salted caramel tiramisu

this salted caramel tiramisu is a decadent twist on the classic italian dessert – layers of espresso soaked ladyfingers and creamy salted caramel mascarpone cream, all topped with a luscious salted caramel sauce. the perfect balance of sweet and salty with rich coffee flavour in every bite!

why you will love this easy salted caramel tiramisu recipe

• incredibly easy recipe – this easy salted caramel tiramisu comes together in about 30 minutes of active prep time. despite looking quite fancy, this salted caramel tiramisu recipe is surprisingly straightforward. no baking required, just layering coffee soaked ladyfingers with a salted caramel mascarpone cream. it’s one of those salted caramel dessert recipes that delivers maximum impact with minimal effort.

• sweet and salty perfection – making a tiramisu with salted caramel takes the beloved classic italian dessert and elevates it with the addition of a sweet salty caramel layer on top. the sweet caramel and salty notes perfectly complement the bitter espresso and creamy mascarpone!

• make ahead friendly – like traditional tiramisu, this salted caramel version actually improves as it sits. make it the night before and let the layers meld together in the fridge. the ladyfingers soften beautifully as they absorb the espresso and cream, creating the most decadent dessert that’s ready when you need it.

learn how to make salted caramel tiramisu

to start off this salted caramel tiramisu, we’ll begin with the salted caramel recipe – the salted caramel will need to cool and thicken up, so it’s best to make this first. we’ll cook sugar until it melts into a deep amber caramel, then carefully whisk in salted butter and cream before finishing with sea salt (if needed). this homemade salted caramel recipe creates a thick, luxurious sauce that gets divided – some mixed into the mascarpone cream, and the rest reserved for topping.

next, we’ll make the creamy mascarpone filling. begin by whipping egg yolks with sugar. then, we’re going to add mascarpone, vanilla extract, condensed milk and heavy cream to make a thick, creamy filling. then whisk in some of that gorgeous salted caramel for a salted caramel mascarpone cream that’s rich, sweet, and perfectly balanced with a hint of salt. separately, whip egg whites with vinegar and sugar and fold that gently through the caramel mascarpone mixture. then we’ll soak ladyfingers in espresso before layering them with the caramel mascarpone cream.

after chilling overnight, we’ll top the whole thing with the remaining salted caramel sauce for a stunning finish that guarantees this will be the star of any dinner party! top with a sprinkle of flaky salt before serving and we’re done!

salted caramel tiramisu ingredients

for The salted caramel:

• granulated sugar – melts down into golden caramel for the salted caramel sauce

• butter – makes the caramel extra silky and rich. i like to make a salted butter caramel tiramisu so i’m using salted butter here. you can use unsalted butter instead if you like. make sure it’s at room temperature.

• double cream or heavy cream – adds richness and creates a smooth, pourable salted caramel sauce. make sure it’s at room temperature.

• salt (optional) – you can use extra salt in the salted caramel sauce if you feel that just the salted butter isn’t enough. we’re also going to be adding a final sprinkle of flaky salt on top of the salted caramel tiramisu cake before serving.

for the mascarpone cream:

• eggs – i use eggs in this recipe for salted caramel tiramisu to make the mascarpone cream – we will be separating the eggs and whipping the yolks and whites with sugar separately.

• sugar – we’ll be using granulated sugar for the mascarpone cream mixture. you’ll need sugar for the egg yolks and for the egg whites.

• mascarpone – i make this salted caramel tiramisu with mascarpone – the key ingredient that is essential in this caramel tiramisu. mascarpone is whipped into the whipped egg yolk mixture to create that signature creamy, slightly tangy flavour that defines real italian tiramisu.

• sweetened condensed milk – i like to add a small amount of condensed milk to the mascarpone cream to add richness and to add more of a caramel flavour to the cream.

• double cream or heavy cream – i like to use a little bit of heavy cream in the mascarpone cream to create that light, airy texture that complements the richness of the coffee-soaked ladyfingers and the thick caramel perfectly.

