homemade lemon tiramisu
No Bake
Sep 16, 2025

Lemon Tiramisu

  • Prep time: 30 min
  • Chill time: 8 hr
  • Total time: 8 hr 30 min

Creamy, tart, tangy, and ridiculously tasty, this homemade lemon tiramisu is made with luscious layers of mascarpone cream, bright lemon curd and limoncello soaked lady fingers.

No Bake
Sep 16, 2025
Lemon Tiramisu
  • Prep time: 30 min
  • Chill time: 8 hr
  • Total time: 8 hr 30 min
homemade lemon tiramisu

Creamy, tart, tangy, and ridiculously tasty, this homemade lemon tiramisu is made with luscious layers of mascarpone cream, bright lemon curd and limoncello soaked lady fingers.

Lemon Tiramisu

Sofi | Broma Bakeryby Sofi | Broma Bakery

Creamy, tart, tangy, and ridiculously tasty, this homemade lemon tiramisu is made with luscious layers of mascarpone cream, bright lemon curd and limoncello soaked lady fingers.

homemade lemon tiramisu

Homemade Lemon Tiramisu

If classic tiramisu is a cozy night in with a cappuccino, this Lemon Tiramisu is a sun-drenched Italian vacation with an Aperol spritz in hand. It’s creamy, tangy, bright, and a little boozy…AKA the perfect spin on tiramisu for summer.

Instead of espresso and cocoa, we’re layering ladyfingers with a zingy lemon soak (hello limoncello), tangy lemon curd, and a dreamy mascarpone cream. The result? A dessert that’s both elegant and playful, perfect for dinner parties or prepping to sneak spoonfuls from the fridge all week.

lemon tiramisu in a pan

What ingredients will you need to make homemade lemon tiramisu?

The ingredient list looks fancy but it’s actually very straightforward. Here’s everything you’ll need to make your sunshiney tiramisu dreams come true:

  • Mascarpone cheese: The base of all good tiramisu is a good mascarpone. We prefer the BelGioioso brand because it’s a little firmer so it will help your mascarpone cream not to get runny!
  • Eggs: You’ll separate the egg whites and yolks so you can beat the egg whites up into a stiff meringue and the yolks with the
  • Granulated sugar: Just a little granulated sugar in the mascarpone cream to help beat up the egg whites light and fluffy and a little to make a limoncello syrup to dip your lady fingers into!
  • Lemon curd: Homemade or store-bought, no judgment here! We do have an excellent lemon curd recipe on the site if you have lemons lying around and want to make your own!
  • Limoncello: Classic tiramisu has a splash of rum in it, so we figured we’d swap it out for limoncello here to give this lemon version a little boozy bite too! If you want to leave the limoncello out you can replace it with more lemon juice or lemonade if you have it on hand!
  • Fresh lemon juice & zest: The citrus flavor here comes from fresh lemon juice and zest!
  • Ladyfingers: All tiramisu needs lady fingers to give it structure and serve as a vessel fro soaking up your limoncello syrup!
lemon tiramisu

Tips for the Perfect No-Bake Lemon Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of those desserts that looks fancy but is secretly easy—especially when you know a few insider tricks:

  • Don’t over or under soak the ladyfingers: A well timed dip into the limoncello mixture is essential for getting the correct flavor and soak onto your lady fingers. Too long and they’ll get soggy, and too little and they taste dry. First, we like to heat up the limoncello mixture because the lady fingers absorb the hot mixture more easily! Make sure you give them a good soak, but don’t leave them to swim in the limoncello for too long or they’ll fall apart.
  • Chill overnight: The flavors develop and the layers set as it chills. Patience = the most delicious payoff.
  • Garnish before serving: A little zest or powdered sugar right before serving makes it feel restaurant-level fancy.
lemon tiramisu

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Tiramisu

If you’re not already sold, here’s why this dessert deserves a permanent spot in your repertoire:

  • A refreshing twist on a beloved Italian classic.
  • The perfect balance of creamy, tart, and sweet.
  • No baking required—just layering and chilling.
  • A guaranteed crowd-pleaser that feels fancy but takes minimal effort.
emon tiramisu slice

