Spiced Pumpkin Tiramisu | Life, Love and Sugar

What You’ll Need

Ok! Time to grab your ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make this fall-tastic treat (you’ll find precise measurements in the recipe card below):

Pumpkin Mascarpone Filling

• Pumpkin puree – NOT pumpkin pie filling! Pumpkin pie filling and puree often sit side by side in the grocery store. They are NOT the same. Pumpkin pie filling is packed with extra sugar and spice. You don’t need that here because you are adding your own.
• Sugars – I went with a combo of light brown sugar and granulated sugar here. Play with the ratios if you’d like. Using more light brown sugar will yield a bolder, deeper, more molasses-y flavor. Make sure to pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup to get the proper amount.
• Spices – Ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. You could use a pre-mixed pumpkin spice blend if you prefer.
• Heavy whipping cream – Make sure it’s nice and cold! Otherwise, it won’t whip up and hold volume properly.
• Mascarpone cheese – Get the mascarpone cheese out of the fridge about 10-15 minutes before using it. You want it to soften up a bit, but still be cool. You could also use cream cheese, if you prefer.

Espresso Mixture 

• Hot water – I mean it when I say “hot”. The higher temperature will better dissolve the espresso powder.
• Instant espresso powder – Worried about the caffeine? Use decaf!
• Sugar – Just plain ol’ granulated sugar is my pick, but light brown sugar would also work.
• Kahlua – If you’d prefer not to use Kahlua, swap it out for an additional ¼ cup of water, 1 tablespoon of espresso, and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Additional Ingredients

• Ladyfingers – You want the traditional firm ladyfingers, not the soft ones you can sometimes find in the bakery.
• Cocoa powder – I like natural unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting the top.

How to Make Pumpkin Tiramisu

You’re only a few easy steps away from having the best pumpkin spice tiramisu on the planet! Here’s how it’s done (you’ll find more detailed instructions in the recipe card below):

Tips for Success

• COLD heavy cream. Let the heavy cream sit in the fridge right up until you’re ready to make the whipped cream. If it’s too warm, it won’t whip up and hold volume properly.
• Cool mascarpone. If the mascarpone is too cold, it won’t combine easily with the whipped cream. If it gets too warm, it’ll end up watery. Remove it from the fridge 10-15 minutes before using, so it can soften a touch, but not too much.
• Don’t over-whip. When mixing the mascarpone into the whipped cream, do so on low speed until combined and then on medium speed until thickened. This will happen fast, and whipping past the point of thick and creamy can quickly curdle your filling. So keep an eye on it!
• Fold gently. When folding the pumpkin mixture into the mascarpone mixture, do so gently so as not to knock the air out of the filling, causing it to fall flat.
• A note on dipping. You want to submerge each ladyfinger in the coffee mixture for ~2-4 seconds. Note that the longer you dip them for, the more flavor they’ll absorb. You don’t want to dip them for too long, though, or they’ll get soggy and difficult to work with.
• Don’t skip the chill. Seriously! This dessert needs at least 3 hours in the fridge once assembled. During this time, the ladyfingers will absorb the Kahlua-coffee goodness, softening and becoming increasingly flavorful.

Variation Ideas

Want to shake things up a bit? There are lots you can do with this dessert to make it your own. Here comes some inspo:

• Hazelnut twist. Instead of Kahlua, consider using a hazelnut liquor, such as Frangelico, for a slight hint of hazelnut. Alternatively, Godiva makes a delicious chocolate liquor, and Kahlua has a white chocolate liquor. Both would be worth a try.
• Crunchy additions. Tiramisu is, traditionally, smooth and creamy, but if you want a little crunch to shake things up, you can top yours with toasted (or candied) pecans or chopped gingersnaps!
• Topping. Not feeling the cocoa powder on top? Try sprinkling on some cinnamon instead.

How to Store

• Refrigerator. Cover the pan in a double layer of plastic wrap or arrange slices of leftover tiramisu in a single layer in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for 5-7 days. One neat thing about tiramisu is that the flavors actually get better over time. So you might find you like your second and third day leftovers even more than day one!
• Freezer. Wrap the fully set tiramisu (in the pan) in a double layer of plastic wrap. Otherwise, arrange slices in a single layer in a freezer-safe airtight container. You can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge before serving.

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