Strawberry Tiramisu
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This strawberry tiramisu has bright flavors, including strawberries, lime juice, and lime zest. It’s the perfect summer dessert that can be made quickly. It’s an easy no-bake layer dessert that would be perfect for a crowd.
Instead of soaking the lady fingers in the coffee and liqueur like I did in my easy tiramisu, I opted for a strawberry lime syrup, which is fantastic. Coffee and strawberries would not pair all that well, anyway. What do you think? I bet one of you has tried it, haven’t you?
I used the crunchy lady fingers, but the lime and strawberry sauce made them really soft and spongy. That’s a good thing! No one wants a hard cookie in their tiramisu!
Reasons You Will Love This Strawberry Tiramisu Recipe
Layered Dessert – A layered strawberry dessert that is light, fresh, and sweet in each bite. 0
Spring and Summer Inspired – If you are hunting for the perfect dessert for the spring and summer months, you have found it: fresh strawberries, mascarpone cheese, and strawberry compote, all in one.
Party Approved – This dessert is great for a cookout, to take to a potluck, to serve after dinner, and more. I have even had this as a birthday party dessert.
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Ingredients Needed
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.
Strawberry Lime Syrup Ingredients
- Strawberries: Reach for ripe, fresh berries. Remove the stems and any pale colored spots.
- Water: Filtered water is best.
- Lime Juice and Zest: This will help elevate the syrup’s flavor!
- Honey: A little bit of honey will sweeten up the syrup, adding the perfect sweetness to the dessert.
Strawberry Compote
- Strawberries: Hull and dice up the berries before making the compote.
- Granulated Sugar: The sugar will add sweetness and help create a thicker texture.
- Lime Juice: The acidity comes from the lime and balances the sweetness.
Mascarpone Cream
- Mascarpone Cheese: Ensure this is room temperature so it creams together properly when mixed.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: You will use this to help thicken and create a nice creamy texture to make it spreadable.
- Powdered Sugar is used to help sweeten the dessert and does not create a gritty texture like granulated sugar.
- Vanilla: The vanilla adds flavor to the mixture and helps elevate the other flavors in the dessert.
- Ladyfingers: These cookies are the traditional cookies used in a tiramisu recipe, so they were a must for this dessert.
Substitutions and Variations
- For a flavor twist, add a mix of berries instead of strawberries. Raspberries, blueberries, and even blackberries would be delicious.
- You can make it boozy by adding Limoncello or even amaretto to the strawberry lime sauce once it is all mixed. Just stir it in at the end before you dip the cookies.
- Instead of using lime swap, add lemon juice and zest for a flavor switch.
- Add a layer of chocolate ganache to the dessert for a nice kick of sweetness in each bite.
- Use sponge cake or pound cake to replace ladyfinger cookies.
- You can use a sweetener like monk fruit or stevia to replace the honey in the recipe or a powdered sugar substitute to lighten up the recipe.
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
How to Make Strawberry Tiramisu
Step 1: Make the sauce by adding the strawberries, lime juice, honey, and water to a saucepan. Heat on medium and bring to a simmer.
Step 2: Allow it to simmer for about five minutes to help break down the berries. Stir with a wooden spoon.
Step 3: Strain through a mesh sieve and remove the seeds and any pulp.
Step 4: Stir in the lime zest, and then allow the syrup to cool.
Step 5: To make the compote, grab a medium saucepan and cook the ingredients as directed for 5-7 minutes. I recommend using a wooden spoon for stirring.
Step 6: Once done, remove the compote from the heat and allow it to cool.
Step 7 & 8: Beat the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and mascarpone in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.
Step 9 & 10: To assemble the tiramisu, quickly dip the ladyfingers in the strawberry syrup and place them in the prepared pan.
Step 11: Spread half of the compote over the dipped ladyfingers.
Step 12: Spread your mascarpone mixture over the strawberry mixture. Make sure to spread these layers evenly.
Step 13: Repeat steps 9 – 12, so another layer of dipped lady fingers, compote, and mascarpone cream.
Step 14: Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate as directed. Right before serving, top with sliced strawberries and serve.
