Raspberry Tiramisu

This no-bake raspberry tiramisu takes the classic dessert to a mouthwatering new level! Featuring layers of smooth, homemade mascarpone cream, spongy raspberry-soaked ladyfingers, and fresh raspberry sauce, it's the perfect finish to a picnic, celebration, or delicious Italian dinner!

Best Raspberry Tiramisu Recipe

My delicious raspberry tiramisu recipe is super beginner-friendly and made with simple ingredients that you can find at any store or already at home. All you need is a fridge, your everyday baking tools, and a little patience while it sets. No oven and no fancy tools are required.

Packed with expert tips and foolproof steps, this delicious raspberry tiramisu recipe helps you avoid common mistakes and achieve the perfect texture and flavor. Plus, there are several fun ways to customize the flavors to make it your own, so be sure to check out the end of the recipe for some easy ideas.

The layers of sweet raspberry sauce, soft ladyfingers, and creamy mascarpone practically melt in your mouth!

Katalin's Key Take On What Is The Secret Behind Making Good Tiramisu

After trying tiramisu in Italy and at numerous Italian restaurants around the world, one thing I've learned is that the secret to a truly great tiramisu lies in the ingredients. While there's no single way to make it, getting the right balance of flavors and textures is what makes it unforgettable.

Using high-fat creamy mascarpone cream is key. In fact, you won't have a tiramisu without it! It should be rich, smooth, and just sweet enough. Paired with soft ladyfingers soaked in raspberry syrup, it creates that signature light, creamy texture (without being mushy) that tiramisu is known for.

From the fat content in your cream to the ratio of cream to sponge, every detail counts. Make sure to choose high-quality, full-fat ingredients and avoid swapping or adjusting the amounts. Once you've nailed each of the components, you'll have a raspberry tiramisu that may become your new go-to!

In this raspberry version, both fresh and frozen raspberries work, as they're cooked down and won't affect the final taste. But it's the crushed freeze-dried raspberries on top that take it to the next level, adding a bright pop of color and an extra punch of raspberry flavor in every bite.

Make The Raspberry Syrup

To make the raspberry sauce, blend your raspberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice (preferably fresh) together. 

Then, cook them in a saucepan over low to medium heat for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves. You may need to use more or less sugar depending on the sweetness of the raspberries.

Once the sugar has dissolved, remove half of the mixture and set it aside to use later as your raspberry dipping sauce.

Make The Raspberry Jam

Continue cooking the remaining sauce for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Over time, it will thicken into a jam-like consistency, darken in color, and reduce in volume. If you prefer not to have seeds in your jam, you can strain it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove them.

Place this jam texture raspberry reduction in the refrigerator to cool while continuing with the rest of the recipe. 

Heavenly Mascarpone Cream For Tiramisu

Before starting the cream, ensure that your mascarpone and heavy cream are both very cold so they whip up correctly and retain their structure.

Create a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. 

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together over the steam for about five minutes until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture warms to 185°F / 85°C. Keep the heat low, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs!

Next, transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or an electric hand mixer) to whip it until it cools to around 75°F / 24°C.

In the meantime, use the hand mixer to whip the cold mascarpone and heavy cream until early stiff peaks form (this should take about 3 minutes). Be careful not to overmix.

Finally, gently fold the whipped mascarpone mixture into the cooled egg yolk mixture using a rubber spatula, being careful to preserve the light and airy texture. The cream will continue to set once it has been chilled.

Assemble Your Raspberry Tiramisu

Get your dish ready because now it's time to assemble your tiramisu! I use a 7x9-inch (18x24 cm) pan in this recipe, but an 8x8-inch baking dish works just fine too! You can use store-bought ladyfingers or my homemade ladyfingers for this part of the recipe. 

Dip the ladyfingers briefly in the raspberry syrup and arrange them in a single layer across the bottom. I can usually fit 10 per layer.

