The Best Gingerbread Tiramisu To Spread Holiday Cheer
Gingerbread Tiramisu adds a fun holiday twist to the classic Italian tiramisu dessert with gingerbread spice mix and cute gingerbread cookies as decoration. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream as a delicious alternative to a baked Christmas dessert.
Nothing quite says “Christmas is here” than a gingerbread dessert or sweet treat! From gingerbread cookies, gingerbread cheesecake, gingerbread puddings, and gingerbread loaf, I never miss an opportunity to add to my growing list.
This Gingerbread Tiramisu is definitely one to add to the Christmas table this year. Not only does it look stunning, its creamy layers with coffee soaked ladyfinger biscuits and piped topping with cocoa powder makes it truly irresistible.
It’s the kind of dessert your guests will be talking about long after Christmas day!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS GINGERBREAD TIRAMISU
This gingerbread tiramisu recipe is alcohol-free which makes it suitable to serve to all ages and anyone that doesn’t consume alcohol.
It’s the perfect Christmas dessert to make ahead of the guests arriving as it needs to be chilled in the fridge for 3-12 hours for best results.
Make quick and easy changes to this no-bake holiday tiramisu to suit your personal preferences. I’ve listed a few ideas for you below!
KEY INGREDIENTS
Gingerbread mascarpone mixture – This creamy mixture for layering between the ladyfingers consists of a whisked egg and sugar mixture, folded whipped cream, molasses, gingerbread spice mix, and mascarpone cheese.
Ladyfingers – These Italian biscuits are known as “Savoiardi”. They are also known as “Boudoirs” by the French. You will likely find them in the grocery aisle along with other cookies or with imported products.
Topping – This gingerbread tiramisu is topped with piped drops of whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, and cute gingerbread cookies.
Swaps
Ladyfingers – Use another sturdy biscuit that will withstand soaking in the coffee if you can’t find ladyfingers. Biscotti may be the best option.
Boozy twist – If you want to turn this Christmas dessert into a boozy treat, add some rum to the coffee or use coffee liqueur to soak the biscuits in. You could also add the coffee liqueur to the mascarpone mixture for an extra kick of boozy flavor!
Toppings – Dust the top of your gingerbread tiramisu with hot chocolate powder or chocolate shavings.
EQUIPMENT
You’ll need:
- a glass bowl with a double boiler setup,
- a whisk, and
- electric mixer,
- a spatula,
- a piping bag, and
- a 8x8x2 inch pan.
HOW TO MAKE
Turn a classic Italian dessert into a Christmas treat with this no-bake Gingerbread Tiramisu recipe! This rich and creamy gingerbread tiramisu is easy to assemble and perfect as a make-ahead holiday dessert. Follow my step-by-step instructions below and get ready to impress the family this holiday season!
Step 1
Add the eggs and sugar to a medium glass bowl and place the bowl over barely simmering water using the double boiler method. Whisk the eggs and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 2
Remove the bowl from the heat and use an electric mixer to keep whisking the mixture for about 3-4 minutes until it thickens and turns pale in color.
Add the molasse and gingerbread spice mix to the glass bowl.
Step 3
Continue whisking.
Step 4
Add the mascarpone cheese to the glass bowl.
Step 5
Continue to whisk to fully incorporate the cheese into the gingerbread egg mixture.
Step 6
In another small bowl, whisk the 1/2 cup of cream until soft peaks form.
Combine the two mixtures, folding gently with a spatula. Do not over mix.
Step 7
Build the gingerbread tiramisu by first placing a very thin layer of the gingerbread mascarpone mixture on the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch x 2 inch (20 x 20cm x 5cm) pan.
Dip each ladyfinger into strong coffee for 2 seconds and then immediately lay them over the first layer of gingerbread mascarpone mixture.
Next, spread half the remaining gingerbread mascarpone mixture onto the ladyfingers in one even layer.
Step 8
Repeat the process and add another layer of ladyfingers and the other half of the remaining gingerbread mascarpone mixture.
