Tiramisu Cheesecake Recipe
Sharp coffee, sweet mascarpone cheese, chocolatey Oreo cookies, and tangy cream cheese are the stars of this lusciously smooth tiramisu cheesecake. Inspired by a classic Italian dessert, this rich, sweet, and comforting tiramisu cheesecake is a fun twist on some of your favorite flavors!
The idea behind this dessert was a simple one: I love cheesecake and I love tiramisu—let’s combine the two! And just like that, something beautiful, decadent, and chocolatey was born: tiramisu cheesecake.
Made with only 6 simple ingredients, this coffee-flavored cheesecake is easy to make and a delight to eat! Dark notes of coffee and chocolate make this cheesecake a flavorful and indulgent winter dessert.
This Italian-inspired tiramisu cheesecake is always a big hit at dinner parties or potlucks. Naturally alcohol-free and easily made caffeine-free, this sweet and tangy dessert is one that the whole family can enjoy! There’s something truly magical about coffee-flavored cheesecake layered on top of a crumbly Oreo cookie crust; I mean, is there any better flavor combination than coffee and chocolate??
Although this recipe is written to be a baked cheesecake, you can also use the same basic ingredients (give or take a few) to make a no-bake tiramisu cheesecake. This even easier version of this dessert requires no baking and is delightfully light and mousse-like. Whether you decide to go the traditional or the no-bake route, this tiramisu cheesecake is sure to be a total crowd-pleaser!
📝Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cream Cheese—the “cheese” in cheesecake, this rich spread adds a subtle tang to this sweet dessert.
- Mascarpone Cheese—a key ingredient in traditional tiramisu, this Italian cheese has a naturally sweet flavor.
- Instant Coffee—a quick and easy way to add strong coffee flavor.
- Eggs—act as a binding agent, helping your cheesecake batter to get thick and creamy.
- Sugar—needed to balance out the other slightly bitter and tangy flavors.
- Oreos—are crushed and pressed into the bottom of a springform pan to create a chocolatey crust.
👩🏻🍳How to Make the Best Tiramisu Cheesecake
Begin making this rich and decadent coffee-flavored cheesecake by pressing your crushed Oreos into the bottom of a springform pan. Use the bottom of a glass to level out and compact your cookie crust.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine your cream cheese and mascarpone. Use a hand mixer to whip air into your softened cheeses.
Add your eggs and continue mixing until thoroughly incorporated.
Finally, add your sugar and instant coffee and mix until you get a smooth and creamy cheesecake batter.
Pour your tiramisu cheesecake batter on top of your Oreo crust.
Place your springform pan onto a high-sided baking sheet and carefully pour one cup of warm water into the tray—this creates a water bath. Place this entire setup into a 350°F oven and bake for 50 minutes.
Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before garnishing, serving, and enjoying!
🔄Recipe Variations
- Make your coffee cheesecake caffeine-free by using decaf instant coffee or an instant coffee substitute like Pero or Teeccino instead of regular instant coffee.
- Get creative with your cheesecake crust. You could easily create a yummy crust out of ladyfingers, graham crackers, or shortbread cookies.
- Make a no-bake tiramisu cheesecake by omitting the eggs, adding whipped heavy cream, and subbing powdered sugar for regular sugar. No baked cheesecakes are “set” in the fridge and will have a softer, mousse-like texture.
FAQs
Make this tiramisu cheesecake the star of the show by getting fancy with garnishes. I like dusting the top of my cheesecake with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings, but you could also pipe on some homemade whipped cream or chocolate ganache.
Cheesecakes are notorious for being quite tedious to bake; they easily crack and can even curdle in a hot oven. When placed in the oven, a water bath (also known as a bain marie) will create a gentle steam allowing your delicate and smooth tiramisu cheesecake to bake without cracking.
Traditional tiramisu is an Italian dessert made by stacking coffee and rum-soaked ladyfingers between layers of sweet mascarpone custard. Both traditional tiramisu and this tiramisu cheesecake feature a sweet, cheesy, and creamy filling; are flavored with coffee; and are served cold. However, this cheesecake features a crumbly Oreo crust instead of soaked ladyfingers and isn’t quite as layered as traditional tiramisu.
Many traditional tiramisu recipes include alcohol. This tiramisu cheesecake, on the other hand, does not have any alcohol in it. If you’d like, you can add a splash of your favorite rum or rum extract to your tiramisu cheesecake batter to achieve a more traditional flavor profile.
This rich and flavorful tiramisu cheesecake makes for a fun dessert to serve after lighter meals such as your favorite soups, stews, rice dishes, and dinner salads. I recommend serving your slices of cheesecake alongside cups of coffee or glasses of milk.
Tiramisu Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9" springform pan
- 9 x 13 Baking Pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Oreos crushed
- 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- ¾ cup mascapone cheese at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup instant coffee
- chocolate shaving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line the bottom of springform pan with crushed Oreos to form a crust. Press the cookie crumbs down with a glass to compact it.
- Whip cream cheese and mascarpone cheese in a medium size bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add eggs and mix until eggs are fully incorporated throughout the mixture.
- Add sugar and instant coffee to the cream cheese mixture and mix slowly until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into the springform pan and place it on a 9 x 13 baking pan. Fill the baking pan with about 1/2 inch – 1 inch of hot water.
- Bake the cheesecake for 50 minutes or until the middle of the cheesecake is only slightly jiggly.
- Allow the cheesecake to cool for half an hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until fully set.
- Garnish cooled cheesecake with chocolate shavings.
Notes
Nutrition
Be sure to come back and tell us how your cheesecake turned out!
