Easy Tiramisu Trifle

This no bake tiramisu trifle is a quick and easy take on a classic tiramisu recipe. The dessert features ladyfingers soaked with coffee and rum, topped with a creamy mascarpone layer and whipped topping. There are only 6 simple ingredients and it is perfect for the holidays or anytime you want a spectacular, crowd pleasing dessert!

Tiramisu is one of my favorite desserts, because it combines cake with coffee and whipped cream, all some of the best flavors imaginable! But a classic tiramisu is kind of complicated to make – from baking ladyfingers to creating a creamy egg rich custard to letting it rest in the refrigerator for hours.

In contrast my no bake mini tiramisu trifles cups are a semi-homemade recipe that will be ready to eat in half an hour. I love quick and easy no bake recipes like this one! 

Looking for more no-bake dessert ideas? Check out my peanut butter chocolate lasagna or frozen lemonade pie!

Key Ingredients

For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below

Ladyfingers or cake – Traditional tiramisu is made with lady fingers. I have made this with both store bought ladyfingers and store bought angel food cake. Pound cake also works – you just need some kind of layer to absorb the coffee and rum. The dessert will have a different texture depending on what you choose as the base.

Mascarpone Cheese – Mascarpone cheese is similar to cream cheese, but it is smoother and not as thick. It also has a richer taste than cream cheese. This is such a rich dessert anyway with all the layers that the taste difference between the two probably won’t even be noticed, so substituting cream cheese will work fine.

Pudding, Cool whip and milk – Instead of making a creamy custard filling with cooked egg yolks, heavy cream and sugar I cheat and make instant pudding with some whipped topping added. Close enough for me!

Coffee – The coffee helps flavor the pudding and is drizzled on the ladyfingers. You can use instant coffee or instant espresso powder to make the coffee if you like.

Trifle Dishes

I like to make trifle in a glass bowl to show off the delicious layers. Be sure that whatever dish you choose is wide enough to make layering easy.

I have made this recipe in trifle cups, in half pint mason jars and in large wine glasses or martini glasses. I like to make individually sized desserts!

But you can make this in a full size trifle bowl or a punch bowl if you are serving a crowd. To make it in a full sized trifle bowl double the recipe.

How to Make Tiramisu Trifle

1. Make the Pudding

The first step is to take some instant vanilla pudding and mix it with milk and a few tablespoons of the coffee. Don’t use hot coffee or the pudding won’t set!

Then put the mixture in the freezer or refrigerator for 10 minutes so it can start to thicken.

2. Prepare all the remaining ingredients

While the pudding thickens break the ladyfingers into small bite sized pieces or cut the cake into squares. Set them aside in a large bowl.

Once the pudding has soft set use a mixer to stir room temperature mascarpone cheese into the pudding mixture.  If you are using rum or other alcohol add it to the remaining coffee and stir to mix. Get the whipped topping out of the refrigerator and line up the trifle bowls or mason jars so you can quickly layer the dessert.

3. Layer the trifle

Once everything is ready it is just a matter of layering the dessert into your containers. First, add a layer of ladyfingers or cake.

Then sprinkle about a tablespoon of the rum and coffee mixture on top of the cake cubes in each dish. You don’t want to soak the cubes, just get them a little wet.

Follow that with a layer of the cheesecake pudding mixture.  

Then repeat the layers of cake – coffee – cheesecake pudding to fill the trifle dish.  

Finish the dessert off with a dollop of whipped topping and dust it with cocoa powder.

How to Serve and Store

You can eat this tasty dessert right away, or keep it in the refrigerator until dinner time. It should keep well in the refrigerator for two days.

I use whipped topping on top of the trifles because they keep better that way. But if you prefer real whipped cream just wait until serving time to add it to the dessert.

These mini tiramisu trifle dessert cups are super easy to throw together and are sure to be appreciated, even by non-coffee fans. They look elegant, so guests and family will think you spent more time and effort making them than you really did!

Serving Size

Made as pictured (in dessert cups) this recipe makes two extremely large desserts. If you serve it in half pint sized mason jars it would serve four, and be a more reasonable serving size. To make a large full sized trifle bowl double the recipe.

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