Tiramisu Ice Cream

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Homemade tiramisu ice cream is a delicious frozen treat inspired by the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu. The creamy base is infused with coffee liqueur, mixed with pieces of coffee-soaked ladyfingers, and dusted with cocoa powder, perfect for any dessert lover with a craving for something sophisticated and indulgent! 

For even more delicious ice cream recipes, you need to try Limoncello Tiramisu Ice CreamBlueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, and  Pistachio Ice Cream with pistachio praline too!

Two scoops of tiramisu ice cream in two stacked ice cream bowls.

This homemade coffee ice cream is a delightful combination of creamy goodness with a touch of sweetness and a hint of cocoa that has quickly become my favorite dessert!

What you’ll need

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  • Mascarpone cheese, cream cheese, or vegan cream cheese for the base.
  • Heavy cream or canned coconut milk (dairy-free/vegan)
  • Granulated sugar
  • Sea salt
  • Kahlua coffee liqueur
  • Espresso powder
  • Ladyfinger cookies
  • Cocoa powder
  • Ice Cream Maker

Check out the printable recipe card below for the complete recipe and detailed instructions.

Two scoops of tiramisu ice cream dusted with cocoa powder in two stacked ice cream bowls.

I promise you, you will  not be disappointed!! Are you ready to make this delicious treat? It is so simple.

How to make Tiramisu Ice Cream

Start by mixing Kahlua and espresso powder in a small bowl. If you do not have espresso powder, substitute instant coffee or hot espresso.

Kahlua and espresso powder mixed in a small bowl.

Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth.

Cream cheese beaten in a large mixing bowl.

Mix in the heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk), salt, and sugar. Add the Kahlua mixture and beat until smooth.

Cream, sugar, and Kahlua mixed together in a large bowl.

Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine.

Ice cream mixture in the ice cream maker.

Process according to the manufacturer’s instructions (Mine takes 20 minutes).

Tiramisu Ice Cream machine cookingwithcurls.com

About a minute before the ice cream will be finished, break the lady fingers into 4 pieces.

Lady fingers broken into smaller pieces.

Quickly dip each piece into some Kahlua, about one-eighth of a cup, in a small bowl.

Piece of ladyfinger in coffee mixture.

and set aside. You just want them to absorb enough coffee flavor to be delicious, not enough to make them rock hard when they freeze.

Coffee dipped ladyfingers in a small bowl.

Scrape ice cream into a freezer safe container, and stir in the coffee-soaked lady fingers.

Ladyfinger cookies mixed into semi-frozen ice cream.

Try to evenly distribute the Ladyfinger pieces so they do not clump together. Cover with a lid and place in the freezer.

One to four hours in the freezer will give you a “soft-serve” type of ice cream. Overnight, and your ice cream will be firm, but not rock hard. Alcohol does not freeze, so your ice cream will remain softer than regular ice cream.

Tiramisu ice cream in stacked bowls in front of a bottle of Kahlua.

If you are lucky enough to be able to find vegan Ladyfingers, this ice cream would also be vegan! One of these days, maybe I will figure out how to bake some myself. Don’t hold your breath, I know nothing about baking without eggs. You could always just substitute vegan vanilla wafer cookies if desperate.

Expert Tips

  • I tried to use cold coconut milk this time around, and it was a bad idea. The solid part of the coconut “cream” still had some small fat globules, so the ice cream was not as smooth as it was when I used it straight out of the pantry. Live and Learn!
  • While traditional tiramisu includes alcohol like dark rum or coffee liqueur, you can omit it if you prefer a non-alcoholic version. The alcohol adds flavor depth, and helps to keep the ice cream from becoming icy, but the ice cream will still taste delicious without it.
  • For the best texture, you can still make tiramisu ice cream without one. Pour the chilled mixture into a shallow dish and freeze it, stirring every 30 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • Tiramisu ice cream will typically keep well in the freezer for up to 2-3 weeks in an airtight storage container. However, it’s best enjoyed within the first week for optimal flavor and texture.

Ice Cream Variations

  • Adding chocolate chips or chocolate chunks can enhance the flavor and texture of the ice cream. Just fold them into the ice cream during the last few minutes of churning.
  • You can also pour in a stream of fudge sauce to create a fudge swirl throughout your ice cream.
  • Serve over skillet brownies for an extra-decadent treat!

More delicious coffee infused recipes for you to try

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see it!
Tag @cookingwithcurls on Instagram & Facebook and leave a ⭐️⭐⭐⭐⭐ review below!

Enjoy!!

Two scoops of tiramisu ice cream in two stacked ice cream bowls.

Tiramisu Ice Cream

Homemade tiramisu ice cream is a delicious frozen treat infused with coffee liqueur, coffee-soaked ladyfingers, and dusted with cocoa powder.
5 from 2 votes
Print Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Chilling Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 562kcal
Author: Lisa Johnson

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature – regular or dairy-free
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream or full-fat coconut milk in a can
  • 0.67 cup super-fine sugar two-thirds cup
  • 0.13 teaspoon sea salt one-eighth teaspoon
  • 0.25 cup Kahlua or any other coffee liqueur
  • 1 tablespoon espresso powder
  • 6 Ladyfinger cookies broken into 4 pieces each
  • additional Kahlua for dipping
  • cocoa powder to garnish

Instructions

  • Mix Kahlua and espresso powder in a small bowl. If you do not have espresso powder, substitute instant coffee or hot espresso.
  • Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Mix in the heavy whipping cream (or coconut milk), salt, and sugar. Add the Kahlua mixture and beat until smooth.
  • Pour mixture into a frozen ice cream canister and process according to manufacture’s instructions, about 20 minutes.
  • When there is one minute left, pour an one-eight of a cup or so of Kahlua into a small bowl. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the Kahlua and set aside.
  • Scrape ice cream out of canister and place in a large plastic container.
  • Stir in the coffee-soaked lady fingers, making sure they don't clump together. You want them evenly distributed. Cover with a lid, and place in the freezer.
  • One to four hours in the freezer will give you a “soft-serve” type of ice cream. Overnight, and your ice cream will be firm, but not rock hard. Alcohol does not freeze, so your ice cream will remain softer than regular ice cream.
  • Scoop ice cream into bowls and dust with cocoa powder, if desired, and serve.

Notes

  • I tried to use cold coconut milk this time around, and it was a bad idea. The solid part of the coconut “cream” still had some small fat globules, so the ice cream was not as smooth as it was when I used it straight out of the pantry. Live and Learn!
  • While traditional tiramisu includes alcohol like dark rum or coffee liqueur, you can omit it if you prefer a non-alcoholic version. The alcohol adds flavor depth, and helps to keep the ice cream from becoming icy, but the ice cream will still taste delicious without it.
  • For the best texture, you can still make tiramisu ice cream without one. Pour the chilled mixture into a shallow dish and freeze it, stirring every 30 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • Tiramisu ice cream will typically keep well in the freezer for up to 2-3 weeks in an airtight storage container. However, it’s best enjoyed within the first week for optimal flavor and texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 1660IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg

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25 Comments

  1. So glad these are up–I was drooling over this on Instagram earlier. Awesome combination and a great summer dessert!

  2. I know this isn’t about Tiramisu as much as it’s about Kahlua. You are the best for using up stuff in my liquor cabinet. Have a lovely weekend. PInned.

    1. LOL, thank you Diane. Maybe you should send me a list of liquors that need to be used up,and I can use that as a guide to creating new recipes. 🙂 Have a great week!!

  3. Lisa, I don’t know how I missed this, but I saw it on What’s Cookin’ Wednesday and it looks freaking amazing! I need to try this ASAP. 🙂

5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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