How to Prep Ahead for Easy Assembly

One of the best parts of tiramisu is that it actually gets better as it sits. That means it’s basically begging to be made ahead of time. Here’s how to make your life easier:

  • Make the lemon curd in advance: It keeps for up to a week in the fridge. P.S. Not up for making it homemade? No problem. You can find some incredible premade lemon curds at your local grocery store, specialty food shop, or online. We love the Trader Joe’s one or this one which you can snag on Amazon!
  • Make the limoncello syrup ahead of time: You’ll need to make the mascarpone cream the day of for best results, but you can make the lemon soak for the lady fingers about 3 days in advance! Just keep it in the fridge until ready to use!
  • Assemble the full tiramisu the night before: Cover and refrigerate overnight so the flavors can mingle.

Happy baking, my friends!

XXX

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Lemon Tiramisu

homemade lemon tiramisu
  • Author Sofi | Broma Bakery
  • Prep Time 30 minutes
  • Total Time 8 hours and 30 minutes
  • Yield 16 servings
  • Category dessert
  • Method no bake
  • Cuisine italian

Lemon Tiramisu

This Homemade Lemon Tiramisu is the ultimate make-ahead dessert: creamy, tangy, bright, and just the right amount of boozy. Serve it up for your next dinner party and watch it disappear bite by bite.

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  • Author Sofi | Broma Bakery
  • Prep Time 30 minutes
  • Total Time 8 hours and 30 minutes
  • Yield 16 servings
  • Category dessert
  • Method no bake
  • Cuisine italian
  • Author Sofi | Broma Bakery
  • Prep Time 30 minutes
  • Total Time 8 hours and 30 minutes
  • Yield 16 servings
  • Category dessert
  • Method no bake
  • Cuisine italian
Print Recipe
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Ingredients

Units

For the limoncello syrup

  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup limoncello
  • Splash of vanilla extract

For the tiramisu

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
  • 16 ounces mascarpone, cold from the fridge
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 packages lady fingers (14 ounces total)
  • 1 cup lemon curd (store bought or homemade works!)

Instructions

    1. First, make the limoncello syrup. Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until the sugar has fully melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on the strength of your microwave. Add the limoncello and vanilla extract and stir to combine. Set aside.
    2. Next, make the tiramisu. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and place the yolks in a small bowl for later. Beat the egg whites on high speed until frothy, then keep the mixer going as you stream in ⅓ cup of the granulated sugar. Continue beating on high speed until your meringue forms stiff peaks, 3 to 5 minutes. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the meringue into a large bowl and set aside.
    3. Add the reserved egg yolks and remaining ⅓ cup granulated sugar into the stand mixer bowl (no need to clean it). Beat on high speed (still using the whisk attachment) until light and pale in color, about 2 minutes. 
    4. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add in the mascarpone, lemon zest, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and salt and whisk until combined, about 20 seconds. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. 
    5. Scrape half of the meringue into the bowl with the egg yolk mixture. Use a silicone spatula to fold gently to combine. Add in the remaining half of the meringue and fold until no streaks of meringue remain. Spread a thin coating of this mascarpone cream on the bottom of the baking pan. 
    6. Assemble the tiramisu. Heat the limoncello mixture up in the microwave until warm–this will make it easier to absorb! Dunk the lady fingers into the limoncello mixture on both sides, making sure to really saturate them and place them in a single layer in the bottom of the baking pan. Top with about ⅓ cup of lemon curd and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread over the ladyfingers in an even layer. Use the spatula to spread about half of the mascarpone cream on top of the curd smoothing the layer as evenly as possible.
    7. Repeat the process with another layer of soaked lady fingers. Top with another ⅓ cup of the lemon curd. Top with remaining mascarpone. If desired, drop spoonfuls of the remaining lemon curd on top and use the back of a spoon to swirl the curd into the mascarpone cream.
    8. Place the pan, uncovered, in the fridge to set for at least 8 hours and up to overnight! I like to cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap!
    9. When you’re ready to serve, take the tiramisu out of the fridge, slice and serve!
  • Author Sofi | Broma Bakery
  • Prep Time 30 minutes
  • Total Time 8 hours and 30 minutes
  • Yield 16 servings
  • Category dessert
  • Method no bake
  • Cuisine italian

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