This cranberry tiramisu is a no-bake holiday tiramisu layered from a cranberry orange compote, a white chocolate mascarpone cream and ladyfingers dipped in espresso. It fills 6 to 8 glasses with about 40 minutes of work, then needs at least 4 hours in the fridge to set.
There is no cocoa on top and no egg custard. The tart cranberries do the job cocoa does in a regular tiramisu, cutting through the sweet cream. I build it in cups for parties, but the same layers go into one dish when you want to serve it by the spoonful at the table.
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- Makes: 6 to 8 dessert cups, or one 8 inch square dish
- Ladyfingers: 12 to 14 Savoiardi, about 2 per cup
- Compote: 2 cups cranberries, ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup orange juice and the zest of 1 orange, simmered 8 to 10 minutes
- Cream: 8 oz mascarpone, 1 cup heavy cream and 4 oz melted white chocolate
- Chill: at least 4 hours, overnight is better
- Keeps: 3 days covered in the fridge; do not freeze
The Cranberry Orange Layer
Fresh or frozen cranberries both work, and frozen go straight into the pan. Simmer them with the sugar, orange juice and zest over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until most of the berries have burst and a spoon drawn across the pan leaves a trail for a second. The compote thickens more as it cools, so stop there.
The orange is what makes this a cranberry orange tiramisu. Juice and zest soften the sharpness so the compote needs only ½ cup of sugar. I have made it with water when I ran out of oranges, and it tasted flat. The vanilla goes in off the heat and rounds off the acid.
Let the compote cool completely before it goes near the cream. Warm fruit melts the mascarpone and the layers run together. Made a day ahead, it keeps in a jar in the fridge, and the same compote turns up in my white chocolate cranberry Rice Krispie treats.
White Chocolate Mascarpone Cream Without Flecks
Take the mascarpone out of the fridge early; the card asks for it at room temperature for a reason. Melted white chocolate meets cold dairy and sets into hard little specks before you can fold it in. Soft mascarpone and chocolate cooled until it is just warm to the touch blend smoothly.
Whisk the mascarpone until smooth. In a second bowl, whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks, then fold it into the mascarpone. Stir the cooled chocolate into one big spoonful of that cream first, then fold the loosened mix back into the bowl. Stop as soon as no streaks remain. Overmixing knocks out the air and the cream turns soft.
Bar chocolate melts smoother than chips, which contain stabilizers that keep them from flowing. Chips work, but melt them slowly in short bursts. This is the same mascarpone base, without the chocolate, as the cream in my red velvet dessert cups.
Espresso or Coffee Liqueur for the Ladyfingers?
Plain espresso or strong coffee is enough, and it is the right choice when children are eating. For adults, 2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur stirred into the ½ cup of espresso softens the bitterness and carries the coffee flavor further into the cream.
Dip each ladyfinger for only 1 to 2 seconds. Longer and it collapses into the compote; shorter and the center stays dry and chalky after chilling. Break the ladyfingers to fit your glasses before you dip them, not after, so the broken edges soak too. I have tried soft sponge cake instead. It soaked up more coffee and the layers came out less neat, so I stay with Savoiardi.
Building the Cups Layer by Layer
Clear glasses show the red and white layers best. In each one, spoon in some cooled compote, lay the dipped ladyfingers on top, then add a generous spoonful of the mascarpone cream. Repeat with a second spoonful of compote and finish with mascarpone.
Compote on the bottom anchors the ladyfingers so they do not slide when you spoon the cream on. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon or pipe it, then cover and chill. Garnish with white chocolate curls and sugared cranberries.
Making It as One Dish Instead of Cups
For a classic cranberry tiramisu you can slice, use an 8 inch square dish. Spread a thin layer of compote over the bottom, cover it with one layer of dipped ladyfingers (about 12 fit side by side), spread on half the cream, then the rest of the compote and the rest of the cream.
A dish needs the full overnight chill to cut cleanly. Run a knife under hot water between slices, and garnish each square just before serving. For a bigger crowd, my easy tiramisu recipe is the coffee and cocoa version for a larger pan.
Chilling, Storing and Carrying Them
Give the cups at least 4 hours in the fridge, and overnight if you can. The ladyfingers soften all the way through and the cream firms enough to hold clean layers. They taste better on the second day.
Covered, they keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze them; the mascarpone cream separates and turns grainy when it thaws. Add the sugared cranberries on the day you serve, because the sugar coating dissolves after a day in the fridge.
To carry them to a party, set the glasses in a muffin tin lined with paper towels so they cannot tip, and bring the garnish separately.
Fixes for Runny Cream or Soggy Ladyfingers
- Cream is runny: the cream was not whipped to stiff peaks, or it was overmixed. Chill it for 30 minutes before layering.
