Exceptional Tiramisu (Raw Egg-Free, Alcohol-Free)
If you love Tiramisu but hate that it’s made with raw eggs, you’ve hit the solution right here! A surprising addition makes this every bit as delicious as the classic Tiramisu, without any of the raw egg dilemma. It’s exceptionally good!
It took me 2 weeks of testing, a kilo of weight gain, a handful of pulled hairs, and an almost lost mind to come up with this recipe.
I had one mission and that is to create a great Tiramisu that is as good as, if not better, than those we find at Italian restaurants, ditching the raw eggs and booze without having to compromise on taste and texture…and boy was that hard!
But I did it! I miraculously nailed a melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly rich and flavorful Tiramisu that might just become your new favorite.
Here is a sample of the responses I got from my taste testers: “I am normally not a Tiramisu person, but after tasting this, I fell in love.” “It’s a masterpiece!” “It’s perfect. I love it because it’s not too sweet and the coffee flavor is not too overpowering.” “It tastes so light, airy that I could eat half of it myself.”
Ok I feel like a cheesy infomercial, rubbing in your face some fake testimonials, but it’s true! Word for word. Pinky promise. They were actually texted, so…
To be honest I’m quite proud of this recipe, and yet want to hide in shame from Italians.
I used an unconventional, completely nontraditional, some would call crazy method here that puts me at high risk at getting shunned by Italians. Sorry amici Italiani…I really am. I hope my discovery doesn’t offend your decades of Tiramsu-ing, but this method works (for me at least) and its amazing! Maybe even revolutionary.
I would never claim authenticity with my recipe, I wouldn’t dare, but I will confidentially declare it darn delicious. And isn’t this what matters in the end?
So what’s that crazy method/surprising addition/blasphemous secret ingredient that replaces the raw eggs in this Tiramisu you ask?
It’s…(gulp)…ok here goes…ahem…wait for it…wait for it…please don’t hate meeeeeeee……..ENGLISH-STYLE CUSTARD! Or pudding or pastry cream, whatever you wanna call it; potato potah-to.
Wait!!! Please don’t go! I promise I have a very convincing explanation. And it doesn’t involve any potatos. Or potah-tos ?
Baking Nerd Alert!
Let’s back up a little bit though. Tiramisu is an Italian trifle so ethereal that its title means “pick me up.” It consists of ladyfingers (savoiardi biscuits) dipped in espresso and topped with a cloud-like creamy filling made from egg yolks, mascarpone cheese and traditionally marsala, sometimes rum, then gets lightened up with either whipped cream or whipped egg whites, then dusted off with cocoa powder. After the dessert gets sometime to chill in the fridge, the ladyfingers turn into a lovely cake-y texture, the espresso mallows out and all the flavors mature and meld together in perfect harmony. It’s truly exquisite when done right.
I had 2 reservations about all this though: the alcohol and raw eggs.
Alcohol, because I personally do not consume alcohol in any way, shape or form. Yup I’m sober 24/7 and would qualify as a designated driver anytime. I’m also pretty sure that alcohol is a concern for many others as well for different reasons, so it’s for the greater good that we come up with a good alcohol-free version, amiright?
And raw eggs because they are simply EEEEEWWWWW! They just gross me out and I feel uneasy consuming anything that has it. Except for cookie dough of course; I mean that doesn’t even count. Ok and cake batter. But that’s just the tiniest lick.
Ditching the booze was easy. I simply accommodated by adding more vanilla to the creamy mixture to add more dimension to it and sugar to the espresso to compensate for the lost sweetness of the marsala.
As for the raw eggs problem, oh my goodness don’t even remind me.
First I tried omitting the eggs altogether as suggested by many recipes online, to make what you would call a cheaters Tiramisu. I tried different ratios of mascarpone to whipped cream in several trails. I’m not gonna lie, they were all quite delicious, but being the picky eater that I am, I felt like something was missing that I just can’t put my finger on…they just didn’t feel right. The Tiramisu tasted kinda flat and lacked depth of flavor. And the texture was creamy yes, but somewhat stiff. It was begging for the egg mixture.
So next I tried another version of a traditional method, using egg yolks and all, but this time the egg yolks and sugar mixture gets heated over a water bath to a temperature which makes them safe to eat. This custardy mixture is referred to as Zabaglione. Well thankfully I managed not to scramble the eggs, which is a problem one could face. Instead, my mascarpone curdled upon adding the cooled zabaglione to it and ended up with a soupy mess. I went with it anyway and folded in the cream, layered and chilled the whole thing and convinced myself, that it all comes down to the taste. The verdict: tasted so eggy and still very soupy. So while it might entirely be my fault, I felt that if it risks that many problems, then it doesn’t qualify as a fool-proof recipe. So scratch that method.
At that point, I was so sick of Tiramisu and didn’t want to see another one again. So I decided to put it on the back burner and forget about it for a while. Until…until a revelation came knocking on my door.
