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Tiramisu Cookies taste like classic tiramisu in cookie form – with a delicious twist! I decided to make intensely chocolate cookies, with plenty of espresso flavor, instead of plain vanilla cookies with a little espresso powder mixed in. Top these with swirls of whipped mascarpone frosting and a generous flurry of cocoa powder!
This recipe is sponsored by our friends at DeLallo. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Blue Bowl possible! All opinions are my own.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love Tiramisu Cookies:
- Fudgy Espresso Chocolate Cookies – Chewy chocolate cookies are full of espresso flavor!
- Whipped Mascarpone Frosting – A simple frosting made with mascarpone and heavy cream is beaten until it whips up into the perfect fluffy topping.
- Easy Dessert Recipe – These cookies are a breeze to whip up & require just a short chill! They can also be prepped ahead.
Ingredient Overview:
As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).
- Butter – I always use salted butter because in my experience, it lends the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if that’s what you prefer.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract – Use real vanilla for the best flavor.
- DeLallo Instant Espresso Powder – DeLallo’s Instant Espresso Powder intensifies the chocolate flavor of these cookies and provides the espresso flavor in both the cookies & frosting! DeLallo’s Espresso truly brings all the flavor of tiramisu to life in this recipe.
- All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
- Cocoa Powder – Use natural cocoa powder or black cocoa powder here. Black cocoa powder is what I used – it gives a deeper, more intense chocolate flavor and gives that really dark, almost black, chocolate color. It’s ultra-dutch processed, which is responsible for the unique flavor and color!
- Mascarpone Cheese – This can be found near the fancy cheeses that are near the deli area in most grocery stores. It comes in an 8 ounce tub. Don’t fret if you’ve never had it – it’s similar to cream cheese with a milder taste.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations:
- Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe, but some readers have reported success in using a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
- Dairy-free – Use your favorite, trusted, dairy-free butter, heavy cream, and try this vegan mascarpone recipe!
How to Make Tiramisu Cookies:
Step 1: Make the Cookie Dough. Melt butter in a large bowl. Whisk in the cocoa powder & espresso powder. Whisk in the sugars next, then the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the dry ingredients until you have a thick dough.
Step 2: Scoop & Chill. Scoop dough balls 65 grams in size and chill for at least 30 minutes in the freezer or at least 2 hours in the fridge.
Step 3: Bake Cookies. Place 5-6 cookies on a lined cookie sheet and bake at 365 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
Step 4: Make the Whipped Mascarpone Frosting. While the cookies cool, make the frosting. Beat together mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, espresso, and salt. Beat in the heavy cream and then mix until the frosting thickens.
Step 5: Decorate Cookies. Pipe the frosting in swirls using a piping bag with the tip snipped off, or use a small cookie scoop to dollop the frosting onto the cooled cookies. Use a small offset spatula or spoon to swirl the frosting to the edges of the cookies.
Finish these with a dusting of cocoa powder!
Serving + Storing Tiramisu Cookies:
Enjoy immediately! Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Cookies can be frosted and stored in the fridge overnight before serving, but wait to dust with cocoa until just before serving – the moisture will sort of melt the cocoa.
If you love tiramisu, try my Tiramisu Cheesecake with Chocolate Mascarpone Cream! If you love more riffs on tiramisu, try my Lemon Tiramisu!
Expert Baking Tips:
- Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
- Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
FAQs:
Yes, you can do either with this recipe!
For a more traditional tiramisu flavor, make the dough from my brown butter chocolate chip cookies (omit the chocolate chips) & add the 1 and 1/2 tsp of espresso powder. The notes tell you how to omit the brown butter as well, if desired.
I used black cocoa powder, which is extra rich & dark – I personally prefer it’s flavor to any other type of cocoa powder. If you don’t want to use it, just stick with regular “natural cocoa powder” – don’t use dutch process cocoa powder.
Special Tools:
- Mixing Bowls – A set of glass mixing bowls with lids is a baker’s best friend!
More Unique Cookie Recipes to Love:
- Kitchen Sink Cookies
- Birthday Cheescake Stuffed Funfetti Cookies
- Butterbeer Cookies with Salted Butterscotch Frosting
- Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Cinnamon Roll Stuffed Snickerdoodles
Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment & star rating!
Click the little stars in the header of the recipe card below to leave a comment & star rating, letting me know how you liked the recipe. I take all feedback seriously, & leaving a rating helps my small business immensely!
Tiramisu Cookies with Whipped Mascarpone Frosting
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 14 and 1/2 tbsp tbsp salted butter, 206 grams
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 52 grams
- 1 and 1/2 tsp DeLallo Instant Espresso Powder , Can to up to 2 tsp if you want a stronger espresso flavor!
