Get ready to elevate your dessert game with this twist on a classic Italian sweet. Homemade Pistachio Cream Tiramisu will excite anyone's palate and have people asking for seconds and thirds. This creamy delicious dessert is my absolute favorite Italian treat because it's such a unique flavor and and perfect texture.

Pistachio Cream tiramisu on a plate with a forkful scooped out.

If you're looking for more Italian desserts, you may want to try ourRainbow Cookie Cakeor Pistachio Torta Caprese (Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake).

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Making Tiramisu from Scratch

Our Pistachio Cream Tiramisu is decadent, creamy, delicious, and can be the best part of the whole meal. The word tiramisu literally means "pick me up" in Italian. And as Italian as ever, it was created in a pleasure house and used as a way to "wake up" the clients' post-coitus, so they could return to their loving wives ready for action.

So, I guess they were lured to the brothel with the smell of Linguine Alla Puttanesca and then sent home happy with a spoonful of tiramisu? Imagine getting caught, and you explain to your wife you only went in because they were making pasta, but one thing led to another...

The good part about Pistachio Cream Tiramisu is that there aren't many ingredients in this recipe. However, there are a lot of steps involved, but if you follow along one step at a time, it isn't too bad. You don't have to be a chef to make tiramisu from scratch. It's all about taking your time and patience to make this elegant Italian classic.

Ingredients Notes and Substitutions

I've separated the ingredients into 4 categories in the recipe card below to make it as simple as possible. The instructions will also be separated like this to keep everything clear.

Ladyfingers. You can make your own ladyfingers for tiramisu or you can buy them at the store. Our Ladyfingers Recipe for Tiramisu is perfect for this dessert. The difference between homemade and storebought is noticeable but not a must.
Espresso. We used a French press to make the espresso, but you can use whatever espresso machine you have. If necessary, you can substitute instant espresso.
Disaronno. This sweet Italian liqueur adds a ton of flavor to the ladyfingers. I don't really think this pistachio cream tiramisu is kid-friendly to begin with so I wouldn't suggest removing this.
Egg yolks. The eggs in this recipe are uncooked. If that feels like an issue to you, you could use a double broiler to heat the egg yolks to a suitable temperature but I highly recommend against doing this.
Pistachio Butter. Making pistachio butter is very simple. You just put the pistachios into a food processor and process them until it becomes butter. But I want to warn you that there will be a time when you're processing it and you say to yourself, "I don't think this is working." At that point, you're probably about halfway to the point when it turns into a spreadable butter. Here's an image of what it should look like.

*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.

How to Make Pistachio Cream Tiramisu

Tiramisu is not a difficult recipe to make. But it has a lot of steps, so it can seem complex. Take it one step at a time, and it will come out great! We always start by making homemade ladyfingers first, but if you buy them, you can move on to the pistachio cream.

Mixing the Pistachio Cream

Step 1: Place ¾ cup of pistachios in a food processor and process until it turns to butter. About 5 minutes.

Pistachio butter, sugar, and mascarpone combined in a bowl.

Step 2: In a large bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat mascarpone, pistachio butter, vanilla, and ½ cup of sugar until combined.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar until pale and fluffy. About 3-4 minutes.

Egg mixture and pistachio mixture combined in a bowl.

Step 4: Add the yolks and sugar to the mascarpone mixture and fold until combined.

Step 5: In another bowl, beat heavy cream until it has stiff peaks. about 5 minutes.

Whipped cream and the rest of the mixture combined in the bowl.

Step 6: Fold the whipped heavy cream into the pistachio cream mixture until well combined.

Assembling the Pistachio Cream Tiramisu

Step 7: Combine 4 shots of espresso, Disaronno, and vanilla in a bowl.

Dipping ladyfingers into espresso and Disaronno mixture.

Step 8: Dip the ladyfingers into the coffee mixture.

Layering ladyfingers with a layer of pistachio cream on top in a glass baking dish.

Step 9: Cover the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish with ladyfingers. It's okay if they overlap. Then spread half of the pistachio cream over top of the ladyfingers.

Another layer of ladyfingers and cream then topped with cacao powder and pistachio crumbs.

Step 10: Add another layer of ladyfingers and pistachio cream. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then top the Pistachio cream tiramisu with a dusting of cocoa powder and pistachio crumbs.

Tiramisu is never a "quick" recipe. It's a labor of love that is so worth serving your family. It is my favorite dessert that my wife makes. But if you're looking for something quicker, try our Italian Pistachio Cookies.

The pistachio makes this tiramisu so unique with a hint of earthiness and sweetness. This is one of my favorite desserts to make and I can't wait to make it again for a holiday. If you want to make holiday dinners a bit easier, make a tray of our Authentic Italian Baked Zitior Authentic Italian Lasagna ahead of time so you have plenty of time to make pistachio cream tiramisu!

Pro-Tips

We made the ladyfingers, but it saves so much time just to buy them. They absorb a lot more espresso when they are storebought too.
Pistachio butter is just blended pistachios. You just place pistachios in a food processor until they become a paste. It takes a long time, but if you run the food processor for long enough it eventually turns to paste.
Don't dust with cocoa powder until after it has been refrigerated for at least 8 hours. Otherwise, the cocoa powder sinks into the cream and it won't look as good (although it will taste fine).

The tray of tiramisu with a square cut out.

Looking for a simpler dessert? Try our Authentic Cannoli Dip (With Homemade Cannoli Chips).

Recipe FAQs

How long does Pistachio Cream Tiramisu last in the fridge?

Tiramisu will last in the fridge for 2-3 days. It is not okay to freeze this dessert as it will ruin the texture.

What does Tiramisu mean?

It means, "pick me up" or "cheer me up." People think it's because the dessert will give you some energy because of the espresso or make you happy because it's sweet. That's not the case. It actually started in prostitute houses in Italy where the dessert would be used as a "pick me up" after sex, to get men back home to their wives.

Is there a lot of alcohol in Tiramisu?

there is very little alcohol in Tiramisu. We only use about 2 tablespoon in a dessert with 10 servings.