Raspberry Passion Fruit Tiramisu

The recipe, step by step

This raspberry passion fruit tiramisu is a fresh, fruity twist on the Italian classic, layered with raspberries, passion fruit, amaretti biscuits and a light mascarpone cream. Better still, there is no baking involved and the whole dessert takes just 25 minutes to prepare.

I developed this version with summer in mind, when fresh raspberries and passion fruit are at their best. However, you do not have to wait for the season to make it. Frozen raspberries can be used for the syrup, while tinned passion fruit pulp is a useful alternative when fresh fruit is difficult to find.

I have also left the eggs out of this tiramisu. Instead, mascarpone and whipping cream create a beautifully smooth, light filling without the need for raw eggs or the additional step of tempering them.

The recipe makes four generous individual desserts, which makes it lovely for a dinner with friends or family. For a meal for two, simply halve the recipe, or double it and assemble everything in a larger ceramic dish when you are feeding a crowd.

If you enjoy fresh, fruity summer desserts, you might also like my Strawberry Chiffon Cake or Mango Passion Fruit Cake.

Recipe Highlights

• Ease: Easy and completely no-bake.
• Taste: Fresh raspberry and tart passion fruit balanced by sweet amaretti and creamy mascarpone.
• Texture: Light mascarpone cream with juicy fruit and soft raspberry-soaked amaretti biscuits.
• Serving: Four large individual portions.
• Preparation: 25 minutes.
• Chilling: 1–2 hours after assembly.
• Alcohol: Limoncello is optional and can be omitted for an alcohol-free version.

Why You’ll Love This Raspberry Passion Fruit Tiramisu

This is the sort of dessert that looks impressive without requiring hours in the kitchen. Most of the work is simply making the raspberry syrup, whipping the mascarpone cream and layering everything into glasses.

Raspberries bring freshness and colour, while passion fruit adds a sharp tropical flavour that cuts beautifully through the creamy mascarpone. Meanwhile, the amaretti soak up the raspberry syrup and soften into the layers while retaining their distinctive almond flavour.

Because there is no baking involved, it is particularly useful in warmer weather. It is also ideal for making ahead, as the assembled desserts need time in the refrigerator before serving.

Finally, you can easily adapt the recipe for different occasions. Make four generous glasses as written, halve the recipe for two, or double it and assemble it in a larger ceramic serving dish.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Raspberry Syrup

• Fresh raspberries: Use 125 g fresh raspberries to make the raspberry syrup. They are briefly simmered with sugar and water before being blended and strained.
• Caster sugar: Use 50 g caster sugar to sweeten the raspberry syrup.
• Water: Add 25 g water to the raspberries and sugar before simmering.
• Limoncello: Add 25 g limoncello, if using. It brings a fresh lemon flavour to the raspberry syrup. For an alcohol-free tiramisu, simply leave it out. The original article also suggests a little lemon juice as an alternative.

Mascarpone Cream

• Mascarpone: Use 150 g mascarpone cheese to give the filling its characteristic creamy richness.
• Whipping or double cream: Use 250 ml whipping or double cream. Whisking it with the mascarpone creates a light but thick cream that holds the layers together.
• Icing sugar: Add 30 g icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar. It dissolves easily into the cream and sweetens it without leaving a gritty texture.
• Vanilla: Use 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste. Vanilla rounds out the mascarpone and works particularly well with the raspberries and passion fruit.

Filling and Decoration

• Fresh raspberries: Use another 125 g fresh raspberries for layering and decorating the tiramisu.
• Passion fruit: Use 100 g passion fruit pulp, approximately 4–5 passion fruits, or use passion fruit pulp from a tin.
• Amaretti biscuits: Use 80 g amaretti biscuits. The WPRM card notes approximately six small biscuits per serving. Sponge fingers can be used instead.

Nigel recommends

Vanilla Bean Paste

For the vanilla glaze, Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste adds a rich, concentrated vanilla flavour with visible vanilla seeds, and only a small amount is needed.

Ingredient

Nielsen Massey

Vanilla Bean Paste

Rich vanilla bean paste with a concentrated vanilla flavour and visible vanilla seeds, ideal for cakes, biscuits, custards, creams and glazes.

View in Shop My Kitchen → Shop at Amazon UK

Some retailer links may be affiliate links. Recommendations remain editorially independent.

How to Make Raspberry Passion Fruit Tiramisu

Make the Raspberry Syrup

1. Cook the raspberry syrup: Add the 125 g raspberries, 50 g caster sugar and 25 g water to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, until the raspberries begin to break down and the sugar has dissolved.

2. Blend and strain the raspberries: Remove the saucepan from the heat and use a hand blender to break down the raspberries. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds. If you do not have a hand blender, pressing the raspberries through the sieve will also help break them down.

3. Add the limoncello: Stir in the 25 g limoncello, if using, then set the raspberry syrup aside to cool.

Make the Mascarpone Cream

4. Whisk the mascarpone cream: Place the mascarpone, cream, vanilla and icing sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk until the mixture becomes thick and forms soft peaks.

Assemble the Tiramisu

5. Reserve some raspberries: Set aside 2–3 raspberries for decorating each dessert. Keep the remaining raspberries for the middle layers.

