A luscious Chocolate Tiramisu Recipe with Chocolate Mousse is a heavenly twist on the classic Italian dessert that’s perfect for chocoholics. Layers of creamy deliciousness will tantalize your taste buds!

Tiramisu purists may scoff at this recipe, but chocolate lovers will rejoice. Some of the traditional elements of a classic Tiramisu Recipe remain intact: mascarpone cheese, spongecake ladyfingers, espresso, and a cocoa powder garnish. Kahlua and chocolate mousse may be sacrilege to some, but my 3 grown children gave it their hearty approval!

Two cups of chocolate tiramisu with a dusting wand full of cocoa powder.

Why You Must Make

  • This is the perfect pairing for those who love tiramisu and chocolate!
  • It’s a safe version since the eggs are not raw! Check out my post on How to Make Tiramisu for another version without raw eggs, but in a 9 x 13-inch pan.
  • It’s ideal for entertaining since everyone loves a personal serving of a rich dessert!!

On a trip to Vancouver many summers ago, we ended up at a Romano’s Macaroni Grill for the first time. The star of the show was their decadent tiramisu, which my oldest son, Tom, ordered for dessert. He shared a few heavenly bites. After returning home, I googled this lovely tiramisu dessert, hoping to make it at home. Well, after seeing that it had nearly 1500 calories per serving and no tried and true copycat version, I gave that idea a rest. Instead, I found this not-so-authentic tiramisu recipe in a copy of Bon Appetit magazine. Hoping the chocolate mousse component would sway the picky hubby, I was momentarily optimistic.

Not a coffee fan, the ladyfingers soaked in java were tough for him to stomach. But my grown sons inherited my more tolerant palate, plus they both love coffee. They were happy to stop by and eat this tasty chocolate tiramisu recipe! The luscious mousse also appealed to their fondness for chocolate. I was not surprised. I thought it was darned tasty, too!

A teacup filled with chocolate tiramisu garnished with cocoa and espresso beans and a sprig of mint.

Expert Tips

  • Note that there are two types of ladyfingers. The classic version is a light sponge cake that’s shaped like fat fingers. Savoiardi are light, dry sponge biscuits that are also used in tiramisu. If your recipe does not state which type to use, either will work.
  • Be careful when dipping your ladyfingers in the espresso. Just a quick plunge in and out will do. If you soak them they will fall apart. Soggy is not the goal.
  • Try different flavor variations. This tiramisu has chocolate, coffee or espresso, and Kahlua. Add or substitute different liquor or liqueurs. Rum, Baileys, Amaretto, or whatever sounds good to you will work!
  • Make sure to give your tiramisu at least 6 hours in the refrigerator to allow the custard to firm up and the flavors to meld. It can definitely be made a day before you serve it and, in fact, that is recommended.
A cup of chocolate tiramisu with a spoonful removed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu is a popular Italian dessert that translates to pick me up in English. The flavors come from the espresso and wine used to soak the ladyfingers, the creamy mascarpone cheese, and cocoa powder used to dust the surface.

How Do You Make a Tiramisu Dessert?

In this chocolate version, the ladyfingers are dipped in a sweet combination of espresso, Kahlua, and sugar, and layered with a luscious chocolate mousse. Sweetened mascarpone makes the top layer, and a sprinkling of cocoa powder is the final garnish.

What Kind of Liquor is in Tiramisu?

The classic tiramisu uses both espresso and Maidera wine to gently soak the ladyfingers. Liqueurs like Kahlua and Frangelico are occasionally used instead of wine.

Is Tiramisu Safe to Eat?

Traditional tiramisu recipes are made with raw eggs. But in this tiramisu recipe, the eggs are gently cooked into a custard, eliminating the chance of any foodborne illness that can occur when eating uncooked eggs. So this tiramisu is safe for the elderly or immune-compromised. Since there is alcohol in the soaking liquid, you may not want to serve this to children.

You May Also Like:

Chocolate tiramisu in a coffee cup garnished with chocolate curls, cocoa and fresh raspberries.
Photo circa 2011.

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A teacup filled with chocolate tiramisu garnished with cocoa and espresso beans and a sprig of mint

ChocolateTiramisu

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 8

A luscious twist on the classic tiramisu recipe with chocolate mousse, lady fingers and mascarpone cream.

Ingredients

Coffee syrup for dipping:

  • 1 cup strong coffee (or espresso)
  • ½ cup Kahlua
  • ¼ cup sugar

Mousse and Mascarpone Topping:

  • 1 ¾ cup mascarpone cheese, divided
  • 2 tablespoons plus ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin (I used a scant ½ teaspoon)
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 cup heavy cream, divided
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, plus more for garnish
  • 32-48 soft ladyfingers

Instructions

  1. Stir coffee, Kahlua, and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. 
  2. Whisk together 1 cup of the mascarpone, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Cover and keep chilled.
  3. Put 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl.  Sprinkle with gelatin and let stand until the gelatin softens, about 15 minutes.  Set aside.
  4. Mix together egg yolks, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup cream, and ¼ water in a medium heatproof bowl.  Place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water and whisk continuously until the temperature reaches 160º, about 3-4 minutes. 
  5. Remove the bowl and whisk in gelatin until combined, then return the bowl to heat and add the chocolate.  Whisk until smooth and melted.  Remove from the heat and set in an ice bath (I partially fill the sink with water and ice cubes).  Let the custard cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the remaining mascarpone.
  6. Whip remaining ¾ cup cream to firm peaks.  Fold half of the cream into the chocolate custard until well combined, then fold in remaining the whipped cream.
  7. Spread a scant ¼ cup of the mousse in the bottom of 8 one-cup ramekins or teacups.  Dunk 2-3 ladyfingers in the coffee liquid quickly, and lay on top of the mousse.  Cover with more mousse, then another layer of dunked ladyfingers.
  8. Spread about 2 tablespoons (or less) of the mascarpone mixture on top of the ladyfinger layer, and garnish with shaved chocolate and cocoa if desired.

Notes

Adapted from Bon Appetit.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1 cup

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1073Total Fat: 70gSaturated Fat: 40gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 405mgSodium: 540mgCarbohydrates: 94gFiber: 2gSugar: 52gProtein: 15g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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