I was minding my own business preparing Magnolia Bakery’s Famous Banana Pudding recipe for a get-together, when I had a light bulb moment.
You see the banana pudding is made using instant vanilla pudding mix, that gets lightened up with a ton of whipped cream. It feels so cloud-like and airy and melts in the mouth just like what a Tiramisu filling should be. As soon as I tasted it, I couldn’t help but say OH MY GOD…THE ANSWER IS IN THE PUDDING!!!
You see, the eggy mixture of a Tiramisu, the Zabaglione, IS essentially a type of pudding or custard, a finicky one nonetheless. So why don’t I substitute it with a British one?! I mean Britain and Italy are friends right? Aaaand it still uses the necessary Zabaglione ingredients like eggs and sugar. Then I’d reduce the whipped cream and sub in some mascarpone cheese instead. BINGO!
I quickly ran to my laptop and did some googling to see if anyone has ever tried it before. Turns out, I’m not the genius I hoped I was. Lady Stephanie of Joy of Baking, did it! Of course she did; she’s amazing. And it felt like an extra assurance that I was on the right track. So I adapted her custard recipe as the base of the trifle, and built upon it to create my idea of a perfect Tiramisu.
I almost shed tears of joy when I had my first bite. Success never tasted SO delicious. It was everything I was hoping for. Creamy, rich yet airy, stable and sliceable with the perfect of amount of sweeteness and espresso flavor and just the right amount of cake-iness.
So before I make you fall asleep, and without further adieu, let me introduce you this “crazy” good Tiramisu…
First of, the pudding or custard/pastry cream…whatevs. Don’t be scared of it…I promise it’s so easy if you follow these simple steps.
You’ll begin by heating some milk and sugar in a saucepan until simmering. Meanwhile, you’ll combine egg yolks, flour, milk, and sugar and whisk them really well together until you can no longer see any lumps.
You’ll then very slowly and gradually whisk in your hot milk into the egg mixture. Don’t pour it all once or you’ll get sweet scrambled eggs ?
Then pour the mixture back into a clean saucepan and cook it, whisking continuously until bubbles appear over the surface. Continue to cook for a few more seconds until it thickens. Do not over do it though, or again…sweet scrambled eggs! Strain it through a sieve to catch any lumps.
Then whisk in some butter and vanilla. I used a combination of alcohol-free vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste, because vanilla beans are my bae.
See that was easy! All there’s left to do is to refrigerate it until it cools down and thickens some more. Just be sure to cover it with a piece of plastic wrap directly over the surface, to prevent a skin from forming.
When ready to assemble, you’ll whip up some heavy cream with a bit of sugar and more vanilla. Set it aside.
Then you’ll take your cooled custard and whisk it in with the mascarpone until extra smooth.
Now let’s puff it up with some air in the form of delicious vanilla cream! You’ll want to gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone/custard mixture until no white streaks remain.
Now comes the part with all the caffeine. You’ll give the ladyfingers a quick dip and flip into some cooled espresso, making sure not to submerge it. You’ll want it to retain its shape and not turn into mush. If you break it in half, you should be able to see a white center.
Allow any excess to drip.
Then arrange in the bottom of your serving platter, breaking or trimming them as needed to fit neatly. Top off with some of that dreamy creamy mixture. See those vanilla bean specks??
And repeat, alternating between layers of soaked ladyfingers and cream filling, ending with the cream filling.
Smooth out the surface using an offset spatula or the back of knife, cover with plastic wrap and into the refrigerator it goes for at least 6 hours. Don’t even try before that. Better yet, leave it overnight. This is the perfect make-ahead dessert!
When ready to serve, puff puff puff with some cocoa powder.
A few curls of the best kind…chocolate and some chocolate covered coffee beans, if you like.
I used the smallest ever trifle bowl (1 quart!!) because I couldn’t resist the cuteness, but also to be able to show you other serving suggestions with the leftover components. I had enough leftover for these 3 tall glasses. I might not drink alcohol, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have a fancy martini glass for my dessert ?
Or keep it nice and simple with a humble short cup. Still pretty.
And this is what it will look like if you make it an 8X8 inch baking dish. Just pipe the cream filling into Hershey’s Kiss shaped dollops and you have yourself a stunner.
Creamy, stable, no eggy taste, full of flavor, kid, elderly and pregnant-safe…what more could you want from a Tiramisu?
It’s truly exceptional.
Exceptional Tiramisu (Raw Egg-Free, Alcohol-Free)

Please note that the Tiramisu needs at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours of refrigeration to allow enough time for the ladyfingers to soften into a cake-y layer and for the flavors to meld well together. It is recommended to make the dessert a day in advance.
