The strawberry tiramisu is a big glass of love, more or less. More for someone like me who is irrevocably fond of strawberries. The dessert is balanced to perfection, with vanilla-scented delicate, velvety mascarpone, strawberry-soaked ladyfinger cookies, and sweet juicy strawberries - all in a cup!
It's not cloyingly sweet or too rich. I know classic tiramisu calls for coffee, but with this recipe, I stay true to the Italian expression tirami sù, or as we’d say it in English, "pick me up."
It’s reminiscent of the blooming spring. And with the cold still clinging to us, it’s lovely to have something so light, bright, and upbeat. The feel-good factor is off the charts.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This eggless, alcohol-free tiramisu is so easy to make. No baking is needed, just whisking and layering!
A great make-ahead dessert that EVERYONE loves!
Sunnier, brighter take on the classic tiramisu. Think of it as a light pudding with all the tiramisu feels!
You can easily halve or double the recipe depending on the number of people you're serving it to.
Recipe Ingredients
Strawberry puree: I made it fresh by blending strawberries, sugar, and water. You can also use homemade strawberry syrup as I did for my Korean strawberry milk.
Ladyfingers: I used store-bought because it saves time and they’re easily available. You can make them at home or use pound cake, sponge cake, or even homemade rusk instead.
Mascarpone cheese: This rich, velvety Italian cheese is the best for making tiramisu. Make sure it's at room temperature so it blends quickly and well. You can use softened cream cheese as a substitute.
Cream: I used 25% fat cream for this recipe. You can use heavy cream as well.
Sugar: Powdered sugar, also known as icing sugar works the best for this recipe.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Vanilla: I love the depth and dimension vanilla brings out in the tiramisu. You can use vanilla extract instead of bean paste. I prefer the latter because I find the tiny vanilla specks shining through the cream stunning.
Another substitute for vanilla is lemon or orange zest. Pairing strawberries with any citrus tang doesn’t even require an explanation. The aromatics bring a wonderful lightness to the dessert.
More fruit: Top each layer of tiramisu with more fresh strawberries!
How To Make Strawberry Tiramisu
Step 1: Make the strawberry puree. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a blender. Blend until you get a smooth puree. Taste and adjust for sweetness.
Step 2: Make the mascarpone filling. Combine the mascarpone cheese, cream, icing sugar, and vanilla bean paste in a bowl. Beat them together, using an electric beater, until thick and creamy.
Step 3: Assemble the strawberry tiramisu.
- Start by dunking the ladyfingers into the purée. Then arrange it on the bottom of the glass.
- Because I made individual portions of the tiramisu in wine glasses, I had to break my ladyfingers into pieces. If you’re using glasses too, divide each into 2 to 3 parts so they fit easily.
- Plop a spoonful of purée on top of the ladyfinger base and follow it with a dollop of the mascarpone mixture.
- Repeat the layers one more time, cover, and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Good tiramisu needs to be chilled to give the flavors time to meld and develop.
- Right before you serve, feel free to top with fresh strawberries and chocolate shavings.
Top Tips
- To avoid soggy cookies, give the cookies a quick dip in the strawberry puree.
- The sweetness of your strawberry puree depends on how sweet or tart your strawberries are. If they’re tart, add more sugar. If they’re sweet, use less.
- We’re not looking for a thick purée here. That’s why we’re adding water to thin it down.
- Make sure your mascarpone cheese is at room temperature. That helps in making a smoother mixture faster and more easily.
- Allow the tiramisu to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Recipe FAQs
Some say the original tiramisu didn’t have any alcohol. Others say it had a drop of Marsala wine. I say, pander to your palate. Spike it with prosecco, rum, brandy, or even strawberry or orange liqueur.
Lace the strawberry purée with the alcohol of your choice and pour a spoonful in the mascarpone cheese. Or keep the tiramisu alcohol-free, as I did.
Serving them in wine glasses was a completely personal choice for me. If you’re feeling inspired, try any dessert glass or make it in a regular serving dish, as I have with my chai tiramisu and lemon tiramisu.
Yes! Tiramisu is always better when made ahead as the flavors get time to meld together well. You can make this in advance and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Tiramisu
Ingredients
- 16 Ladyfinger cookies
Strawberry Puree
- 1.5 cup Strawberries
- 2-3 tbsp Sugar
- 1/2 cup Water
Mascarpone Mixture
- 1 cup Mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup Cream
- 1/3 cup Icing sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla bean paste
- Fresh strawberries and Chocolate shavings for topping
Instructions
- Keep 8 dessert glasses/bowls handy.
Strawberry Puree
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a blender. Blend until you get a smooth puree. Taste and adjust for sweetness.
Mascarpone Mixture
- Combine the mascarpone cheese, cream, icing sugar, and vanilla bean paste in a bowl.
- Beat them together, using an electric beater, until thick and creamy.
Assembly
- Dip a ladyfinger cookie in the strawberry puree. Place it at the bottom of the serving glass. you may need to break it into 2-3 pieces to make it fit.
- Add 1-2 tsp of the puree on top.
- Add a heaped tablespoon of the cheese mixture. You may need to add more, depending on the glass you are using.
- Add one more layer of cookie, puree, and then cheese mixture. Add a little bit of the puree on top of the last cheese layer.
- Repeat for all the dessert glasses.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Top with fresh strawberries and chocolate shavings before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
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- To avoid soggy cookies, give the cookies a quick dip in the strawberry puree.
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- The sweetness of your strawberry puree depends on how sweet or tart your strawberries are. If they’re tart, add more sugar. If they’re sweet, use less.
-
- We’re not looking for a thick purée here. That’s why we’re adding water to thin it down.
-
- Make sure your mascarpone cheese is at room temperature. That helps in making a smoother mixture faster and more easily.
-
- Allow the tiramisu to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
Nutrition
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