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This luscious pumpkin tiramisu stars layers of spiced whipped mascarpone and coffee-soaked lady fingers—a true masterpiece! This fall dessert is easy to make in advance and the perfect showstopper for holidays or any special dinner.
The other day I was brainstorming fall desserts (as cookbook authors do!) and I was struck by the idea of a pumpkin-flavored tiramisu. Turns out it’s a thing already, but I set about to put my spin on it. When Alex and I took the first spoonful, we knew it was a keeper.
This luscious pumpkin dessert has layers of fluffy, cozy spiced mascarpone cream mixed with coffee and amaretto-soaked lady fingers, which meld together into a sort of fall bliss. Using cold brew coffee makes the prep a breeze, and you can make it up the night before. I immediately imagined it on Thanksgiving dessert tables, and it has the makings of a dessert you could become known for (is she bringing the pumpkin tiramisu this year?).
Featured reader comment
“The mascarpone cream is dreamy!! So fluffy and light as a cloud. Wonderful warm spices but nice and cool at the same time. I really love how quickly this came together, and it’ll be one less thing to worry about during Thanksgiving / big dinner prep!” -Tanvee
Tips for making pumpkin tiramisu
A classic tiramisu is simple to put together, but here’s the thing—you have to wait 4 hours or overnight for the flavors to meld. As an impatient person, that’s not something I’m always willing to do (which is why we have a cheater Tiramisu Sundaes recipe in our latest cookbook!). But this pumpkin tiramisu is worth the wait: and it’s perfect for holidays where you want to prep things in advance. Here are a few tips:
- Dip the lady fingers quickly. All you need is to briefly wet the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture. If you let them soak even a few seconds, they start to become soggy.
- Break the lady fingers as appropriate to fit in your pan. In a 9 x 9 pan, they cover most of the layer but have to be broken to do so (see below).
- Refrigerate overnight. You can get away with up to 4 hours for refrigeration, but the best set is overnight.
It’s a great fall dessert for any meal, and it’s especially perfect as a Thanksgiving dessert as an alternative to pumpkin pie (we’ll be making it this year).
Methods for the coffee (and a trick!)
A trick we’ve found for the coffee in tiramisu is to use cold brew coffee! We’ve been using when recipes call for cold espresso (for example, our Frozen Espresso Martini) and it works perfectly. Here, you’ll want to dilute the purchased concentrate using the instructions on the bottle to make cold brew coffee—it’s usually 1:1 coffee to water.
Of course, you can also use the classic: chilled espresso! Here’s our master method for how to make espresso. Strong coffee also works: simply make double strength of your classic recipe and chill it before making the pumpkin tiramisu.
Substitutes for the liqueur
Do you need alcohol in this pumpkin tiramisu? It’s actually not required (and traditional Italian recipes didn’t always include it), and this recipe tastes just as good without it. However, adding a bit does add just the right nuance to the flavor.
Our favorite liqueur for tiramisu is amaretto, that sweet Italian almond-flavored liquor that you might have for making an amaretto sour. You can also use rum or Kahlua.
Storing leftovers
This pumpkin tiramisu is best made in advance and stored overnight. It can be stored refrigerated for 1 day after the overnight storage, for a total of up to 2 days. After 2 to 3 days, the lady fingers start to break down so we don’t suggest storing it for longer.
Dietary notes
This pumpkin tiramisu recipe is vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free lady finger cookies.
Pumpkin Tiramisu
This luscious pumpkin tiramisu stars layers of spiced whipped mascarpone and coffee-soaked lady fingers—a true masterpiece! This fall dessert is easy to make in advance and the perfect showstopper for holidays or any fall dinner.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Rest Time: 4 hours or overnight
- Cook Time: N/A
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Fall
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
- 8 ounces (1 cup) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ cups strongly brewed coffee, cold espresso, or cold brew (watered down; not concentrate*)
- 2 tablespoons amaretto or rum (optional)
- 24 lady fingers (7 ounce package)
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl or bowl of a mixer, add the pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Add the whisk attachment or use a handheld mixer and whisk together until smooth. Add the the mascarpone cheese and whip on medium speed until smooth. Add the cream and beat until thick and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- In a shallow bowl, place the coffee and amaretto or rum. Quickly dip each side of the lady finders in the coffee mixture (just to get each side wet) and place them in a single layer in an 8 x 8-inch or 9 x 9-inch pan. Place 12 in the bottom, breaking them as necessary to form an even layer.
- Take half of the pumpkin mixture and smooth it over the top of the lady fingers. Add another layer of dipped lady fingers, then add the pumpkin mixture and smooth over the top again. Dust the top with cinnamon using a fine mesh strainer.
- Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Slice into 9 pieces and serve. Stores up to 1 day refrigerated (or up 2 days total).
Notes
*Notes: If using bottled cold brew concentrate, water it down using the quantities listed on the package (it’s typically 1:1 concentrate to water).
A few more pumpkin desserts
This pumpkin tiramisu is one of our favorite pumpkin desserts, but a few others we love are these simple pumpkin bars, chewy pumpkin cookies, and this pumpkin cake. A few other fun alternatives to pumpkin pie are this pumpkin bread pudding or pumpkin pudding.
Can I use amaretto extract in place of the liquor? Can’t wait to make this!
Yes! I would start with 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon amaretto extract and take a quick taste of the coffee — it should have a nice amaretto finish but not be too strong! Good luck.
The mascarpone cream is dreamy!! So fluffy and light as a cloud. I sneaked a little taste and oh my gosh, love. I love pumpkin pie adjacent things (cheesecake, ice cream, oatmeal etc) but pumpkin pie itself is a little blah to me. So this tiramisu is perfect. Wonderful warm spices but nice and cool at the same time. I really love how quickly this came together, and it’ll be one less thing to worry about during thanksgiving / big dinner prep.
I 3xs the recipe, what size pan would I use
Hi there! For triple the recipe, you can make it using a 9 x 13″ pan and 9 x 9″ pan!