Ingredients
For the custard base:
- 1 cup milk, divided
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 2/3oz/ 75g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons (2/3oz/ 17 1/2g) all purpose flour
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons (1oz/ 28g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract plus 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
For the cream filling:
- 1 recipe custard base (ingredients above & recipe below)
- 1 cup (8 3/4oz/ 250g) mascarpone cheese, cold
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the espresso soaking syrup:
- 1 1/2 cups freshly brewed hot espresso (or 3 tablespoon instant espresso dissolved in 1 1/2 cups hot water) *see note for substitution
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the cake-y layer:
- About 24 crisp Ladyfinger (Savoiardi biscuits) (7oz/ 200g), more or less depending on their size
For garnish:
- 1 to 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting over surface
- Plain chocolate of your choice, for making curls to garnish (optional)
- Plain or chocolate covered coffee beans, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make the custard base: (could be prepared 1 day in advance)
- In a small saucepan, combine together 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the milk and 1/4 cup (50 g) of the sugar. Place over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat as soon as bubbles appear on the surface.
- Meanwhile, in a heatproof medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of sugar, flour, and egg yolks until very smooth and no lumps remain. When the milk mixture comes to a simmer, gradually whisk it into the egg yolk mixture, in a thin and steady stream, pouring with one hand and whisking with the other.
- Transfer this mixture into a clean medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbles appear at the surface. Continue cooking for about 10 more seconds until the mixture thickens. DO NOT OVERCOOK IT. Immediately remove from heat and strain into a medium bowl. (This will remove any lumps that may have formed.)
- Whisk in the butter and vanilla extract and/or vanilla bean paste if using. Immediately cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Refrigerate until thick and cold, about 1 hour or overnight. A freezer maybe used for quicker chilling. Meanwhile, prepare the espresso soaking liquid.
To make the espresso soaking liquid:
- Whisk the sugar into the hot espresso until dissolved. Pour into a medium shallow bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature. You could refrigerate it to speed up the cooling process.
- When both the custard base and espresso mixture have sufficiently cooled, it's time to prepare the cream filling.
To make the cream filling:
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment (or a bowl and an electric hand mixer) (*preferably chilled; see note for tip!), combine the heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla extract and beat at medium speed until frothy. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a hand whisk, combine together the cooled custard base and the mascarpone cheese until smooth, uniform and no lumps remain.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until no white streaks remain. Set mascarpone mixture aside.
To assemble the Tiramisu:
- To make in an 8X8 inch baking pan: Working with one ladyfinger at a time, quickly dip, roll, remove 12 ladyfingers in the coffee mixture; letting excess drip. Place them, side by side, in a single layer onto the bottom of the pan. (Do not submerge ladyfingers into coffee mixture; entire process should take no longer than 2 seconds for each cookie. Cookies should be able to hold their shape well and NOT turn into mush) Arrange soaked cookies in a single layer in baking dish, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as needed to fit neatly into dish.
- Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers, and use a rubber spatula to spread mixture to sides and into corners of dish and smooth surface.
- Repeat dipping and arrangement of ladyfingers; spread remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers. Use an offset spatula or the back of a knife to smooth out surface. If you want, you could pipe some domes of cream, using a large round tip all over the surface.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- To serve, remove plastic wrap and using a sieve dust the surface with cocoa powder. (*see note) If desired, used a vegetable peeler to grate the chocolate to make chocolate curls. Sprinkle them over the top of the Tiramisu. Add a few plain or chocolate covered coffee beans over the chocolate curls, if you like.
- To make in a trifle bowl: Repeat steps 1 through 3 of dipping, arranging ladyfingers and topping with the mascarpone mixture, dividing the amounts over 3 alternating layers, instead of 2, ending with the cream filling. Proceed with steps 4 through 5 of refrigeration and garnishing.
- To make in individual glasses: Break each ladyfinger into 2 to 4 pieces, dip into the espresso and place enough pieces to cover the bottom of the glass. Dollop about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mascarpone mixture over the soaked ladyfinger pieces; more or less depending on how much cream you like. Repeat with layering ladyfingers and cream filling, ending with the cream, creating 2 to 4 layers in total, depending on how tall your glass is. For this type of serving, you might need fewer ladyfingers than what the recipe suggests. Smooth out the cream filling on the surface of the glass, then follow steps 4 through 5 of refrigeration and garnishing.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe could be doubled to serve more people. It will fill either a 9X13 inch baking pan, 4-quart trifle bowl or about 16 individual glasses depending on their size.
- Although espresso is preferred in this recipe, due to its strong yet rounded flavor that marries beautifully with the cream filling, coffee maybe be substituted if you must. Use freshly brewed strong coffee or 3 tablespoons instant coffee granules (like Nescafe) dissolved in 1 1/2 cups hot water instead of the espresso. I used Nescafe brand instant espresso powder (not coffee) and loved the results.
- Italian mascarpone cheese is traditional to making a classic Tiramisu and actually doesn't taste like cheese at all. It is essentially not a cheese, but rather a type of clotted cream. It is highly recommend to stick to it for the most authentic taste and texture, but could be substituted with full fat cream cheese if you absolutely must. Taste will be different but still delicious. Mascarpone cheese could be found in the international cheese section of most supermarkets. I get mine from here, as well as the Ladyfingers.
