Tiramisu meets brownies for the ultimate combination in these decadent tiramisu brownies. The base is a fudgy espresso brownie, topped with an espresso vanilla bean mascarpone cream, and then dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder like classic tiramisu. It truly offers the best of both worlds with tiramisu and brownie flavors.
Components of the Tiramisu Brownies:
Espresso Brownies: The base of this dessert is a fudgy, rich brownie that has a hint of espresso flavor. The combination of 70% bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and a hint of espresso creates a deep, incredible chocolate flavor that’s delicious on its own. For the espresso powder, we use DeLallo instant espresso powder. For the sugar, we use a combination of both dark brown and granulated sugars to ensure these brownies are not only sweet but also moist and chewy.
Tiramisu Layer: The top layer is a creamy mascarpone blend, lightened with whipped cream and subtly flavored with vanilla bean and espresso. This layer mimics the delicious mascarpone filling of traditional tiramisu, adding a creamy contrast to the dense brownies underneath.
Tiramisu Brownie FAQs:
Q: Can I use regular cocoa powder instead of Dutch-process cocoa? A: Yes, you can use regular cocoa powder if you don’t have Dutch-process on hand. However, Dutch-process cocoa has a smoother, more intense chocolate flavor, which complements the espresso in this recipe.
Q: Is there a substitute for mascarpone cheese? A: If you can’t find mascarpone, you can substitute it with a mixture of cream cheese and heavy cream. But we find that mascarpone produces the best results. It is usually within the speciality cheese section at most grocery stores and is very worth it.
Q: How should I store these brownies? A: These brownies are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 2 months. Just make sure to wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and before freezing.
Q: Is there a way to add a little alcohol in this recipe like a classic tiramisu? A: The recipe doesn’t include alcohol, but if you want to incorporate a traditional tiramisu element like coffee liqueur, you can add a splash to the mascarpone layer..
Q: Can I make the espresso cream layer ahead of time? A: Yes, you can prepare the espresso cream a day in advance. Just store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Give it a quick whisk before spreading it over the brownies to ensure it’s smooth and fluffy.
Q: How do I know when the brownies are done baking? A: The brownies are done when the top is slightly cracked and feels soft to the touch. A toothpick test won’t work here as there should still be crumbs attached. Avoid overbaking to ensure they stay fudgy.
Tiramisu Brownies
Ingredients
Espresso Brownies:
- 1 cup salted butter 227 g
- 14 ounces 70% bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dutch cocoa powder 60 g
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120 g
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 140 g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 g
- 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon if iodized
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon DeLallo instant espresso powder 30 ml
Espresso Cream:
- 8 oz mascarpone
- 1 cup heavy cream 240 ml
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50 g
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean
- 1 tablespoon DeLallo instant espresso powder 30 ml
Dusting:
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
Espresso Brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Butter and line a 9-by-13-inch metal baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. If the heat from the butter does not fully melt the chocolate, put the pan back over the heat for 10 seconds and stir until melted.(note: if you are using a chocolate bar, you will need to melt the chocolate longer on the stove)
- Set chocolate mixture aside to cool.
- Sift the flour, espresso powder and cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugars, salt, and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or hand mixer), beat on high speed until the mixture thickens and becomes pale in color and falls from the beater in a wide ribbon that folds back on itself and slowly dissolves on the surface, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, and espresso powder and fold it in quickly but gently with the rubber spatula so that you don’t deflate the air that’s been incorporated into the eggs.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake until the top looks slightly cracked and feels soft to the touch, about 25 minutes.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack before topping with espresso cream.
Espresso Cream:
- In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream. Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add the sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and espresso powder. Continue to beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes.
Assembly:
- Top the cooled brownies with the espresso cream. Use a spatula evenly distribute the espresso cream into an even layer
- Using a fine mesh sieve dust the top of the espresso cream topped brownies with cocoa powder
- Cut into pieces and serve or store in the fridge until ready to serve
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That looks fantastic
A bar or Ghirardelli baking chocolate is 4oz. I was wondering if the 14 oz was your intention? 3+ bars of chocolate?
