These Tiramisu Cookies are my pride and joy because they taste exactly like tiramisu. Believe me, I have a lot of cookies, but I knew I wanted to make these special because let’s be honest – tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts of all time.
The goal for this cookie was for it to taste layered and creamy like tiramisu, but without needing icing or any other fussy components. This feels like a standard cookie recipe, but the addition of a few key tiramisu ingredients is what makes all the difference. Plus a little technique – but we’ll get to that later in the post!
Table of contents
What is tiramisu?
Tiramisu has a lot of different iterations, but at its core, it is a coffee-dipped Italian dessert. It is made of ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in coffee or coffee liqueur, which is then layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese. It’s then either dusted with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.
The recipe can vary from region to region, but the main bones of the recipe are the same – mascarpone, sugar, coffee, liqueur and cocoa.
How to make tiramisu into a tiramisu cookie
This cookie relies heavily on the classic elements of tiramisu, but also the classic elements of a cookie. In this recipe, I call on rum, espresso grounds, mascarpone and dark chocolate to really elevate and emulate the tiramisu flavor inside this simple cookie. From each element you’ll get:
- Creaminess and softness – you get this from the mascarpone, it gives a cookie such a soft and lush flavor, and I can’t believe I haven’t thought to put it in a cookie before!
- Richness – the dark chocolate and espresso give you layers of complexity without even trying, it really makes this tiramisu cookie magical.
- Layered flavor – the rum is what creates an extra layer of interest in this cookie. Think of it as vanilla extract, you only use a small amount, but you will miss it if it’s gone!
Ingredients you will need for these Tiramisu Cookies
Now that I’ve told you the “why” – here is the “what.” This is everything you’ll need to make these tiramisu cookies:
- 16 tablespoons salted butter, 226 grams, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, 80 grams
- 1 cup white sugar, 220 grams
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 1 teaspoon espresso coffee grounds
- 6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, 84 grams
- 2 cups and 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 300 grams
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch, 48 grams
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 bar of dark chocolate, 113 grams
Why do you use salted butter in this baking recipe?
I am recently converted – CONVERTED to salted butter for this particular cookie. The salt plays off the sweetness of the cookie very well, and it brings the espresso powder to life. It’s a small change, but an important one!
A step-by-step on how to make these Tiramisu Cookies
This recipe is very similar to a normal cookie recipe, we don’t even brown the butter because that would interfere with the tiramisu flavor! Here’s a step-by-step on how to make them:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a stand mixer, add the softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Cream together for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
- Add in the rum, espresso coffee grounds and mascarpone. Beat on medium speed for another 2-4 minutes, you should see the dough noticeably lighten in color and double in size. It will look “whipped.”
- While the stand mixer is mixing, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder.
- In two rounds add the dry ingredients to the wet, using the mixer on low to combine.
- Chop your chocolate into small slivers and add to the dough. Fold this in with a spatula.
- Scoop the dough into 8 equal size balls, all around 4 ounces each. Note that these are BIG cookies, so see recipe notes on how to make a smaller size.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes at 400°F on a parchment-lined baking sheet, or until the tops are crinkly and the cookies have spread. They will look underdone, but that’s the point!
- Remove the cookies from the oven and give them a few smacks on the counter to flatten them out. Use a cup or bowl to swirl around the cookies to make them into perfect circles. Do this by putting the cup over the cookie as if you’re trying to trap it. Then swirl!
- Keep the cookies on parchment paper but move them to a cooling rack. They will be very tender, but the residual heat will continue to “cook” them. Let them cool for 20 minutes, and you’ll be left with a soft, almost creamy cookie texture that will remind you of tiramisu!
- Serve and enjoy 🙂
Looking for other cookies to make?
Here are a few of my absolute favorites!
Watch the video here:
And that’s it for these Tiramisu Cookies!
If you make them, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Tiramisu Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
Ingredients
- 16 tablespoons salted butter 226 grams, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 80 grams
- 1 cup white sugar 220 grams
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 1 teaspoon espresso coffee grounds
- 6 tablespoons mascarpone cheese 84 grams
- 2 cups and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 300 grams
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch 48 grams
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 bar of dark chocolate 113 grams
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a stand mixer, add the softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Cream together for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
- Add in the rum, espresso coffee grounds and mascarpone. Beat on medium speed for another 2-4 minutes, you should see the dough noticeably lighten in color and double in size. It will look “whipped.”
- While the stand mixer is mixing, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder.
- In two rounds add the dry ingredients to the wet, using the mixer on low to combine.
- Chop your chocolate into small slivers and add to the dough. Fold this in with a spatula.
- Scoop the dough into 8 equal size balls, all around 4 ounces each. Note that these are BIG cookies, so see recipe notes on how to make a smaller size.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes at 400°F on a parchment-lined baking sheet, or until the tops are crinkly and the cookies have spread. They will look underdone, but that's the point!
