Tiramisu drop cookies made with espresso and Kahlúa, topped with creamy mascarpone frosting and cocoa powder for a bakery-style twist on classic tiramisu.
These Tiramisu Drop Cookies turn the classic Italian dessert into a soft, bakery-style cookie. The cookies are flavored with espresso and Kahlúa, then topped with a creamy Kahlúa-flavored mascarpone frosting and a dusting of cocoa powder for that signature tiramisu flavor.
They're rich without being overly sweet and make a fun dessert for holidays, parties, cookie exchanges, or anytime you want something a little more special than a traditional cookie.
If you love coffee-flavored desserts, these frosted tiramisu cookies are an easy way to get all those flavors in cookie form.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- White Granulated Sugar
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Instant Espresso Powder
- Hot Water
- Kahlúa
- Large Egg Yolk
- Lady Finger Cookies
- All-Purpose Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Mascarpone Cheese
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
How to Make Tiramisu Drop Cookies
Tiramisu Drop Cookies
- Add espresso powder and hot water to a small bowl. Mix until dissolved. Add Kahlúa and set aside to cool.
- In an electric mixer, cream butter, white granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add vanilla and egg yolk. Add espresso/Kahlúa mixture.
- Slowly add crushed ladyfingers, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Keep mixing until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and forms a ball in the center.
- Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to add mounds of cookie dough on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes until the tops are set, and the centers are slightly underdone. Let cool.
Mascarpone Cream Topping
- Place the cold heavy whipping cream in an electric mixer. Whip until it begins forming soft peaks.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and Kahlúa. Continue whipping just until firm peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, gently stir the mascarpone cheese by hand with a silicone spatula just until smooth. Do not whip it.
- Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to add a mound of frosting onto each cooled cookie.
- Dust with cocoa powder.
Tips For Making Tiramisu Drop Cookies
Dissolve the espresso first. Mixing the instant espresso with a small amount of hot water helps distribute the coffee flavor evenly throughout the cookie dough.
Chill the dough before baking. Chilling helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and gives you thicker, bakery-style cookies.
Don’t overbake the cookies. Remove them when the edges are set, but the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
Don’t overmix mascarpone frosting. Mascarpone can become grainy or separate when it’s beaten too aggressively. Mix just until the frosting is smooth and combined.
Dust with cocoa powder last. Add the cocoa powder after frosting for the classic tiramisu finish. For the prettiest appearance, dust them shortly before serving. Otherwise, it will absorb moisture from the frosting.
Recommended Recipes
- 35 Bakery-Style Frosted Drop Cookies
- Biscoff Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies
- Cream Puffs
- Dark Chocolate Drop Cookies
- German Sweet Chocolate Drop Cookies
- Samoa Drop Cookies
Tiramisu Drop Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Tiramisu Drop Cookies
- 4 tablespoons Butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar packed
- 3 tablespoons White Granulated Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Instant Espresso Powder
- 2 teaspoon Hot Water
- 1 tablespoon Kahlúa
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- ¼ cup Finely Crushed Lady Finger Cookies
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Mascarpone Cream Topping
- 8 ounces Mascarpone Cheese
- ¼ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Kahlúa
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for dusting
Instructions
Tiramisu Drop Cookies
- Add espresso powder and hot water to a small bowl. Mix until dissolved. Add Kahlúa and set aside to cool.
- In an electric mixer, cream butter, white granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add vanilla and egg yolk. Add espresso/Kahlúa mixture.
- Slowly add crushed lady fingers, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Keep mixing until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and forms a ball in the center.
- Use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to add mounds of cookie dough on a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Chill the dough for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes until the tops are set and the centers are slightly underdone. Let cool.
Mascarpone Cream Topping
- Place the cold heavy whipping cream in an electric mixer. Whip until it begins forming soft peaks.
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and Kahlúa. Continue whipping just until firm peaks form. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, gently stir the mascarpone cheese by hand with a silicone spatula just until smooth. Do not whip it.
- Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone.
- Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to add a mound of frosting onto each cooled cookie. Dust with cocoa powder.
Leave a Reply