes recommend sponge cake as a ladyfinger substitution.
Yes, and no. You can brew extra-strong coffee instead of espresso. In single-serve machines, this involves using a packaged coffee pod with a very dark roast coffee.
I have made this with a normal coffee pod in a single-serve machine. It worked, but the coffee flavor was mild, even when I added additional coffee to the filling. My husband, who doesn't like coffee, said he could tell it was there, just as he can tell when there's coffee added to a chocolate dessert to enhance the flavor. I don't think he'd eat more than a bite or two.
If you want a coffee-free tiramisu, I recommend you try drizzling the cake with a small amount of rum or brandy if you can tolerate alcohol. If you're just avoiding caffeine, however, decaf will work fine.
I successfully substituted 6 ounces of cream cheese, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and 2 tablespoons whole fat Greek yogurt in place of the mascarpone when I tested this recipe in 2025; I adapted this mascarpone cheese substitute from Real Simple.
Soften the cream cheese as called for in the recipe, and beat with the cream and yogurt until blended before continuing with the rest of the recipe.
I expect that this recipe could be made with gluten-free cake, as long as it is one that would absorb the espresso. Please check the labels on the remaining ingredients to ensure that they don't include any rogue gluten.
While this filling doesn't take eggs, many ladyfingers contain eggs. So do sponge cake and pound cake, my recommended substitutes. As long as you can find an egg-free cake or cookie substitute, it's easy to make it egg-free.
While dairy substitutes have come a long way, there's no substitute for the cheese or the heavy cream in this recipe. To make a dairy-free tiramisu, I recommend finding a recipe specifically created to be dairy-free.
Other Creamy Desserts
Interested in other recipes? I save and share recipes I like or want to try on my Pinterest page - follow me there! You can also check out my Facebook page for more recipes and helpful tips. I'm also happy to try to help troubleshoot my recipes there.
Have you tried this recipe? Or have a question about it? Rate it or leave a comment below! (PS: rating my recipes helps other people find them, too!)
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Espresso Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 24 ladyfingers (7 ounces/200 grams)
- 6 tablespoons espresso (1 ½ ounces/45 grams) (divided)
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate (3 ounces/85 grams)
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese (8 ounces/227 grams) (softened)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (2 ounces/35 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 grams)
- 1 cup heavy cream (8 ounces/227 grams)
- 2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate (for drizzling) (optional)
Instructions
- Split the ladyfingers in half lengthwise. Layer half of the ladyfingers along the bottom of an 8-inch square container. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons espresso.
- Melt the chocolate. In the microwave, heat on high for 30 seconds. Stir, then microwave another 10 seconds. Repeat until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. In a double boiler on the stove, heat gently over steam. Stir until melted.Either way, do not overheat the chocolate. Set aside briefly to cool while you make the cream filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese briefly to loosen it. Beat in powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons espresso, and vanilla, until smooth and creamy.
- Pour in the melted chocolate, then beat until thoroughly mixed.
- Add heavy cream, and beat until creamy, and soft peaks form.Depending on how much you beat the mascarpone mixture before you added the chocolate, this may not take long. Do not overmix.
- Dollop half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers, and spread to cover. Be careful spreading, as the cake underneath can move under pressure.
- Top with remaining ladyfingers, then drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons espresso over them. Top with remaining mascarpone mixture.
- Melt a small amount of additional chocolate and drizzle over the tiramisu. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours.
- Serve and enjoy. Ideally leftovers should be immediately refrigerated. If serving at a party, do not leave out at room temperature for more than an hour.
Notes
Originally written and posted in April 2014. Completely rewritten and revised in February 2025.
Leona Konkel says
I clearly love my recipe. I also want to point out for the TL:DR version, it's good even if you have to use pound cake instead of ladyfingers, don't have mascarpone cheese, and have to use mild coffee in it instead of espresso. Which I did last time I made it!
My book club last night loved it. This was the medium roast decaf version, instead of using espresso. One friend said she didn't notice there was coffee in there. Another said she doesn't like coffee, but enjoyed this. (For the record, my husband also doesn't like coffee and noticed it. He said it was just ok.)