Greek Yogurt Tiramisu: A Creamy, Easy No-Bake Dessert

Greek yogurt tiramisu is a chilled, egg-free take on the classic Italian dessert, layered with coffee-dipped ladyfingers and a creamy filling of Greek yogurt, mascarpone, and whipped cream. The yogurt adds a gentle tang that balances the coffee and cocoa, while mascarpone and cream keep each spoonful rich and soft.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (360 g) thick, plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, cold
8 oz (225 g) mascarpone cheese, cold
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups (300 ml) strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled
24 crisp ladyfingers, also called savoiardi (about 7 oz/200 g)
1 1/2 tablespoons (8 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, plus a little more if needed
1/8 teaspoon (about 0.5 g) fine salt

Instructions

Set up the dish and coffee. Choose an 8-inch (20 cm) square dish, about 2 inches (5 cm) deep. Pour the cooled coffee into a shallow bowl wide enough to dip a ladyfinger. If the coffee is freshly brewed, let it cool completely before using; warm coffee softens the biscuits too fast and can loosen the filling. Keep the mascarpone, yogurt, and cream chilled until you are ready to mix them.
Make the yogurt-mascarpone base. In a large bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed just until smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice. You can use a hand mixer or a sturdy whisk. Stop as soon as the mixture is blended: prolonged beating can make mascarpone loose or grainy, especially if it warms up. If the yogurt has visible liquid on top, pour that off before measuring.
Whip the cream. In a separate clean bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to medium peaks. When you lift the whisk, a peak should form and bend over at its tip; the cream should still look smooth, not dry or clumpy. This usually takes a few minutes with a hand mixer, depending on its speed. If the cream is whipped too stiff, it will be harder to fold in evenly and may leave small lumps.
Fold the filling together. Stir about one-quarter of the whipped cream into the yogurt mixture to lighten it. Add the remaining cream in two additions, folding gently with a flexible spatula. Sweep down the side of the bowl, lift the mixture from the bottom, and turn it over the top. Stop when no obvious white streaks remain. The filling should be thick enough to spread but airy rather than heavy.
Dip and layer the ladyfingers. Working with one biscuit at a time, dip each ladyfinger briefly in the coffee, roughly 1 second per side. The outside should be damp while the center stays fairly firm; a long soak makes the finished base wet and difficult to serve. Arrange 12 dipped ladyfingers in a snug single layer in the dish, breaking a few gently if needed to fill gaps. Spread half of the yogurt mixture over them, reaching the corners.
Add the second layer. Dip the remaining ladyfingers in the same quick way and arrange them over the filling. Spread the rest of the cream mixture evenly across the top. Smooth it with a spatula without pressing hard, since compressing the layers can squeeze out the coffee and make the dessert dense.
Cover and chill. Cover the dish without letting the wrap touch the surface, or use a lid, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. This gives the ladyfingers time to soften and the filling time to set. For the neatest squares, chill overnight, but the required rest for this recipe is 6 hours. Just before serving, sift the cocoa powder evenly over the top. Add a little more only if the surface still looks patchy.
Portion and serve. Cut into 9 squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts if you want cleaner edges. Slide a thin spatula under each portion to lift it from the dish. The first serving may be less tidy than the next because the soft layers settle as you cut; that is normal for a chilled tiramisu-style dessert.

Tips

Choose thick yogurt. Whole-milk Greek yogurt gives the filling body and a mild, creamy flavor. If your yogurt seems loose, spoon it into a fine-mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter or clean cheesecloth and refrigerate it over a bowl for 30 to 60 minutes. Measure it after draining. Regular, non-Greek yogurt is much thinner and can make the filling runny unless it is strained first.
Keep the dairy cold. Cold cream whips more reliably, and cold mascarpone is less likely to turn slack while you mix it. If the mascarpone mixture becomes very soft, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes before folding in the whipped cream. Avoid trying to fix an overmixed, grainy mascarpone mixture by beating it harder.
Dip quickly, not thoroughly. Ladyfingers are absorbent. A brief dip keeps them moist without letting coffee pool at the bottom of the dish. If your biscuits are soft rather than crisp, touch them to the coffee for less time, or brush the coffee over them instead of dipping.
Use unsweetened cocoa and taste the coffee. Sweetened cocoa can make the top overly sweet, while very weak coffee can disappear beneath the dairy. Use strong coffee or espresso that you enjoy drinking. If your coffee is especially bitter, the sugar in the filling will balance it; there is no need to sweeten the soaking coffee separately.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the tiramisu cold, straight from the refrigerator, after a few minutes of slicing and plating. The cocoa tastes freshest when dusted on just before the portions go to the table rather than before the long chill. For an attractive finish, use a small sieve to make a thin, even layer; a heavy coating can overwhelm the lighter tang of the yogurt cream.