- Remove the cookies from the oven and give them a few smacks on the counter to flatten them out. Use a cup or bowl to swirl around the cookies to make them into perfect circles. Do this by putting the cup over the cookie as if you’re trying to trap it. Then swirl!
- Keep the cookies on the parchment paper but move them to a cooling rack. They will be very tender, but the residual heat will continue to “cook” them. Let them cool for 20 minutes, and you’ll be left with a soft, almost creamy cookie texture that will remind you of tiramisu!
- Serve and enjoy. 🙂
Hi Justine, can I skip the rum?
Think of it like vanilla extract, you can skip it but it definitely adds something when it’s there!
Thank you so much! love your recipes!!
Saw these today and ran to the store to buy the few things I was missing. These where so easy, fun, and so delicious! Love your recipes 💕
Can I substitute the espresso grounds with coffee grounds or espresso powder?
I recommend keeping with espresso ground for this one – the powder can be a bit overwhelming!
Instant coffee? 😬 it’s what I have on hand…
Did you try with instant espresso?
Do you use INSTANT espresso grounds? Or ground you would brew in a coffeemaker?
Stunning as usual, I never doubt your recipes.
Wow, these cookies look amazing!
Should the espresso grounds be fine or coarse?? Thank you!
Fine please!
Thank you!
One more quick question… have you tried making the dough, scooping them out, and then refrigerating and baking off the next day?
Hi! Yes, I have, and the perk is this only makes the cookies better 🙂 You’ll just want to add about 2 minutes of baking time when you bake them the next day, and make sure to smack them on the counter when they are finished baking to ensure they spread. I’ve noticed cookies that are chilled tend to have a harder time getting to the right thickness. Hope this helps!
Yes it does! Thank you so much!!!
Can I bring the cookie dough to room temp before baking them? Do you think that would help with spread?
It will definitely help with the baking time and consistency! However the spread shouldn’t be too impacted – did you measure everything by weight?
Hi Justine! Can I open my nespresso capsule and use the powder inside? Thanks!
That’s what I did! It worked fine!
So happy with how these turned out! The flavors all work so well together and the addition of the mascarpone made them super creamy. Definitely a new go-to cookie recipe–thanks, Justine!
How long do these cookies keep? Do they freeze well?
They will keep for about 7-10 days in the pantry, they freeze well for up to six months!
Am I understanding the recipe correctly in that it makes 8 cookies?
Yes! There’s more information in the recipe instructions and the recipe notes!
Note – you can also make 16 cookies, each about 2 ounces each. With cookies this small it will be hard to get the perfect “creamy” center, but to ensure the best results, bake for 7-8 minutes at 400°F and immediately move to a cooling rack!
@Justine – I need to bake 4 dz. Going for not too big/small. Anything special I would need to do with a 3oz cookie vs 2oz…
I haven’t tested with a 3 ounce, but I would recommend 10 minutes just to make sure they cook through!
Hi! I tried baking these twice and both times the cookies just completely melted…not sure what’s wrong as I followed the ingredients/steps as you have them outlined. Any suggestions?
Hmm that’s odd, especially since this is a recipe heavy on flour and cornstarch – were you able to measure both of those by weight?
Hi, I’m having the same problem! Is the flour and cornstarch amounts swapped by chance? I tried twice and do not have the same product. It doesn’t look like the video either. Please help!! These look amazong
Are you measuring by cups or grams? The flour is definitely the larger amount, and usually too little flour will yield a melted result!
Same thing happened to me and I noticed it was because I multiplied the recipe incorrectly.
I tried to make 24 cookies and relied on the auto generated recipe when printing the recipe.
But the weight doesn’t get adjusted, and I only use the weight. So all of my dry ingredients were off (not enough) and my cookies were just a buttery mess in the oven lol.
I’d say just double check that recipe. My first go, with just 8 servings, the cookies were perfect.
Awesome recipe. 🙂
Can I freeze the dough?
Yes! They dough will last frozen for up to 6 months, you just will need to add 2 minutes to the baking time when you thaw them 🙂
Is it possible to make these vegan?
Can I sub rum for khalua?
Can I sub out the rum for khalua?
I haven’t personally tested it but I’m sure it would give you a similar effect!
Wow, I knew these were going to be good, but they still blew me away once I made them! I cut open a Nespresso pod and used my espresso grounds and I only had Kahlua on hand and used that in place of the rum. I went with the 2oz cookie and they were a nice size, personally idk if I could go for 4oz! This made 18 cookies at 2oz for me. Amazing recipe Justine, thank you 🙌 and another thank you for including gram weights
Hi Justine. Is there an espresso coffee grounds brand that you would recommend?
I like Cafe Bustelo! You can find it at most grocery stores 🙂
Hi! What kind of rum are you using? The spiced kind or the clear kind? Thank you!
I’m using Bumbu Rum! – not spiced
Thanks so much!
