Raspberry Tiramisu

Raspberry Tiramisu is a luscious, make-ahead dessert that transforms the beloved Italian classic with bright, tangy raspberry flavors and hints of lemon! This gorgeous layered dessert features homemade raspberry jam, soaked ladyfingers, and silky mascarpone cream—perfect for impressing guests at dinner parties or celebrating Valentine’s Day in style.

Love More Desserts Recipes? Try My Strawberry Shortcake Sushi Rolls or this Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bars next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Light, creamy, and beautifully fruity, this Raspberry Tiramisu is a refreshing twist on the classic dessert. Layers of delicate ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, and sweet raspberries create a perfectly balanced treat that’s both elegant and easy to make. It’s a stunning dessert for special occasions or anytime you crave something indulgent yet light.

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Ingredient List

For the Raspberry Jam:

• 500g frozen raspberries
• 100g granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the Raspberry Syrup:

• 100g granulated sugar
• 120g water
• 30g frozen raspberries
• 3 tablespoons limoncello (I skip this half the time)

For the Mascarpone Filling:

• 450g mascarpone cheese, cold
• 120g powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste (extract’s fine too)
• 480g heavy cream, cold (500ml)

For Assembling:

• 25 ladyfinger cookies (Savoiardi)
• Fresh raspberries for decoration
• Lemon slices for decoration

Friendly Notes:

• Count on needing 20-30 ladyfingers depending on your pan—I’ve used anywhere from 22 to 28.
• Frozen berries are actually better here because they’re picked ripe and stay consistent.
• Fresh berries look prettier on top, so save those for decoration.
• The limoncello is nice but not necessary—I only use it when I have it around.

Why These Ingredients Work

Mascarpone makes this whole thing work. I tried cream cheese once when I couldn’t find mascarpone at the store, and it was too tangy and didn’t have that silky texture. Mascarpone is mild and creamy in a way that lets the raspberries shine.

Frozen raspberries are actually my preference for cooking. They’re already broken down a bit from freezing, so they release their juice faster. Plus I buy the big Costco bags and always have them on hand.

Lemon juice is pulling triple duty—it keeps the jam from being cloying, helps it set up firm, and brightens the mascarpone. I forgot it once and everything tasted flat.

Vanilla paste has those pretty specks in it, but I use extract most of the time because that’s what’s in my pantry. Both work.

Ladyfingers are specifically made to absorb liquid without falling apart. Regular cookies turn to mush—learned that lesson the hard way at 10 PM the night before a dinner party.

Limoncello adds this warm citrus note that makes people ask “what’s in this?” But my kids eat this too, so I skip it more often than not.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• 27x20cm (8×10.5 inch) or 23x23cm (9×9 inch) baking dish (whatever fits in your fridge)
• Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
• Two saucepans (one for jam, one for syrup)
• Fine mesh sieve for straining the syrup
• Rubber spatula for spreading and folding
• Kitchen scale if you’ve got one
• Shallow bowl for cooling the jam faster
• Plastic wrap for covering

How To Make Raspberry Tiramisu

Step 1: Make the Raspberry Jam

Throw your frozen raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat it up on medium-high until everything thaws out and starts bubbling. Turn it down to where you see gentle bubbles breaking the surface.

Stir every couple minutes and smash the berries against the pan with your spatula. They mostly break down on their own but I like helping them along. After 23-25 minutes it’ll look thick and jammy. Test it by running your finger down the back of your spatula through the jam—if that line stays put, you’re good.

Pour it into a shallow bowl, not the hot pan because that takes forever to cool. Slap some plastic wrap on it and stick it in the fridge. Give it an hour to chill completely.

Step 2: Make the Raspberry Syrup

While the jam’s doing its thing in the fridge, put sugar, water, and raspberries in a small pot on high. Stir till the sugar melts and it starts boiling. Turn it down and simmer for 3 minutes, breaking up the berries with your spoon.

Pour everything through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Press on the berries to squeeze out the juice, then toss what’s left. Add your limoncello now if you’re using it. Let it cool down on the counter.

Step 3: Make the Mascarpone Filling

Everything needs to be cool before you start this part—seriously, don’t rush it. Get your mixer with the whisk and beat the mascarpone, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla for like 30 seconds. Just till it’s mixed. Scrape the bowl.

Add the cold heavy cream. Whisk till you see peaks that stand up but bend at the tip. Stop as soon as you see that—keep going and it gets grainy and weird. Fold it once with your spatula to catch anything the mixer missed.

Step 4: Assemble the Tiramisu

Smear a little mascarpone cream on the bottom of your dish. Just a thin layer so the bottom doesn’t get soggy.

Dip each ladyfinger in the raspberry syrup quick—twice on each side. They should soften but not fall apart in your hands. Lay half of them across the bottom of your dish.

Spread half the mascarpone cream over the ladyfingers. Smooth it out. Add half the raspberry jam and spread that around. Do it again—dipped ladyfingers, then the rest of the mascarpone. Save that last bit of jam though.

Cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least 8 hours. I make mine the night before. It needs that time for everything to soak in and get soft.

Step 5: Final Decoration

Before you serve it, spread that last bit of jam on top. Toss on some fresh raspberries and lemon slices. Make it look pretty because this is your moment.

You Must Know

Everything has to be cool before you make the mascarpone filling. I ruined a whole batch once by being impatient—warm stuff melts the cream and you end up with soup.

