Tiramisu Recipe Without Alcohol

Looking for a no bake, no fuss, makes everyone happy dessert? You’ve found it. 

While tiramisu is often associated with fancy meals or restaurants it’s actually a few simple steps to make.

Some whipping, some creaming, some dunking and some layering. Then an extended stay in the refrigerator and you’re serving a delicious dessert. 

Ingredients For Tiramisu Without Alcohol

The first step is gathering your ingredients. We will go through a breakdown of them for ease of understanding.  With a couple exceptions this recipe is made of general pantry staples. 

These exceptions include lady finger cookies and mascarpone cheese. 

Ladyfingers can be hard to come by though some specialty grocery stores will carry them. If you don’t want to hunt through stores, you can order them on Amazon and they will come right to your door.

The other alternative is to make them yourself, a more time consuming but potentially a more rewarding option.

Mascarpone cheese will be carried at all major grocery stores, not hard to find just not something most people keep in their refrigerator.

In a bind, the closest replacement to mascarpone is cream cheese. Mascarpone provides a buttery, rich flavor that will achieve the unique tiramisu flavor most are used too.

Using cream cheese will give your dish a bit more sour taste and a thick, creamier texture. 

In most tiramisu recipes you will include alcohol like rum or a coffee-flavored liqueur. In this recipe, we skip the alcohol and add a little extra coffee for flavor.

For coffee, you can use espresso, espresso powder, or a very strong brewed cup of black coffee. If you opt for the powder then you will mix it with a cup of boiling water. 

The final ingredients include heavy whipping cream, eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder. 

Now that the ingredients are gathered we can begin! 

Tips For Making Tiramisu Without Alcohol

If you have a double boiler you will use it here, if you don’t it is easy to make one yourself.

To create a double boiler setup, fill a large pot most of the way up with water and find a glass bowl that will fit on the top, being supported on the sides and the bottom not quite touching the water when simmering. 

Place the pot on a medium high burner and bring the water to a simmer. In the glass bowl placed on top of the pot, mix the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk.

The yolks will start to turn a pale yellow. Once it begins to warm continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture volume increases slightly. 

To be sure it’s been long enough, touch your finger to the mixture and rub it between your fingers. Still grainy? Keep stirring.

When it’s ready the mixture will be silky and all the sugar will have dissolved. It will not get piping hot, just warm, so you won’t burn your fingers. 

You will want whatever coffee you have decided on ready at this point. If you use instant espresso powder, mix it with 1 cup of hot water to dissolve. For either coffee or espresso, mix in ¼ cup sugar to the liquid. 

Once you have achieved the silky texture desired with the egg mixture, add three tablespoons of coffee and mix in. Continue stirring until the mixture is thick like custard, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool in the refrigerator. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the mascarpone until it softens and begins to fluff. Slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream and continue mixing until just before stiff peaks begin to form, about two minutes.

Using a spatula, fold together the cream mixture and the chilled egg yolk mixture.

Time to assemble!

Pour the remaining coffee/espresso into a shallow bowl and gather together an 8×8 pan, the ladyfinger cookies, and the custard mixture. 

Working in layers, begin by gently dunking the ladyfingers into the coffee one at a time and placing them in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.

When the bottom of the pan is completely covered, spread half of the custard mixture across it. This should provide a thick layer of cream.

Repeat the steps again, adding another layer of dunked ladyfingers and cream. 

Cover the pan in saran wrap and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. 

Time in the refrigerator allows all the flavors and textures to meld together, softening the cookies and giving everything the opportunity to firm and come to the same temperature. 

When it’s time to pull out the dish, remove the saran wrap and give it a generous dusting in cocoa powder. Slice and serve. 

How To Make Tiramisu Without Alcohol – Step By Step

Step 1

Gather your ingredients and lightly oil an 8×8 inch glass or metal baking dish. 

Step 2

Using a double boiler, or makeshift double boiler set up, fill the pot with water and place on medium-high heat. In the glass bowl whisk together ¾ cup sugar and the egg yolks.

When the water is simmering, place the bowl on top, being sure the water is not quite touching the bottom of the bowl. Warm and whisk the mixture until silky and no sugar granules remain. 

Stir in ¼ cup sugar into your strong coffee or espresso, then add 3 tablespoons to the egg yolk mix. Continuing stirring the mix over the heat until it thickens into a custard. This takes about 10 minutes. 

Remove from heat and set the custard mixture aside to cool in the refrigerator. 

Step 3

Separately, in the bowl of a stand mixer, gently beat the mascarpone cheese until it softens and smooths, about 20 seconds.

With the mixer on medium slowly add the heavy whipping cream. Continue to beat until it is firm but before stiff peaks form. 

When the egg yolk mixture is cool, combine it and the cream mixture. 

Step 4

With the remainder of the coffee/espresso in a shallow bowl, dip each ladyfinger briefly in the liquid and line the bottom of your prepared baking dish, covering it completely. Spread half of the cream mixture over the top.

Repeat both of these steps.

Step 5

Cover the dish in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, up to 24.

When ready to serve remove the saran wrap and give the tiramisu a generous dusting of cocoa powder. 

Step 6

Serve and enjoy! 

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