6. Add the first amaretti layer: Soak 12 amaretti biscuits in the cooled raspberry syrup, then place three into the bottom of each of the four glasses. If using sponge fingers, break them in half and use two halves in each glass.

7. Add passion fruit and cream: Spoon 1 teaspoon passion fruit pulp over each first biscuit layer, then divide half of the mascarpone cream between the four glasses.

8. Add the second biscuit layer: Repeat with another layer of 12 amaretti biscuits or sponge fingers, then add 2 teaspoons passion fruit pulp to each glass.

9. Finish the layers and chill: Scatter the raspberries reserved for the middle over the desserts, then top with the remaining mascarpone cream. Smooth the cream around the edges and refrigerate for 1–2 hours.

Decorate the Tiramisu

10. Finish the desserts: Crush 2–3 amaretti biscuits or one sponge finger and sprinkle the crumbs over the top of each glass. Add the reserved fresh raspberries and finish each serving with 1 teaspoon passion fruit pulp.

Variations

Make It Alcohol-Free

Simply leave the limoncello out of the raspberry syrup.

For a little extra acidity, the original recipe also suggests adding a small amount of lemon juice.

Use a Different Liqueur

If you cannot find limoncello or would prefer something different, try Marsala instead.

Change the Fruit

Raspberries and passion fruit give this tiramisu its fresh summer flavour, but you can also experiment with strawberries or mango.

Frozen fruit can be useful outside the summer season, although fresh fruit is preferable for the final decoration.

Use Sponge Fingers Instead of Amaretti

Amaretti give the dessert a distinctive almond flavour, whereas sponge fingers will give it a flavour and texture closer to a more traditional tiramisu.

Nigel’s Recipe Tips

Bring the Mascarpone Towards Room Temperature

Remove the mascarpone from the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before you begin.

Allowing it to lose some of its chill helps it combine more smoothly with the cream and reduces the chance of a lumpy filling.

Don’t Overwhip the Mascarpone Cream

Whisk the mascarpone, cream, vanilla and sugar only until the mixture is thick and forms soft peaks.

Once it reaches that stage, stop whisking.

Let the Raspberry Syrup Cool

Allow the raspberry syrup to cool before soaking the amaretti and assembling the dessert.

This helps protect the texture of the mascarpone cream when the layers are assembled.

Don’t Oversoak the Amaretti

The biscuits need enough raspberry syrup to soften and carry the fruit flavour, but there is no need to leave them sitting in the syrup for a long time.

Dip them, allow them to absorb some syrup, then transfer them to the glasses.

Chill Before Serving

Although the active preparation takes only 25 minutes, the finished tiramisu benefits from 1–2 hours in the refrigerator.

This gives the layers time to settle and allows the amaretti to soften.

Decorate Just Before Serving

The dessert itself is ideal for making ahead, but I prefer to add the final raspberries, amaretti crumbs and passion fruit shortly before serving.

This keeps the fruit looking fresh and prevents the passion fruit topping from drying out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Raspberry Passion Fruit Tiramisu Ahead?

Yes. In fact, the assembled desserts need 1–2 hours of chilling before serving, so making them ahead works particularly well.

For the freshest appearance, add the final amaretti crumbs, raspberries and passion fruit shortly before serving.

Can I Make This Tiramisu Without Alcohol?

Yes. Simply omit the limoncello from the raspberry syrup.

You can also add a little lemon juice if you would still like some citrus sharpness.

Can I Use Another Alcohol Instead of Limoncello?

Yes. Marsala is suggested as an alternative.

Can I Use Frozen Raspberries?

Frozen raspberries can be used when fresh berries are out of season, particularly for the raspberry syrup.

For decorating the finished tiramisu, fresh raspberries will give the best appearance.

Can I Use Tinned Passion Fruit Pulp?

Yes. The WPRM recipe allows 100 g passion fruit pulp from fresh fruit or from a tin.

Can I Replace the Amaretti Biscuits?

Yes. Use sponge fingers instead.

If using sponge fingers, the WPRM method says to break them in half and use two halves in each glass for the first layer.

Does This Tiramisu Contain Raw Eggs?

No. This version does not use eggs in the mascarpone cream.

The filling is made with mascarpone, whipping or double cream, icing sugar and vanilla.

How Many Servings Does the Recipe Make?

The recipe makes four large individual portions.

For two people, halve the recipe. For a larger gathering, double it and use a larger ceramic serving dish.

Tools You’ll Need

• Four glass tumblers
• Small saucepan
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk or electric whisk
• Hand blender, optional
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Spoon or spatula
• Measuring spoons

Storage and Freezing

Storing

Keep the finished raspberry passion fruit tiramisu covered in the refrigerator and eat it within 2–3 days.

Because it contains fresh cream and mascarpone, keep it chilled until you are ready to serve it.

Freezing

This dessert is not recommended for freezing.

However, it can be prepared in advance and kept refrigerated. For the best presentation, add the final decoration shortly before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: One individual portion.

The existing recipe provides nutritional information as a guide, but the precise values can vary according to the cream, mascarpone, biscuits, fruit and portion sizes used.

A recipe worth keeping

Save this recipe for another day

Pin it to one of your boards and keep it close for the next time you are ready to cook or bake.

Save to Pinterest

Made it?

Share it from your kitchen

Save the recipe or share it with someone who would enjoy making it too.

Facebook Pinterest Email