This dessert works well after a relaxed dinner, especially alongside fruit or a simple, not-too-sweet cookie. Offer small portions if the rest of the meal is rich: the mascarpone and cream still make this a satisfying dessert, even though yogurt is part of the filling. If serving a larger group, cut 12 smaller portions instead of 9, and use a wide cake server to keep the soft layers together. Keep the remaining dish refrigerated while people are eating rather than leaving it on the table for an extended period.

Variations

Use a different coffee note: Decaffeinated espresso or strong decaf coffee works in the same quantity without changing the method. For a more pronounced coffee flavor, add a little finely grated dark chocolate between the layers or dust a small amount over the filling before adding the top layer. Do not add extra liquid to the coffee soak; excess liquid is the most common reason the base turns soggy.

Make it without mascarpone: For a tangier, less traditional version, replace the 8 oz (225 g) mascarpone with 8 oz (225 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened just enough to mix smoothly. The result will taste sharper and a little denser, so blend it gently with the yogurt and sugar before folding in the cream. Reduced-fat cream cheese is more likely to make the filling soft.

Add fruit: Serve berries on the side, or place a thin layer of sliced strawberries between the cream and top layer of ladyfingers. Pat the fruit dry first and avoid a thick layer, which can release juice and disrupt the structure. This is a fresh variation rather than a traditional tiramisu flavor.

Make individual portions: Assemble the same layers in 9 small glasses or ramekins. Break the ladyfingers to fit, dip each piece briefly, and divide the filling evenly. Chill for at least 6 hours as for the large dish. Individual servings are convenient for a buffet, though they may need fewer biscuits depending on the size of the glasses.

Storage and Reheating

Cover the dish and refrigerate it within 2 hours of assembly or serving. Keep it at 40°F (4°C) or colder and eat it within 3 to 4 days. The ladyfingers continue to soften as the dessert sits, so the texture is usually best during the first two days. Store any extra cocoa separately if you want the top to look freshly dusted; otherwise, the cocoa may darken and absorb moisture over time.

There is no reheating step: tiramisu is meant to be served chilled, and warming it would soften the filling. Freezing is possible, but the yogurt-and-cream filling may become slightly grainy or release moisture after thawing. If you freeze it, wrap the dish tightly and use it within about 1 month for best quality. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, not on the counter, and dust with fresh cocoa after thawing. Do not refreeze portions that have been thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Greek yogurt tiramisu taste like regular tiramisu?
The coffee, cocoa, and soft ladyfingers make it recognizably tiramisu-inspired, but the filling has a little more tang and feels lighter than a classic mascarpone-and-egg cream. Whole-milk yogurt and mascarpone keep the flavor balanced rather than sharply sour. It is a variation, not an exact replica of every traditional Italian recipe.

Can I make it the day before?
Yes. Assemble it, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight; that rest gives the layers time to settle and makes it easy to serve. Add the cocoa shortly before serving for the clearest finish. The total time listed uses a 6-hour chill, while an overnight chill is also fine.

Can I use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt?
Not without adjusting it. Regular yogurt contains more loose liquid, so it can make the cream too soft. Strain it in the refrigerator until it is thick, then measure 1 1/2 cups (360 g) of the strained yogurt. The exact amount of unstrained yogurt needed will vary because different brands lose different amounts of liquid.

Why did my ladyfingers turn mushy?
They were probably left in the coffee too long, or the coffee was warm. Crisp ladyfingers absorb liquid very quickly, so a brief dip on each side is enough. If they are already soft, brush coffee on instead of dipping, and use a light hand so no excess liquid collects in the dish.

Can I make this recipe without a mixer?
Yes. A balloon whisk can whip cold cream by hand, though it takes more effort; stop at medium peaks. You can also mix the yogurt base with a whisk or spatula, taking care not to overwork the mascarpone. Fold the whipped cream in gently so the filling keeps some airiness.

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