Tiramisu Brownies -Fudgy espresso brownie topped with smooth mascarpone cream for a decadent twist on the Italian classic.
As one of the world's favorite desserts, I have developed quite a few recipes inspired by a classic tiramisu - like my Tiramisu Layer Cake. So I knew I had to jump on the trend and make a recipe for tiramisu brownies!
These decadent tiramisu brownies replace the lady fingers in traditional tiramisu with a fudgy espresso brownie, bringing a deep chocolate flavor and extra richness. Coffee lovers, eat your heart out!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- An indulgent take on the classic dessert
- Easy to portion and serve neatly (unlike traditional tiramisu).
- Simple dessert recipe that looks and tastes incredible
Ingredients
This Tiramisu Brownies recipe uses simple ingredients for the best fudge brownies and real mascarpone cheese for that classic tiramisu flavor.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter
- Dark Chocolate - Make sure you use real, high-quality chocolate for rich, chocolatey brownies - not chocolate chips or a chocolate candy bar.
- Eggs - Use large eggs, preferably free range.
- Sugar - Regular white granulated sugar (caster sugar in the UK).
- Flour - All-purpose flour is best to give these brownies the right structure.
- Vanilla - Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
- Espresso Powder - If you can't find instant espresso powder, you can use instant coffee granules insead, but you will need about double the amount to have the same intense coffee flavor.
- Mascarpone Cheese - Some brands of mascarpone contain more liquid than others. Try to find a high-quality mascarpone. If it seems watery at all, make sure you drain off excess liquid before using it, or your mascarpone cream will be too runny.
*Some recipes will tell you you can substitute mascarpone cheese for cream cheese, but as a European, I just can't advocate for that! If you want a recipe using cream cheese instead, try my Cheesecake Brownies. - Heavy Whipping Cream - Use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; it must have at least 35% fat content in order to hold firm.
- Powdered Sugar - Also known as confectioners sugar or icing sugar, this will add sweetness and a little stability to the mascarpone topping.
- Amaretto (optional) - You can substitute for whatever your preferred alcohol is for tiramisu, such as rum or marsala wine. If you want a non-alcoholic version, you can substitute for ½ teaspoon almond extract, or you can just leave it out entirely.
- Cocoa Powder - Preferably dutch-processed cocoa powder, but natural cocoa powder will also be absolutely fine.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Make the Espresso Brownies
Almost every time I make homemade brownies, it is some version of this brownie recipe. It's gooey and makes for a super decadent dessert. You can find a similar version of it in my S'mores Brownies recipe.
Melt Chocolate
Put the chopped chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl and melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between. Set aside.
Whip Eggs
Combine the sugar and room-temperature eggs in a large bowl and whisk vigorously until thick and custard-like. This should take about 30 seconds by hand, but you can use a mixer if you prefer.
Mix Together
Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture and gently mix together.
Dissolve the espresso powder in a splash of hot water and add to the brownie mix, along with the vanilla.
You can adjust the amount of espresso powder if you want more or less of a strong coffee flavor.
Fold in Flour
Sift the flour and salt into the bowl and use a spoon or rubber spatula to fold everything together until there are no more visible lumps of flour.
Bake
Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
How to Tell When Brownies Are Done
When they are done, the top of the brownies will be dry and shiny, and when you test the middle of the brownies with a skewer, it will come out slightly chocolatey.
If it is caked in a thick layer of raw batter, the brownies need longer. Baking time can vary depending on your oven, so look out for the physical signs that they are ready.
Make the Mascarpone Cream
This mascarpone cream is actually the exact same recipe I use to top my Tiramisu Cookies - it has the classic flavor of authentic tiramisu, but without using raw eggs.
Cream Ingredients
Add the cold mascarpone, powdered sugar, amaretto, and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat together until it is smoothly combined with no lumps.
Whip Cream
In a separate bowl, whip the cream on medium speed just until stiff peaks form. Don't overwhip it.
Fold Together
Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until everything is combined.
Measuring Ingredients: I always recommend weighing your ingredients with a kitchen scale, rather than using measuring cups. It's very difficult to measure accurately with cups and this can mess up your bakes.
Assemble the Tiramisu Brownies
Unmold Brownies
Remove the cooled brownies from the baking pan and peel back the parchment paper from the sides.
Mascarpone Layer
Transfer the mascarpone cream to a piping bag with a round tip and squeeze small blobs all over the cooled brownie layer.
Alternatively, you can just spread the mascarpone cream all over in an even layer and use a spatula to either smooth it out flat or create some texture on the top layer.
Dust
Use a small sieve to give the tiramisu brownies a generous dusting of cocoa powder.
Slice
Slice the brownies into 16 equal pieces by cutting them in half and then in half again in both directions.
Troubleshooting
Brownies are dry or dense - If your brownies are dense and dry rather than soft and gooey, they may be overbaked. Every oven is different so it's important to look out for the signs that they are baked.
Mascarpone Cream is runny - Not all brands of mascarpone cheese are created equal! Some brands of mascarpone contain a lot of liquid - if it looks runny when you open it, drain off excess liquid before using.
Brownies are taking ages to bake - A lot of factors can affect bake time - the kind of pan you are using, the way your oven is calibrated, the temperature of your ingredients, etc. These are super fudgy brownies, so they do take longer to bake than classic brownies. It's okay if your brownies take longer than the recipe card bake time - just make sure you check them regularly and look out for the signs that they are baked as described above.
Equipment
- Square Pan - 8-inch square pan
- Heat-proof bowl - safe for the microwave
- Whisk - A regular handheld whisk
- Mixer - You can use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment - this is just for whipping the cream.