Do you have any recommendations for subbing out the mascarpone? Would cream cheese work?
Cream cheese has a bit more acid so I would recommend staying with mascarpone for best results!
these are literally so good!!! i found the recipe on a whim and whipped them up bc i already had everything on hand and wow!! already planning my next batch
Hello can I also make this recipe without a stand mixer?
Yes! Use a hand mixer in place of it 🙂
Hi Justine, I’m about to make your Tiramisu cookies and was wondering do you use the bottom of the glass or the open end?Please help, thank you!
The open end! Apologies for any confusion!
Very easy to make, everyone loved them!!
Any tips on why my cookies are getting crinkly crispy edges? Can’t wait to taste them!
That’s typically a sign of under-mixing! You’ll want to beat the butter, sugars and mascarpone together until it almost doubles in size and is very fluffy, and that should help!
Dear Justine, this is the first sweet recipe of yours that I made and OMG! It is fantastic, absolutely irresistible and delish! I will surely make it often, now I gotta try your other cookies, if my hubby will allow me, as he wants the tiramisu one over and over again haha. Thanks!
These cookies are FANTASTIC. My new favorite recipe for sure! Justine does it again
Hi Justine! Do the cookies need to be refrigerated? I’m so excited to make them!
They don’t need to be, but you can!
Hello,
Your video for this recipe says Nut powder and that it’s very important, but I don’t see that listed here?
The video says “not powder” as in don’t use espresso powder!
I need to try this recipe so bad, but can I sub some of the sugar for coconut sugar and/or some maple syrup? It’s a lot of sugar for us.
What did I do wrong I followed the steps exactly and my cookies taste like grilled cheese
What type of kosher salt did you use? If you used Morton’s, it might have come out twice as salty, and that factor playing with the mascarpone might have given you a more pronounced cheese taste – but mascarpone is very mild so even then I’m surprised! What brand of mascarpone did you use?
Did recipe for 8 and it was absolutely some of the best cookies I’ve ever had.
At a later time, I printed recipe and adjusted to 24 cookies. Just a heads up to those who may not already know this, but the weight of ingredients in the recipe do not adjust to serving size lol. I found this out the hard way.
Totally my bad for not cross checking the recipes with original.
Either way, when done right, these cookies are incredible.
I absolutely love these cookies! So unique and yummy – the tiramisu flavor came through really well the day I made them. However, after I popped the cooked cookies in the fridge overnight the tiramisu flavor completely disappeared and it tasted like a (still very good) chocolate chip cookie. Any idea what may have caused this? Should I try to add more espresso or rum?
So I can’t stop making these cookies. Help. I’m going to turn into one 😊. My new favorite to make! Loving your recipes and can’t wait to make other stuff!
I’m so glad you like them! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice review 🙂
These look fantastic! If I wanted to make them gluten free, is there a particular flour alternative you would recommend?
I love the King Arthur Baking 1:1 Gluten Free blend!
Made this yesterday as a batch of 16. I chilled a batch of cookie dough and baked one as it is. Chilling most definitely helped with the cookies not “melting in the oven”. I liked the texture but found the cookies a little too sweet for me, even with the salted butter and extra salt. I sprinkled flaky sea salt on some just before putting it into the oven and that really helped cut the sweetness. Might try again with this trick.
Also sliding parchment paper onto a cooling rack from a rimmed cookie sheet was quite tricky!! Almost broke a couple of cookies
These are delicious! I made them vegan with Loving it Vegan’s homemade vegan marscapone and they came out great!
I’m so thrilled you liked them! Glad to know there’s a good vegan alternative too!
These cookies are fantastic! The dough is excellent too. I will definitely make them over and over! Tiramisu is one of my favs. Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait for your cook book. (Five stars- they keep unfilling when I scroll)
Hello! Just to be clear, there are no eggs in this recipe?
None are needed!
A great recipe!!! I would however remove the salt since the butter is salted. The cookies I made were nearly perfect, but they were too salty. I already want to make them again!
Hi Justine
Can I substitute ricotta cheese, instead of the mascarpone
I haven’t tested it personally! I’m a bit wary because ricotta has a much higher moisture content than mascarpone. So I would avoid it if you can!
does the batter freeze well?
Yes! Just thaw fully before baking 🙂
So good! I won a work cookie competition with these cookies. The 2 oz cookies still came out creamy in the centers. Definitely recommend trying these out!!
I just made them smaller for my holiday cookie trays. They turned out amazing. So good I actually made a second batch right away! Approximately 1oz (medium-1T scoop) baked for 7-8 minutes and followed everything as directed. They were light on top when I took them out of the oven but beginning to brown on the bottom. Gently pressed and did use the glass swirl method. Cooled on cookie sheet until set. Thanks for sharing!
I also substituted the rum with kalua since that is what we normally use in our tiramisu for the person that asked!
I also substituted the rum with kalua since that is what we normally use in our tiramisu for the person that asked!