Hazelnut Tiramisu
Tiramisu is a classic Italian no-bake dessert made with layers of coffee soaked ladyfingers and irresistible mascarpone cream. This Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe features hazelnut flavored coffee and a layer of crushed candied hazelnuts for the most delicious version of the classic dessert.Â
This post is sponsored by Copper Moon Coffee but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Baked Ambrosia possible!
While classic tiramisu is a timeless classic, this Hazelnut Tiramisu recipe will quickly become your new favorite. Ladyfinger cookies are soaked in a mixture of hazelnut flavored coffee and rum. A layer of crushed candied hazelnuts adds a delicious crunch to the creamy tiramisu.Â
What Is Tiramisu?
Tiramisu is a classic Italian dessert that consists of two layers of crispy ladyfinger cookies dipped in a mixture of coffee and liquor and a light mascarpone cheese cream. It is topped with a generous dusting of cocoa powder. Tiramisu is an easy no-bake dessert that can be made a day or two in advance.
Hazelnut Tiramisu Layers
There are 3 components in this hazelnut tiramisu recipe.Â
- Coffee-soaked Ladyfingers
- Mascarpone Cream
- Candied Hazelnuts
Each component gets layered twice: coffee-dipped ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, crushed candied hazelnuts, second layer of coffee-dipped ladyfingers, remaining mascarpone cream. The final layer of cream gets a generous dusting of unsweetened cocoa to finish and the whole dessert is topped off with a sprinkle of chopped candied hazelnuts and coffee beans.
Hazelnut Tiramisu Ingredients
Making tiramisu is a lot easier than you think! And with no need for an oven, this no-bake dessert is perfect for hot summer days! Let’s go over the ingredients you will need for this easy hazelnut tiramisu recipe. Using high-quality ingredients is key to producing the best dessert!
- Mascarpone cheese
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Heavy cream
- Hazelnut flavored coffee
- Rum
- Ladyfingers
- Cocoa powder
- Hazelnuts
What are Ladyfingers?
Ladyfingers (savoiardi) are egg-based sponge cookies that are shaped like fingers. They are lightly sweet and dry. Ladyfingers are a main component in many desserts including trifles, charlottes, and tiramisu. When layered underneath cream or soaked in a liquid, the texture of ladyfingers becomes cake-like. Ladyfingers are available in most large grocery stores and Italian markets.Â
What Coffee is Best for Hazelnut Tiramisu?
This hazelnut tiramisu recipe calls for hazelnut flavored coffee. My favorite is Hawaiian Hazelnut from Copper Moon Coffee. It is a medium roast, with a sweet and nutty taste that makes this tiramisu out-of-this-world delicious. The nutty flavor compliments the light and sweet mascarpone cream and cocoa powder. Make sure that you brew your coffee on the stronger side for this dessert. Before soaking the ladyfingers, bring the coffee to room temperature, otherwise, the cookies will soak too much liquid and you will end up with a runny tiramisu.
How to Make Tiramisu
Before beginning this recipe, I highly recommend to have all of your ingredients prepared and at room temperature.Â
- Begin by making the candied hazelnuts.
- HOW TO MAKE CANDIED HAZELNUTS:Â
- To make candied hazelnuts, add sugar and water to a non-stick frying pan and heat over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then, increase the heat to medium and continue cooking until the mixture becomes a caramel color. This should take about 5 minutes. Stir in the hazelnuts and remove from heat. Pour the mixture over parchment paper or a silicone mat and let cool completely. Use a sharp knife or a meat mallet to break up and slightly crush the candied hazelnuts. This step can be made ahead of time. Store the candied hazelnuts in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use. Â
- HOW TO MAKE CANDIED HAZELNUTS:Â
- Make mascarpone cream. To make the mascarpone cream, begin by gently cooking the egg yolks. Over a double boiler, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together for 5 minutes, until pale and creamy. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, lightly beat the mascarpone cheese. Add the cooked egg yolk/sugar mixture into the mascarpone and beat until combined. Add the heavy cream and beat on medium high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
- Whip egg whites. In a clean mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt together until foamy. Increase the speed and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg white mixture into the mascarpone cream mixture.