- For the fasted and most successful way to whip cream, freeze the bowl and whisk attachment for 10 minutes until very cold.
- You could dust the cocoa powder over the cream filling before covering and refrigerating the Tiramisu instead of after. This allows the cocoa flavor to meld more into the dessert but it will look slightly damp. The other method of sprinkling after refrigerating (as shown in the photos), looks more appealing but won't have time for the flavors to meld. You call!
Recipe is a Cleobuttera Original.
Custard base slightly adapted from Joy of Baking.
Measurements Note: All recipes of this site have been developed using weight measurements. Although US volume measurements have been included for your convenience, it is highly encouraged that you weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale to get the best possible results. Due to the sensitive nature of baking, kitchen scales are proven to yield more accurate and consistent results than measuring cups. Enjoy!
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What a recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
I love the way you try different things and experement recipes till you find the one you like. I’m interested in cooking, too, but not to you level yet lol. So, what to ask you if you could write an article about how you start cooking? who inspire you? How do you come up with those recipes *mahsallah*?
Best,
Dalal.
Dalal I’m so glad you appreciate my nerdy approach to developing recipes. I know how disappointing it can be to spend so much time and money on making a recipe and then end up with something unworthy. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to only post recipes that not only work, but taste the best they can possibly be, and that can only come through tons of testing and experimentation in the kitchen.
I really like your idea of dedicating a post on recipe inspiration. Will definitely put some thought into it. Thank you 🙂
Sounds like an interesting method will definitely try it. I usually go the zabaglione way never had a problem with it. Also i suggest you try almond essence it gives the alcohol sharpness without the alcohol
Hey Naglaa! The zabaglione method turned out a complete failure to me ? I’m still trying to figure what could’ve went wrong because the zabaglione itself looked perfect until I added the mascarpone. You’re gonna have to teach me your zabaglione secrets ?
Almond extract sounds like a really good addition and makes a lot of sense since its very strong. Will surely have to give it a shot. Thank you so much for the suggestion.
Holy cow that is a lot of meticulous work! It looks like it was worth it—a good tiramisu is worth any amount of effort 🙂 The custard-infused marscapone cream sounds delicious. Stunning photos, as usual!
Oh it was SO worth it! I love it when I have a perfected recipe under my sleeve. I’m so glad you like the post June.
That was one exceptional tiramisu, you really never failed me,
You were, are and will always be our hero ??
I really wished i had a photo but it really vanished before i got the chance.
It tasted even better than the ones i had in Italy,!! (i had no idea it has alcohol back then) ??????
My God that looks amazing! Will definitely be making it soon. I will be spending this winter break trying out the rest of your recipes. And repeating my favorites, which include every single recipe 🙂 Gym membership here I come 🙁
Hahahaaaa! Sounds like its gonna be a very delicious (and fattening) winter break. Enjoy 🙂
SO funny…you’re straying from traditional Italian with this recipe…next week, I’ll hopefully not be offending any Germans with my post lol! I have some Sicilian in my blood, off the coast but still in the neighborhood 😉 and I think your method is genius! And I swear I can even taste the flavor and texture based on all of your wonderful descriptions! I love every single presentation you’ve shown from the fancy martini glasses to the small trifle bowl to the “Hershey kiss” topped square. Bee-yoo-tee-ful!!! (Um and I am dying over your gorgeous espresso cups! And I don’t even drink espresso!)
I know! My method is a disgrace to Italian tradition, but the results are almost identical. I guess if it tastes great, then who cares how it’s done, right? It’s one of those rare cases where the end justifies the means.
Thank you dearest Ramona for all your kind compliments 🙂
Egg or no egg, this tiramisu is a work of art!!! gorgeous!
Aaaaawwww thank you Mimi! So nice of you to say 🙂
I love love love this post! Will try this for sure. As always gorgeous pictures 🙂
Thank you Wajeeha so much! It’s a must must try. I’m never doing Tiramisu any other way from now on.
Tasbeh, as if you read my mind and describing my taste too.
I was going to look for a tiramisu recepi today as I have lady fingers .
I was shocked when I wake up this morning and found it .
Love it , can’t wait to try it ???
It must be telepathy May 🙂 Can’t wait for you to try it and update me with your delicious results & pics as always.
This tiramisu is truly exceptional!! And the pictures are simply stunning 🙂
Thank you Dana so much! I’m so flattered that you like it.
hey so i was looking for marscapone cheese and i couldn’t find it at my local store is there a substitute for it
Hey Zainab. The closest substitute would be cream cheese. Please refer to the ‘Notes’ section of the recipe for more details on that. Happy baking 🙂
Hi tasbih, love your blog you are a true food lover I can tell from the way you write your passion for food shines through , I also like your accuracy and beautiful step by step photos love love the photography . I am a baker, and foodie my self and I love good food blogs they have taken over my love for cook books recently . One quick question what tip did you use for piping the cream ?
