The BEST Skinny Tiramisu EVER – Guilt Free Desserts

If you love bold rich flavored desserts then Tiramisu is one of them! Right? Well, I will be honest and say I have eaten more tiramisu in my life then probably an Italian himself.  There was a time when I would order Tiramisu almost exclusively for dessert. Crazy obsession with Tiramisu! As if ordering Tiramisu after every meal wasn’t enough I also made the best Tiramisu in town! Ask my friends and they still remember it.

Well, those were the days!! When my waistline would afford a good old Tiramisu. Over the years once I had kids, my metabolism moved in the other direction. And the waistline had to be kept in check. So for a good many years, Tiramisu was completely forgotten.

What is Tiramisu?

The word ‘Tiramisu’ actually means “pick me up” but many people have mistaken it for ‘coffee dessert’.  Well, Tiramisu is a rich and very elegant Italian dessert often served with great pride. It can be found in simple coffee shops but also in the most elegant high-end restaurants and rightfully so.

Delicate finger-like biscuits are dipped in a liquid made with coffee, and Italian liquor such as Marsala or creme de cocoa; layered with rich Italian Mascarpone cream cheese, eggs, and sugar custard. These layers are similar to what we refer to good light and fluffy pudding.

These days there is a huge number of variations of this classic dessert from changing the ladyfingers to a light sponge or switching the coffee to a fruit juice (I do that!) or using whipped egg whites instead of whipping cream to make it lighter.

My Aadi does not know Tiramisu!!

Recently when we were out at a family dinner and Aadi asked ‘ what is Tiramisu?
Oh, my word! My son does not know what is Tiramisu! Honestly broke my heart. After all my obsession with this dessert, I had still not made it for my little foodie. So of course, we ordered him a good old Tiramisu and he enjoyed it to the last smear in that bowl. Ever since he’s been asking me to make him Tiramisu.

We made the Classic Tiramisu are a couple of times but it wasn’t doing me any good. I was way too tempted to eat and had to find a way to make everyone happy. Let’s face it Aadi can afford it but I don’t want him eating too much of these treats too often either.

So I came up with this version of my Skinny Tiramisu! Why Skinny?

• First – Cream Cheese – In keeping with being authentic it does have mascarpone but since mascarpone is really high in fat we substitute a big portion of that with a light cream cheese.
• Whipped cream – We reduce the whipped cream in this and add more eggless vanilla pastry cream to make up for the quantity.
• Eggless vanilla pastry cream – This eggless version is basically thickened milk that works great when you need to substitute the classic vanilla pastry cream usually used in a classic tiramisu which has three times more fat/calories because of the egg yolks and cream.

This recipe is Skinny, but….

Now, this may be a skinny tiramisu but it does not lack in flavor nor does it do any injustice to the classic version. The tweaks I’ve made are in trying to keep the dessert as close to the original as possible. No point in eating something low fat if it does not give you true satisfaction! Right?
I have served my skinny tiramisu on many occasions to family and friends and they are always surprised that this is a skinny version because it does not lack in flavor and BEST Of ALL – It still holds its’ shape, unlike the low-fat Tiramisu which you cannot slice!! Why? Follow my instructions below.

Let’s talk ingredients, substitutes, and Tips (Save/Pin)

• Vanilla Pastry Cream – Here I am using the eggless version to keep it light, but you can use my classic vanilla pastry cream recipe which is made with egg yolks and heavy cream.
• Cream Cheese – Instead of 500 grams of full-fat mascarpone which is usually 45% fill fat; I am substituting most of it with a 9% fat cream cheese which is much lighter. The little I use does give a nice richness of mascarpone. You are free to use full fat or switch all low fat.
• Liqueur – I like to keep things non-alcoholic for my kids so I have put that as an optional ingredient, unlike the authentic tiramisu. If you omit the liqueur just add more coffee to bring to the measure needed to soak the biscuits.
• Freezing the tiramisu – If you notice I ask to freeze the tiramisu for just 45 minutes before you serve it. This is the secret to getting those slices to hold their shape. You don’t want it freezing too long just 30 to 45 minutes does the trick.

