I've been making tiramisu for years, but lately I wanted to switch things up with pistachio. So I turned it into this pistachio tiramisu cheesecake instead, a no-bake version layered with coffee-soaked ladyfingers and an eggless cream cheese filling. No oven, no gelatin, no fuss. Just a few hours in the fridge and you've got clean, pretty slices with a pistachio crunch on top. It comes together in about 20 minutes of prep, then 4 hours to chill.
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Why This Pistachio Tiramisu Cheesecake Works
Unlike a classic tiramisu, this one skips the raw egg yolks entirely and swaps mascarpone for cream cheese, so it's easier to make and easier to find the ingredients for.
- Cream cheese instead of mascarpone. It's easier to find, cheaper, and whips up just as smooth, so you're not stuck hunting down a specialty ingredient.
- Eggless filling. No raw egg yolks, no cooking a custard base, just cream cheese, cream, and pistachio mixed together until it holds its shape.
- No baking required. Skip the oven altogether, no water bath, no cracked top to stress over.
- Clean, even slices. Set in a loaf pan, you get a striped tiramisu-style layer running right through the middle.
Ingredients Used
- Ladyfingers (sponge finger biscuits): These form the coffee-soaked base and middle layer. Standard store-bought ladyfingers contain egg. If you want a fully eggless dessert, swap in eggless sponge fingers at the same quantity (should work as a direct substitute, though I haven't tested this version myself).
- Coffee: Use whatever you'd normally drink, made to taste. Let it cool fully before soaking the biscuits, or it'll melt the filling.
- Cream cheese: The base of the filling. Bring it to room temperature first so it mixes smooth without lumps. Mascarpone works as a substitute in the same quantity if you want a more traditional tiramisu flavor.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the filling without a gritty texture.
- Vanilla: Rounds out the pistachio flavor.
- Heavy cream (thickened cream in Australia): Whipped into the cream cheese mixture to give the filling body and hold.
- Pistachio cream or paste: The main pistachio flavor in the filling. Look for one that's more nut than sugar for the best flavor.
- Crushed pistachios: Used between the layers and on top for crunch and color.
- Cocoa powder or hot chocolate powder: Dusted between layers, classic tiramisu touch.
How to Make Pistachio Tiramisu Cheesecake
Soak the Ladyfingers
Line the base of your pan with ladyfingers, then soak them with cooled coffee using a squeeze bottle. Go steady here, you want them moistened, not falling apart.
Make the Filling
Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth, then add the cream and whip until it starts to thicken. Mix in the pistachio cream last, and stop mixing as soon as it's combined. Overmixing at this stage is the main reason the filling splits.
Layer and Chill
Spread half the filling over the soaked ladyfingers, dust with cocoa, and scatter over half the crushed pistachios. Repeat with a second layer of soaked ladyfingers and the remaining filling. Top with the rest of the pistachios, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you can wait.
Serving It in Individual Glasses
This recipe also works layered into individual glasses or jars for single-serve portions. Follow the same layering method, just build it up in smaller amounts to suit your glass size, great for a dinner party or if you want an easy make-ahead dessert.
Expert Tips
- Bring the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing, cold cream cheese won't blend smooth and you'll end up with lumps.
- Stop mixing as soon as the pistachio cream is combined. Overmixing is what causes the filling to split.
- Let your coffee cool completely before soaking the ladyfingers, warm coffee will soften the filling underneath.
- Overnight chilling gives the cleanest slices.
Storage
This pistachio tiramisu cheesecake keeps well covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze, wrap it well and freeze for up to 1-2 weeks. Let it thaw fully in the fridge before serving. If you've frozen it with the crushed pistachios already on top, add a fresh sprinkle after thawing, the frozen ones will go soft and lose their crunch.
More Pistachio Desserts
If you're on a pistachio kick, you'll love these pistachio French macarons with pistachio ganache, these buttery pistachio shortbread cookies, or this creamy pistachio ice cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
The filling itself is eggless, no raw or cooked eggs go into the cream cheese mixture. Standard store-bought ladyfingers do contain egg, though, so the finished dessert isn't fully egg-free unless you swap in eggless sponge fingers.
Yes, mascarpone works as a substitute in the same quantity and gives a flavor closer to traditional tiramisu. I developed this recipe with cream cheese, so if you try the mascarpone swap, keep an eye on the mixing time as mascarpone can split faster.
Yes. This recipe is written for a 12in x 4in loaf pan. A 20cm (8-inch) round springform tin, at least 6.5cm (2.5-2.75in) deep, holds the same volume and works as a direct substitute.
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No-Bake Pistachio Tiramisu Cheesecake
INGREDIENTS
- 15 sponge finger biscuits also called ladyfingers
- 1 cup coffee cooled, made to taste
- 250 g (9 oz) cream cheese
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 400 ml (13.5 floz) heavy cream thickened cream
- ¾ cup pistachio cream or paste
- ¼ cup pistachios crushed
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder or hot chocolate powder
INSTRUCTIONS
- Line the base of your loaf pan or round tin with ladyfingers. Using a squeeze bottle, pour the cooled coffee over the top.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth.
- Add the heavy cream and mix until it starts to thicken. Add the pistachio cream and mix again until combined. Don't overmix, or the filling may split.
- Pipe or spoon half the filling over the soaked ladyfingers. Dust with cocoa powder and sprinkle with half the crushed pistachios.
- Add a second layer of ladyfingers and pour over the remaining cooled coffee.
- Pipe or spoon the remaining filling over the second layer of ladyfingers.
- Sprinkle with the remaining crushed pistachios. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight, before serving.
NOTES
- Pan Size: Written for a 12in x 4in loaf pan. A 20cm (8-inch) round springform tin, at least 6.5cm (2.5-2.75in) deep, holds the same volume and works as a direct substitute.
- Eggless sponge fingers can be swapped in at the same quantity for a fully eggless version, since standard ladyfingers contain egg.
- Mascarpone can replace the cream cheese at the same quantity for a more traditional tiramisu flavor, keep an eye on mixing time as mascarpone can split faster.
- Don't overmix once the pistachio cream goes in. Mix just until combined, overmixing is the most common reason the filling splits.
- Let the coffee cool completely before soaking the ladyfingers, warm coffee will soften the filling underneath.
Mel says
WOW! That looks like it's packed with Pistachio Flavor. Delicious!
Fay Khoury says
Pistachio is my weakness! So yummy 🙂