- Whisk hazelnut coffee and rum. Rum adds a great flavor in this dessert, but you can leave it out if desired. If you don’t have rum, you can use a hazelnut liqueur like Frangelico or a coffee liqueur like Kahlua.
- Dip half of the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture. Ladyfingers soak up a lot of liquid very fast, so you will need to work fast here. Make sure they aren’t too soggy because as the tiramisu chills, they will continue to soften underneath the cream. Overly saturated ladyfingers will also make your tiramisu runny.
- Assemble tiramisu. Arrange a layer of soaked ladyfingers into the bottom of your pan. To fill any empty spaces, cut the ladyfingers accordingly. Layer half of the mascarpone cream on top of the ladyfingers. Sprinkle a layer of crushed candied hazelnuts. Then, dip and layer the remaining ladyfingers and top with remaining cream. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.Â
- Dust with cocoa. After chilling, dust the top layer of cream generously with a layer of unsweetened cocoa powder using a sifter. Top with more crushed candied hazelnuts and coffee beans, if desired.
Frequently Asked Tiramisu Questions
Is tiramisu made with raw eggs?Â
Egg yolks are a main ingredient in the mascarpone cream. They give the cream the decadent and thick texture as well as a yellowish color. Traditionally, tiramisu is made with raw eggs, but in order to reduce the risk of salmonella, the egg yolks are cooked in this recipe. The egg whites remain raw, so it is best to use pasteurized eggs.
How far in advance can you make tiramisu?
Tiramisu can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Leftovers should be refrigerated immediately and can last up to 4 days.
What size pan should I use for tiramisu?
This tiramisu recipe is perfect for a deep 10-inch round pan or a 9×13-in baking pan.Â
More recipes you’ll love!
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Hazelnut Tiramisu
Ingredients
Candied Hazelnuts
- 3/4 cup 200 g roasted hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
Hazelnut Tiramisu
- 4 eggs separated
- 1/2 cup 100 g granulated sugar
- 2 cups 453 g mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 2/3 cup 150 ml heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup 355 ml strongly brewed hazelnut coffee, room temperature
- 1/3 cup 70 ml rum
- 40 ladyfingers
- cocoa powder for dusting
- hazelnut flavored coffee beans for topping (optional)
Instructions
Candied Hazelnuts
- To make candied hazelnuts, add sugar and water to a non-stick frying pan and heat over medium low heat until the sugar dissolves. After the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to medium and continue cooking until the mixture becomes a caramel color. This should take about 5 minutes. Stir in the hazelnuts and remove from heat. Pour the mixture over parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spread into a layer and let cool completely. Once the mixture is completely cool, use a sharp knife or a meat mallet to break up and slightly crush the candied hazelnuts. This step can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Store the candied hazelnuts in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
Mascarpone Cream
- To make the mascarpone cream, begin by gently cooking the egg yolks. Over a double boiler, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together for 5 minutes, until pale and creamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, lightly beat the mascarpone cheese. Add the cooked egg yolk/sugar mixture to the mascarpone and beat until combined. Add the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
- In a clean mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt together until foamy. Increase the speed and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg white mixture into the mascarpone cream mixture.
Hazelnut Tiramisu Assembly
-  In a shallow bowl, whisk together the coffee and rum. Dip one ladyfinger at a time, flipping it so both sides get soaked. Arrange a layer of soaked ladyfingers into the bottom of a deep 10-inch round pan or a 9x13-inch baking dish. To fill any empty spaces, cut the ladyfingers accordingly.
- Spread half of the mascarpone cream on top of the ladyfingers. Sprinkle a layer of crushed candied hazelnuts on top of the cream.
- Dip and layer the remaining ladyfingers, top with remaining cream. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Â After chilling, dust the top layer of cream generously with a layer of unsweetened cocoa powder using a sifter. Top with more crushed candied hazelnuts and coffee beans, if desired.
Notes
- The egg yolks are slightly cooked, but if you are concerned about consuming raw egg whites, use pasteurized eggs as they are safe to consume raw.
- Make ahead: Tiramisu can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Leftovers should be refrigerated immediately and can last up to 4 days.
