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This limoncello tiramisu is like bright, slightly tart and utterly creamy and delicious. This no-bake dessert is a dream to make. It utilizes store-bought lemon curd for ease and quickness! Serve this with my Spaghetti & Meatballs and Best Caesar Salad for the most delicious Italian dinner.
It’s no surprise that I love all things tiramisu: on this site I have my award-winning classic tiramisu, earl grey tiramisu, chai tiramisu, matcha tiramisu and this chocolate-y tiramisu pie. This lemon iteration is absolutely delicious, tart, creamy and bright.
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Limoncello Tiramisu
- Egg yolks – I don’t use the egg whites; instead I use egg yolks for a super creamy and light tiramisu.
- Lemon curd – You can make your own or use a store-bought version. This is going onto the very top (in lieu of cocoa powder).
- Fresh lemon juice –
- Limoncello – My favorite Italian liqueur (ok I love Aperol for an Aperol Spritz too. And I love making my Homemade Luxardo Cherries. All Italian excellence.). This what we’re going to use to dunk the lady fingers in.
- Mascarpone – Soft Italian cheese; think of it almost like a cream cheese.
- Lady fingers – I like to buy mine from an Italian market; I find they’re the best quality from there.
For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe card below!
How to Make Limoncello Tiramisu
You can make this using an electric hand mixer, stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment) or a bowl and a whisk.
- Add all of the ingredients, straight from the fridge: the egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, salt and mascarpone. Beat it until it’s fluffy and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the lemon curd and mix one last time.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the limoncello and water.
- Dunk a few of the lady fingers into the limoncello mixture and place them in a single layer in the baking dish. You might need to snap a few of the lady fingers to have them fit.
- Add a few scoops of the filling on top and spread into a ¼-inch thick layer. Add more filling if you need to.
- Place plastic wrap on top. And transfer it to the fridge to chill and merry together for about 3 hours, ideally overnight.
- Unwrap the tiramisu, spread the lemon curd over the top and spread it in an even layer. Garnish with lemons if you like. And slice or scoop it out and serve.
Recipe Tip
- Temperature of ingredients is key. Tiramisu is seriously the EASIEST recipe to make. It doesn’t take much skill or cooking/baking experience. But I will say that every time I’ve come into a problem with tiramisu it’s because the filling ingredients are at various different temperatures.
- Everything should be cold. In order to achieve a nice, smooth filling EVERYTHING needs to be cold. That way it all emulsifies well together. Not room temperature whatever you do. Straight from the fridge. Cold. The lemon curd can be room temperature.
- Not all mascarpone is good for this – DO NOT use Whole Foods brand mascarpone cheese for this recipe. It’s incredibly thin and will yield a watery-like result.
Recipe FAQs
Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur. It’s most commonly produced in Southern Italy, like Naples, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily.
It’s considered a digestif, so often times it’s served after dinner. Which makes it perfect for this dessert.
I like to cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. It will last up to 3 days.
What to Serve with this Limoncello Tiramisu
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Limoncello Tiramisu
Equipment
- 1 electric hand mixer or stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment)
Ingredients
Tiramisu:
- 4 large egg yolks, cold straight from the fridge
- ¼ cup heavy cream, cold straight from the fridge
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 16 ounces mascarpone, cold straight from the fridge
- 1/3 cup lemon curd, (store-bought or homemade)
- 1/2 cup limoncello
- 1/4 cup water
- 24 lady fingers, (from a 7-ounce package)
Lemon Topping:
- 1/3 cup lemon curd
- 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
To Make the Tiramisu:
- You can use an electric hand mixer or you can use a stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the egg yolks, heavy cream, sugar, pinch of salt and mascarpone cheese.
- Beat together for 1 minute on medium speed; scrape down the sides and then beat again for an additional minute, being sure NOT to over beat it. Stick to the two minutes total. Fold in 1/3 cup lemon curd. Set aside.
- Grab your baking dish (I like to use a 8×8 baking dish but a variety of them will work). In a shallow dish, mix together the limoncello and water. Working one at a time, quickly dip each lady finger into the limoncello. Arrange the dipped ladyfingers in the baking dish, side by side. I ended up filling up the empty spaces by snapping some of the lady fingers into different lengths.
- Add a few scoops of the filling on top and spread into a ¼-inch thick layer. Add more filling if you need to.
- Dip the remaining lady fingers in the limoncello and arrange them so there are no gaps. Add the remaining filling on top and spread it into a nice and neat final layer. Cover the dish with plastic wrap so it hits the surface of the tiramisu; transfer to the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight.
To Garnish the Tiramisu:
- To garnish, pour the 1/3 lemon curd on top, spread it into a thin layer. Garnish with lemon slices. Scoop and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How big tray did you use for this dessert?
this is the equivalent of a 8×8-inch baking dish. feel free to double it if you want to make it for a large group!
This was soo soo good. I made my own meyer lemon curd and it came out just outstanding. Not to sweet, light and super lemon-y.
sounds delicious!
You are to eat the eggs raw?