• vanilla extract – optional, but recommended, since salted caramel and vanilla work really well together. the vanilla enhances the salted caramel tiramisu flavour and adds depth to the cream layer.

• vinegar – just a small amount of vinegar added to the egg whites and sugar will help them stabilise and whip up quicker.

for assembly:

• coffee or espresso – strong coffee is essential for that classic tiramisu flavour and to balance out the sweetness of the caramel.

• ladyfingers or savoiardi – these italian sponge biscuits are perfect for soaking up espresso. you can use regular ladyfingers or you can make this salted caramel tiramisu with mini savoiardi for smaller portions.

tools:

• medium pot or pan – for making the homemade salted caramel

• a bowl or jug – you’ll need to transfer the salted caramel to this so that it can cool

• 2 large mixing bowls – one for the egg yolks and mascarpone mixture and one for whipping the egg whites separately.

• electric mixer – an electric mixer will speed up the process when it comes to beating together the egg yolks/whites and sugar and whipping the mascarpone and cream. a whisk will do just fine if you don’t have access to a mixer but it will definitely take a little longer.

• wide and shallow dish – add your coffee or espresso to to this so that so you can easily dip the ladyfingers in.

• silicone spatula – great for gently folding the egg whites in and making sure you don’t over mix.

• a dish for your salted caramel tiramisu – an 9×13 dish would work best for this caramel tiramisu recipe but you can use anything you like. you can also use a round dish or make individual caramel tiramisu dessert cups or boxes.

• offset spatula – to spread the mascarpone cream thin for the final layer and smooth the top.

• clingfilm or plastic wrap – to cover the salted caramel tiramisu when you place it in the fridge to chill.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: in a small, wide and shallow dish, add freshly brewed coffee, and set this aside to cool slightly while you make the salted caramel and the mascarpone cream for the layers.

step two: make the salted caramel. in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the granulated sugar. let it melt without stirring – just swirl the pan occasionally. the sugar will clump at first, then gradually melt into an amber liquid.

step three: once all the sugar has melted and turned a golden amber colour, remove the pot from the heat. carefully add the room temperature butter. the mixture will bubble vigorously – this is normal. whisk constantly until smooth and incorporated.

step four: pour the room temperature heavy cream in and again, whisk it in until smooth and incorporated.

step five: transfer the caramel mixture into another jug or bowl. add vanilla extract and some extra salt if needed and whisk these through. let the caramel cool completely in the fridge. it will be fairly thin initially but will thicken up as it cools.

step six: make the mascarpone cream. begin by separating the eggs. set the whites aside in a separate bowl. add yolks to another large mixing bowl. add half of the sugar to the yolks and beat with a mixer (or a whisk) until the mixture becomes a pale yellow colour and increases in volume.

step seven: add mascarpone cheese and beat this into the egg yolk mixture until combined and the mixture thickens up. the mixture should look thick and smooth.

step eight: add condensed milk to the cream mixture and again, whisk this in until smooth and combined.

step nine: add cold heavy cream and use an electric mixer to beat the cream mixture until it thickens up to your desired consistency. you can also use a whisk to do this, but it will just take a little longer.

step ten: at this point, the caramel will have cooled slightly. add some of the caramel to the mascarpone cream mixture along with some vanilla extract and whisk these through until combined.

step eleven: to the egg whites, add the rest of the sugar and a little bit of vinegar and whip this mixture with an electric mixer until the egg whites look pale and fluffy. they should be soft, with tips that curl over slightly when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.

step twelve: add the egg whites to the mascarpone cream mixture little by little and gently fold them into the mixture until combined.

step thirteen: continue to do this until you’ve added all of the egg whites to the cream, and the mascarpone cream looks smooth and thick.

step fourteen: quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso – about 1-2 seconds per side. you want them soaked but not falling apart. arrange the soaked ladyfingers in a single layer in your dish, breaking them to fit if needed.

step fifteen: spread half of the salted caramel mascarpone cream over the ladyfinger layer, smoothing it out evenly with a spatula.

step sixteen: repeat with another layer of espresso soaked ladyfingers and then a final layer of the remaining mascarpone cream, spreading it smooth and even.

