This Creamy Pumpkin Spice Latte Dessert Tastes Like Fall in a Dish

Why It Works

• Incorporating pumpkin purée and warm fall spices into the mascarpone mixture and pairing it with coffee-soaked ladyfingers recreates the flavors of a classic pumpkin spice latte.
• Folding whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture gives the filling a light, airy texture.
• Chilling the dessert for at least eight hours allows the ladyfingers to soften.

We know, we know, this recipe is bound to elicit eye rolls and at least a few irate emails from Italian readers. And you know what? We don’t care. Because as annoying as the idea may sound, it works. It’s logical. We even think it’s a little bit genius.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

Consider the evidence:

1. Tiramisu is one of the greatest desserts of all time, utterly perfect in form and flavor. It needs no improvement.
2. And yet, tiramisu is also begging for interpretation. That expanse of sweet, whipped mascarpone is a blank slate of creamy bliss, ready and willing to take on new flavors (see: matcha tiramisu, pandan tiramisu, chai tiramisu, and so many more).
3. Pumpkin spice latte is a coffee drink, which means it already contains one of tiramisu’s original ingredients, so we have synergy.
4. Pumpkin spice latte also has warm fall spices that would absolutely be at home in a creamy, coffee-spiked dessert like tiramisu.
5. Pumpkin spice latte does not (originally) have pumpkin, but everyone with a brain knows adding pumpkin to it makes it even better. (See proof here.)
6. A light dose of pumpkin purée in the mascarpone base is a natural fit with all that warm spice, coffee, and cream—it’s basically just pumpkin pie meets tiramisu—and no one in their right mind would complain about that!
7. This does not mean we are abandoning classic tiramisu, we think there’s enough room in this world to contain both, and more. So much more. All the more. There is no limit where tiramisu and any dessert it inspires is concerned. Except for tirami-soufflé, that sounds weird.

Here’s the skinny on what goes into this: We incorporate pumpkin purée and pumpkin pie spice into the mascarpone filling, which gets its light, airy texture from the addition of whipped cream. And instead of soaking the ladyfingers in marsala, as is traditional, we dip the biscuits in a mixture of strong coffee, coffee liqueur, and vanilla extract. Topped with a light dusting of espresso powder and ground cinnamon, the dessert evokes the bittersweet, autumnal flavors of a pumpkin spice latte.

Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

So, throw all the scorn you want at this, we dare you not to eat it when it’s sitting in front of you staring you in the face.

Editor’s Note

This recipe was developed by Craig Ruff; the headnote was written by Daniel Gritzer.

October 2024

This Creamy Pumpkin Spice Latte Dessert Tastes Like Fall in a Dish

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• 2 cups (480ml) strong brewed coffee, such as espresso, coffee brewed in a Moka pot, or coffee concentrate

• 6 tablespoons coffee liqueur (90ml; 85g)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 6 large egg yolks (4 1/4 ounces; 120g)

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (4 3/4 ounces; 135g)

• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

• 2 cups cold mascarpone cheese (8 ounces; 227g)

• 1 cup pumpkin purée (8 1/2 ounces; 240g), such as Libby’s

• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream

• 48 ladyfingers (7 ounces; 200g)

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

1. In a medium bowl, combine coffee, coffee liqueur, and vanilla extract; set aside.

   Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg yolks, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until pale yellow and quadrupled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a flexible rubber spatula, scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl. Add mascarpone cheese and beat on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy, about 45 seconds. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, and add pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy and no lumps remain, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; do not clean stand mixer bowl or whisk attachment.

   Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

3. Beat cream in same stand mixer bowl on medium-high speed with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, add about 1/3 of the whipped cream to mascarpone mixture and gently fold until combined. Add remaining whipped cream and gently fold until no streaks remain.

   Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

4. Working one at a time, dip 24 ladyfingers into coffee mixture, rotating fully to coat and giving it two or three seconds to absorb the liquid, then transfer to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. (See notes.) Arrange soaked ladyfingers in a single layer, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as needed to fit neatly. Top with half of the mascarpone mixture (about 3 1/2 cups), and, using a flexible or offset spatula, spread into an even layer. Repeat with remaining ladyfingers, then top with remaining mascarpone mixture and spread until smooth.

   Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

5. In a small bowl, whisk ground cinnamon and instant espresso powder to combine. Using a fine mesh sieve, lightly dust top of tiramisu with cinnamon and espresso mixture. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 3 days; serve cold.

   Serious Eats / Robby Lozano

Special Equipment

Stand mixer, 9- by 13-inch baking dish

Notes

Do not submerge ladyfingers in coffee mixture; dipping should take no longer than 3 seconds for each biscuit.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Tiramisu can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.