I made it according to recipe, it came out perfect. Plus it says in description it’s a fudge type brownie
I am expecting a guest who is gluten intolerant Can this be made gluten free?
A super fun, creative, and delightful idea! But the recipe itself requires some tweaks to work (at least in my experience!). The primary issue is in the whipped topping: I followed the directions as listed and ended up with a split bowl of goo. I modified to instead whip the cream (+ sugar and vanilla bean) to stiff peaks, then gently fold in the room-temp mascarpone, and it ended up a lot closer to the texture shown, but not a cheap mistake. Bake time also needed to be adjusted (which could ofc be dependent on oven). And finally, the texture. These babies are DENSE, almost fudge-like. Even with the gentlest of folds, it’s tough to keep a lot of air in these. Overall, I’d put this around a 3.5: Certainly edible and something different, and not overly sweet (which I love!), but a big $$ and time investment for what you end up with. Likely not a repeat recipe for me, but certainly fun to try!!
Not sure what went wrong with yours… perhaps wrong measurements?
I’ve made it twice following the recipe exactly and had absolutely no problems.
I notice you said something about room-temp Mascarpone…. Maybe that’s the problem? Cream needs to be really cold to whip properly.
I made this exact recipe and it came out great! It also says on description that it’s a fudge type of brownie!
This is a really great recipe! I made this today and they’re delicious. The brownies are so fudgey and rich. I especially love the topping!! It creates such a nice balance with the brownie.
I didn’t have espresso powder so I used instant coffee (made sure to push it through the sieve so the granules weren’t too big so it’d mix better), and I used vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste. I also added probably 2 oz more melted chocolate, so I had to bake them close to 30 minutes.
I made these last weekend and they were a hit. It’s just me and my husband, so I gave some away to close friends and they loved it, citing that they were rich/fudgy and not too sweet at all which helps with how decadent it is. It baked up just fine for me, though I made sure to keep the eggs chilled as long as I could to help it keep its air.
Overall a nice recipe! Instructions were helpful and pictures made it easy to follow along. The brownies have a rich complex flavor. I will say that my créam layer was much less thick than what is pictured. All I can think is maybe I didn’t whip this enough? It’s about 1/3 what is shown. If there was more cream I would definitely have given this a 5/5!
So so good! Wish I doubled the espresso cream for the top but that is my personal preference… Delicious nonetheless:P I had to bake mine for a few minutes longer that 25 minutes but that depends on different ovens. I recommend making this! Simple yet tastes like it’s from a gourmet bakery.
Just made these and they are so good! The brownie is fudgey, yet slightly airy and the espresso cream was a nice contrast. I made some minor tweaks based on what I had on hand (semi sweet and dark chocolates in a lesser amount in the melted butter mix) and vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean.
I’m considering doing this over a blondie base next time.
Great flavors in this bake. Love the bittersweet chocolate with the espresso and the cream is a nice finish on top. Had no issue getting the cream to be the right texture. Whipped it in a “double boiler” bowl and had ice in between each bowl to keep it cold.
However brownie was very rich and dense. Hard to keep the air in the eggs when melting the chocolate in. Could not eat a lot of these.
Made these this weekend and they were delicious! I didn’t have any issues at all with the consistency of the tiramisu layer-it was perfect, and I could have devoured the entire bowl of it without even thinking about the brownies!
I just made it and the flavor is amazing, but somehow my espresso cream is a liquid. Any ideas? I whipped at highest setting?
Currently baking the brownies now. I did 350° for 25min but they are still wayyyyy to liquid to take out. Doing another 10min still to raw to take out the oven. Should I bake them at a higher temp?
Although it’s a fantastic recipe and the brownies are super tasty, I did some calculations, and if I add up all these ingredients and divide them by 10 (number of servings) that comes down to slightly over 800 kcal per serving. It seems like insanely much for a relatively small piece of tiramisu brownie! Perhaps it’s good to be aware of this. That’s not to say you shouldn’t enjoy the fruit of your labor of course, but perhaps with moderation ;-).