tiramisu latte

a tiramisu latte you can make at home — rich espresso, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla and condensed milk over ice, topped with a swirl of mascarpone whipped cream. plus a matcha version for when you want something a little different.

if you’ve ever sat down with a slice of tiramisu and thought “i wish this was a drink”, this recipe is exactly that! this tiramisu iced latte takes all the flavours of the classic italian dessert and turns them into a cold, creamy and deeply satisfying tiramisu latte coffee drink you can make at home in about five minutes.

we’re talking espresso over ice with brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and a touch of condensed milk for that signature tiramisu sweetness, all topped with a swirl of mascarpone whipped cream piped on top. and because one recipe is never enough, i’m also sharing a matcha tiramisu latte version with the same mascarpone whipped cream swirl on top, but with a creamy, earthy matcha base instead of espresso.

why you will love this tiramisu latte recipe

• tastes exactly like tiramisu – the combination of brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and condensed milk together with espresso genuinely tastes like tiramisu in the form of a drink. it’s indulgent, slightly sweet, and has a deep and rich coffee flavour.

• the soft mascarpone whipped cream topping!! – this is what makes both drinks. the mascarpone cream is whipped until soft and silky and piped into a swirl on top. it’s thick, creamy, and melts slowly into the drink as you sip.

• so easy to make at home – no special equipment needed, and no barista skills required. if you have a hand mixer (or a whisk) and an espresso machine (or a moka pot, or instant espresso), you’re already there.

learn how to make a tiramisu latte at home

to make both of these tiramisu latte flavors, we’ll start by making the mascarpone whipped cream so that it’s ready to go. we whip cold heavy cream and vanilla extract until soft, and then add mascarpone and condensed milk until you get a soft, but pipe-able cream. transfer the cream to a piping bag and keep it in the fridge.

for the tiramisu latte, we brew espresso and stir in brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and condensed milk while it’s still hot so everything dissolves smoothly. we pour that into a glass, add ice and milk, then pipe the mascarpone cream on top in a swirl and finish with a dusting of cocoa powder. for the matcha version, dissolve some condensed milk in water and add this to a glass. then, we whisk matcha powder with a little hot water until smooth. add ice and milk to the glass, pour the matcha over, top with the same mascarpone cream swirl and dust with a little bit of matcha powder.

tiramisu latte ingredients

• espresso — two shots of freshly brewed espresso. a moka pot, espresso machine, or strong instant espresso all work. this is the coffee base of the our tiramisu latte drink – the more flavourful the espresso, the better the latte.

• light brown sugar – this adds a warm, caramelised sweetness that pairs perfectly with cocoa and vanilla. adjust to your taste.

• cocoa powder – just a small amount of unsweetened cocoa powder stirred into the espresso gives you that rich tiramisu flavour. we’re also going to dust some cocoa powder on top at the end as well.

• vanilla extract or vanilla paste – vanilla is a core flavour in tiramisu and it makes a real difference here. vanilla paste gives you a slightly more intense flavour and those little flecks, but extract works just as well. we’ll be using this for the tiramisu latte espresso version and the matcha version.

• condensed milk – a small amount of sweetened condensed milk in both tiramisu latte flavors adds a creamy, sweet depth that really pushes this tiramisu latte drink into tiramisu territory. it also takes the edge off the bitterness of the espresso beautifully. i also like to add a bit condensed milk to the mascarpone whipped cream for sweetness.

• ice – we’re going to be making this tiramisu latte recipe iced rather than hot – use plenty of ice so the drink stays cold as the cream melts in.

• milk – you can use whatever milk you like. whole milk gives the richest result. i love using oat milk for the matcha tiramisu latte as it has a natural sweetness and creaminess that suits the drink really well. you can make a tiramisu oat milk latte for the espresso version as well if you like!

• matcha powder – for the matcha tiramisu latte. use ceremonial grade matcha for the best colour and flavour. culinary grade works too but will be a little more bitter.

• hot water – to whisk the matcha. i’ll also be mixing a bit of hot water into the condensed milk to dissolve it.

• heavy cream or double cream – we’ll make our tiramisu latte with mascarpone cold foam that’s made by whipping cold heavy cream until soft and then adding mascarpone and condensed milk.

• mascarpone – i make this tiramisu latte with mascarpone for that rich tiramisu flavour. this is what makes the topping thick and rich rather than just whipped cream. it holds its shape well and melts into the drink in the most satisfying way.

tools:

• glasses – for serving

• fine mesh sieve – we need to sift the matcha first to make sure there are no clumps. we’ll also need this for dusting cocoa powder and matcha powder on top of our tiramisu latte drinks.

• small whisk or matcha whisk – to whisk the matcha

• small mixing bowl – for making the tiramisu latte topping.

• hand mixer or small whisk – for whipping the mascarpone cream.

