This tiramisu without alcohol recipe also uses the classic Italian technique, first invented in Treviso, Italy (a city in the Veneto region near Venice). While lots of tiramisu recipes outside of Europe use whipped cream and mascarpone in between the layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers, the traditional version uses eggs to get the same consistency.
This recipe is incredibly easy and only uses a handful of ingredients. It is also, if you ask me, simply a perfect dessert. It’s not fancy but it is also the ideal thing to serve for special occasions – or as the final course of a delicious Italian meal (perhaps after spaghetti carbonara or pasta puttanesca!).
If you’re looking for an alcohol-free version of tiramisu that also doesn’t use any heavy whipping cream, then you’ve come to the right place. The recipe is easy to make and only gets better as it sits in the fridge!
How to Make Tiramisu Without Using Alcohol
The first step is to separate your eggs.
The general rule of thumb is that eggs separate more easily when they’re cold, but the whites whip up more easily if they’re at room temperature. However, I’ve honestly never had much trouble whipping cold egg whites so I wouldn’t be too concerned with this.
Add your egg yolks to a large bowl along with some sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the yolks and sugar together until the mixture is light, pale and ribbony – this means that when the mixture is lifted, it falls back down like a ribbon. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
Once your yolks have reached this stage, add in some mascarpone cheese, a bit of vanilla bean paste (this is optional – and make sure to use paste and not extract if you want to make this alcohol-free!) and a pinch of salt. Whisk this all together until smooth and set aside.
Because this is a tiramisu recipe without cream (which is the way it’s made in Italy), the mixture gets all its lift from egg whites and its richness from the egg yolks and mascarpone.
Make sure to clean the beaters of your mixer thoroughly because if there is any egg yolk left on them, it can prevent your whites from whipping up properly.
Add your egg whites to a large bowl and whip the whites on high using an electric mixer until they reach stiff peaks – this means the foam does not droop when the beater is lifted.
Once the egg whites have been whipped, use a flexible silicone spatula to transfer about a third of the egg whites into the yolk and mascarpone mixture and gently fold it together to lighten the mixture.
Then, transfer the rest of the egg whites and fold, gently, until no streaks of white remain. Set this aside.
Now pour a bit of strong brewed coffee into a shallow dish – you can also use espresso here if you have an espresso machine.
Take a ladyfinger biscuit and dip each side into the coffee – dip it for no more than a second or two on each side. If you soak the biscuits for longer, they risk falling apart, which is not what you want!
Place your soaked biscuits into the bottom of a baking dish, making sure to line the entire bottom. You may need to trim some biscuits in order for them to fit properly.
Then, scoop half of your egg and mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers and use a spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Top this with one more layer of soaked biscuits and again with the rest of your mascarpone mixture.
Cover the tiramisu with plastic and transfer it to the refrigerator before serving – make sure to keep it there for at least 4 hours in order for it to set up and for everything to soften.
This makes it a great make-ahead dessert. Before you slice and serve, dust the top with a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder. Now all you have to do is dig in and enjoy!
Tiramisu Without Alcohol
Ingredients
- 4 eggs separated
- 100 g (½ cups) caster sugar or granulated, divided
- ¼ tsp salt
- 250 g (1 cup) mascarpone cheese room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste optional
- 250 ml (1 cup) strong brewed coffee or espresso cooled
- 150 g (5 oz) ladyfingers about 24 biscuits
- Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Add the egg yolks, half of the sugar and a pinch of salt to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer (see notes), beat the egg yolks and sugar until very pale and ribbony, about five minutes.
- Add the mascarpone and vanilla, if using, to the egg whites and whisk together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Clean the beaters of the hand mixer thoroughly. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they reach soft peaks. With the mixer running, slowly add in the remaining sugar. Beat until they reach stiff peaks – being careful not to overbeat.
- Using a spatula, transfer 1/3 of the egg whites to the egg yolk and mascarpone mixture. Gently fold together to lighten the mixture. Add the remaining egg white to the mixture and fold gently to combine, ensuring there are no remaining streaks of egg white. Set aside.
- Pour the coffee into a shallow dish. Working one at a time, briefly dip each side of a ladyfinger in the coffee mixture and place in a 20cm x 20cm (8in x 8in) baking dish, lining the bottom of the dish.
- Evenly spread 1/2 of the mascarpone and egg mixture over the ladyfingers. Dip and layer the remaining ladyfingers over the mascarpone mixture. Top with the remaining mascarpone and egg mixture and spread it out evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the tiramisu to chill for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Before serving, dust the top of the tiramisu with cocoa powder. Slice into 6 equal servings.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making tiramisu without rum or any other alcohol is not only super easy, you likely won’t even miss its presence in this absolutely dreamy Italian dessert!
Are you looking to make the perfect tiramisu? Have any questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