Useful Tips and Tools

• You will need an 8-inch round cake ring or removable bottom spring-form cake pan. I’ve used round you can certainly use any other shape.
• A baking tray under the cake pan works great to move things from the fridge to counter.
• A stand mixer such as Kitchen-aid works best for whipping creams and batters. You can even use a hand-held of course.
• It’s best to use measuring cups and measuring spoons rather than to guess the amounts
• An off-set spatula works great to smooth creams and frosting layers

About Vanilla Pastry Cream

Below I have used eggless vanilla pastry cream which is the low-fat or healthier version of the classic. But, you may also choose to use the classic vanilla pastry cream recipe instead.
I have listed the recipe in detail below for your convenience but both these recipes are explained in detail with videos on their respective posts.

Classic French Vanilla Pastry Cream – Fail-Proof Method (Video)

Classic French vanilla pastry cream is a perfect base for many desserts such as fruit tarts, mousses, Bavarian Creams Ice-cream etc. This simple, easy and effortless recipe is made by tempering egg yolks with hot milk then cook gently to achieve a smooth, creamy and velvety cream that almost melts in your mouth #vanilla #pastry #cream #custard #dessert #French #tutorial #recipe

Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream – for Eggless Desserts

Vanilla Pastry Cream is usually made with eggs and is a perfect base for many desserts such as fruit tarts, mousses, Bavarian Creams, ice-cream. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for eggless vanilla pastry cream opens a whole new world of desserts for people who can’t have eggs. Compared to the classic vanilla pastry cream made with egg yolks this one is also less on the calories and more healthy to indulge in without losing any of the silky smooth goodness.

How to Make A Skinny Tiramisu (Save/Pin)

Prepare Vanilla Pastry Cream

• Combine milk, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
• Stir well until cornflour is well combined.
• Heat on medium heat stirring constantly.
• Once the milk is hot – low the heat to medium-low to prevent the bottom from burning.
• Continue to cook stirring constantly until the milk thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• The more you cook – the thicker the pastry cream will become.
• Pour into a bowl and cover with cling /plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming at the top.
• Keep chilled until ready to assemble the dessert.

Coffee Mixture

• Combine hot coffee and cocoa powder
• Add liquor – stir well
• Let cool completely before using it.

Mascarpone cream.

• Combine the mascarpone and cream cheese and powdered sugar
• Set aside.

Whip the cream

• Whip the cream with powdered sugar until light and fluffy
• Set aside.

Divide whipped cream

• Divide the whipped cream into three
• Combine one to the vanilla pastry cream (this will lighten the pastry cream)
• Combine second to the mascarpone cream cheese mixture (again this will lighten the mixture)
• Leave the third for the top final layer.

Assemble

• Use a 9 x 9-inch square or 7 x 9-inch rectangle pan that can accommodate about 10 to 12 ladyfingers in two rows or similar
• Dip each ladyfinger briefly in the coffee liquid and place the biscuits in a single layer.
• Top with half the cream cheese mixture
• Followed by half the vanilla pastry cream mixture
• Dust with cocoa powder using a fine sieve.
• Repeat the next layers of ingredients starting with ladyfingers followed by cream cheese and vanilla pastry cream layers
• Finally, top with the remaining plain whipped cream
• Use a spatula to create an even smooth surface.
• Generously dust with remaining cocoa powder

Chill and freeze before serving.

• Chill the prepared layers for a minimum of three hours or overnight
• Then Freeze for 45 minutes before you serve (why? see notes above)
• Cut into slices and use a flat spatula to help lift the layers
• Enjoy!

Storage & Shelf-life

• Tiramisu will stay in the fridge for 2  days before the whipped cream will start to lose volume
• It will still be delicious but the whipped cream will be soft so it may not hold well as a slice.

Frequently asked questions

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The BEST Skinny Tiramisu EVER

Author: Veena Azmanov

5 from 23 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Calories: 206kcal

Adjust Servings Here: 12 servings

Description

This skinny tiramisu is a rich and elegant dessert, bold in flavors of coffee and liqueur to warm you up in winter. Creamy and light layers of luxury that melt in the mouth make this a perfect crowd-pleasing dessert. The recipe tries to keep it simple, easy, effortless as close to Classic Tiramisu as possible.

