This quick and easy-to-make strawberry tiramisu recipe is the perfect dessert for any occasion! Made with layers of creamy strawberry mascarpone cheese and delicate ladyfingers soaked in strawberry syrup, this tiramisu is a delicious twist on the classic Italian dessert.
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Why you may like this recipe
No coffee. This no-coffee tiramisu is perfect for those who don’t like the coffee flavor or can’t have coffee for any reason.
No eggs. This is the best strawberry tiramisu recipe you can find that doesn’t require the use of eggs. Great for children, those who are pregnant, elderly people, and people who have not-so-strong immune systems.
Ingredients and substitutes
Ladyfingers – You can use my recipe to make Ladyfingers at home or use store-bought ones.
Water – You can replace water with whole milk or any plant-based milk to make the strawberry syrup.
Sugar – You will need granulated white sugar for the syrup and powdered sugar for the strawberry mascarpone cream.
Freeze-dried strawberries – To save some money, I like to buy freeze-dried strawberry slices and blend them until turn into powder, but you can buy strawberry powder right away. Adding strawberry powder is the easiest way to add a prominent, natural strawberry flavor to your desserts.
Vanilla extract – Add vanilla to make this strawberry tiramisu taste like vanilla strawberry ice cream. I like the flavor, but if you don’t, skip adding the extract or replace it with some lemon juice or orange juice.
Salt – I add salt to the syrup as well as the cream for better flavor.
Mascarpone cheese – It should be very cold to whip up well to stable peaks. You can also replace mascarpone with cream cheese if you like.
Heavy whipping cream – Heavy cream should be also very cold.
Fresh strawberries – I chose to add sliced strawberries as a topping, but you can add extra cubed berries between the two layers.
Cooking tips
Don't soak the ladyfingers for too long. Dip the ladyfingers briefly in the strawberry syrup. If you soak them for too long, they will become too soft and soggy.
Don’t overwhip the mascarpone cream. If you whip the cream for too long, it will split and become grainy and unusable. So, keep an eye on your cream and stop the mixer as often as needed to scrape the bowl and check on the texture. The cream should be whipped to stable peaks and look smooth.
Chill well before serving. After assembling the strawberry tiramisu, chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. This will help the flavors meld together and make it easier to cut into neat slices.
Step by step directions
1. In a saucepan, add all syrup ingredients. Heat over medium heat until simmering and the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup through a sieve into a bowl to cool down.
2. Beat the heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
3. Dip each ladyfinger in the cooled syrup for a few seconds.
4. Arrange a layer of soaked ladyfingers in the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking dish (20x20 cm).
5. Spread half of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers.
6. Repeat the process with another layer of soaked ladyfingers and the remaining mascarpone mixture.
7. Cover the top of the dish with plastic wrap or a large plate and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
8. Just before serving, decorate the top with thinly-sliced, fresh strawberries. Cut into 9 squares and serve.
Possible variations
Add some liqueur – If you make your desserts for adults only, you can add some amaretto or orange liqueur to the syrup as well as to the cream.
Use more fresh strawberries – You can cube some strawberries and add them directly to your strawberry mascarpone cream.
Add some dark chocolate – It’s not a secret that dark chocolate fits well with the strawberry flavor. Therefore, you can decorate your strawberry tiramisu with chocolate shaves and use fresh berries inside the dessert instead.
Make your own strawberry ladyfingers – This one is advanced but you can make strawberry ladyfingers at home by replacing a small amount of flour with freeze-dried strawberry powder.
Add some strawberry jam – The best way is to use it in between the layers to add more sweetness and strawberry flavor to your tiramisu.
FAQ
Same as with a classical tiramisu, it should be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
It’s not advisable to freeze it because of the large amount of water in the cream that can separate during thawing and ruin your dessert. Tiramisu is a very quick-to-make dessert. There’s really no need to make it in advance and freeze it for later.
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Recipe card
Strawberry tiramisu
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl
- Saucepan
- 8" by 8" (20cm by 20cm) brownie pan
Ingredients
- 20-26 ladyfingers store-bought or homemade (I used 22 store-bought ladyfingers)
Syrup
- 200 ml water
- 100 g white granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberry powder store-bought or made by pulsing freeze-dried strawberries in a blender or a food processor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Cream
- 250 g mascarpone cheese cold
- 360 g heavy whipping cream cold
- 75 g powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoon freeze-dried strawberry powder store-bought or made by pulsing freeze-dried strawberries in a blender or a food processor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Fresh strawberries for topping sliced
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add all syrup ingredients. Heat over medium heat until simmering and the sugar has dissolved. Pour the syrup through a sieve into a bowl to cool down.
- In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or you can use a hand mixer and a large bowl), beat the heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not overwhip the cream!
- Dip each ladyfinger in the cooled syrup for a few seconds, making sure they are completely coated but not soggy.
- Arrange a layer of soaked ladyfingers in the bottom of an 8x8-inch dish (20x20 cm).
- Spread half of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers.
- Repeat the process with another layer of soaked ladyfingers and the remaining cream mixture.
- Cover the top of the dish with plastic wrap or a large plate and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to allow the flavors to meld and the cream to set.
- Just before serving, decorate the top with thinly-sliced, fresh strawberries. Cut into 9 squares and serve.
Sofia says
Just made this for the first time. Absolutely love it!
Anna says
I'm happy you love the recipe, Sofia!