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This is a no bake dessert that always shines! This recipe for delicious strawberry tiramisu is a refreshing twist on the Italian classic. Bursting with strawberries’ natural sweetness, the mascarpone filling is rich yet airy. Its texture adds a delicate dessert experience. The orange liqueur contrasts beautifully with the fresh strawberries and rich, whippy cream layers. The sponge finger layers get lightly soaked in the perfect homemade strawberry syrup. The whole thing is just dreamy spring or summer dessert perfection; you’ve got to try it! It’s also free from egg yolks and coffee, unlike a traditional tiramisu.
Build layers of ladyfingers, flavored cream and strawberries into the most delicious strawberry tiramisu.
Also try tartufo, strawberry slab pie, tiramisu cookies, tiramisu cheesecake, this limoncello tiramisu, or tiramisu French toast casserole.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy to make ahead: Tiramisu with strawberries is perfect for entertaining. This dessert can be prepared a day in advance, giving you more time to enjoy your guests.
A good alternative to the coffee version: This is a great recipe swap if you don’t love the classic Italian dessert version with coffee. The strawberry flavor is a light and fresh alternative.
Pretty presentation: The vibrant red strawberries and layers make for a stunning, crowd-pleasing dessert.
Minimal effort, maximum flavor: Despite its impressive look, this dessert is surprisingly simple to assemble!
Strawberry Tiramisu Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Strawberries: Choose the brightest, juiciest fresh strawberries to be the star of this dessert.
Orange liqueur: This adds a subtle citrusy warmth to the strawberry simple syrup.
Mascarpone cheese: Rich and creamy, mascarpone is essential to the filling.
Heavy cream: Whipping the cream adds lightness to the filling, creating that airy texture synonymous with tiramisu. Use chilled cream to help it whip up quickly.
Ladyfingers: These delicate, sponge-like cookies act as the base, soaking up the strawberry syrup and subtly contrasting the creamy filling. Use fresh, firm ladyfingers to prevent sogginess.
How to Make Strawberry Tiramisu
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the syrup: In a saucepan, combine halved strawberries, water, and sugar and boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer, stirring gently until the liquid turns deep red.
Strain the mixture: Pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Save the berries for the compote.
Make the syrup: Reserve 2¼ cups of syrup. Set aside 2 cups for dipping the ladyfingers and ¼ cup for the mascarpone filling. Add orange liqueur to the 2 cups of syrup, and chill.
Make the strawberry compote: Return 1 cup of the reserved syrup and the cooked strawberries to the saucepan and blend. Simmer, reduce heat, and cook until thick. Cool, and then add chopped strawberries.
Make the filling: Whip heavy cream, ¼ cup syrup and sugar in a mixing bowl. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form. Combine the room-temperature mascarpone and whipped cream.
Prepare the lady fingers: Pour the chilled syrup into a shallow dish. Dip each ladyfinger briefly into the syrup and arrange 14 dipped cookies in a single layer in a 9×9 inch baking dish.
Assemble: Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Top with the strawberry compote. Add another layer of 14 dipped ladyfingers and spread the remaining mascarpone cream. Cover and refrigerate. Garnish with sliced strawberries.
Substitutions and Variations
Alcohol-free version: For a non-alcoholic alternative, substitute with fresh orange juice or this non-alcoholic Triple Sec syrup.
Strawberry compote: To save time, use a good-quality strawberry jam with a touch of lemon juice.
Mascarpone swap: You could use softened cream cheese instead.
Berry swap: Substitute strawberries for raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries. You can make the syrup and compote the same way, just adjusting for the tartness of the different berries with extra powdered sugar.
Dairy-free version: Replace mascarpone with a dairy-free cream cheese or coconut cream. For whipping, use coconut cream or a dairy-free whipping cream substitute. Ensure the mascarpone alternative is chilled to maintain a firm texture.
Gluten-free option: Swap regular ladyfingers for gluten-free ladyfingers or soft gluten-free cookies like sponge biscuits.
Lemon-flavored tiramisu: Add lemon zest to the mascarpone filling. You can also replace the orange liqueur with limoncello.
Vegan strawberry tiramisu: Use vegan ladyfingers or sponge cake, coconut cream for the whipped filling, and a vegan mascarpone substitute. For sweetening, swap sugar with maple syrup or agave nectar.
Matcha-strawberry tiramisu: Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of matcha powder to the mascarpone filling.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Start with my Italian-style French onion soup or this French bread pizza.
Main: Try this chicken scallopini with lemony sauce or ground beef stroganoff for mains, or my cozy lasagna.
Dessert: End with a portion of fluffy strawberry tiramisu.
How to Store Strawberry Tiramisu
Store: Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. With the fresh strawberry garnish, leftovers will last two days in the refrigerator.
Freezer: To freeze strawberry tiramisu, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 1 month.
Thaw: To thaw, place it in the refrigerator overnight and serve chilled for the best texture and flavor.
Top Tips
Use fresh, ripe strawberries: For the best flavor, go for the juiciest, ripest strawberries. Overripe strawberries can become too mushy.
Chill the mascarpone: Keep the mascarpone cheese well-chilled until it’s time to use it. This helps maintain the creamy, smooth consistency of the filling without it becoming too runny.
Don’t over-soak the ladyfingers: Quickly dip each ladyfinger in the syrup, just enough for them to absorb the flavor without becoming soggy. A brief dunk ensures they stay firm and hold up in the tiramisu layers.
Chill for best results: Let the tiramisu set in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. This allows the flavors to meld and the dessert to firm up, making it easier to slice.
Blend the strawberry compote for a smooth texture: For a consistent compote, use an immersion blender to break down the cooked strawberries. This ensures the compote spreads easily between layers without large chunks.