step sixteen: spread the mascarpone cream thin until it’s smooth on top.

step seventeen: cover the dish with plastic wrap or clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight. this allows the layers to set and the flavours to meld together beautifully.

step eighteen: the next day, once the salted caramel tiramisu is set, we’re going to drizzle or spread the reserved salted caramel over the top of the chilled tiramisu. the salted caramel will have thickened up, so you’ll need to gently warm it until it’s pourable again.

step nineteen: smooth the salted caramel over the top of the tiramisu using an offset spatula, then place this in the fridge again for about 10-15 minutes so that the caramel can thicken and set.

step twenty: once it’s set, remove from the fridge, add a final sprinkle of flaky salt on top, serve and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• use room temperature ingredients when mAKING THE SALTED CARAMEL. leave your heavy cream and butter out at least 30 minutes before you start making THE SALTED CARAMEL AS using cold butter and cold cream for the caramel can cause the caramel mixture to clump and harden.

• if you forget to leave THESE ingredients out at room temperature, you can just heat up things like cream and butter in the microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time until they’re lukewarm and no longer cold.

• when making the caramel, don’t stir the sugar too much as it melts – you can stir occasionally at the beginning or just swirl the pan a little every now and then. stirring can cause crystallisation. watch it carefully as it can burn quickly once it starts turning amber.

• be very careful when adding the butter and cream to the hot caramel – it will bubble up dramatically. add it slowly and stir constantly until smooth. and make sure the butter and cream are at room temperature.

• highly recommend leaving this salted caramel tiramisu to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but preferably overnight so that the flavours meld together better, the cream sets properly and the coffee soaked ladyfingers can soften nicely.

• this salted caramel tiramisu can be stored covered in the fridge for three-four days.

• if you want to make this as a salted caramel trifle recipe, use a clear trifle dish so you can see the beautiful layers!

• this salted caramel tiramisu recipe uses raw eggs as i live in a country where raw eggs are generally safe to eat. if you are concerned about the raw eggs in this recipe, you can buy pasteurised eggs if you’re able to find them, or you can gently cook the yolks and whites by using the double boiler method (further details on this in the faqs section).

• do not get any egg yolk into the egg whites as this will prevent the egg whites from whipping. make sure the beaters or whisk are clean as well when whipping the egg whites.

• for the mascarpone cream mixture, make sure to use cold double cream or heavy cream straight from the fridge when adding it in otherwise it won’t whip well.

• let the espresso cool to room temperature before dipping. hot coffee will make the ladyfingers disintegrate too quickly.

• when it’s time to dip the ladyfingers in the coffee, i like to quickly dip them in a good two or three times to make sure that they’re nicely soaked in the coffee. the coffee shouldn’t be hot so the ladyfingers won’t fall apart, but try not to let them linger in the coffee for too long.

• feel free to switch up the salted caramel tirmaisu presentation according to your preference. you can switch up the salted caramel top for a dusting of cocoa powder if you more of a salted caramel chocolate tiramisu and you want to keep that classic tiramisu look!

• for individual servings, you can assemble your salted caramel tiramisu in separate glasses or jars instead of one big dish.

frequently asked questions

1. CAN I MAKE THIS SALTED CARAMEL TIRAMISU AHEAD OF TIME ?

   – absolutely! this tiramisu with salted caramel is actually better when made ahead. prepare it the day before and keep it refrigerated. add the salted caramel topping a few hours before serving for the best presentation.

2. can i make this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu without eggs ?

   – you can make this quick CARAMEL tiramisu without eggs or with them, depending on your preference. if you’d prefer an eggless CARAMEL tiramisu recipe, you can skip the egg yolks and whites and just whip the sugar and mascarpone together instead. whip the CONDENSED MILK AND heavy cream into this mixture, ADD VANILLA EXTRACT AND CARAMEL AND this will be your cream filling for the layers. i’d recommend adding a bit more cream to make up for the lack of eggs. using this method will also make this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu recipe easy to make since it’ll be a quick and simple mascarpone cream over a slightly more complicated egg-based one.

