Tiramisu Cookie Recipe

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These soft and chewy Tiramisu Cookies combine everything that is loved about a traditional tiramisu, and a delicious bakery style cookie. With a rich espresso flavour, silky cream and mascarpone topping and a dusting of cocoa they are guaranteed to become a new favourite.

If you are obsessed with everything Tiramisu like me, you are sure to love these easy to bake tiramisu cookies. They are rich, indulgent, and perfect for any baking skill level. Whether you want to bake them for a weekend treat, a special occasion, or simply because you like the sound of them, the recipe delivers every single time.

What makes these cookies Tiramisu themed?

A traditional tiramisu combines coffee soaked sponge fingers, a mascarpone topping, a coffee liqueur throughout and a cocoa powder dusting on top. My normal cookie dough creates a delicious and easy to bake cookie, and with a twist of dark brown soft sugar and espresso powder on this occasion, it adds a whole new element.

The espresso infused cookie base replaces the coffee soaked sponge fingers, the cream cheese topping delivers the creamy, sweet and yet slightly tangy topping, and of course the cocoa powder is still always a good decoration.

Ingredient tips and notes

Of course, you can find the full recipe and method below in the recipe card, but here are some extra tips to make them the best you can:

For the cookie dough

Butter – I would always recommend to use a block butter at room temperature to make the cookie dough base, or you can use a baking spread that is fridge cold. Some margarines are a little oily so I usually stick to a specific baking spread
Sugar – A mixture of dark brown soft sugar and white granulated sugar gives you a balance of flavour and texture – if you don’t have dark brown, you can use light brown soft.
Egg – I always use medium eggs in baking, but you can swap for one large egg instead.
Flavours – A mix of vanilla extract and espresso powder is important for that tiramisu flavour – in the UK, I just use a strongly flavoured finely ground instant coffee so that it mixes in. If you only have chunky instant coffee, you will need to grind it more finely. Or, you can use a coffee extract flavour. I also add in a bit of sea salt, but this is optional.
Flour – I prefer to use plain flour instead of self raising as it’s more readily available all over the world, but also I want to better control the raising agents myself.
Raising agents – A small mix of bicarbonate of soda and baking powder create that soft and chewy texture.

For the topping

Soft cheese – As classically mascarpone is used in a tiramisu (which is a type of soft cheese), I use mascarpone. If you prefer things less sweet, you can use other FULL-FAT soft cheeses (such as Philadelphia). It’s important to use full-fat to make sure it whips correctly.
Cream – in the UK you need to use double cream, the fattiest liquid cream we have. In other areas, this is also called Heavy Cream.
Sugar – because you want a smooth and creamy texture, icing sugar is the best to use (also known as powdered sugar) as other sugar grains will leave an odd texture.
Flavours – a mixture of vanilla (I love vanilla bean paste as the flecks of vanilla look nice), and a touch of coffee liqueur is best. The coffee liqueur is optional, if you want them to be alcohol free.

FAQS

How should I store these? Will they last out of the fridge?

Due to the topping, they need to be stored in the fridge. If you want, you can keep the cookies without topping at room temperature for 4-5 days, and then top on the day you need

What coffee liqueur can I use?

I recommend Kahlua or Tia Maria, personally, but any will work with a strong enough flavour.

My cookies didn’t spread, why is this?

Often, if cookies don’t spread well in the oven, it’s because the cookie dough has been rolled too tightly, the cookie dough has been over mixed, or your oven runs hotter than you think and it’s worth lowering the temperature.

Why is my cream topping bitty?

It’s important to NOT over whip the cream topping, as it can easily split. It can sometimes be saved by stirring through a small amount more of cream as a liquid to re-combine the ingredients.

Why is my cream topping not whipping together?

You may have accidentally used an ingredient that is too low in fat, and therefore it cannot whip. Please use full-fat ingredients

Can I leave out the coffee?

You can, but they won’t be tiramisu themed and likely will have an over-all sweeter flavour.

A delicious brown sugar coffee cookie recipe topped with a smooth sweet and creamy topping, with a dusting of cocoa powder.. tiramisu in cookie form.

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Category: Cookies

Type: Cookies

Keyword: Coffee, Tiramisu

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 14

Cooling + Decorating: 1

Total Time: 1 59

Servings: cookies

Author: Jane’s Patisserie

Ingredients

Cookie dough

125 g unsalted butter/baking spread
100 g dark brown soft sugar
75 g white granulated sugar
1 medium/large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp espresso powder (finely ground instant coffee)
275 g plain flour
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp sea salt

Cream topping

175 g mascarpone cream cheese
125 ml double cream (or heavy cream)
75 g icing sugar
1 tbsp coffee liqueur *see notes below
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

Cookies

Preheat the oven to 190ºc/170ºc fan and line 2 large trays with parchment paper
Mix together the butter and sugars until creamy and combined
Add the egg and vanilla and mix through
Add the espresso powder (finely ground instant coffee) and mix through
Add the flour, bicarb, baking powder and sea salt and mix again
Split the dough into 12 – I use a 5cm scoop to make it even – and add to the trays
Chill the cookies for 30 minutes (this is optional)
Split between the two trays and bake for 11-14 minutes until deep golden
Leave to cool fully on the trays

Topping

In a new bowl, add the mascarpone cream cheese, cream, icing sugar, coffee liqueur and vanilla and whisk together
Make sure to not over whisk as it can split whilst pipping. Soft peaks is best
Using a large piping bag, pipe in circles onto the baked cookies
Dust with cocoa powder

Notes

The coffee liqueur is optional if you want the cookies to be alcohol free. If you want to increase the quantity you can, but it may make the topping hard to pipe/whip.
These cookies will last in the fridge for 3-4 days
These cookies will freeze for 3+ months
I use this 5cm cookie scoop for these tiramisu cookies

Storage and Freezing

As these cookies have a topping that is considered ‘fresh’ it means the cookies need to be stored in the fridge once made. They will last for 3-4 days, if the fresh ingredients had a good date on them before being used.

The cookies without the topping will last for 4-5 days at room temperature, and can be topped with the creamy mascarpone topping on a different day

The cookies will last in the freeze for 3+ months, whether they have been topped or not. I would recommend thawing them in the fridge.