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Light, creamy, airy, sweet, yet tart, Easy Blood Orange Tiramisu is ultimate way to celebrate citrus season. Elegant enough for a special occasion yet with minimal effort, this easy dessert is sure to become a favorite take on the Italian classic.

A classic tiramisu in itself is the perfect dessert. Layers of soft lady fingers supporting flavored cream. The name itself in Italian literally translates to lift me up and that’s what the first bite always does. It’s also a great dessert to play around with and introduce seasonal ingredients and favorite flavors such as Raspberry Pistachio Tiramisu, or this bright, citrusy rendition.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy Process – There is no baking required for this dessert. The hardest part of making this is waiting for it to set up in the refrigerator as the anticipation for that first slice builds. Go ahead and lick the spoon though. We won’t judge.
Make Ahead – This tiramisu needs to set up for at least four hours in the refrigerator. This makes it ideal for making the day before. This dessert is great to celebrate with, serve after a weekend dinner, or take over to a barbecue as it travels well.
Balance of Flavors – The bright and sunny burst of fresh blood orange juice wakes up all of the flavors. It’s not too sweet, has a slightly bitter note from dark cocoa powder, and is light yet rich and luxurious. There’s really something for everyone.

Ingredients

With just a handful of ingredients Easy Blood Orange Tiramisu is as easy to shop for as it is to make. Combining staple ingredients in this Italian dessert with the pop of fresh blood orange, every ingredient plays its part in its flavor and texture.

Lady Fingers – These Italian cookies are a dry, airy, egg-based sponge cake. Their texture is perfect for taking a quick dip and absorbing moisture without instantly falling apart and becoming soggy.
Blood Oranges – Aside from their trademark color, blood oranges are less acidic than other oranges with an almost floral note and tangy taste. The juice is used for dipping the lady fingers but you can also garnish with slices if desired for even more flavor.
Cream Cheese – Either dairy free or dairy cream cheese works in this recipe. It gives a creamy, tangy texture and flavor and adds richness.
Egg Yolks – Gives the cream layer its silky and decadent texture.
Sugar
Heavy Cream – You can use a plant based heavy cream or regular heavy cream. This adds richness and height to the cream cheese layer as well as lightness.
Dark Cocoa Powder – A classic finish for tiramisu, adds a slightly bitter note that pairs well with orange.

How to Make Easy Blood Orange Tiramisu

As the days get warmer and warmer it’s nice to have no-bake recipes to fall back on. This tiramisu recipe requires just a little whipping and then the rest is assembly and allowing it to chill.

Time needed: 4 hours and 20 minutes

Blood orange dipped lady fingers are stacked with layers of an airy, rich cream cheese mixture for a sweet treat everyone will love.

Pregame
Whether you’re using dairy free or dairy cream cheese, make sure that it is at room temperature. This dessert will fit a 10×7 baking dish. Because of the layers make sure that it is at least two inches high.
Yolks
Add the egg yolks and sugar to a bowl and beat on high for five minutes or until it becomes pale yellow in color.
Creamy
In a separate bowl add the cream cheese and heavy cream. Mix on high until it is combined.
Fold
Fold the egg mixture into the cream cheese mixture and set aside.
Dip
Pour the blood orange juice into a shallow dish. Quickly dip half of the lady fingers in the juice and line the bottom of the baking dish.
Layer
Pour half of the cream mixture over the top of the lady fingers and spread it out. Repeat the process with the remaining lady fingers and cream.
Chill
Allow the blood orange tiramisu to refrigerate for at least four hours before serving. You can make this the day before.
Top it Off
Dust the top of the tiramisu with the cocoa powder. You can garnish with blood orange slices if desired.

Variations

This recipe used gluten free lady fingers, dairy free cream cheese, and plant based heavy cream. However you can make this same recipe with traditional lady fingers and dairy cream cheese and heavy cream. The measurements will be the same.

Substitutions

Blood oranges are a seasonal winter citrus. To make this dessert year round you can replace the blood orange juice with freshly squeezed orange juice. It will be slightly more acidic but have a similar flavor profile.

Storage

Some desserts just get better the longer that they sit. This is one of them. Because of the egg yolks and cream cheese in this recipe it needs to remain refrigerated when not being served. Keep it covered and it will last for up to five days in the refrigerator.

Top Tip for Easy Blood Orange Tiramisu

Tiramisu is all about the light and airy texture of the cream layer contrasting with the softened lady fingers. When beating your egg yolks and sugar, you want to make sure that it becomes a pale yellow in color and forms silky ribbons when you pull your whisk or mixer through it.

When it comes to dipping the lady fingers, work quickly. Dip down once and don’t leave them submerged. They will continue to soften as the dessert chills.