No-Bake Tiramisu Cheesecake is a decadent dessert; layered with light, coffee-flavored cheesecake and ladyfingers, then topped with freshly whipped cream. Indulge in a slice after dinner or as a sweet treat for any occasion!
Have a taste for cookie desserts? You have to check out this Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake, Matcha Cheesecake and Ultimate Turtle Pie!
Tiramisu and cheesecake?
Who would’ve thought to combine tiramisu and cheesecake? I love pairing unexpected flavors. And when you stop and think about it, it makes total sense to pair the two. The chocolate, espresso, and mascarpone in tiramisu complement the rich creaminess of the cheesecake.
Every ingredient is crucial to making the No-Bake Tiramisu Cheesecake delicious but I love baking with Minerva Dairy's sea salt butter. It's used in the crust. This butter is sweet with a creamy consistency and spreads great. It's the (edible) glue holding this dessert together!
How do you make no-bake tiramisu cheesecake?
Making this dessert no-bake, was a no-brainer! No one wants to stand over a hot stove during the middle of summer. Because this recipe calls for over 6 hours of refrigeration, I suggest preparing the day before you plan to serve or first thing in the morning, if serving that evening.
cheesecake mixture
First, mix together mascarpone and cream cheese until it's smooth and creamy. Then add powdered sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla extract. While mixing on medium speed, gradually add coffee liqueur until it's fully incorporated. Put the mixture in the fridge to cool.
crust
Combine ladyfingers, almonds, espresso powder, cocoa powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a food processor. Now, gradually add melted butter, mixing until the texture resembles wet sand. Place the mixture in a springform pan, pressing on the bottom until it's evenly spread. Place it in the freezer.
ladyfingers
Next, make the coffee for dipping ladyfingers. Then, using a hand mixer and a large bowl beat cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Take the cream cheese/mascarpone cheesecake filling out of the fridge. Gently fold the whipped heavy cream into the mixture with a silicone spatula or spoon.
assembling no-bake tiramisu cheesecake
Now comes my favorite part... assembling! Pour half of the cheesecake filling on top of the crust. Dip a ladyfinger into the coffee mixture for 1-2 seconds. Then immediately place it on top of the cheesecake mixture before it begins to dissolve. Repeat this process until the ladyfingers cover the first layer of cheesecake. Pour the remaining cheesecake on top and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Finally, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Use a sifter to cover the top of the tiramisu cheesecake with cocoa powder. If you'd like a whipped cream finish, beat 2 cups of heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar. Garnish with more cocoa powder and coffee beans for added flavor.
what is a good replacement for ladyfingers?
Sponge cake or biscottis are good replacements for ladyfingers in this recipe.
I recommend cutting the sponge cake into the shape of ladyfingers prior to use. If you have time, leave them out for a few hours so the cake can dry out. It will be that much easier for the cake to absorb the coffee.
If you opt for biscottis, you'll have to soak them in the coffee mixture for a while so they soften up.
No-Bake Tiramisu Cheesecake calls for two packages of ladyfinger cookies. Keep that in mind if swapping out for another type of cookie or cake.
What if i have a nut allergy?
If you have a nut allergy, you can use graham crackers for the crust in place of nuts. I would recommend about 6-8 sheets of graham crackers if using this substitution.
More Recipes you'll love!
- Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake
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- Upside Down Apple Crisp Cake
- Fried Apple Rings
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No-Bake Tiramisu Cheesecake
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Filling
- 16 oz Mascarpone (room temperature)
- 16 oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)
- 1 ½ c Powdered Sugar
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Espresso Powder
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ c Coffee Liqueur (preferably Kahlua)
- 2 c Heavy Cream, cold
- 8-10 Ladyfingers
- Cocoa Powder for dusting
- 12 Ladyfingers
Almond Cookie Crust
- 1 cup Almonds
- ½ tsp Espresso Powder
- 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- pinch Salt
- ½ cup Butter (melted)
Coffee for Dipping Lady Fingers
- 1 cup Water
- ⅓ cup Coffee Liqueur
- 1 tbsp Espresso Powder
Directions
- In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment or a large bowl using a hand mixer beat together mascarpone and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla extract and continue to mix on medium speed. While continuing to mix, slowly add coffee liqueur and mix together until fully incorporated
- Add mixture to refrigerator and allow it to cool.
- In a food processor, blend together ladyfingers, almonds, espresso powder, cocoa powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Gradually add melted butter and continue to mix until the texture resembles wet sand.
- Add crust to a springform pan and press on the bottom evenly. Add to the freezer.
- Now make the coffee for dipping the ladyfingers. Boil a cup of water or heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir in coffee liqueur and espresso powder and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Remove cream cheese/mascarpone cheesecake filling from the refrigerator and gently fold heavy cream into the mixture using a silicone spatula or spoon.
- Pour half of the cheesecake filling on top of the crust. Dip a ladyfinger into the coffee mixture for 1-2 seconds and immediately place it on top of the cheesecake mixture. (The ladyfingers break down quickly so 1-2 seconds is more than enough!) Repeat until ladyfingers completely cover the first layer of cheesecake.
- Pour remaining cheesecake on top. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- Use a knife to press down the sides of the springform pan to prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and tap the cocoa powder on top using a sifter.
- Optional: beat an additional 2 cups of heavy cream with 3 tbsps of sugar to make whipped cream and pipe/layer additional whipped cream on top (as seen in the pictures). Garnish with more cocoa powder and coffee beans for added flavor!
Notes
- This recipe called for 2 packages of ladyfinger cookies. Keep this in mind when gathering ingredients!
- It is of utmost importance that the mascarpone and cream cheese are at room temperature. After the ingredients are blended, the mixture MUST be cooled prior to adding heavy cream, or else the mixture will curdle and not become smooth and fluffy.
- If you have a nut allergy, you can use graham crackers for the crust in place of nuts. I would recommend about 9 sheets of graham crackers if using this substitution.
Hi Britney! I can't wait to make this for my family!! My grocery store has soft and hard lady fingers. Which one do you recommend?
Hi Hae! I recommend using the hard lady fingers because they'll hold their shape better when you dip it in the coffee mixture! I hope that you love this recipe!
The best cheesecake I’ve ever made and so easy!
Truly amazing!! The taste of this cheesecake is just like tiramisu except better! That lady finger layer with the coffee cream cheese is out of this world. Not to mention, the fact that this is a no bake recipe is AMAZING!
Hi! This looks amazing and I’m so excited to try it! I already have almond flour on hand and I’m hoping to just use that in place of the almonds for the crust. Would I still use 1 cup of almond flour or would it be a different amount? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi! Thanks so much! The almond flour should be fine, it may be a bit more crumbly, but it should work! So long as the consistency is like wet sand, it will set in the freezer while you're prepping your filling. If it seems a little dry, add 1 tbsp of melted butter at a time until it reaches that wet sand texture. I hope that you enjoy it!
This is one of my favourite desserts of all time! Your recipe was creamy and sweet sweet with the perfect amount of coffee flavor. This will be my new go-to recipe!
I'm not normally a tiramisu fan but combining it with cheesecake has converted me. I will be making this one again!
I wanted to serve something fancy and delicious for my brunch, but I didn't want to deal with baking anything. This recipe checked all the boxes! Simply divine, and I can't wait to make it again!
I love tiramisu so much, and this cheesecake was perfect! It was simple to make, and all of the delicious tiramisu flavors were there. I’ll be making it again very soon!
This tiramisu cheesecake is a dream! I made it as a special dessert this weekend and my family completely loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
I loved the combination of cheesecake with tiramisu! And since it's no-bake, this was so simple to make! Definitely a new fave!