These Tiramisu Brownies feature layers of chocolate, coffee-soaked cookies, and creamy pudding. It has all the flavors of the classic Italian dessert in an easy-to-serve bar. Enjoy a quick coffee fix with this delicious treat.
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I absolutely love incorporating the bold flavor of coffee in desserts like our easy tiramisu. That flavor also inspired me to create these tiramisu cookies.
Then, a few years ago, I paired the creamy pudding and coffee-soaked cookies with a pan of brownies. Truly one of the best ideas of my life! The coffee lovers in your life will love this dessert mashup.
What are Tiramisu Brownies?
Tiramisu brownies are a delicious combination of two timeless desserts. The rich chocolate brownie base is topped with two layers of silky smooth filling and a layer of coffee-soaked cookies.
The dessert resembles tiramisu but surprises everyone with the chocolate crust. Once you try them, you'll want to make these coffee brownies repeatedly!
Why Make This Brownie Tiramisu
This is one of our favorite desserts for a reason! This brownie tiramisu recipe is always a hit, thanks to the classic combination of chocolate and coffee. Plus, it is so beautiful!
- Easy to make. You can easily make these creamy tiramisu brownies using a boxed mix and simple ingredients like instant coffee and pudding.
- A fun mashup of flavors. The cream cheese filling complements the chocolate brownies, resulting in a delicious texture contrast that pairs well with coffee and cookies.
- Perfect for parties. Your friends will be surprised when you bring these delicious treats instead of plain brownies. Plus, they can be made a day ahead for easy serving!
Key Ingredients
You'll love it when you realize how few ingredients you need to make these homemade chocolatey brownies!
- Boxed Brownie Mix - Choose your favorite brand of boxed brownies. Any type will work, or make homemade brownies in a 9x13 pan.
- Milk - Use 2% or full-fat milk for the best pudding texture.
- Instant Coffee - This will add a strong coffee flavor to the cookie pieces. However, espresso powder works great, too.
- Cheesecake Pudding Mix - Buy the instant pudding mix because the cook-and-serve will not set up properly.
- Cream Cheese - Soften the cream cheese ahead of time to make it light and fluffy. Feel free to use creamy mascarpone cheese instead.
- Sour Cream - Adds a rich creaminess to the cream cheese.
- Cool Whip - Thaw ahead of time in the fridge. Stir half into the creamy layer and spread the other half on top.
- Stella D'oro Cookies - These traditional Italian cookies have a hard, crunchy texture that absorbs the coffee. Feel free to use the biscuits or the Margherite fingers. You can usually find them in the cookie or pasta aisle of most grocery stores.
- Cocoa Powder - Add a dusting of cocoa powder at the end for a classic tiramisu look.
How to Make Tiramisu Brownies
This tiramisu brownie recipe is a dream for coffee lovers and comes together quickly with these simple steps!
- Bake brownie batter in a prepared baking pan according to the package directions. Let them cool completely.
- In a small mixing bowl, dissolve instant coffee in slightly warm milk. Whisk in the dry pudding mix and then set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese in a separate medium bowl until creamy. Add the sour cream and beat again on low speed. Gently stir in the pudding mix and half the Cool Whip.
- Spread half of the pudding mixture over the top of the brownie layer. Lay the cookie chunks on top of the creamy filling.
- In a small bowl, dissolve coffee granules in hot water and then slowly drizzle it over the cookie chunks. Let the coffee soak into the lady fingers.
- Gently spread the rest of the pudding mixture on top of the cookies because you do not want to disturb them. Top with the remaining Cool Whip, then refrigerate until time to serve. Dust with cocoa powder right before serving.
Storage Recommendations
In the Refrigerator - Store the leftover brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. After that, the creamy filling will become soft and make the brownie layer soggy.
In the Freezer - You can also freeze the leftover brownies. Be sure to store them in a freezer-safe container. Allow them to thaw in the fridge before serving.
Tips and Tricks
- Work ahead. You can easily make the parts for this dessert at different times, making it convenient for parties or busy events! Bake the brownies the day before to give them plenty of time to cool.
- Cool the bars completely. Although there's nothing like a warm brownie, the heat will cause the creamy filling to melt and collapse. For best results, ensure the brownies are at room temperature before layering.
- Use cold coffee. Instead of the coffee powder, feel free to use equal parts cold, strong coffee or espresso.
- Prepare the pan. Grease and flour the pan, or use parchment paper to remove the entire dessert easily.
- Chill before serving. This dessert needs time for the layers to set up and for the flavors to deepen.
- Slice cleanly. Dip a sharp knife in hot water and then wipe dry. Make a cut, then repeat the process.
Variations
- Doctor the brownie mix - Add texture and extra flavor by adding mini chocolate chips or a tablespoon of instant coffee granules.
- Use real mascarpone cheese - Replace the cream cheese with mascarpone cream to give this easy dessert a more authentic flavor.
- Add alcohol - Add a splash of Marsala wine, coffee liqueur, or Grand Marnier to the creamy layer for an adult dessert.
- Can't find ladyfingers? Use a sliced vanilla pound cake instead.
FAQs
When making this recipe, you can use either vanilla, French vanilla, or white chocolate pudding mix. However, make sure that you buy the instant variety.
Yes, this dessert is actually better when it has time to set up. For best results, chill the dessert for at least 4 hours to allow it to set up. This will make it easier to slice and serve.
You can use any boxed brownie mix! If you love deep flavors, then choose a dark chocolate mix. However, fudgy or cake-like brownies are just as delicious. Choose varieties with add-ins like chocolate chips for extra crunch.