Next, spread half of the raspberry jam over the soaked ladyfingers, followed by half of the mascarpone cream. Repeat the process with the second layer, then use an offset spatula to smooth the top.

For extra berry flavor, you can add fresh raspberries between the layers. However, doing so might make cutting clean slices a bit more difficult.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill your assembled raspberry tiramisu in the fridge for at least 4 hours to set properly. 

Just before serving, top with a dusting of freeze-dried raspberry powder, whipped chantilly cream, and fresh raspberries for a beautiful finishing touch!

Storing & Freezing

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2–3 days. I recommend covering the container to keep the tiramisu from absorbing any odors from the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing, as mascarpone cream doesn't freeze well.

Just before serving, re-dust it with the freeze-dried raspberry powder.

Flavor Variations

Instead of raspberries, you can use blueberries or strawberries, as I do in my strawberry tiramisu recipe.

You can experiment with different flavors of mascarpone, as I suggest in my mascarpone frosting recipe. You can also enhance the mascarpone with herbs and spices that complement the raspberry flavor well, such as vanilla bean, lemon zest, or a touch of dried mint or basil.

Swap the chantilly cream topping for my chocolate whipped cream for a lovely raspberry-chocolate combination. Or, swap out the freeze-dried raspberry dusting with powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

For a decadent surprise between layers, drizzle in some of my silky chocolate ganache or white chocolate sauce to make a raspberry white chocolate tiramisu. Add a layer of limoncello syrup, as I do in my limoncello tiramisu, to create a tart lemon raspberry tiramisu. 

Instead of making your raspberry tiramisu with ladyfingers, you can use graham crackers or digestive biscuits.

Ingredient Substitutions

For a gluten-free tiramisu, you can use gluten-free ladyfingers. Substituting mascarpone is a bit trickier since it is an essential ingredient in tiramisu. However, my mascarpone article has a homemade mascarpone recipe as well as possible alternatives.

If you'd rather skip the heavy cream, you can use more mascarpone as a substitute. And while there's no perfect substitute for egg in a classic tiramisu recipe, my limoncello tiramisu offers an eggless version. If you're feeling unsure about using raw egg yolks, there's no need to worry! Most tiramisu you've enjoyed at restaurants likely included them, as does your everyday mayonnaise, classic ice cream, and mousse.

While ingredient swaps are possible when making raspberry tiramisu, doing so will require making tweaks to the other ingredient ratios to maintain a similar flavor and texture.

Expert Tips To Make Raspberry Tiramisu

1. Always use full-fat, very cold mascarpone cheese and heavy cream for the best texture and flavor.
2. When preparing the raspberry syrup and jam, keep the heat low and maintain a gentle simmer to prevent the raspberries from breaking down too much or burning.
3. Overwhipping your mascarpone and cream is easy to do, causing the mixture to become too stiff to fold properly or to separate and become runny. Watch closely and stop as soon as soft peaks form.
4. Make sure the egg mixture cools completely before folding in the mascarpone. If it's still warm, it can cause the mascarpone to break and turn watery. If you're short on time, you can stick it in the fridge or freezer to speed up the chilling process.
5. Never rush the setting time. While four hours is the minimum, letting it rest overnight is best.

What Equipment To Use

For optimal results, use a digital scale for precise and consistent measurements. 

To make the mascarpone cream, an electric hand mixer or stand mixer is handy, as it reduces some of the manual effort. When it's time to fold ingredients together, use a rubber spatula to keep from overmixing. 

An offset spatula makes spreading and smoothing out the cream layer a breeze.

Try Some Of My Other Dessert Recipes

This easy raspberry tiramisu dessert is just one of my many delicious tiramisu recipes! Be sure to check out the others:

• Chocolate Tiramisu
• Matcha Tiramisu
• Strawberry Tiramisu
• Limoncello Tiramisu
• Tiramisu Cake Roll
• Tiramisu Brownies

And for even more impressive crowd-pleasing desserts, check out my roundup of the 50+ Best Unique Desserts.

Have You Tried This Recipe?

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