Pistachio Tiramisu Recipe

This pistachio tiramisu is a no-bake, egg-free tiramisu made with espresso-dipped ladyfingers, a mascarpone and whipped cream layer, and a pistachio cream of pistachio paste and sweetened condensed milk. It takes about 30 minutes of work and 6 hours in the fridge, and it fills a 9×9 dish with 9 squares.

Finely ground pistachios go on top instead of cocoa, so the nut flavor stays clear. The pistachio layer is the part that needs your eye: it has to be soft enough to spread over the cream without tearing it.

What One 9×9 Dish Takes

• Pistachio cream: 1 cup pistachio paste, ½ cup sweetened condensed milk, up to 2 tablespoons milk
• Mascarpone layer: 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 1 cup room temperature mascarpone, ¼ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla
• Ladyfingers: 1 pack savoiardi, about 24, so roughly 12 per layer
• Coffee dip: 1 cup strong espresso or coffee, cooled, plus 1 tablespoon pistachio liqueur or amaretto if you like
• Topping: ¼ cup finely ground shelled pistachios
• Time: 30 minutes prep, at least 6 hours chilling
• Serves: 9 squares about 3 inches across

Pistachio Paste, Sweet Spread, or Homemade Pistachio Cream?

Unsweetened pistachio paste is pure ground pistachios. It lets the condensed milk do all the sweetening, and the layer ends up nutty rather than sugary. Lightly sweetened paste works too, and it is the one to pick if you like a sweeter dessert.

Sweet pistachio spreads made for toast are thicker, oilier and much sweeter, so cut the condensed milk back if you use one. If you have a jar of homemade pistachio cream, it is already sweet; taste before adding the full ½ cup. And if paste is hard to find, a smooth homemade pistachio butter is the same idea as unsweetened paste.

One habit saves this layer. Stir the jar from the bottom before you measure. The oil rises to the top, so a scoop from the top gives a greasy layer and a scoop from the bottom is stiff enough to tear the cream.

Getting the Condensed Milk Pistachio Layer Spreadable

Whisk the pistachio paste and condensed milk in a medium bowl until completely smooth. It should fall off a spoon in a slow, thick ribbon, a bit like thick yogurt. If it sits in a clump, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time, up to the 2 tablespoons.

Stop as soon as it ribbons; a runny layer slides when you cut.

Folding Whipped Cream Into Room Temperature Mascarpone

Whip the cold cream to soft peaks, where the tip curls over. In a second bowl, beat the mascarpone, powdered sugar and vanilla on low just until smooth.

Mascarpone does not like to be beaten hard. Push it too long and it turns grainy and starts to weep, and the layer never firms up in the fridge. Cold mascarpone leaves small lumps, so let it sit out for about 30 minutes first.

Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone by hand with a spatula, in two additions. Stop when no white streaks remain. The cream should look thick and hold soft swirls, like the bowl in the photo.

Dipping Savoiardi Without Soaking Them

Pour the cooled espresso into a shallow bowl and stir in the liqueur if you are using it. Hot coffee melts the cream it touches, so let it cool fully.

Dip each ladyfinger for 1 to 2 seconds per side, then lay it straight in the dish. The center should still feel firm when you pick it up. It softens overnight from the cream above it. One cup of coffee is just enough for all 24, so if the bowl runs dry halfway, the first ones soaked too long.

Two Rounds of Layers and a Pistachio Dust Top

Lay about 12 dipped ladyfingers in a single layer in the 9×9 dish, trimming the ends to fit the gaps. Do not press them down. Spread half the mascarpone cream over them in an even layer.

Now the pistachio cream. Drop half of it over the mascarpone in spoonfuls, then spread gently from the middle out with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, so it sits on the cream instead of dragging it. Repeat with the second 12 ladyfingers, the rest of the mascarpone and the rest of the pistachio cream. The pistachio layer ends up on top to hold the topping.

For the dust, pulse shelled pistachios in a food processor in short bursts. Stop while they look like coarse sand; keep going and the oil turns them into paste. Scatter the ¼ cup over the top. The same fine pistachio finish works on a pistachio pudding dessert too.

Six Hours in the Fridge, Then Slicing Clean Squares

Cover the dish tightly and chill for at least 6 hours. Overnight is better. In that time the ladyfingers draw moisture from the cream and turn cake-like, and the layers firm enough to cut.

Cut with a sharp knife, wiping it between cuts so the green and white layers stay neat.

Make it the evening before and serve it straight from the fridge. Leftovers keep 2 to 3 days, covered, before the texture starts to dull. Keep plastic wrap off the surface, because it pulls up the pistachio layer when you peel it back. A dish with a lid or a flat airtight container is better. Individual cups can be layered and chilled, covered, up to 48 hours ahead.

Sliding Layers, Soggy Bottom, Grainy Cream

• Layers slide when cut: under 6 hours of chilling, or the pistachio cream was thinned past a ribbon.
• Soggy bottom: long dips or warm coffee. Give each side 1 to 2 seconds in cooled coffee.
• Grainy, weeping cream: overbeaten mascarpone. Beat on low and fold the cream in by hand.
• Too sweet: a toast spread stood in for paste. Use less condensed milk.

Cherry, Matcha, and No-Egg Questions

Does this pistachio tiramisu have eggs in it?

No. The mascarpone layer is set with whipped heavy cream instead of egg yolks or whites, so there are no raw or cooked eggs anywhere in the recipe.

How do you make cherry pistachio tiramisu?

Scatter pitted, halved cherries or spoon thick cherry preserves over the mascarpone before each pistachio layer. Pat fresh or thawed cherries dry first so the juice does not stain the cream pink or soften the ladyfingers.

Can I add matcha?

Yes. Whisk a small pinch of matcha into the pistachio layer for a deeper green color and a light grassy note. Keep it small, since too much turns the layer bitter.

Can I use regular coffee instead of espresso?

Yes. Use 1 cup of strongly brewed coffee, cooled completely. Weak coffee gets lost under the pistachio.

More Pistachio and Tiramisu Bakes

For a cocoa-topped original with cooked yolks, there is my easy tiramisu recipe for a 9×13 pan. Fruit versions include berry tiramisu and a bright lemon tiramisu, and red velvet tiramisu cups cover the holiday table. On the pistachio side, try a no-bake pistachio cheesecake or a loaf of pistachio bread.