Stop whipping at medium-stiff peaks. I know you want to keep going but don’t. Over-whipped cream turns grainy and there’s no fixing it.

You need at least 8 hours in the fridge. I tried to cheat this when I forgot to make it ahead and it was sad—the ladyfingers were still hard in spots and the flavors hadn’t blended.

Personal Secret: I make the jam and syrup the night before even if I’m not assembling till the next day.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Buy a kitchen scale. I fought this for years but once I got one, measuring mascarpone got so much easier. Trying to scoop it into measuring cups is a nightmare.

Dip one ladyfinger first and take a bite. Too hard? Soak the next ones a little longer. Every brand’s different—I’ve had some that soak up syrup instantly and others that seem like they’re waterproof.

Keep your mascarpone and cream cold till you need them. Room temperature stuff doesn’t whip up as nice and the filling gets loose.

The line test for jam is legit. I used to wing it and sometimes my jam would be runny. Now I do the test every time.

Don’t worry about making jam—it’s forgiving. Keep it simmering gently and taste as you go. Needs more sugar? Add some. Too sweet? More lemon.

I screwed up once by not scraping the bowl before adding the cream. Had these mascarpone lumps throughout that never mixed in. Always scrape first.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Swap strawberries for raspberries if you want something sweeter. My mother-in-law likes it better this way because she thinks raspberries are too sour.

Mix berries—raspberries, blueberries, blackberries all together. Did this cleaning out my freezer once and it was really good.

Add Chambord instead of limoncello for more raspberry punch. My friend does this for grown-up parties.

Dust cocoa powder between layers for chocolate-raspberry. Haven’t tried it yet but it sounds amazing.

Use orange juice instead of lemon and Grand Marnier instead of limoncello. Orange-raspberry is on my list to test.

Extra lemon juice in the mascarpone if you want more tang. I do this after heavy dinners.

Make-Ahead Options

This is hands down the best make-ahead dessert I know.

One or two days before, make the jam and syrup. Put them in containers and refrigerate. This is the time-consuming part, so knocking it out early is huge.

Night before, assemble everything except the final jam layer and fresh stuff. Cover tight and refrigerate overnight. Tastes even better after 24 hours.

Day of, spread that last jam layer and add berries and lemon right before people come. Takes five minutes.

Don’t freeze this. Tried it once and the mascarpone got grainy and separated when it thawed. Ladyfingers got weird too.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Jam consistency is the hardest part. Too thin makes it soggy, too thick won’t spread. The spoon test really works.

Ladyfinger brands are all different. Italian Savoiardi are best. If yours are super hard, soak them a little longer, but start with quick dips.

Your layers don’t need to look perfect. Mine never do. Sometimes jam peeks through and that’s fine—it’s homemade.

Everything must be room temp or colder. I can’t say this enough. Warm stuff ruins the mascarpone.

Fold once with a spatula after mixing. Sometimes there’s mascarpone hiding at the bottom.

Serving Suggestions

Cut it in squares and use white plates so those pink layers pop. I sometimes add whipped cream on the side but it doesn’t need it.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day—my husband asked for this instead of chocolate cake one year. Also great for spring dinner parties, Mother’s Day, or when you want to look fancier than you are.

Serve with coffee or espresso. Champagne or prosecco if you’re celebrating.

Add a mint leaf and powdered sugar dust on each plate if you want it to look restaurant-level.

How to Store Your Raspberry Tiramisu

Keep it covered in the fridge. Lasts up to 4 days but usually gets eaten in two.

Best on days 1-3. After that the ladyfingers get really soft and flavors blend too much—still edible, just not as good.

Press plastic wrap on the surface so it doesn’t dry out. Found a crusty layer once when I didn’t do this.

Let it sit out 10 minutes before serving if it’s been in the fridge a while. Takes the chill off.

Don’t freeze it. Mascarpone gets grainy when thawed.

Serve it cold—no reheating.

Allergy Information

This has dairy (mascarpone, heavy cream), gluten (ladyfingers), and eggs (in ladyfingers).

No good dairy substitute exists—mascarpone is what makes this work. Could try dairy-free cream cheese with coconut cream but I haven’t tested it.

Get gluten-free ladyfingers online or at Whole Foods. Not exactly the same but they work. Or use gluten-free pound cake cut in strips.

Some brands make egg-free ladyfingers—check health food stores.

Skip limoncello for alcohol-free. I do this all the time.

Naturally nut-free.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My mascarpone filling turned grainy—what happened?

Over-whipped. Happened to me first time I made this. Stop at medium-stiff peaks. Also keep mascarpone cold. Can’t fix it once it’s grainy but it’ll still taste okay.

The ladyfingers are falling apart when I dip them—help!

Too long in the syrup. Should be fast—dip flip dip flip done. They keep softening in the dish. If they still fall apart, brush the syrup on with a pastry brush.

How do I know when the mascarpone cream is the right consistency?

Lift your whisk. Peaks stand up but tips flop over. If peaks stand straight up, you went too far. Under-whip if you’re unsure—can always whip more, can’t un-whip.

My jam is too runny even after 25 minutes—what should I do?

Keep cooking. Some berries have more water. Let it simmer another 5-10 minutes and test again. Make sure it’s simmering, not boiling hard. Thickens more as it cools too.

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