- White chocolate flecks: the mascarpone was cold. Next time use it at room temperature; the flecks are only a texture issue.
- Soggy ladyfingers: they were dipped too long or the compote was warm or loose. Dip briefly and cool the compote fully.
- Dry centers: the cups were not chilled long enough. Give them the full 4 hours or overnight.
Cranberry Tiramisu Questions
Can I use canned cranberry sauce?
Whole-berry cranberry sauce works in a pinch. Stir in some orange zest, and expect a sweeter, less tart layer. Homemade cranberry sauce left over from Thanksgiving is even better.
Does this tiramisu contain raw eggs?
No. The cream is mascarpone, whipped cream and white chocolate, with no eggs at all.
Can I make it without coffee?
Yes. Dip the ladyfingers in orange juice or cranberry juice instead; the flavor turns fruitier and loses the tiramisu coffee note.
Pin this cranberry tiramisu to your Christmas dessert board, and if you want more small holiday desserts, the eggnog tiramisu cups and red velvet tiramisu cups are built the same way. For a cookie tray, white chocolate cranberry cookies use the same pairing.
White Chocolate Cranberry Tiramisu Cups
This cranberry tiramisu is a no-bake holiday tiramisu in cups, layered with a cranberry orange compote, a white chocolate mascarpone cream and espresso-dipped ladyfingers. It takes about 40 minutes of work, makes 6 to 8 individual dessert cups and needs at least 4 hours in the fridge, or overnight, to set. The mascarpone is used at room temperature so the melted white chocolate folds in smoothly, and the compote is cooled fully so the layers stay clean. Serve these white chocolate cranberry tiramisu cups as a Christmas dessert, on a holiday dessert table or after Thanksgiving dinner, or build the same layers in one 8 inch dish. They keep for 3 days in the fridge; do not freeze.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRANBERRY LAYER
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice (freshly squeezed is best)
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE MASCARPONE FILLING
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz white chocolate, melted and cooled
- FOR ASSEMBLY
- 12–14 ladyfinger biscuits (Savoiardi)
- ½ cup espresso or strong brewed coffee, cooled
- Optional: 2 tbsp coffee liqueur (Kahlúa or similar)
- White chocolate curls or shavings (for topping)
- Sugared cranberries (for garnish)
Instructions
- MAKE THE CRANBERRY COMPOTE: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, granulated sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cranberries burst and the mixture thickens. Stir in the vanilla extract, remove from heat, and let cool completely before using.
- PREPARE THE MASCARPONE FILLING: In a mixing bowl, whisk the mascarpone cheese until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone until combined, then fold in the cooled, melted white chocolate. Avoid overmixing to keep the texture light and airy.
- SOAK THE LADYFINGERS: In a shallow dish, stir together the espresso and coffee liqueur if using. Quickly dip each ladyfinger into the liquid for 1 to 2 seconds, making sure they absorb some coffee without becoming soggy. Set aside for layering.
- ASSEMBLE THE TIRAMISU CUPS: In each serving cup or glass, add a spoonful of cooled cranberry compote to the bottom. Place a layer of soaked ladyfingers over the cranberry. Add a generous spoonful of mascarpone filling on top. Repeat with another layer of cranberry and mascarpone until the cups are filled. Finish with a final layer of mascarpone on top.
- GARNISH AND CHILL: Use a spoon or piping bag to add a smooth top layer of mascarpone. Garnish each cup with white chocolate curls and sugared cranberries. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld and the layers to set.
Notes
Let the cranberry compote cool completely before layering; it thickens as it cools. Use the mascarpone at room temperature and let the melted white chocolate cool until just warm, or it sets into flecks in the cream. Dip the ladyfingers for only 1 to 2 seconds. Chill the cups at least 4 hours or overnight; covered, they keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. Add sugared cranberries on the day of serving; make them by coating fresh cranberries in a sugar syrup and rolling them in granulated sugar. For a stronger coffee flavor, brush the ladyfingers lightly with additional espresso before layering.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 6608Total Fat 186gSaturated Fat 71gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 97gCholesterol 3763mgSodium 2550mgCarbohydrates 1053gFiber 19gSugar 48gProtein 182g
Hello! If I wanted to turn this into a regular one pan tiramisu, would the measurements here for a 8×8 pan or more like a 9×13 pan?
Hi Zing Zing Lee,
If you’re turning the tiramisu cups into a one-pan version, the measurements in the recipe are closer to what you’d need for an 8×8 pan. It layers up nicely without being too thick or too sparse. If you’re planning to use a 9×13 pan instead, you’d want to double the recipe to make sure the layers are full and the flavors come through evenly.
I’ve made it in both sizes, and the smaller pan really brings out that creamy texture and cranberry contrast, especially if you’re serving it as a plated dessert. For a party tray-style version in a 9×13, doubling also helps it slice cleanly.