Thank you so much Elza! Your sincere words mean the world to me & have really made my day. Foodies are by far my favorite people, so you’re officially high up there 🙂
The tip I used is Ateco 808, which has a large round opening with 1.5cm diameter. Hope that helps ?
Thanks dear 🙂 I usually use Wilton tips but I’ll find a similar match
For the banana pudding do you make the pudding from scratch or use instant. If instant what brand is best?
Hey Naglaa 🙂 I made the banana pudding recipe as is, using Jell-O instant pudding because I wanted to know exactly what Magnolia Bakery’s tastes like. Now that I know, I want to try making it from scratch in future, because I’m not a huge fan of the artificial taste associated with instant puddings. It was great though and the condensed milk & fresh whipped cream help enhance the flavor so much.
I’m attempting this one tomorrow since i just had magnolia’s last week and fell in love. Can’t find the instant anywhere so will do it from scratch but a bit unsure on the quantity of pudding to use. Any idea how many cups the instant turns out
Ouch! I can’t remember ? I did actually measure it, but dumb me didn’t write it down. I heard that Magnolia’s tastes like a dream but mine didn’t work out really well because I couldn’t find the vanilla wafers anywhere, so I used lady fingers instead which didn’t soften. The taste was amazing but the texture was so wrong.
Magnolia’s in dubai serve it without wafers and it’s still amazing. I fell in love. I want to try it with toasted slivers of almonds. I think it would give it a great crunch element. Will let you know how it turns out
Sounds awesome! I’d love to know how it turns out, thank you:)
Nilla wafers are a must I could never find something close to them for banana pudding try mcveties vanilla butter cookies we have them in Amman maybe they are available in Cairo
I love the fact that the wafers get cakey after refrigeration, so you get the creamy, the fruity & the cakey…YUM! But I could still imagine it being good without it, although a different animal. I felt like lady fingers would produce the same texture, since it gets cakey in the Tiramisu but apparently I was wrong. Maybe a quick soak in milk will do the trick. Vanilla butter cookies sound like they could make a good alternative too.
langues de chat biscuits soak well too. I’ll give them a try. And by the way jello instant pudding yields 4.5 cups
Awesome! Thanks for the info. It will definitely come in handy in the future?
Hi Tasbih, can’t wait till I try it
where do I get the vanilla bean paste, and what vanilla essence brand do you recommend I also live in Cairo
Thank You
May
Hello May 🙂 I’m so excited for you to try it! I got the vanilla bean paste online from abroad, however I believe that it could be found in Cairo through one of the Facebook groups that sell baking supplies and ingredients. I often buy whole vanilla beans from either Gourmet Egypt or Petro supermarket in Mohandiseen. These are the real deal; even better than the paste. As for vanilla extract, Parade is a good brand that is widely available at most Cairo supermarkets.
Ok thank you Tasbih, could you also tell me which Facebook group sells those products??
You’re most welcome. Bakeaholics and Sweet Suppliers are the most popular ones 🙂
Ciao! I saw your recipe as I was thinking…I wonder if I could use a really good brand of instant vanilla pudding instead of the custard part? (Kind of Sandra Lee fashion) Did you try that in your experiments? If so, how did it turn out??
I lived on Italy fir 4 yrs & would never dream of such an American twist to an authentic recipe given to me, but I am serving this at a teacher’s luncheon and wanted to play it safe. Grazie in advance!
Ciao Julie! I haven’t tried instant vanilla pudding in place of the custard part, but I’m pretty sure it will work, as they are essentially the same thing. The only concern I have, is how much to use of it. Unfortunately, I can’t recall how many cups the homemade custard produced to give you an exact amount to substitute with, but I’d say something like 1 1/2 cups more or less. I’d LOVE to know how it runs out if you experiment with it 🙂
This recipe looks amazing an I’ve been wanting to make it so long, but now where I live it’s getting pretty warm if I had to leave this out for a few hours do you know how the cream would hold up?
Hi Kristi. The cream should be ok. Don’t worry it won’t be soupy. It will have a similar consistency as that of the photos where I’m layering it. Soft but not liquid. But it definitely tastes and feels best when slightly cold.
I don’t know what to say … Every time you save me with one of your masterpieces, and yesterday was one of those days. I had to make this exceptional tiramisu for a family gathering, and it was totally exceptional, phenomenal , out of the world … Oh God, everyone loved it and my husband was looking at me in admiration ??
The whole family send their sincere regards ??
Wow Salwa you really made my day with your flattering comment. Thank you so much for taking the time to write your feedback. I’m so so happy that it was such a hit? Please send all my love to your family too. I’m so glad they enjoyed the tiramisu.
This tiramisu recipe is just perfect. i have tried it already twice and everytime Tiramisu was irresistable. As a substitute for alcohol used half a cup of Apple jucie in Espresso mixture. That would make your Tiramisu even more delicious.
