Lemon Tiramisu No Bake (Printable)
Tangy, creamy lemon tiramisu layered with syrup-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cream, no oven needed.
# What You'll Need:
→ Lemon Cream
01 - 8.8 oz cold mascarpone cheese
02 - 0.85 cup cold heavy cream
03 - 0.44 cup granulated sugar
04 - Zest of 2 lemons
05 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Biscuit Layer
07 - 7 oz ladyfinger biscuits (savoiardi)
08 - 0.85 cup lemon syrup
→ Lemon Syrup
09 - 0.63 cup water
10 - 3.4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
11 - 3.5 tbsp sugar
→ Garnish
12 - Fresh lemon zest
13 - White chocolate curls or mint leaves (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Combine water, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low, stirring continuously until the sugar fully dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before using.
02 - Add cold mascarpone, heavy cream, granulated sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth, thick, and holds soft peaks.
03 - Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the cooled lemon syrup — avoid soaking, just a brief pass on each side. Arrange a single layer of dipped biscuits across the bottom of an 8x8-inch dish.
04 - Spread half of the lemon cream evenly over the base layer of ladyfingers using a spatula, ensuring full coverage to the edges.
05 - Dip another batch of ladyfingers in the syrup using the same quick method and place them over the first cream layer.
06 - Spread the remaining lemon cream over the second biscuit layer and smooth the top surface evenly with a spatula.
07 - Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for the best texture and flavor development.
08 - Just before serving, finish with a dusting of fresh lemon zest and optional white chocolate curls or mint leaves. Serve directly from the dish while chilled.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It delivers all the indulgence of classic tiramisu without a single minute near the stove.
- The bright lemon cuts through the richness so perfectly you can easily go back for seconds.
02 -
- Overdipping the ladyfingers is the number one way to ruin this dessert and I learned that the hard way on my third attempt.
- Overnight resting transforms the texture completely, making the layers meld into something that tastes like it took days to prepare.
03 -
- A microplane gives you finer zest that disperses evenly through the cream instead of leaving stringy bits behind.
- Taste the syrup before dipping because lemons vary wildly in acidity and you may want an extra pinch of sugar to balance things out.