Step 9
Whisk 1/2 cup of cold whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Add the whipped cream mixture to a piping bag and decorate the top of the layered tiramisu with small drops of the whipped cream.
Place gingerbread biscuits on top for extra fun decoration and then let the dessert chill in the fridge for a minimum of 3-4 hours, preferably overnight.
When ready to serve, dust the top of the gingerbread tiramisu dessert with cocoa powder.
COOKING TIPS
- Be careful that the temperature of the egg and sugar mixture in the double boiler doesn’t get too high or you will scramble the eggs. Rather remove the glass bowl from the heat if you think it’s getting too hot.
- Only add the dusting of cocoa powder to the top of the gingerbread tiramisu just before serving. If you do so too early, it will get wet in the fridge and won’t have such a delicate appearance.
- Allow the coffee to cool before you soak the ladyfingers in to as hot coffee can soften the biscuits easily. Make sure that you only soak the ladyfingers for a maximum of 2 seconds.
🙋 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Absolutely! Instead of the ladyfingers being soaked in alcohol, I’ve used coffee without any alcohol. This means that the dessert is suitable for children or anyone who doesn’t consume alcohol.
If your tiramisu is soggy, it’s likely that you soaked the ladyfingers in the coffee for too long. Only soak the ladyfingers for 2 seconds to ensure that the biscuits still have some crisp texture.
Classic tiramisu is a traditional Italian dessert that is believed to have first been invented in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
STORING AND REHEATING
FRIDGE
Store leftover gingerbread tiramisu in the baking pan, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 2 days.
FREEZER
Freeze this gingerbread tiramisu for up to 3 months. Once the dessert is assembled, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then again with foil. Leave the cocoa power off the dessert until after you have thawed the dessert overnight in the fridge and are ready to serve it.
MORE CHRISTMAS DESSERTS
- Gingerbread Pudding Cakes
- Instant Pot Gingerbread Cheesecake
- Christmas Linzer Cookies
- Christmas Doughnuts Recipe
- Christmas Pavlova
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RECIPE
Gingerbread Tiramisu
Gingerbread Tiramisu adds a fun holiday twist to the classic Italian tiramisu dessert with gingerbread spice mix and cute gingerbread cookies as decoration.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups of mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon of gingerbread spice mix (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg)
- 1 tablespoon of molasse, optional
- 24 savoiardi cookies (ladyfingers)
- 2 cups of strong coffee for dipping the Savoiardi cookies
- 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (for dusting the top of the dessert)
- Gingerbread biscuits for decoration
Instructions
- In a medium glass bowl, add the eggs and sugar.
- Place the bowl over barely simmering water, with bain-marie cooking technique, whisk the eggs and sugar until sugar is dissolved.
- Be careful of the temperature of the mixture doesn’t get high. You can take the bowl off the heat if you think it’s getting too hot.
- After sugar getting dissolved, take the bowl off the heat and using an electric mixer keep whisking until the mixture thickens and gets pale for like 3-4 minutes.
- Add molasse, gingerbread spice mix, mascarpone cheese and keep whisking.
- In another small bowl, whisk the 1/2 cup of cream until soft peaks form.
- Combine two mixtures together, folding with spatula carefully. Do not over mix.
- Start building your tiramisu; place a very thin layer of mascarpone mixture on the bottom of 8 x 8 inch x 2 inch (20 x 20cm x 5cm) pan.
- Quickly dip each ladyfinger into strong coffee for 2 seconds; place them rounded side up at the bottom.
- Spread half the mascarpone mixture onto the ladyfingers in one even layer.
- Repeat the process and add another layer.
- As the final step, whisk 1/2 cup of cold whipping cream with 2 tbsp powder sugar.
- Decorate the top with whipped cream, using a piping bag, as shown in the picture.
- Place gingerbread biscuits on top.
- Let it rest in fridge at least for 3-4 hours (overnight is better)
- Dust top layer with cocoa powder before serving.