Festive No-Bake Holiday Dessert
This gingerbread tiramisu is a cozy holiday twist on the classic Italian dessert, layered with warm spices, creamy mascarpone, and coffee-soaked cookies that taste just like gingerbread. It’s rich but balanced, festive without being fussy, and completely no-bake, making it perfect for busy holiday hosting. Whether you’re serving it at Christmas dinner, a winter party, or making it ahead for stress-free entertaining, this dessert delivers big flavor with minimal effort. If you love holiday desserts and make-ahead treats, this gingerbread tiramisu will quickly become a seasonal favorite.
⏱️ Time Breakdown
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Chill Time: 4 hours (or overnight)
- Total Time: ~4 hours 25 minutes
- Servings: 8–10
📝 Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¾ cup powdered sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 24–30 gingerbread cookies or spiced ladyfingers
- Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
✨ Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
This recipe doesn’t require fancy gadgets, just a few reliable kitchen basics to keep everything simple and stress-free.
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Shallow bowl (for dipping cookies)
- 8×8-inch dish or similar serving dish
- Fine mesh sieve (for cocoa dusting)
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Beginner-Friendly Instructions
- In a large bowl, whip heavy cream with ½ cup powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 3–4 minutes ⏲️.
- In another bowl, mix mascarpone with remaining powdered sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until smooth and creamy.
- Gently fold whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until light and fluffy 😊.
- In a shallow bowl, stir together coffee, molasses, and maple syrup.
- Quickly dip gingerbread cookies into the coffee mixture—about 1 second per side (don’t soak!).
- Arrange a layer of dipped cookies in the bottom of your dish.
- Spread half of the mascarpone cream evenly over the cookies.
- Repeat with another layer of dipped cookies and remaining cream.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight for best texture ❄️.
- Just before serving, dust generously with cocoa powder 🍫.
💡 Pro Tips
- Make ahead: This dessert tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld.
- Texture tip: If your cookies are very soft, dip extra quickly to avoid sogginess.
- Alcohol option: Add 1–2 tablespoons dark rum or coffee liqueur to the coffee mixture for an adult version.
- Serving clean slices: Chill overnight and wipe the knife between cuts.