Thanks!
That’s so awesome to hear Zainub! So happy it turned out so well. Love the idea of using apple juice as an alcohol substitute. I sometimes do that for savory recipes that call for alcohol, but never thought of using it here. Thank you so much for the tip?
This will become my go to recipe for tiramisu! I have never successfully made a classic tiramisu (unfortunately, I guess I made it wrong each time because they always turned out soupy and never set). but this one came out perfectly, thank you for the recipe! How far in advance can this be made? Also, how long can you store this in the refrigerator?
Hi Suki! I’ve always had the same problem with tiramisu too! They always came out soupy no matter what recipe I used. I’m so happy you loved this recipe as much as we do. Thank you so much for your feedback!
The tiramisu can be made up to 24 hours in advance. I guess leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple more days. However, I’ve found that the taste & texture are at their best the second day it’s made.
Fantastic!! This is by far the best Tiramisu I’ve made. Made this on Friday and it’s already gone; that’s how good this is. I love that the eggs are cooked and I don’t have to bother with buying liquor just for making dessert since we don’t drink and it would go to waste. My Tiramisu cream was a bit loose, but I believe that is because I didn’t let the custard base thicken enough. I live at high altitude (5,400ft) and custards take a bit longer to thicken, which I didn’t account for. You have a beautiful blog with fantastic recipes. I will definitely be trying many more.
I’m so excited to hear your amazing feedback Alexandra! I’m so happy it was such a hit. I hear that high altitude baking is a whole science of its own; good luck with that sweetie. I guess that if it’s still not thickening well, you could slightly increase the amount of cornstarch.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your experience and your sweet compliments:)
I found your site from a tiramisu search. I ended up making this 4 TIMES this ramadan! It’s incredible and you are a genius. I’m now hooked on your site!
Welcome aboard Zeina! I’m so honored that your search led you here. Feels incredible to know that this recipe was such a hit for you?
I can’t wait to make this! Looks so yummy! How long will this last in the fridge and still taste good?
Thanks Ashlyn!
Mine never lasted more than a day so it’s hard to tell lol? But I believe that it tastes best the 2nd day it’s made and may still be good on day 3 too. I wouldn’t recommend any longer because the whipped cream may start to lose it’s fluffy texture. If you’re worried about having too much leftover, you could half or even quarter the recipe.
Enjoy ?
Thank you soo much for this recipe. I made it for my family and they absolutely loved it! Since we’re all coffee lovers, I added some coffee to the cream filling lol. I will definitely be trying more of your recipes xx
So happy it was a hit! And that extra shot of coffee is calling my name…gotta try it soon. Thanks for the tip!
Hi! I tried this last Saturday. My husband has been waiting for me to make him some tiramisu since 2012 and he said it was worth the wait. I wanted to make this because we have a 2yo and i cant have any raw eggs. Thank you for this recipe! Truly amazing! My sister said it was the best tiramisu she has tasted.
Wow! Best tiramisu?! Now that’s the BEST comment I could ever receive! So happy you guys enjoyed as much as we do.
Hi. How did you make the single square portion? Where you able to do this in a dish and then cut out the portions? Was the tiramisu very very cold when you cut it to make sure the portion wasnt distorted from the knife pressure?
Hi Rafaella. Yes it’s made in a 8X8 inch dish but a 9X9 inch dish will work too. Full details about that are in the recipe instructions. I did cut the tiramisu while very cold, and was extra careful not to distort it as I was taking pictures of it. In real life, we just scoop it with a spoon lol!
Your pictures are sensational ! The blog is very easy to follow and I appreciate all the effort you put in to give us different ideas (how to serve tiramisu) !
Question, which alcohol free vanilla and vanilla bean paste do you use? I’m a muslim and don’t consume any alcohol 🙂
Thank you so much Mahwich for your kind words.
I have several favorite alcohol free vanilla extracts. Neilson Massey has recent started making an alcohol free version of their amazing quality Madagascar bourbon vanilla. I have their 32oz bottle & it lasts me a year…and I bake A LOT. I also love Trader Joe’s pure alcohol free vanilla. For vanilla bean paste, my favorite is Lorann Oils natural Madagascar vanilla bean paste.
Hope that helps 🙂
You’re a rockstarr! thank you so much !
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Salam, dear Tasbih thank u so much for your recipe. I made it. Yeay.
I am not a baking person, often failed than succeed on trying recipes. Hahaha…
But ma hubby luv tiramisu sooo much, so am trying ma luck with your tiramisu.
So happy to come across your blog, with step by step n detailed instructions that I could follow.
Alhamdulillah, even though ma first custard was soupy n had to remake, da result was not bad for first timer like me. Taste wonderful the next day, we had another slice last nite n ma hubby said it’s very good n tasty Hun. Wohooooo…
Once more, thank u soon much.
