Tiramisu cookies are soft, espresso and Kahlua-infused cookies with a swirl of mascarpone frosting and a dusting of cocoa. They taste just as gourmet as the real thing, but are much faster! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Gourmet Tiramisu Cookies
Craving tiramisu, but don’t have the time (or patience) to wait for it to chill? Make tiramisu cookies! This gourmet cookie recipe comes by popular request, and I have to say, it took a while to tackle but I am so pleased with how it turned out. My version employs a few intentional techniques for truly authentic tasting results , and it stands out from the rest. I can’t wait to hear how you like it!
Why This Recipe WORKS
- Flavor inspired by the real thing. I didn’t want to take a shortcut and just use a shortbread or sugar cookie base; instead, I created one that mimics the flavor of traditional ladyfingers. They’re soft, lightly cakey (cakier than I typically prefer my cookies) and not-too-sweet with a mild vanilla flavor.
- Authentic flavor. Brushing the cookies with the espresso/Kahlua mixture after baking helps ensure they’re saturated (but not soggy) with deep, authentic tiramisu flavor.
- Perfect texture, even after chilling! Because the frosting needs refrigerated, the assembled tiramisu cookies will need to be refrigerated too. Typically cookies don’t do well in the fridge, but I carefully balanced the dough to stay soft and chewy even after chilling.
- Foolproof mascarpone frosting. While mascarpone can be fussy, I learned when handled properly it doesn’t have to be. My simple and foolproof technique keeps things easy peasy. Just make sure to keep both your mascarpone and cream in the fridge until you’re ready to make the frosting (they should both be cold!), and you won’t run into any issues!
Ingredients
There are quite a few ingredients you’ll need to gather before starting (since we are making cookies, an espresso soak, and a frosting); let’s chat about a few before we get started!
- Instant espresso powder. Use your favorite. We’ll bloom this before adding it to our cookie dough (extracts the flavor!), and then we’ll combine it with Kahula and brush over our cookies after baking too (in traditional tiramisu, you would dip your ladyfingers in this mixture).
- Kahlua. You can always swap this for spiced rum or marsala wine if you prefer.
- Mascarpone cheese & heavy cream. Make sure to keep both in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. Whipping cream or double cream will also work in place of the heavy cream.
- Egg + egg white. Skipping the egg yolk here makes for cookies that are a bit cakey (this is intentional!). Don’t want to waste your egg yolk? Use it to make a batch of brookies or put it to even better use in my brown butter bourbon chocolate chip cookies 😊
- Cocoa powder. Stick with natural cocoa powder for the most authentic results; Dutch cocoa is too dark and has a different flavor profile that doesn’t work as nicely.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
SAM’S TIP: Don’t add more vanilla! I intentionally kept it to a minimum here to keep the cookies themselves from being too rich. My goal was to emulate some of the characteristics of ladyfingers.
How to Make Tiramisu Cookies
- Step 1: Make the dough. Cream the sugars and butter until smooth, then add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl before gradually adding them to the butter mixture. Finally, drizzle in the espresso mixture while mixing on low speed. Cover and chill the dough.
- Step 2: Scoop, flatten, & bake. Place 2 tablespoon sized scoops on parchment lined baking sheets, slightly flattening each cookie with your fingertips. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Do not over-bake, or the cookies will be very dry!
- Step 3: Make the espresso soak. Whisk together the espresso powder and hot water, then stir in the kahlua.
- Step 4: Brush cookies with espresso. Let your cookies cool for a few minutes before lightly brushing with the espresso/kahlua mixture. Just lightly brush them; if you overdo it, you’ll make the cookies soggy.
- Step 5: Make the frosting. Using an electric mixer, stir the cream, mascarpone, kahlua, vanilla, and sugar on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and whip until the mixture reaches stiff peaks.
- Step 6: Add the frosting. Pipe or spread the frosting over the cookies. I like to pipe the frosting with a Wilton 1A tip (the same one I use for frosting my Lofthouse cookies) but that’s not mandatory, just spreading it over the top with a knife works well, too!
- Step 7: Dust with cocoa. Dust the frosted cookies with cocoa powder (a tea strainer or powdered sugar duster works well!), then enjoy.
SAM’S TIP: Mascarpone can be fussy, but I’ve had no issue with it in this particular recipe. In fact, it’s the easiest recipe I’ve ever used mascarpone in (definitely easier than my tiramisu cake!). Just make sure the cream and mascarpone are cold straight from the fridge; it may look like your frosting is going to curdle, but just keep mixing and it will be fine (I demonstrate in the video for proof 😂).
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfrosted cookies can stay at room temperature, but once you add the frosting, they will need to go in the fridge. Store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh and enjoy within 3 days.
No, these tiramisu cookies contain alcohol (Kahlua), so you should not serve them to anyone under 21 years of age.
I don’t recommend it; they will absorb too much liquid and become soggy. Lightly brushing them just twice (see my video below!) adds flavor without making them too wet.
Related Recipes
Is there another gourmet cookie recipe you’d like to see? Let me know in the comments! 🩷
Enjoy!
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Tiramisu Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg white
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon espresso powder
- 1 Tablespoon hot water
For brushing
- ½ Tablespoon espresso powder
- 2 Tablespoons hot water
- 1 teaspoon Kahlua
For the frosting
- 4 oz (113 g) mascarpone cheese cold
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream cold
- 2 teaspoons Kahlua
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (95 g) powdered sugar
- Natural cocoa powder for dusting
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together butter and sugars until creamy and well-combined.½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- Add egg, egg white, and vanilla and stir on low-speed until uniform and well combined.1 large egg + 1 large egg white, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.1 ¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until combined.
- In a separate, small dish, whisk together espresso powder and hot water.1 Tablespoon espresso powder, 1 Tablespoon hot water
- With mixer on low speed, drizzle espresso mixture into cookie dough, stirring until completely combined. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky at this point.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- While cookies are chilling, preheat your oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Once dough has chilled, scoop cookies by 2 Tablespoon (35g) sized scoops and place on baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” apart, and gently press down on the tops of each cookie, flattening slightly (if the dough is too sticky, lightly dampen your fingers before flattening).
- Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake for 9-10 minutes, until the edges of the cookie are just beginning to turn a light golden brown.
- While cookies are baking, prepare your espresso mixture for brushing. In a small dish, whisk together espresso powder and hot water until combined. Add Kahlua and whisk again.½ Tablespoon espresso powder, 2 Tablespoons hot water, 1 teaspoon Kahlua
- Brush the cookies: After cookies finish baking, but while they’re still warm (about 3 minutes after baking) dip a pastry brush in the Kahlua mixture, tap off excess liquid, and lightly brush over the cookies twice (you don’t want to overdo it and saturate the cookies).
- Once cookies have cooled, prepare your frosting.
Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the mascarpone, heavy cream, Kahlua, vanilla, and sugar. Stir on low speed, increasing slowly to high speed until you reach stiff peaks.4 oz (113 g) mascarpone cheese, ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, 2 teaspoons Kahlua, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ cup (95 g) powdered sugar
- Once cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe frosting over cookies (I like to use a piping bag and 1A tip), and lightly dust cocoa powder over the top.Natural cocoa powder
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If stacking, place wax paper or parchment paper between layers.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
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