More Fun Brownie Recipes
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies
- Buckeye Brownies
- Samoas Brownies
- Oreo Brownies
- Rainbow Chip Brownies
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Recipe
Tiramisu Brownies
These Tiramisu Brownies feature layers of chocolate, coffee-soaked cookies, and creamy pudding. It has all the flavors of the classic Italian dessert in an easy-to-serve bar. Enjoy a quick coffee fix with this delicious treat.
Ingredients
- 1 - 9x13 size brownie mix
- ½ cup 2% milk
- 4 tablespoons instant coffee, divided
- 1 - 3.4 ounce box instant cheesecake pudding
- 1 - 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 - 16 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed & divided
- 1 package Stella D'oro Margherite cookies, broken into chunks
- ½ cup hot water
- cocoa powder
Instructions
- Bake brownies according to the package directions. Let cool completely.
- Dissolve two tablespoons of instant coffee in slightly warm milk. Whisk in the dry pudding mix and set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese and sour cream in another bowl until creamy. Gently fold in the pudding mix and half of the Cool Whip.
- Spread half of the pudding mixture over the cooled brownies. Lay the cookie chunks on top of the pudding layer.
- Dissolve the other two tablespoons of coffee in hot water and drizzle over the cookie chunks slowly. Let the coffee soak into the cookies.
- Gently spread the rest of the pudding mixture on top of the cookies, being careful not to disturb them.
- Top with the remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate until time to serve. Dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Notes
- Work ahead. You can easily make the parts for this dessert at different times, making it convenient for parties or busy events! Bake the brownies the day before to give them plenty of time to cool.
- Cool the bars completely. Although there's nothing like a warm brownie, the heat will cause the creamy filling to melt and collapse. For best results, ensure the brownies are at room temperature before layering.
- Use cold coffee. Instead of the coffee powder, feel free to use equal parts cold, strong coffee or espresso.
- Prepare the pan. Grease and flour the pan, or use parchment paper to remove the entire dessert easily.
- Chill before serving. This dessert needs time for the layers to set up and for the flavors to deepen.
- Slice cleanly. Dip a sharp knife in hot water and then wipe dry. Make a cut, then repeat the process.
- Favorite brownie mix? My favorite box mix comes from Aldi.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 132Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 53mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*This post was first shared in January 2012. It was updated and then republished in January 2024.
Susie
HI, Do you think that I could add some Kahlua or rum to this? If so, where & how much could I use?
Thank You, Susie
Jocelyn
You could use 1/4 cup coffee and a 1/4 cup Kahlua/rum to dip the ladyfinger cookies in.
Susie
Thanks for getting right back to me.............I'll try those amounts.
Nancy Foote
Recipe calls for 1/2 cup milk... and whisk pudding mix into milk... this just turns into a huge thick blob... proportions of something are out of whack... has no one else noticed this? please check and let me know...
Jocelyn
Yes, the measurements are correct and yes, the pudding will be very, very thick. But then you beat it into the cream cheese and sour cream and add Cool Whip, so it will end up creamy just like the pictures. I hope this helps and you enjoy the brownies.
Nancy Foote
thanks for responding.... I'll give a try!
Kim
Hi All. Can someone tell me what "cool whip" is? I would love to try and make these but I live in South Africa and have never heard of "cool whip" and so I don't know what I can substitute. Any ideas? Thanks.
Jocelyn Brubaker
Cool Whip is a non dairy whipped cream that you buy in the frozen department of the grocery store. You could try using whipped cream, but that isn't as stable as Cool Whip, so you would need to eat the entire pan right away since it wouldn't last very long.
Jan Toomey
How can I change this to use Marscapone cheese?
Jocelyn Brubaker
I have actually never used Marscapone cheese before. Maybe just substitute it evenly? Sorry I can't help you more, but I have only tried this with cream cheese.
Stacy A
First time making and was a total hit. The only change I made was that I used a mocha brownie mix. I will definatly make this again since it is my husbands new favorite dessert and it is so easy to make:)
Jocelyn Brubaker
Woot woot!!! I am so glad you guys liked it 🙂
Loretta
Tiramisu is my favorite! I don't have it very often, but this looks easier than the standard version!
Christina
These look amazing! I'm wondering about the cheesecake pudding mix. Is it the instant pudding powder?
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hi, Christina. Yes, it is a box of instant pudding.
Theresa
I was surfing & came along your blog post brownies with marshmallow & then saw this one! I had to see how hard it was, I am in love! Yummy looking! & I will try these. Now following along. Happy Valentines Day! Theresa @ DearCreatives.com
The Roasted Root
All I can say is bravo! - Julia
Just Me
Facebook has the *like* button...your blog should have a huge *YUMMMMMMM* button!!
ju.vanderw
sorry if this is a dense question... do you make this recipe in a 9x13 pan or 8x8?
Janet
Wasn’t dumb. I was wondering the same thing
Jocelyn
Hi, Janet. The recipe card calls for a box brownie mix for a 9x13 pan, so you will bake the brownies in that pan before adding the topping. I hope that helps and you enjoy the brownies.
Nancy
Found your Tiramisu Brownies on Pinterest! They look so yummy! Thank you for sharing and you have a new follower on your blog :o)
Nancy with
UrbanCorner.etsy.com
Jenn Erickson
I want one right now!
I was only going to feature Valentines Day specific posts on my FB page for "A Little Birdie Told Me..." today, but I must make an exception. After all, this recipe has captured my heart!
Jenn