- Piping Bag - If you want to pipe the mascarpone layer onto the brownies. you'll need a piping bag with a round piping tip (or just cut the tip of the bag off).
Storage
Because of the mascarpone cheese, these tiramisu brownies need to be stored in the refrigerator. However, when chilled, the chocolate and butter in the brownies will go very firm, making the brownies dense - so it's best to remove your brownies from the fridge about an hour before serving.
Your brownies will store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can make the brownies ahead of time and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, then add the mascarpone cream before serving - this will give the best texture.
More Coffee Desserts
If you love getting your caffeine and sugar hit at the same time, try some of these delicious coffee dessert recipes:
Recipe
Tiramisu Brownies
Equipment
- 8-inch Square Pan
- Heat proof bowl
- Stand Mixer or Electric Mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
For the Espresso Brownies
- 1 ½ sticks Unsalted Butter 170g
- 9 oz Dark Chocolate 255g (chopped)
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 ¼ cups White Sugar 250g
- 1 ¼ cup All purpose Flour 150g
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 tablespoon Espresso Powder
For the Mascarpone Cream
- 8 oz Mascarpone 225g (cold)
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream 240ml (cold)
- 6 tablespoon Powdered Sugar 45g
- ¼ cup Amaretto 60ml (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Cocoa Powder for dusting
Instructions
Make the Brownies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C (160° fan-assisted) and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- Put the butter and chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until totally melted. Set aside.1 ½ sticks Unsalted Butter, 9 oz Dark Chocolate
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and whisk until thick and custard-like. This should take about 30 seconds of vigorous whisking by hand. You can use an electric mixer if you prefer but it's not necessary.3 Large Eggs, 1 ¼ cups White Sugar
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg/sugar mixture, add the vanilla and gently whisk everything together until fully incorporated.1 teaspoon Vanilla
- Dissolve the espresso powder in a splash of hot water and mix until smooth. Then pour into the brownie batter and stir it in.2 tablespoon Espresso Powder
- Sift the flour and salt into the bowl and use a spoon or spatula to fold everything together until there are no more visible lumps of flour.1 ¼ cup All purpose Flour, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. When they are done, the top of the brownies will be dry and shiny, and when you test the middle of the brownies with a skewer, it will come out slightly chocolatey. If it is caked in a thick layer of raw batter, the brownies need longer. Baking time can vary depending on your oven, so look out for the physical signs that they are ready.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the pan, then transfer to the fridge until ready to assemble.
Make the Mascarpone Cream
- Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, amaretto, and vanilla to a bowl and mix together until it is smoothly combined with no lumps.If you don't want to add the amaretto, you can substitute for ½ teaspoon almond extract, or just leave it out entirely.8 oz Mascarpone, 6 tablespoon Powdered Sugar, ¼ cup Amaretto, 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- In a separate bowl, whip up the cream on medium speed just until stiff peaks form. Don't overwhip it.1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until everything is combined.
Assemble the Tiramisu Brownies
- Remove the brownies from the baking pan and peel back the parchment paper from the sides.
- There are two ways to decorate these brownies:For a piped finish like in my pictures, transfer the mascarpone cream to a piping bag with a round piping tip fitted and squeeze small blobs all over the top. For a straight finish, you can just spread the mascarpone cream all over the top of the brownies in an even layer. Use a spatula to either smooth it out flat or create some texture on the top of the cream.
- Put a little cocoa powder into a small sieve and dust the top of the tiramisu brownies generously with cocoa powder.Cocoa Powder
- Slice the brownies into 16 equal pieces and enjoy.
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
Espresso Powder - This is also known as instant espresso; it is different from instant coffee granules. If you can't find espresso powder, you can use instant coffee instead but you will need about double the amount to have the same strength of coffee flavor. Amaretto - The amaretto is completely optional. You can substitute for whatever your preferred alcohol is for tiramisu, such as rum or marsala. If you want a non alcoholic version, you can substitute for ½ teaspoon almond extract, or you can just leave it out entirely. Mascarpone - Some brands of mascarpone contain more liquid than others. Try to find a high-quality mascarpone. If it seems watery at all, make sure you drain off any excess liquid before using it or your mascarpone cream will be too runny. Note - For best results, I strongly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. This will give much more accurate and consistent results.It really helps and I love hearing all your feedback!
Chris
Fantastic recipe. I drool whenever I see tiramisu anything and these tasted divine! Please make more delicious recipes for me to try 🙂
R
can this tiramasu brownie be frozen and thawed before serving
Jules Grasekamp
HI R,
Yes you can freeze them, but the mascarpone cream can have some texture issues when it has been frozen. For best results, I'd recommend just freezing the brownies and adding the mascarpone cream once thawed.
Jules
Cass
Great recipe, thank you! Very fudgy brownie base, I found it best eaten chilled to help the structure but they feel luxurious. I would also increase the espresso amount but that is to my own taste.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Cass,
I'm so glad you loved the tiramisu brownies! Thank you so much for trying my recipe 🙂
Jules
Phillip
I recently tried these and they were just perfect me and my wife both loved them and I found them pretty easy to make. There were a couple things I did different though. I had tried making dark chocolate with no success a couple weeks ago and had it in the fridge, it seemed wrong to toss it. It was made with ghee and dutch cocoa powder but not very sweet. So I used that instead and added a mixture of cake flour and all purpose to use up the cake flour I had too.
Added a little espresso powder to the topping too.
Overall a great dessert!