This oreo tiramisu has all of the flavours of a traditional tiramisu with a very nontraditional swap of ladyfingers for chocolate sandwich cookies. Oreos soak up the coffee so beautifully and give the tiramisu a deep chocolate flavour. They make the perfect swap if you can’t find ladyfingers or want an equally delicious twist on the classic!
The filling is my tried and true classic tiramisu filling consisting of yolks and mascarpone cheese. Yolks, whole eggs, sugar, and coffee are cooked over a double boiler while whisking continuously. It might seem daunting and labour intensive at first but it's actually not too bad! It just takes a while to whisk. As you whisk and heat the oreo tiramisu filling, it will froth up and thicken. Mix in mascarpone and then fold whipped cream to lighten it up.
The coffee
This recipe uses a strong brewed coffee to dip the oreos. It’s also added into the filling. You can use decaffeinated coffee or a strong tea instead. For a coffee free version try dipping in milk and adding milk into the filling.
For a more traditional oreo tiramisu version with a slight boozy kick, I recommend using half Kahlua liquor and half coffee in both the filling and oreo dipping mixture. This is the most requested version I get and it’s oh so delicious! If you can’t find Kahlua you can use a dark rum.
FAQ
You can substitute the coffee with strongly brewed tea or milk! It’ll be just as delicious.
You can use traditional ladyfingers in this recipe as well, use them the exact same way you would the oreos. Any other chocolate or vanilla sandwich cookie similar to oreos will also work great.
Of course you can! Substitute with your favourite gluten free sandwich cookies (oreo comes in gluten free now too), or gluten free ladyfingers.
I usually made this recipe using just yolks. One time I didn’t have quite enough and decided to substitute some yolks with a few whole eggs. It made the filling so much creamier and less eggy tasting.
Follow the recipe as indicated and just assemble the tiramisu in individual glasses or containers.
Tiramisu freezes really well! You can prepare it weeks in advance Wrap it tightly after assembling and pop it in the freezer for up to one month. If you’re freezing leftovers, do the same thing.
Unfortunately, you can’t fix an assembled soupy tiramisu because of all of the different ingredients that are in it.
To prevent it: Make sure that the egg yolks and sugar is cooked until it becomes thick and feels very hot to the touch (careful!). Let it cool down before adding the mascarpone cheese. A good quality, full fat mascarpone cheese will keep the filling thick. Make sure the cream is whipped until medium-stiff peaks. Keep the cream, bowl, and whisk cold to help it whip well. As long as you follow all of the steps you should get a thick, mousse-like filling! The tiramisu needs to set for at least 8 hours or overnight for it to thicken even more.
Key Ingredients
Full ingredients and recipe are in the recipe card below. Read through this section for all the ingredient substitutions and baking tips!
Egg yolks and whole eggs: This will create the traditional rich custard-like base for the tiramisu.
Strong coffee: You can use freshly brewed coffee or instant coffee. Let it cool a bit so it isn’t hot. For a coffee free version use strong tea or milk. For a boozy version substitute half of the coffee with Kahlua.
Mascarpone cheese: Use a good quality mascarpone cheese for the creamiest result. Let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before using. If you can't find mascarpone cheese substitute for full fat cream cheese.
Heavy cream: I used 35% whipping cream. Do not use anything with a lower milkfat %, it just won’t whip up.
Oreos: I used oreos in this recipe but you can use any chocolate (or vanilla) sandwich cookies you prefer. You can use traditional ladyfingers in this recipe as well, use them the exact same way you would the oreos.
Cocoa powder: Use your favourite cocoa powder to dust on top for that classic tiramisu look.
Filling
- Pour a few inches of water into a medium saucepan. Find a heat safe bowl that fits well on top of the pan without touching the bottom or the water. Bring the water in the saucepan to a simmer.
- Combine yolks, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and coffee in the heat safe bowl. Whisk until combined.
- Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and whisk. Continue whisking with a wire whisk until the mixture foams up and thickens considerably.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and whisk it into the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. If it’s still lumpy you can use a blender to help make it smooth.
- Whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks with a whisk or stand mixer. Be careful not to overwhip or it will become grainy. The whipped cream will continue to thicken as it is folded into the filling.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture with a whisk until smooth. Stop folding as soon as it is smooth or else it may become grainy.
Assembly
- Dip the oreos into the coffee and place in a single layer in a 8” by 11” oval dish or a similar sized dish. Break up pieces of oreos to make up the gaps.
- Spread half of the filling on top of the oreos. Layer more coffee dipped oreos and spread the rest of the filling on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. The oreos need to soften and the filling needs to set for the perfect sliceable tiramisu.
- Before serving, dust the oreo tiramisu top with cocoa powder and sprinkle with crumbled reserved oreos. To serve, slice or scoop the cake onto plates and serve!
Check out my other recipes:
- Mini Oreo Cheesecakes with Fudge and Whipping Cream
- Easy Triple Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Drip
- Mango Mascarpone Roll Cake
Did you make this recipe? I would love for you to rate this recipe and hear what you think in the comments below!
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Oreo Tiramisu
Equipment
- 8” by 11” or a similar sized oval dish
Ingredients
Filling
- 4 large yolks room temperature
- 2 large eggs whole, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup strong coffee cooled (see substitutions in notes)
- 1 lb mascarpone cheese 450g, slightly softened
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream cold (whipping cream)
Assembly
- 1 cup strong coffee cooled (see substitutions in notes)
- 1 family pack oreos set 3 oreos aside for crumbling on top (see substitutions in notes)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Instructions
Filling
- Pour a few inches of water into a medium saucepan. Find a heat safe bowl that fits well on top of the pan without touching the bottom or the water. Bring the water in the saucepan to a simmer.
- Combine yolks, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and coffee in the heat safe bowl. Whisk until combined.4 large yolks, 2 large eggs, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ cup strong coffee
- Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and whisk. Continue whisking with a wire whisk until the mixture foams up and thickens considerably.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and whisk it into the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. If it’s still lumpy you can use a blender to help make it smooth.1 lb mascarpone cheese
- Whip the cream until medium-stiff peaks with a whisk or stand mixer. Be careful not to overwhip or it will become grainy.1 ½ cup heavy cream
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture with a whisk until smooth.
Assembly
- Dip the oreos into the coffee and place in a single layer in a 8” by 11” oval dish or a similar sized dish. Break up pieces of oreos to make up the gaps.1 family pack oreos, 1 cup strong coffee
- Spread half of the filling on top of the oreos. Layer more coffee dipped oreos and spread the rest of the filling on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, dust the top with cocoa powder and sprinkle with crumbled reserved oreos.¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 family pack oreos
- To serve, slice or scoop the cake onto plates and serve!
Notes
- You can use strong brewed decaff coffee for a low caffeinated version. You can also use a strong black tea instead.
- To deepen the flavour with a bit of liquor, I strongly recommend substituting half of the coffee in the filling and assembly with Kahlua or dark rum. My family always requests it to be spiked with kahlua!
- For a coffee free version, you can easily substitute all of the coffee with milk.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!