Garnish just before serving: Wait until you’re ready to serve before garnishing with fresh strawberry slices. This keeps them looking fresh and prevents them from drying out.
Strawberry Tiramisu FAQs
First, so you don’t burn your fingers when dipping. Second, the cookies might break or crumble too quickly if the strawberry syrup is too warm when the ladyfingers are dipped.
You can substitute it with orange extract but only use a fraction of the extract for the alcohol listed in the recipe. For example, if the recipe lists one tablespoon of Cointreau liquor, then one teaspoon of orange extract can be substituted.
If the mascarpone cheese is warm to room temperature, it might become too soft and affect the dish’s texture. Refrigerating the cheese until ready to use helps it blend more smoothly.
Strawberry Tiramisu Recipe
Strawberry Tiramisu
Equipment
- Saucepan Small
- Baking Dish 9-Inch Square
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Simple Syrup:
- 1 Pound strawberries, sliced in half with stems removed
- 2 Cups water
- 2 Cups granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons orange liqueur
For the Strawberry Compote:
- 1 Cup strawberry simple syrup, reduced, from above recipe with the strawberry halves
- 8 Ounces strawberries, fresh, chopped with stems removed
For the Mascarpone Filling:
- 1½ Cups heavy cream
- 8 Ounces mascarpone cheese, chilled
- ⅓ Cup granulated sugar
- 3 or 4 Tablespoons strawberry syrup, from the recipe above
Additional Ingredients:
- 7 Ounces ladyfingers, 24 to 30 cookies
- 12 to 16 strawberries, whole, sliced for garnish
Instructions
Make the Syrup:
- Place the halved strawberries, water and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until just boiling. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, gently stirring, until the liquid is deeply red and the strawberries are still whole but soft.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a medium-sized glass bowl or measuring cup. Do not press the solids through the strainer; save them for the compote (instructions below).
- Reserve 2¼ cups of the strawberry simple syrup (2 cups will dip the lady fingers; the remaining ¼ cup will be added to the mascarpone filling).
- Add the orange liqueur to the reserved 2 cups of simple syrup and chill entirely if desired.
Make the Strawberry Compote:
- Put the remaining 1 cup of strawberry simple syrup back into the saucepan with the boiled strawberries.
- Using an emulsion blender, blend the cooked strawberries until smooth and slightly frothy.
- Place the saucepan back on the stove on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until thickened. (Total cook time is 25 to 30 minutes; it should be a jelly-like consistency in a deep dark red color).
- Once thickened, remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once slightly cooled, add the chopped strawberries and chill until ready to use.
Make the Filling:
- When you’re ready to make the cream filling, remove the mascarpone from the fridge and set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, add the heavy cream, ¼ cups of the strawberry simple syrup on medium speed, and the sugar, and mix for about 2 minutes to incorporate (speed 3 to 6).
- Increase the speed to high (speed 9 or 10) and mix until stiff peaks form, another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add in the mascarpone mixture and mix at a medium speed until combined, about 1 minute.
- Use the whisk attachment to scrape down the sides and assemble the dessert.
Assemble the Tiramisu:
- In a small shallow bowl or pan, add the reserved chilled strawberry simple syrup.
- Individually dip the ladyfingers in the strawberry simple syrup and place them in a single layer in the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. There will be a total of 14 ladyfingers (two rows of 7 dipped cookies).
- Top this first layer with half of the mascarpone whipped filling, then top this first cream layer with the strawberry compote.
- Add another layer of strawberry-dipped lady fingers (a total of 14 dipped cookies) and top with the remaining mascarpone cream.
- Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours before serving. Overnight is best.
- When you are ready to serve, garnish with sliced strawberries.
Notes
Chill the mascarpone: Keep the mascarpone cheese well-chilled until it’s time to use it. This helps maintain the creamy, smooth consistency of the filling without it becoming too runny.
Don’t over-soak the ladyfingers: Quickly dip each ladyfinger in the syrup, just enough for them to absorb the flavor without becoming soggy. A brief dunk ensures they stay firm and hold up in the tiramisu layers.
Chill for best results: Let the tiramisu set in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. This allows the flavors to meld and the dessert to firm up, making it easier to slice.
Blend the strawberry compote for a smooth texture: For a consistent compote, use an immersion blender to break down the cooked strawberries. This ensures the compote spreads easily between layers without large chunks.
Garnish just before serving: Wait until you’re ready to serve before garnishing with fresh strawberry slices. This keeps them looking fresh and prevents them from drying out.
Nutrition
This strawberry tiramisu is a fun twist on the classic dessert, packed with fresh strawberries’ sweet, juicy flavor. The mascarpone filling is rich but light, giving you a comforting and airy dessert. A splash of orange liqueur brings a nice balance to the strawberries and creamy layers. Plus, the sponge fingers get soaked in a simple homemade strawberry syrup that ties it all together. It’s a dreamy dessert you’ll want to dive right into!
Other Dessert Recipes to Try
- This tiramisu-flavored Swiss roll is a serious crowd-pleaser and looks beautiful on a dessert table.
- If you’re after fall flavors, make this apple pie and cheesecake dip and serve it with your favorite sweet dippers.
- Scoop out warm servings of blueberry crumb cake and serve them with your favorite ice cream.
- I love this limoncello panna cotta for a refreshing, light, lemony dessert with fresh berries.
- A Dutch baby pancake with cocoa is light, fluffy and easy to make.
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Such a light and refreshing dessert; we couldn’t stop eating it!
I’m obsessed with the strawberry tiramisu! It’s such a refreshing twist, and the layers of strawberries and mascarpone are pure bliss. I’ll be making this all the time!