3. can i make this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu without mascarpone ?

   – making this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu without mascarpone won’t give you that authentic tiramisu taste – the texture and flavour will be different. you can use cream cheese if you don’t have mascarpone on hand, just bear in mind that the the flavour might be slightly tangier and less rich, and the cream cheese might make it more like cheesecake since it lacks the delicate flavour of mascarpone. you might want to add a bit more sugar to balance the tanginess of the cream cheese.

4. i can’t find pasteurised eggs – how can i cook the egg yolks and whites before using them in this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu recipe ?

   – if you can’t find pasteurised eggs, you can cook the egg yolks and whites using a double boiler method:

• whisk the eggs yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl until the mixture becomes thick

• place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water

• whisk constantly until the mixture doubles in volume, becomes thick and foamy, and reaches about 71°c (160°f) on a thermometer 

• remove from the heat, and continue whisking until pale and thick, then let the mixture cool slightly. 

• in another heatproof bowl, whisk egg whites and sugar. again, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. 

• whisk constantly until the mixture doubles in volume, becomes thick and foamy, and reaches about 71°c (160°f) on a thermometer 

• remove bowl from the heat, then beat the egg whites until they reach firm peaks. let the egg whites cool slightly.

• add mascarpone, CONDENSED MILK, cream AND CARAMEL to the yolk mixture and mix that in, then fold in the whipped egg whites and proceed with the rest of the recipe. 

5. is there a SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu cups recipe so that i can make dessert cups ?

   – you can easily make smaller dessert cups using this SALTED Caramel tiramisu recipe instead of a separate one! just add halved coffee-soaked ladyfingers to your cups for each layer, then pipe the mascarpone filling on top, repeat the layers and top with salted caramel.

6. can i freeze this salted caramel tiramisu ?

   – while it’s possible to freeze this salted caramel tiramisu, keep in that mind that freezing it will affect its texture significantly. it might be worth freezing if you’d like this salted carAMEL tiramisu to be more of a CARAMEL ice cream cake or icebox cake.

7. does SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu have coffee in it ?

   – yes, i do make this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu with coffee as the LADYFINGERS are dipped in espresso or strong coffee. i would highly recommend this as the strong coffee helps balance out the sweetness of the CARAMEL and the cream.

8. does SALTED CARAMEO tiramisu have caffeine in it ?

   – this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu does contain caffeine since the LADYFINGERS are dipped in coffee before layering them with the cream. if you do want to make this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu without coffee and caffeine, or want to make this CARAMEL tiramisu for kids, i’d recommend using decaf coffee instead or just dipping the LADYFINGERS in milk.

9. does SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu have alcohol in it ?

   – i don’t make this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu with alcohol, but that’s completely up to you. traditional tiramisu sometimes includes marsala wine or rum, so feel free to add either of those to the coffee soak if you like.

10. is this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu halal ?

    – yes, the basic ingredients used in this SALTED CARAMEL tiramisu recipe are halal.

11. CAN I ADD CHOCOLATE TO MAKE A SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU ?

    – YES! YOU CAN SKIP THE SALTED CARAMEL LAYER ON TOP AND ADD A CHOCOLATE GANACHE INSTEAD, OR EVEN A SIMPLE DUSTING OF COCOA POWDER LIKE IN A CLASSIC TIRAMISU. SAVE THE SALTED CARAMEL TO ADD TO THE MASCARPONE CREAM AND TO DRIZZLE IN BETWEEN THE LAYERS.

12. CAN I USE STORE-BOUGHT CARAMEL SAUCE ?

    – you can, though homemade salted caramel tastes significantly better and gives you control over the sweetness and salt level. If using store-bought, choose a good quality salted caramel sauce and taste it first to make sure it has enough salt.

13. IS THIS SIMILAR TO A SALTED CARAMEL CAKE ?

    – while a salted caramel tiramisu cake would be baked, this recipe is a no-bake dessert that’s more like a traditional tiramisu in texture. It’s creamy and soft rather than cake-like, with layers that meld together beautifully.

recipe