Will try other recipe of yours next time x
So happy you stumbled on my blog & are enjoying it! I’m so grateful the tiramisu turned out well. I hope you get a chance to try out more recipes from here & love them just as much.
Thank you for this, exactly what I was looking for to help with the dilemma of using raw eggs! The only difference in my recipe was that I made a custard without the flour, so it needs some gelatine to help it thicken. Either way, the results were fabulous. By the way, the original Tiramisu recipe was arguably created in Treviso, Italy (at Le Beccherie), and interestingly that recipe does not include any alcohol!
Not surprising you are a fan of Christina Tosi. I am guessing that you have heard too of Heston Blumenthal? He does extraordinary things with food both sweet and savoury, and like you, he pushes the limit in getting the most flavour out of whatever he is making. Even some of the simpler things he makes – like his cornbread muffins, treacle tart and lardy cake (substituting beef fat, of course) are some of the best things I have tasted, and that is before you get to his signature recipes, like Black Forest Gateau, which one day I will attempt!
Mansoor I’m so pumped that you enjoyed this recipe. Clearly you know food so well…so to get this kind of feedback from you is EVERYTHING!
Thank you for opening my eyes to the amazingness that it Heston Blumenthal. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of him before. What a culinary shame?! Thanks to you, I’ll be stalking his food creations for now on. That treacle tart, sound so up my alley. Need to try soon ?
A terribly late reply, but yes, please do, that treacle tart is quite lovely, especially with lashings of cream. That beef fat lardy cake is good too, if you can get over the amount of fat that goes into it (you can actually hear it sloshing around inside the cake when you take it out of the oven)!
btw have you been to Japan? That is one of the absolute top destinations for people who love their cakes, pastries, breads and puddings. The variety and quality is eye-poppingly good!
Hello Mansour…when it comes to dessert, no such thing as too much fat right? We’ll just balance it out with a salad ? I went to Japan 13 years ago, before discovering the amazingness of Japanese bakery, but I had way too many great sushi that made up for the lost opportunity. I tried the fluffy Japanese cheesecake in Canada last summer, and if all Japanese bakes are that good, then I wanna move to Japan.
Hi Tasbih…It was greaaaat…I’m going to make for the second time
Yay! Love hearing that! Enjoy ?
My it looks delicious ?
Quick question I hv always used corn starch in custard. Any special reason in using all purpose flour
Thanks! Not really…no particular reason. I’ve adapted the pastry cream portion of the recipe from Joy of Baking.com, so I did what she said & it worked beautifully ?
I want to try this recipe but I don’t eat eggs due to health issues so can I use cornstarch instead or it will not keep the tiramisu form and hold its shape ? If i can please tell me how many tablespoons should I add to make an egg-less version pastry cream and tell me if i should keep the recipe the same or omit the flour? Thanks alot
Hi Ahmed. Thanks for your interest in this recipe. To be honest, it’s so hard to tell if the egg yolks can be omitted from the recipe with success, without experimenting with it first. Your approach sounds doable; like an egg-free pudding, but I’m unsure how much cornstarch you’d substitute. I think you’re best bet is to use an already existing recipe for vanilla pudding like this one: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11515-vanilla-pudding and substitute it for this one. You can use 1 1/2 cups of the vanilla pudding in the recipe.
Thank you chef for your help,,I will give your recipe a try and as soon as possible I’ll tell you the result
What of I don’t have a 20×20 baking pan and want to use a 24x24cm pan?
Should I double the recipe or just make the recipe “x1.5”??
Thank You chef tasbih
Hello Nada! The difference between the 20cm and 24cm dish is not that big, so I definitely don’t think you should double it, as it won’t fit. I believe that if you make 1 1/4X the recipe, it will be just the perfect amount to for your dish.
This was absolutely delicious! The cream was sooo amazing and not eggy at all. I made it in an 8×8 and I actually had about 1/2c of cream leftover but it was delicious on top of some berries. Next time I will take greater care in dipping the ladyfingers because a few got too soaked and were akin to wet sponges. Don’t over soak the ladyfingers! I think I might try adding some cardamom and rose water to the espresso because I absolutely love rose water with coffee. And if I happened to make it on a particularly hot day I might be tempted to just throw it all in the ice cream maker. It’s all good! Thanks for the great recipe! As always very thorough and easy to follow instructions and most importantly, tasty results.
Sarah I’m so excited you loved this recipe! I don’t know which idea I love more? The rose water and cardamom in the coffee mixture, using leftover cream over berries or churning the mixture?. My goodness you’re so full of brilliant ideas. I wanna try them all!
Hey Tasbih! I was eyeing this recipe since forever and finally made it for a family dinner. Went out of my way and budget to get mascarpone ( not easily available) and lady fingers, just so I can finally make it. Turned out awesome, except I couldn’t take out nice square pieces like yours, and mine was a little runny. Don’t know where I went wrong. Any suggestions for next time would be appreciated. Much love to you for sharing this recipe.