• piping bag – for the cream swirl on top. a zip-lock bag with the corner snipped works just as well.

step by step instructions

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

step one: make the tiramisu latte topping – add cold heavy cream and vanilla extract or vanilla paste to a bowl. beat with a hand mixer until slightly thickened, then add the mascarpone and condensed milk. beat this again until smooth and combined.

step two: transfer the tiramisu latte topping to a piping bag and set aside in the fridge while you make the drinks.

step three: brew two shots of espresso. while the coffee is still hot, stir in the brown sugar, cocoa powder, condensed milk and vanilla extract or paste until fully dissolved and smooth. pour this into a glass.

step four: for the matcha tiramisu latte, add condensed milk and vanilla extract or paste to hot water and stir these in until dissolved. pour this into another glass.

step fivE: sift matcha powder into a small bowl. pour over a small amount of hot (not boiling) water and whisk into a smooth, lump-free paste.

step six: once you have a smooth paste, add a little bit more water to the bowl, and continue whisking the matcha until completely smooth.

step seven: add ice to both of your tiramisu latte drinks.

step eight: add your milk of choice to both of the tiramisu latte drinks.

step nine: pour the matcha over the ice and milk for your matcha tiramisu latte.

step ten: pipe the mascarpone cream over the top of both of the tiramisu lattes in a thick swirl.

step eleven: dust the tiramisu latte with cocoa powder and dust the matcha tiramisu latte with matcha powder.

step twelve: serve immediately!

tips and notes

• pipe the mascarpone cream as close to serving as possible. the mascarpone whipped cream actually does hold its shape well, but it will start to soften and melt into the drink over time – which is delicious, but you might want to take a picture first!

• don’t skip dissolving the cocoa powder, condensed milk and brown sugar in the hot espresso. doing this while the espresso is hot means everything blends smoothly into the drink. if you add cocoa powder to cold milk it’ll clump.

• adjust sweetness to taste. i thought this tiramisu latte was fairly balanced in terms of sweetness, but if you think that the brown sugar and condensed milk will make this too sweet for you, you can reduce this.

• if you’d prefer to have this tiramisu latte hot instead of cold, just skip the ice, steam or warm the milk, and pour everything directly into a mug. pipe the mascarpone cream on top the same way.

• if you want to keep this tiramisu latte easy and quick, and don’t feel like fussing around with a piping bag, you can absolutely just add dollops of the mascarpone cream on top of each tiramisu latte instead of piping it into a swirl on top.

• if using instant coffee instead of espresso, you can use 2 tsps of instant coffee mixed with 40ml (or 2 tbsps + 2 tsps) of hot water.

frequently asked questions

1. what is in a tiramisu latte ?

   – this tiramisu latte homemade recipe is made using espresso, brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, condensed milk and milk, plus a mascarpone whipped cream topping piped in a swirl. it’s built to taste as close to the italian dessert as possible in drink form!

2. what does a tiramisu latte taste like ?

   – this tiramisu latte is rich and creamy, with a deep coffee flavour, a warm sweetness from the brown sugar and condensed milk, a hint of cocoa, and a vanilla note throughout. the mascarpone cream on top melts slowly into the drink and makes every sip incredibly indulgent. it’s genuinely like drinking tiramisu.

3. is this tiramisu latte hot or cold ?

   – i typically like to have this tiramisu latte cold, but this tiramisu latte can also be made hot with just a few simple changes.

4. how i make this tiramisu latte recipe hot instead of cold ?

   – to make this tiramisu latte recipe hot, just brew the espresso as stated, warm the milk, skip the ice, and serve in a mug with the mascarpone cream on top. you can serve this tiramisu latte cold or hot depending on what you’re in the mood for.

5. can i make this tiramisu latte recipe without mascarpone ?

   – i’d really recommend making the tiramisu latte topping with mascarpone for that authentic, rich tiramisu flavour! however, if you really want to make this tiramisu latte with no mascarpone, you can also make this tiramisu latte using cream cheese instead of the mascarpone. it won’t be as rich, and might be slightly tangier, but it will still be delicious.

6. how do i make this tiramisu latte with cream cheese in the whipped topping ?

   – just follow the instructions for making the tiramisu latte topping as stated in the recipe, but swap out the mascarpone for cream cheese instead!

7. do i need a special tiramisu latte syrup to make this drink ?

   – the best part about this tiramisu iced latte recipe is that you don’t need any special syrups or ingredients! you could probably find a tiramisu latte syrup recipe if you want to use a syrup for the base.

8. what’s the difference between a tiramisu latte vs a mocha ?

   – a mocha is more chocolate-forward – it’s usually made with chocolate syrup or melted chocolate and espresso. this tiramisu latte is cocoa-dusted and vanilla-flavoured, with condensed milk and brown sugar giving it a more caramelised sweetness. they’re both coffee and chocolate drinks but the tiramisu latte is much closer to a dessert flavour profile with a slight hint of chocolate.

9. can i make this tiramisu latte with tiramisu on top instead of the whipped topping ?

   – absolutely! you can make a small batch of tiramisu and spoon it on top of the drink rather than just adding a whipped mascarpone topping to make this tiramisu latte extra indulgent. this tiramisu for two recipe would work really well!

10. can i make a tiramisu latte foam instead of topping with a whipped mascarpone cream ?

    – for a foamier, lighter topping, you could whip the cream very slightly so that it’s soft and spoon it over the top of the drink instead of piping. this will give you more of a cappuccino foam vibe than a thick piped swirl.

recipe