Ingredients

Make one 9 x 9-inch square

• 26 (26 ) Ladyfinger biscuits
• 50 grams (0.58 cups) Cocoa powder for dusting

FOR THE MASCARPONE CREAM

• 115 grams (0.51 cups) Mascarpone cream cheese
• 220 grams (0.92 cups) Light cream cheese
• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Powdered sugar
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Vanilla

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

• 250 ml (1.06 cups) Whipping cream
• 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) Powdered sugar
• 1 tsp (1 tsp) Vanilla

FOR THE COFFEE LIQUID

• 120 ml (0.51 cups) Brewed coffee
• 1 tbsp (1 tbsp) Cocoa powder
• 60 ml (0.25 cups) Marsala Cream de cacao, brandy or rum

FOR THE PASTRY CREAM

• 500 ml (2.11 cups) Milk
• 50 grams (1.76 oz) Sugar
• 4 tbsp (4 tbsp) Cornstarch
• 2 tsp (2 tsp) Vanilla
• 1/8 tsp (1/8 tsp) Salt

ADJUST SERVINGS HERE – 12 servings

Instructions

PREPARE VANILLA PASTRY CREAM

• Combine milk, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
• Stir well until cornflour is well combined.
• Heat on medium heat stirring constantly.
• Once the milk is hot – low the heat to medium-low to prevent the bottom from burning.
• Continue to cook stirring constantly until the milk thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• The more you cook – the thicker the pastry cream will become.
• Pour into a bowl and cover with cling /plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming at the top.
• Keep chilled until ready to assemble the dessert.

PREPARE COFFEE LIQUID

• Combine hot coffee and cocoa powder
• Add liquor – stir well
• Let cool completely before using it.

PREPARE MASCARPONE CREAM.

• Combine the mascarpone and cream cheese and powdered sugar
• Set aside.

WHIP THE CREAM

• Whip the cream with powdered sugar until light and fluffy
• Set aside.

DIVIDE WHIPPED CREAM

• Divide the whipped cream into three
• Combine one to the vanilla pastry cream (this will lighten the pastry cream)
• Combine second to the mascarpone cream cheese mixture (again this will lighten the mixture)
• Leave the third for the top final layer.

ASSEMBLE

• Use a 9 x 9-inch square or 7 x 9-inch rectangle pan that can accommodate about 10 to 12 ladyfingers in two rows or similar
• Dip each ladyfinger briefly in the coffee liquid and place the biscuits in a single layer.
• Top with half the cream cheese mixture
• Followed by half the vanilla pastry cream mixture
• Dust with cocoa powder using a fine sieve.
• Repeat the next layers of ingredients starting with ladyfingers followed by cream cheese and vanilla pastry cream layers
• Finally, top with the remaining plain whipped cream
• Use a spatula to create an even smooth surface.
• Generously dust with remaining cocoa powder

CHILL AND FREEZE BEFORE SERVING.

• Chill the prepared layers for a minimum of three hours or overnight
• Then Freeze for 45 minutes before you serve (why? see notes above)
• Cut into slices and use a flat spatula to help lift the layers
• Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Storage & Shelf life

• Tiramisu will stay in the fridge for 2  days before the whipped cream will start to loose volume
• It will still be delicious but the whipped cream will be soft so it may not hold well as a slice.

Recipe Video

About Videos – most recipes has two videos – a quick version in the post & longer detailed version on this recipe card. Sometimes a similar recipe video may be used. Please do subscribe to my channel if you like my videos

Equipment

Mixing Bowl Stainless Steel

Hand Mixer

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Spatula

Square Cake Pan (9 x 9)

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

The BEST Skinny Tiramisu EVER

Amount Per Serving (107 grams)

Calories 206 Calories from Fat 122

% Daily Value*

Fat 13.59g21%

Saturated Fat 7.63g38%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4.07g

Monounsaturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 38mg13%

Sodium 166mg7%

Potassium 0mg0%

Carbohydrates 18.26g6%

Fiber 1.4g6%

Sugar 10.72g12%

Protein 4.24g8%

Vitamin A 0IU0%

Vitamin C 0mg0%

Calcium 0mg0%

Iron 0mg0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you

Keywords – Skinny Tiramisu

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