Well, you guys, I think it’s official:
I am obsessed with dessert dips.
Like, shamelessly infatuated with creamy sweets that I can dunk cookies and graham crackers in.
It’s probably due to all the creamy sweets and the cookies involved.
Just a guess.
So let’s tally all these dips up:
I started off with Cookie Dough Dip, moved on to Apple Brickle Dip with Chocolate Bits, and my last endeavor was Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip with White Chocolate Graham Crackers (yeesh, longest recipe name ever).
I love all of these dips, but if any of them had a flaw, it would probably be their common ingredient: cream cheese. And I have absolutely nothing against cream cheese – cream cheese makes some of my favorite foods possible – it’s just that, well, cream cheese has a very dominating flavor. If something has cream cheese in it, you’ll just know, because there’s no denying the trademark tart bite that comes with it.
… And that brings me to exactly why I’m so excited about this dip, because it doesn’t use cream cheese.
At all.
True to its namesake, the fluffy and creamy texture of the dip comes from classic tiramisu ingredients like mascarpone cheese and heavy cream.
Sugar is added to give the dip some sweetness, plus a dash of Kahlua for that boozy coffee taste, and then cocoa powder is sprinkled on top to finish it off.
Voilà. you now have the perfect dip for dipping ladyfinger cookies. This dip is also very very light and not too sweet, making it an easy crowd pleaser.
And it’s also very addicting. I should know, because this dip didn’t last very long after these photos were taken… and I was home alone that day. By obsession is clearly still in full swing.
Even still, I can’t wait to serve this at our next get together. Hopefully our guests will save me from myself by eating it all before I can, because this tiramisu dip has to be my favorite dessert dip yet!
How long can you leave out a dessert dip?
Whenever you serve a dip for your guests to enjoy, you should always keep track of how long it sits at room temperature.
For most foods, the general rule of thumb is that a perishable item should not be in the “danger zone” for more than two hours. And by “danger zone”, this is usually at or just above room temperature, which is how this dip will be served.
As the party goes on, you can move your dip back to the refrigerator once you get past the two-hour mark. If your guests still want more dip, let it chill for at least 30 minutes before bringing it back out again.
Do you have to use mascarpone cheese?
Other readers have also asked for an alternative to the mascarpone cheese, as they love tiramisu but dislike mascarpone… but I gotta be honest with you here:
Most traditional tiramisu recipes are made with mascarpone cheese.
You might find some variations, but from what I’ve read, mascarpone cheese tends to be a tiramisu staple. So if you love tiramisu but are unsure about mascarpone, invite a few friends over and give this dip a try as it’s written. I promise the taste will be very similar to the tiramisu0 you already love. And if not? Your friends can help you eat what’s left.
Notes & tips for this carrot cake dip
- For this recipe, I highly recommend using a stand mixer or a hand mixer. This recipe would be difficult to make by hand with a whisk.
More fun dessert dips
This recipe was originally published on October 21, 2015. It received an update on April 26th, 2018.
Recipe Details
Easy Tiramisu Dip
Love tiramisu but don't have the time! This dip is the solution! It's a decadent dip that tastes just like a tiramisu dessert but made in less than 10 minutes. Have all the taste without all the trouble!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer + large bowl), whip mascarpone cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
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Keeping speed on medium high, add heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, and Kahlua to bowl. Mix for another 2 minutes or until dip can keep shape. Be careful not to overmix.
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Scoop dip into serving bowls and dust the top with cocoa powder. Serve with lady finger cookies for dipping.
Recipe Notes
Recipe lightly adapted from Port and Fin.
Jennifer says
Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing at My Flagstaff Home!
Jennifer
Chrisy says
Thanks for stopping by Jennifer!
Cathycathy says
Yum, Yum!! I would love this!! Thank you so much for sharing on MMM! This is on my must make list! 🙂
Cathy
Chrisy says
Thanks Cathy!
Raia says
Oooooh my goodness…. Give me a spoon!
Erica says
Tiramisu is my all time favorite dessert. The only part I don’t absolutely love is the sometimes over soaked lady fingers…this dip takes that out of the equation. Love! I will definitely be trying this soon. Thanks for sharing!
Carey says
Hi Crisy – I don’t suppose you know whether this might freeze ok? Make ahead / Freeze / Thaw in Refrigerator?
Chrisy says
Hey Carey! You “could” freeze this, but it would need to be in a quality freezer bag and the mascarpone cheese would likely lose some of it’s flavor and texture, though I haven’t tried this myself to test how big of a difference it would make.
Sarah says
I made this dip about 24 hours before a party this week. I think it held up pretty good in the fridge overnight, but later that night it started to loose it’s creamy texture, so I would say freezing it might not go over so great. I doubled the recipe for the party and sadly only had a few bites to bring home because it was so good everyone ate it! Thanks for the great recipes!
Chrisy says
Good to know about freezing – thank you, Sarah!
Karen Noneofurbiz says
wow not ONE comment from someone who ACTUALLY made this. I guess if I wanted to be assured that this dessert does in fact look tasty I know I can count on your subscribers.
Chrisy says
Sorry about that, Karen. Comments can be weird – sometimes it seems that people only comment if something is pretty (like here) or if they had a problem with a recipe. So, in an odd way, sometimes no comments are a “good” thing, since that at least means that no one had problems with the recipe. That being said, I’d be more than happy to let you know should anyone makes this recipe and post an honest review 😀 I’m anxious to see one come through, too!
Erinni says
With kids in mind, is there an alternative for the Kahlua?
Chrisy says
Hey Erinni! You could substitute the Kahlua for 1 tablespoon of decaf coffee (chilled). Kahlua is just a coffee liqueur, so any coffee-flavored liquid should work.
Tammy says
Can you make this without any coffee flavor? We are not fans of coffee but got some mascarpone cheese on sale and this recipe came up when we googled what to make with it. It looks delicious so I wanted to try it without the coffee.
Chrisy says
Hey Tammy! Yes, I think that would work – the recipe itself doesn’t have that much coffee in it, so removing it shouldn’t be a big deal. You could also try using a sweeter cookie than a ladyfinger (which are pretty mild as far as cookies go).
Edie says
Made this last night for a Christmas party. Wow! So good. Even better the next day.
This would also work perfectly as a traditional tiramisu dessert.
Chrisy says
So happy to hear this, Edie! 😀
Stacey says
I made this recipe and it was awesome. We love Tiramisu and this didn’t disappoint. I then made a second batch to take for teacher appreciation week. I doubled it and it didn’t turn out like the first batch. It was lumpy, not creamy like the first. My guess is I let the ingredients get too warm, so when it says chilled and very chilled it means it.
Kay says
Can this be made without kahlua, maybe substitute vanilla extract?
Anjuli says
I love tiramisu and found this recipe while googling. I am intrigued definitely and want to try it. However, I also have little kids. I noticed in one of the comments about using decaf instead of Kahlua. Would a coffee abstract work? I’m not sure if that has coffee in it or not…or is it just flavor? Trying to figure out options to substitute Kahlua for kid friendly and keeping as close to real thing as possible, lol. I know it is a challenge. Thanks.
Patti says
Are you supposed to whip the heavy cream first?