Easy No Bake Matcha Tiramisu
This easy no bake matcha tiramisu is a delicious twist on the classic, replacing espresso with matcha. It has layers upon layers of lusciously creamy mascarpone between pillowy soft Savoiardi biscuits (lady fingers). The matcha adds a unique tea flavour with notes of sweet earthiness and a kick of beautiful green colour. This is a great dessert to make when the weather is too hot to turn on the oven and a great finish to any dinner party!
What is Matcha?
Matcha is basically green tea in finely ground powder form. It is most commonly consumed in Japan and is even an integral part of their culture where they hold tea ceremonies that center on the preparation and drinking of matcha.
The vibrant green colour of matcha comes from using young green tea leaves that are only grown under shade. The more vibrant the green colour, the higher grade the matcha is. Usually brown and yellow hues in matcha means that it was made from lower quality green tea leaves. Also, the higher grade the matcha, the better the flavour as well. The best quality, ceremonial-grade matcha, has a very nice sweet grassy note to it. Lower quality matcha can taste bitter or astringent.
Though ceremonial grade matcha can be expensive, the quality matters a lot when it comes to baking with matcha. So, whenever possible, try to get a higher quality of matcha as the flavour and colour will carry through better!
Here in Athens (Greece, not USA), I buy ceremonial grade matcha from a specialty store called ‘Tea Route’ in Kolonaki.
Ingredients for Easy No Bake Matcha Tiramisu
This super easy no bake matcha tiramisu only requires 7 ingredients and they take no time to put together:
- 30 pre-made Italian Savoiardi cookies (more commonly known as lady finger cookies)
- matcha powder
- 3 egg yolks
- granulated sugar
- mascarpone cheese
- heavy cream
- icing sugar
- brandy (optional)
How to Assemble, Plate and Serve Tiramisu
There are 2 common ways to plate and serve tiramisu:
-
Large serving dish
This is the easiest way to assemble a tiramisu! You just simply layer up in a large serving dish like a tall rimmed baking pan or casserole dish. When it comes time to serve, you cut it into squares like you would for a pan of brownies then put the pieces on a plate and serve.
-
Individual cups
This method requires a bit more time and effort but it is better for presentation and easier to serve. Instead of layering into a single large dish, you would use several small individual serving cups which can be anything from a stemless wine glass (my favourite vessel) to a mug! You would layer up as you would in a large dish but it takes a bit more effort as you have to break the Savoiardi (lady fingers) into the right size to fit the cups.
How to Store This Easy No Bake Matcha Tiramisu
The best way to store this easy no bake matcha tiramisu is to keep it sealed with either beeswax food wrap, an airtight reusable container or saran wrap and then kept in the fridge. This is not a dessert that you can keep on the counter at room temperature! The airtight seal is important to keep the Savoiardi (lady fingers) from drying out and the creamy layers from forming a crust.
Want More Matcha Recipes? Check out these:
Matcha White Chocolate Brownies
Matcha and Chocolate Ganache Fudge Brownies
Homemade Pocky Dipped in Matcha Chocolate
Easy No Bake Matcha Tiramisu
Instructions
- In a double boiler, whisk and cook the egg yolks and granulated sugar together until it reaches a temperature of 74 degrees C. The mixture will look slightly increased in volume and lightened in colour. Set aside on the counter to cool.
- Divide the heavy cream into two 1 cups.
- Gently whip 1 cup of the heavy cream until the soft peak stage. When the egg yolk mixture has cooled, stir it into the mascarpone. Then gently fold in the whipped cream until everything is combined. Set aside on the counter as you prepare the next steps.
- With the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream, gently whip it while slowly adding in the icing sugar to create a sweetened whipped cream for topping. Set aside in the fridge.
- In a rimmed plate, combine the matcha powder and water together until completely dissolved.
- Gather an 8x8 serving dish or individual serving cups. No need to grease or line the dishes with parchment/wax paper.
- One by one, dip Savoiardi biscuits into the matcha mixture and layer into the dish or cups until the entire bottom surface is covered with one layer of biscuit.
- Now spread on an even layer of 1/3 of the mascarpone mixture.
- Repeat the layers 2 more times with the dipped Savoiardi biscuits and the mascarpone. By the end you should have 3 layers of Savoiardi biscuits and 3 layers of mascarpone in your tiramisu.
- Take the whipped cream out of the fridge and pipe dollops on top, creating whatever design/pattern you like.
- Finally, dust the top with matcha and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the Savoiardi biscuits are softened before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
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no bake matcha tiramisu – so easy that you can put it together in less than an hour!