So happy you enjoyed the Tiramisu Fareeha! To ensure a thick filling, first you need to be sure that all your elements are the right consistency. The custard base needs to be thick, and to get that, you need to be sure that it reached a boil, because this is what activates the flour & thickens the mixture up. Secondly, the whipped cream need to be thick enough too. To get the cream to whip to stiff peaks, you need to be sure that it is super cold as well as the bowl & beaters. Lastly, make sure that the coffee mixture is not warm at all, because that could melt the cream filling. Hope this helps!
Thanks Tasbih!
I want to update a bit.
The leftover sat in the fridge overnight and voila magic happened!! The flavours just developed so much better and it sliced out into a perfect square!!!!
Loved it
Awesome! That’s so relieving to know. Thank you for the update 🙂
I made this an it was exceptional thank you for developing a raw egg-free, alcohol-free version!
So glad to hear that you loved it Jesse! It’s my pleasure 🙂
Greetings from the Netherlands – love your recipe! question, do you think the mascarpone-custard filling would hold when using it between cake layers (Tiramisu cake)? Would like to try this out instead of making a mascarpone-buttercream.
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Zara! Love the idea of a tiramisu cake! To set your expectations right, its airy, yet sturdy enough to be piped, thicker than whipped cream, but lighter than buttercream. I think the filling might just work if you’re only going to use it on the inside of the cake and then cover the outside with a more sturdy buttercream to seal. Hope that helps!
Hi tasbih.. love the recipe , and m planning to try it out… please tell me, will this cream act as frosting too if I am making a tiramisu cake..? Or should I use this cream as the filling of my cake and then frost it up with whipping or buttercream?
Didn’t realize my question was already answered :).. will let u know when I try it .. ♥️
Hi tasbih
I am yasmin from South Africa and loovvvve your recipes and food pics. I go as Walnut Pesto on Instagram.
I just want to know if I want to convert ur exceptional Tiramisu into a pistachio flavoured one, can I add in pistachio paste and how much.
Thank you
Hi Yasmin! So sorry for my belated reply and thank you so much for your kind words. Pistachio tiramisu sounds like an amazing idea! Since I haven’t tried it myself, I’d add the pistachio paste to the custard base and taste as I go until it reaches the desired intensity of pistachio flavor.
I tried this recipe and the tiramisu turned out excellent! It was worth the effort ?
Amazing! So happy you loved it!
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It tastes good, but its just too bad that the people at the event I made it for won’t get any. I needed this for 30 people, and since the recipe said it makes 16 cups I thought doubling it would be fine (if my math is correct, 16×2=32. Boy was I wrong. I got 22 cups out of the doubled recipe. And thats after I had to remove some cream from other cups to try to get more out of it. And I used cups of a similar size in the photo, with only 2 small cream layers instead of 3. After all the time and money I spent on this I am incredibly disappointed. Now i’ve got 22 cups of tiramisu and nothing to do with them. Thanks.
Oh no! Let me tell you…it’s their loss dear. I’d gladly eat them up for you Megan. Regarding the serving size, the recipe actually states that it make 8 cups of medium size; 16 for the doubled recipe. Sorry for the confusion.
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As the title says – this is exceptional! Thank you for the recipe. I love reading your blog and trying out your recipes.
That’s so wonderful to ML! SO happy you loved this recipe.
Can I use the same filling instead of pastry cream for eclairs because I don’t like its being a bit firm and not as creamy as I love or it is gonna be messy during the piping procedure and won’t hold its shape??
HI Nada! This filling should work nicely for eclairs. It holds its shape well and pipes beautifully.
This is the first time I EVER complete a whole recipe blog and I enjoyed it. Loved your writing style and the recipe. Thank you so much
That means a lot to me Kawthar! Thank you ?
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Tried this recipe and it’s so good! Being a muslim, alcohol is a no-no for me too, haha. So this recipe works wonders for me! Thank you!
I’m so glad that you loved this take on Tiramisu Nur ?
My family can’t stop talking about it. It was worth the effort, best ever.
Makes my day to know that it was so well received Maageda ?
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What a recipe!!!! It’s just perfect. It tastes great and everyone is impressed. Taste better than in the shops haha. Thank you so much for your hard work with coming up with it. I love your recepies. Everything I tried so far came up fantastic.
This looks so good Ina! Love your serving dish ? So happy you enjoyed the recipe so much. Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
I tried this recipe yesterday and it is wonderful!! We also don’t consume alcohol and I personally don’t like raw eggs too. Its perfect, light and the flavors blend very well. The whole family approved and definetely I will keep this recipe in my favorites. Thank you so much for creating it. ❤️
What to do if I do not want to use Egg ?
Egg yolks is an imperative ingredient for this custard recipe. However, you can substitute about 1 1/4 cups of your favorite eggless pudding/custard recipe for this one. Hope that helps ?
I’ve made this multiple times recently and it is incredible!! It’s become my go to recipe when I’m craving coffee