Vanilla Bean Tiramisu Cups (Printable)

Creamy mascarpone and espresso-soaked ladyfingers blend in delightful individual cups with vanilla bean notes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vanilla Bean Mascarpone Cream

01 - 1 cup heavy cream, cold
02 - 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste
03 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
04 - 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, cold

→ Espresso Dip

05 - 3/4 cup strong brewed espresso or coffee, cooled
06 - 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, optional

→ Assembly

07 - 18 to 20 ladyfinger biscuits, savoiardi
08 - 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, for dusting
09 - Whipped cream, for topping, optional
10 - Chocolate shavings or coffee beans, for garnish, optional

# How-To:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk the cold heavy cream, vanilla bean seeds or paste, and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
02 - Gently fold the cold mascarpone cheese into the whipped cream mixture until smooth and fully combined. Avoid overmixing.
03 - In a shallow dish, combine the cooled espresso and coffee liqueur if using.
04 - Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso mixture for 1 to 2 seconds per side without soaking. Layer the moistened biscuits at the bottom of six dessert cups or small glasses.
05 - Spoon a generous layer of vanilla bean mascarpone cream over the soaked ladyfingers.
06 - Repeat with another layer of dipped ladyfingers, then finish with a final layer of mascarpone cream spread evenly across the top.
07 - Smooth the tops of the cups, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until set and thoroughly chilled.
08 - Before serving, dust each cup generously with cocoa powder. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or a coffee bean if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • No baking required, just layering and a little patience, which means you can make these while keeping your oven free for something else.
  • The vanilla bean cream is light and dreamy without being overly sweet, so even people who claim they don't like tiramisu seem to change their minds.
  • Individual cups look impressive on the table but are actually forgiving and hard to mess up.
02 -
  • Never soak the ladyfingers in the espresso—a quick dip is all they need, otherwise they become mushy and fall apart when you try to build the layers.
  • The cold temperature of every ingredient matters more than you'd think; if your mascarpone or cream is warm, the whole thing becomes too soft to layer properly.
03 -
  • If your mascarpone is too cold and stiff when you need to fold it in, let it sit on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften slightly—it'll fold in much more smoothly without warming up the whipped cream.
  • A shallow dish for the espresso dip makes it easier to dip the ladyfingers without them sliding around, and you waste less coffee than if you tried to use a bowl.
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