Lemon tiramisu is a delightful variation of the classic Italian coffee dessert. It combines the creamy richness of mascarpone cheese with the tangy sweetness of lemon curd. Moreover, the fresh, bright, and citrusy dessert has no eggs and no alcohol.
This is the best lemon tiramisu recipe. If you love tiramisu but prefer a caffeine-free version, this is the one for you! Undeniably creamy, it mixes the goodness of traditional tiramisu with a burst of tangy lemon flavor.
For me, it’s the taste of summer - tangy, zesty, and refreshing, perfect for summer gatherings or a sweet treat at home. Above all, anyone can whip up this delightful dessert with simple ingredients and super-easy steps.
If you like tiramisu with different flavors, you must try these easy versions - Biscoff tiramisu, masala chai tiramisu, and strawberry tiramisu!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
A winner: Tiramisu in any flavor is always the perfect choice for dessert.
Simple: Easy and straightforward, with no egg whites to be whipped. Plus, the tiramisu is sans alcohol!
Make ahead: You can make the lemon curd and the no-bake dessert a day or two before and let it chill in the fridge.
Refreshing twist: Lemon curd and syrup give it a zesty lemon flavor that is perfect with the creamy layers of mascarpone.
Recipe Ingredients & Swaps
Lemon curd: The star of the show! You can use homemade lemon curd or a store-bought version.
Ladyfinger biscuits: I used store-bought because they save time and are easily available. You can make the biscuits at home or use pound cake, sponge cake, or even homemade rusk for this lemon mascarpone tiramisu recipe.
Mascarpone gives a delicate creaminess to the tiramisu. You can use cream cheese if you’re out of mascarpone. It’ll give the dessert a more cheesecake-like texture though.
Whipping cream: I prefer cream with 30 to 35% fat whipped to a soft to medium peak.
Sugar: Icing or powdered sugar will work in this recipe.
How To Make Lemon Tiramisu
Step 1: Heat half a cup of sugar with water and lemon peel. After it comes to a boil, take the syrup off the heat and set it aside to cool.
Step 2: Whisk mascarpone cheese with icing sugar.
Step 3: Next, fold in whipped cream and lemon curd. Don’t overmix. You’re looking for a light, smooth tiramisu filling.
Step 4: Start assembling the tiramisu with eggless lemon curd by dipping each ladyfinger in the syrup we made in Step 1.
Step 5: Arrange the soaked cookies in a single layer in your serving dish. Use whatever catches your fancy—a round plate, a rectangle dish, or a square pie dish.
Step 6: Spread half of the mascarpone-lemon curd mixture on top.
Step 7: Make another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with the rest of the mascarpone filling.
Step 8: Swirl lemon curd on top.
Step 9: Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
Final step: Serve and savor!
Pro Tips
- Don’t use metal utensils. You don’t want the acid in the lemon to react, giving your eggless tiramisu a metallic taste.
- The mascarpone should be at room temperature.
- Fold the mascarpone, whipped cream, and lemon curd with a light hand so it remains light and airy.
- Give the cookies a good dunk in the syrup, for about 1-2 seconds. We don't want mushy cookies, just soft ones.
- Let it chill. Give the tiramisu a good 8 hours in the fridge, so the ladyfinger biscuits have the time to soak up the flavors.
- Leftover lemon syrup? Use it in iced teas, mocktails, and cocktails.
Lemon Tiramisu Recipe FAQs
We’re using whipping cream instead of egg whites in the mascarpone mixture and eggless lemon curd instead of egg yolk. So, the simple recipe is pretty much without eggs.
To make it completely eggless, use egg-free Savoiardi or ladyfingers. You can even make lemon tiramisu with eggless pound cake, or cake rusk.
Use a gluten-free substitute for ladyfingers. A gluten-free sponge or pound cake will also work well here.
Yes, you can prepare lemon curd tiramisu in advance and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can. Just remember to double-wrap it before you stick it in the freezer. Frozen lemon tiramisu tastes delicious, almost like ice cream.
You can try orange, passionfruit, strawberry, or mango curd for a different summery twist on the classic coffee dessert.
📖 Recipe
Easy lemon Tiramisu Recipe
Ingredients
- 20-24 Ladyfinger cookies See Notes
Lemon Syrup
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
- 2-3 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2-3 pcs Lemon peels
Filling
- 3/4 cup Cream 30-35% fat
- 1 lb Mascarpone cheese
- 3/4 cup Icing sugar
- 3/4 cup Lemon curd Homemade or store-bought
Toppings Optional
- 2 tbsp Lemon curd
- Lemon slices
Instructions
- Keep a non-metallic serving dish ready. Use any serving dish you prefer - round, square, or rectangle. I used a 6"x 9" casserole dish.
Lemon Syrup
- Combine water, sugar, and lemon peel in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer on medium heat. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Let the syrup cool, whisk in the lemon juice, remove the lemon peel, and transfer to a bowl. Keep aside.
Filling
- Whip the cream in a chilled bowl for 4-5 minutes until soft to medium peaks form.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mascarpone cheese and icing sugar.
- Fold in the whipped cream and lemon curd. Don't overmix.
Assembly
- Start assembling the lemon tiramisu with eggless lemon curd by dipping the ladyfingers, one at a time, in the lemon syrup.
- Arrange the soaked cookies in a single layer in your serving dish.
- Evenly spread half of the mascarpone-lemon curd mixture on top.
- Make another layer of soaked ladyfingers on top of the filling.
- Spread out the rest of the filling on top of the second layer.
- Drop small spoonfuls of lemon curd on top of the mascarpone filling and make swirls. This step is OPTIONAL.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
- Decorate with lemon slices and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Don’t use metal utensils. You don’t want the acid in the lemon to react, giving your eggless tiramisu a metallic taste.
- The mascarpone should be at room temperature.
- Fold the mascarpone, whipped cream, and lemon curd with a light hand so it remains light and airy.
- Give the cookies a good dunk in the syrup, for about 1-2 seconds. We don't want mushy cookies, just soft ones.
- Let it chill. Give the tiramisu a good 8 hours in the fridge, so the ladyfinger biscuits have the time to soak up the flavors.
- Leftover lemon syrup? Use it in iced teas, mocktails, and cocktails.
Leave a Reply