Storing and Freezing
You can store your dessert in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, the strawberries will break down quite a bit, so you don’t want to store them for long.
The other option is to freeze leftovers. Place in a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 2 months. Then, when ready to eat, thaw in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. The texture will be slightly different, but the flavors are still delicious.
Helpful Tips For Success
Recipe FAQs
The goal is to work quickly. Have your pan ready, and don’t dip the cookies too long in the syrup. You want it to be just a second so that it absorbs a bit of the flavor without getting mushy.
Yes, this is a great dessert, and it can be made 4-6 hours before you want to serve it or up to the night before.
You are welcome to make two pans of it or reach for a larger pan to make one bigger dish. Just double the recipe and follow the same steps to make it.
You can take a block of cream cheese and add about 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix it up to create a cheese to use. Or you can blend and use ricotta cheese. Just make sure the cheese is room temperature, just like you would the mascarpone, before using it.
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Strawberry Tiramisu
Ingredients
Strawberry Lime Syrup
- 1 cup fresh strawberries diced and slightly mashed
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons honey granulated sugar will work
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
Strawberry Compote
- 2 cups fresh strawberries hulled and diced
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Mascarpone Cream
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 ladyfingers
- fresh sliced strawberries for topping
Instructions
Strawberry Lime Soaking Syrup
- In a small saucepan, add the mashed strawberries, water, lime juice, and honey (or granulated sugar) over medium heat. Bring up to a gentle simmer.
- Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing the strawberries with the back of a wooden spoon against the sides of the saucepan, until the strawberries are softened and have released their juices.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds and pulp. This is totally optional. You should be left with about ⅔ cup syrup. *You may have slightly more or less syrup depending on how much you mashed your strawberries.
- Stir the lime zest into the strawberry syrup.
- Set aside and allow to cool completely.
Strawberry Compote
- In a medium saucepan, add the diced strawberries, granulated sugar, and lime juice. Place over medium heat and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing the strawberries with the back of a wooden spoon against the sides of the saucepan, until the strawberries soften and release their juices.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
Mascarpone Cream
- In a large mixing bowl, add the mascarpone, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat using a hand mixer on medium-low speed until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat in any remnants. Set aside.
Assembling the Tiramisu
- Working quickly, dip 10 of the ladyfingers into the strawberry syrup. Flip them to make sure they’re coated in the syrup. They should absorb the syrup but don’t keep them in long enough to become soggy.
- Place the 10 dipped lady fingers in a single layer in the bottom of a 9×9-inch baking dish. I used a 9.5×7.5-inch dish in the photos.
- Spread half of the strawberry compote evenly over the ladyfingers.
- Spread half of the mascarpone cream evenly on top of the strawberry compote. Make sure to get to the edges of the baking dish.
- Dip the remaining ladyfingers in the syrup and add them on top of the mascarpone cream layer.
- Add the remaining strawberry compote on top of the lady fingers.
- Top with the remaining mascarpone cream and spread evenly to the edges of the dish.
- Cover the tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best flavor.
- Before serving, top with fresh strawberry slices.
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
This looks like a real treat!
I made this for a ladies lunch. It’s wonderful. Light, fruity, not overly sweet. I diced the not as red in the middle berries and put those inside and used the prettiest slices for the top. Easy to cut that way too. Thanks for a great recipe…it’s a keeper.
I looove the orange juice and limoncello addition! Saving your recipe for the summer! 🙂
That sounds so good!!
Oooh – I adore a good tiramisu, and fresh berries are a wonderful twist!
Yummy video!
Mmmmmmm!! This looks divine! Sweet, soft and refreshing. Ingredients I have not used before though, like the cheese, but hey, I am up for a challenge. Pinning this, and hopefully can get to it in the summer. Found you at the Inspiration Monday Party from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom.
Just a quick question.In the ingredient list it says granulated sugar but in the instructions powdered sugar. Which is it. Recipe sounds wonderful…So does the strawberry rhubarb cheesecake.
Mannnn! Thanks for the heads up. It’s powdered sugar!