Pistachio Tiramisu

An absolutely indulgent and fluffy twist on a classic tiramisu – this pistachio tiramisu recipe highlights the nutty creamy pistachio, the lush texture of mascarpone, and soft coffee-soaked ladyfingers.

My secret to the most flavorful tiramisu is to soak ladyfingers not just in coffee, but add some Bailey’s to it and to make the delicious pistachio cream with mascarpone cheese not with softened cream cheese.

If you love experimenting with no-bake desserts and happen to love tiramisu, I have more amazing ideas: my thick and lush Biscoff tiramisu, or summer-inspired limoncello tiramisu, and my family-favorite strawberry tiramisu.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• You can make a pistachio tiramisu recipe without eggs, flour or usual baking ingredients. It is, in fact, a completely no-bake dessert!
• True to the Italian traditional tiramisu recipe – I use mascarpone mixture not cream cheese for the pistachio version. The only big difference, I stay away from raw eggs.
• Amazing recipe for a dinner party
• Minimal prep time and a great dessert to make ahead.
• Only 9 ingredients to make it!
• Pistachios are super-charged with healthy benefits and nutrients, and they are also low in calories! I often make pistachio cookies or bundt cake for a sweet snack.

Ingredients Notes

Pistachio Mascarpone Cream

• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract. As this is a no-bake dessert, all ingredients should be top quality as the taste of each will shine – there is nothing to hide behind. Use pure vanilla extract for the best results.
• Mascarpone cheese – is very mild, and much creamier than cream cheese! It has to be of a very good quality because cheap mascarpone cheese can easily ruin the pistachio mixture and it also should be cold! Keep it in the fridge until ready to make the creamy pistachio filling.
• Heavy cream, cold. I use cream to replace pasteurized eggs or egg yolks in this recipe. Heavy whipping cream works fine too.
• Pistachio spread. Use store-bought pistachio paste or homemade pistachio paste (see tips). It sounds fancy but you can find it anywhere, even on Amazon. Sometimes it can be labeled pistachio butter, check the label, we need something spreadable.

Coffee Mixture

• Espresso or strong brewed coffee cooled. Not to worry if you’re not a coffee drinker: it serves its purposes of softening and adding a little bitter touch but the coffee flavor itself won’t be very pronounced in the final dessert.
• Baileys. Adding liqueur to the soaking liquid is the most genius idea and you will see (well, taste) why! To make the tiramisu kid-friendly simply skip the rum or liqueur.

Assembly

• Ladyfinger cookies (same as Savoiardi sponge fingers). No need to make them from scratch, you can easily buy them nowadays. As a bonus, if you can find an Italian-owned pasta shop, they usually import some from Italy.
• Chopped pistachios are what this version uses for garnish instead of a classic cocoa powder topping. If you prefer a less textured topping you can use ground pistachios. For a darker green color and a deeper flavor, you can use roasted pistachios for the topping.

Kitchen Equipment

• Electric mixer or stand mixer
• Mixing bowl
• 8×11-inch baking dish. You can layer it with parchment paper. If making pistachio tiramisu ahead of a party, I highly recommend using a big trifle bowl – the dessert looks stunning in it!
• Rubber spatula

How To Make Pistachio Tiramisu Recipe

Before we start, please trust me, and don’t let the family try the pistachio paste from the jar before you make this tiramisu. The paste is so good (and addictive) you won’t have any left. I’ve been there before and no parties felt guilty!

1: Make Mascarpone Pistachio Cream

1. Mix the mascarpone, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth in a large mixing bowl. Beat the heavy cream to soft peaks.
2. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until fully combined. 
3. Add pistachio spread and combine. It needs to hold shape.

2: Soak Ladyfingers

1. Combine the brewed strong coffee, baileys, and sugar in a small shallow bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
2. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the coffee mixture, ensuring they are moistened but not soggy. Do not let the cookies soak for a long time. All the excess liquid will come out during chilling and you will end up with a soggy bottom of our dessert.

3: Assemble Pistachio Tiramisu

1. Arrange soaked ladyfingers in a single layer at the bottom of an 8×11-inch or similar-sized serving dish.
2. Spread half of the mascarpone cream evenly over the ladyfingers.
3. Repeat with another layer of coffee-dipped ladyfingers and the remaining pistachio filling. Smooth the top with a spatula. 
4. Spread chopped pistachios on top evenly.

4: Chill

Cover the pistachio tirmaisu dish with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld.

Storage

This classic tiramisu with a pistachio twist is best for enjoying fresh.

Assembled tiramisu can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Take it out from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving to enjoy it at the best temp.

Pistachio tiramisu freezes well for up to 3 months. Do not add chopped pistachios on top, wrap the whole dish tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and store. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then garnish with pistachios when ready to serve.

You can make tiramisu ahead of time, but a maximum of 1 day in advance.

Substitutions & Variations

• You can use Pistachio liqueur, Marsala, Amaretto, coffee liqueur, or Irish cream instead of Bailey’s. You can also add pistachio cream to the soaked ladyfingers too! It will infuse them with some nutty goodness.
• To make homemade pistachio paste soak shelled pistachios in hot water for 30 minutes, then simply pulse whole pistachios in a food processor, add some water to get the right consistency and that’s it. Some chefs add a bit of olive oil to the mix too.
• Add some almond extract to boost nutty flavors and aromas.
• Make pistachio topping: melt some paste in a separate bowl and drizzle it on top of the chilled dessert or use a piping bag to make some decorations.
• Pistachio tiramisu with eggs. You can either add egg whites to the mascarpone mixture and beat it until stiff peaks form or add egg yolk mixture (beat egg yolks and sugar until pale in a large bowl) to the pistachio mascarpone cream. Make sure to use good eggs.

If you love this easy no-bake dessert recipe, you’re going to love these other no-bake treats too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Tiramisu Recipes

Limoncello Tiramisu

Easy Tiramisu Recipe

Biscoff Tiramisu

Strawberry Tiramisu

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