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed, you can use light or dark brown sugar! 163 grams
- 3/4 cup granulated or cane sugar, 156 grams
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled, 347 grams
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Whipped Mascarpone Frosting:
- 8 ounces mascarpone, 226 grams
- 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar , 173 grams
- 1 tsp DeLallo Instant Espresso Powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract , 15 grams
- pinch salt
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold, 240 grams
For Decorating:
- cocoa powder
Instructions
- Make Cookie Dough: Melt the butter in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the cocoa powder and espresso powder, then the sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and combined, about 30-45 seconds. Stir in the dry ingredients, making sure to get any dry bits hiding in the bottom of the bowl.Tip: Don't fret if the dough seems dry while mixing in the dry ingredients – this will take a bit of elbow grease, or you can use a mixer for this part. I promise the dough isn't dry and it will all incorporate!14 and 1/2 tbsp tbsp salted butter, 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp DeLallo Instant Espresso Powder , 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed, 3/4 cup granulated or cane sugar, 2 large eggs, at room temperature , 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Scoop Dough Balls: Scoop the dough into balls that are 65 grams in size. Chill the dough balls in the fridge for at least 2 hours or in the freezer for up to 1 hour.
- Bake: Pre-heat your oven to 365℉. (You can do 350℉ if your oven doesn't allow custom temps.) Line a few cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place 5-6 cookies on each cookie sheet. Bake 1-2 sheets at a time, keeping the extra in the fridge. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. The edges will appear just set and the tops will be a bit puffy. Once baked, immediately place a round cutter around the outside of each cookie and swirl the cookie within it to "scoot" them into perfect circles. This also helps them appear thicker. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the frosting.
- Make the Mascarpone Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together the mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, espresso, and salt until smooth. Pour in the cold heavy cream and beat on low just until combined, then mix on high speed for about 1 minute, until the mixture is thick and smooth.8 ounces mascarpone, 1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar , 1 tsp DeLallo Instant Espresso Powder , 1 tbsp vanilla extract , pinch salt, 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- Serve & Store: Pipe the frosting in swirls using a piping bag with the tip snipped off, or use a small cookie scoop to dollop the frosting onto the cooled cookies. Use a small offset spatula or spoon to swirl the frosting to the edges of the cookies. Finish them with a dusting of cocoa powder!Store leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.cocoa powder
- Freezing Cookie Dough & Make-Ahead Tips: Cookie dough can be balled, frozen on a sheet pan until solid, then transferred to a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for 1-2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 mins to the bake time. The cookies will not spread as much, but will be done when the edges appear and feel just set. You can also store the cookie dough balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 48 hours before baking.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Any chance there’s a way to make the cookies gluten free? My coworker loves them but has just found out she needs to go gluten free.
I haven’t tried it myself, but many readers have had success using a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour in many of my cookie recipes. If you try it, I’d bake one cookie as a test first. If it seems dry (which can sometimes happen with gluten-free flour) I’d add 1-2 tbsp of heavy cream to the dough. This extra liquid may make the cookies spread more, so they may need a bit longer chill in the fridge. Let me know if it works out for you! Happy baking!
Fantastic. I used instant coffee instead of instant espresso powder since that’s what I had on hand, and they were still fab.
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Carmen!
I’m not sure how to express in words how delicious these cookies are. They’re soft, rich, flavorful and just incredible. My mascarpone topping came out more like a dip than a frosting but that’s okay because then I just kept a jar of it in the fridge and dipped everything in it. 10/10 I would make these every week if I had less self control.
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Stephanie!
Can you freeze the frosting ? We can’t eat all of these cookies in 2-3 days. Or could I freeze the frosted cookies? I’m just wondering if the cream in the frosting will be altered in texture after freezing.
Hi Lynn! I would recommend making a 1/2 or even a 1/4 batch of this recipe. From a little online searching, it seems possible to freeze this type of frosting however I haven’t tried it myself and I’m skeptical the texture would still be nice after thawing, like you mentioned! Let me know how you like the recipe!
Absolutely delicious! Made them as a pick me up and brought the leftovers to the office-rave reviews! The chocolate cookies alone are super good if you don’t have time to make the frosting. Definitely will make again!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Elisabeth!
Would you mind sharing which brand of cocoa powder you used? I found black cocoa powder online but it’s also dutch-process, which you suggest against. I’d rather use your brand to ensure best results. Thanks in advance!
Sure thing – I used the King Arthur Baking one! I apologize for the conflicting info there – that was my mistake. All black cocoa is dutch processed – actually, it’s ultra-dutch processed – that’s what gives it’s unique flavor and dark color! Rest assured it will work in this recipe. Let me know how you like the recipe!
Excited to try this recipe! Can I use browned butter in this recipe or would it not work?
Hi HR! Yes you can – you’ll need to start with about 255 grams of butter so that you’ll have the correct amount (206) grams left after browning. Let me know how you like the recipe!
I made these cookies for a recent plated brunch event as parting dessert treats and they were a huge hit! The dough is rich and chocolatey and the espresso powder really gives the cookies a little pep in their step of flavor.
Thanks so much for the rave review, Nate!
Delicious cookies, loving the contrast between the rich black cocoa and the light mascarpone frosting. They came out perfectly round and thick with chewy centers and they look beautiful too.
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Mary! Happy baking.
Great recipe, my friends and family loved it 🙂 Leaving this for the fall baking challenge
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Kaitlyn! Your fall baking challenge entry has been recorded. 🙂