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Matcha tiramisu puts tea where espresso usually goes: into the biscuit layer and across the top. The cream stays pale, so each spoonful brings together softened green-tea biscuits and mascarpone rather than one uniformly green filling. Four individual glasses make the layers visible and keep serving simple.
This version uses whipped cream to lighten the mascarpone, with no raw egg added to the filling. It also leaves out coffee and alcohol. That makes the method straightforward, but it does not make the dessert egg-free: most ready-made ladyfingers contain baked egg. Check the biscuit package if that distinction matters for your guests.
Recipe at a glance
Makes: 4 generous cups, about 300 ml capacity each. Preparation: 30 minutes. Cooking: 0 minutes. Total including the stated rest: 270 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 g pure matcha powder — for dipping liquid
- 150 ml water — about 75–80°C / 167–176°F
- 15 g granulated sugar — for dipping liquid
- 250 g mascarpone — cool and pliable
- 250 ml heavy whipping cream — cold, at least 35% fat
- 60 g icing sugar — sifted
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 120 g crisp ladyfinger biscuits — savoiardi; many contain baked egg
- 2 g pure matcha powder — for dusting just before serving
Equipment
four approximately 300 ml serving glasses; scale; sieve; small whisk; two mixing bowls; electric whisk or hand whisk; spatula.
Method
- Cool the dipping liquid. Sift 4 g matcha into a bowl. Whisk with the warm water and granulated sugar until smooth. Let it cool completely before it touches the biscuits or cream.
- Make the cream. Stir mascarpone, icing sugar and vanilla just until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the cold cream to soft peaks. Fold it into the mascarpone in two additions; stop when the mixture holds a soft, spoonable shape.
- Build the cups. Break biscuits to fit four clean, approximately 300 ml glasses. Dip pieces briefly in cooled tea, allowing excess to drip off. Divide half the biscuits among the glasses, add half the cream, then repeat with the remaining biscuits and cream. Do not pour leftover tea into the glasses.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. The 270-minute planning estimate includes 30 minutes of active preparation and cooling the dip, plus 240 minutes chilling.
- Finish. Sift the remaining 2 g matcha over the four cups just before serving. Serve cold. Keep the cups refrigerated when not being served.
Recipe notes
- No raw egg is added to the cream; ordinary ladyfingers usually contain baked egg, so the complete dessert is not automatically egg-free.
- Coffee and alcohol are omitted. Matcha still contains caffeine.
- Planning estimate: 30 minutes preparation including cooling the dip, 0 minutes cooking and a minimum 4-hour chill.
Start with the right biscuits and glasses
Crisp ladyfingers need a brief dip
Use dry, crisp savoiardi rather than a soft sponge finger with a similar name. The two take up liquid differently. Break a biscuit to fit the glass before dipping, so you are not trying to trim a wet, fragile piece. A few small gaps are fine; the base does not need to be packed into a solid paste.
The 120 g biscuit weight is more dependable than an exact count because brands vary in size. Divide the packet portion across the glasses as you assemble. That keeps the last cup from becoming mostly cream while the first has a thick biscuit base.
Leave space at the rim
Glasses of about 300 ml give room for this generous portion and a neat finish. Narrow tumblers need smaller broken pieces than wide dessert cups. Check that all four fit in the refrigerator before starting. If you choose smaller glasses, make more portions rather than forcing the entire batch into too little space.
Keep the matcha liquid smooth and cool
A small whisk and sieve are enough for the dipping mixture. First break up compressed powder, then whisk with the measured water and sugar. The aim is an even tea suspension with no dry pockets. Our matcha whisking guide covers the movement, although this recipe does not need a thick cap of foam.
Let the tea cool before assembly. Warm liquid can soften the biscuits too quickly and warm the dairy filling. Make the dip first, then set up the cream ingredients while it cools. Do not rush this pause by pouring hot tea over a completed cup.
Use unsweetened matcha powder. The dipping sugar and icing sugar are measured separately. A ready-made latte mix brings an unknown amount of tea and other ingredients, making the flavor and sweetness harder to predict.
Soft cream gives better layers than an overbeaten filling
Smooth the mascarpone briefly
Mascarpone should be pliable enough to stir, while the whipping cream stays cold. Work the cheese with the icing sugar and vanilla only until smooth. The recipe is not asking you to whip the cheese into a large bowl of foam. Scrape the sides so a firm patch does not survive until the final fold.
Whip the cream separately to soft peaks: lifting the whisk should leave a peak whose tip bends over. That makes it easier to fold into the cheese without excessive stirring. Once combined, the filling should be soft enough to settle around the biscuits but thick enough to form a visible layer.
If it starts to look grainy or separated, stop beating. More speed is unlikely to restore a tidy filling. Check that you used genuine whipping cream with the stated fat content and that the mascarpone was not worked for a long time. For a first batch, avoid adding liquid syrups to the cream.
Build visible layers without a puddle at the bottom
Dip a piece of biscuit briefly, lift it and let surplus liquid drip back into the bowl. Place it in a glass, then repeat. The biscuits do not need to become fully soft in your hand; the refrigerated rest gives the moisture time to distribute. A long soak makes them difficult to arrange and increases the chance of a soggy base.
Use half the biscuits and half the cream for the first layer across all four glasses. Then add the second layer. That simple division is more reliable than finishing one glass completely before estimating the rest. Spoon or pipe the cream against the glass gently if you want a clear view of the layers.
Some tea will be left over
The dipping bowl needs enough depth to wet the biscuits comfortably. It is normal not to use every drop. Pouring the remainder into the glasses changes the moisture balance and defeats the brief-dip approach. Discard leftover dipping liquid after assembly rather than treating it as a sauce.
Chill first, dust at the last moment
The four-hour rest belongs in the schedule. It changes separate crisp biscuits and cream into a dessert that can be eaten cleanly with a spoon. Making the cups the evening before is convenient, provided they stay covered and refrigerated. Do not use a short spell in the freezer as an assumed replacement for the full chill.
Reserve the final matcha dusting for service. A thin, even layer is easier to eat than a heavy mound of dry powder. Hold the sieve above the cup and tap gently, keeping the rim reasonably clean. If the dessert waits after dusting, the powder can absorb moisture and look darker; that is a presentation change, not proof of an improved tea flavor.
Expect the tea to remain noticeable without being as concentrated as a bowl of plain matcha. The vocabulary in our matcha taste guide can help when comparing powders in this dairy-rich application.
Serving, refrigeration and practical variations
Serve the cups cold and keep the remaining portions in the refrigerator. Follow FDA refrigeration guidance for perishable food: no more than two hours at room temperature, or one hour above 32°C / 90°F. As a conservative home plan, make only what will be eaten within two days. This is not a validated commercial shelf life.
A few berries alongside the glass are easier to control than a wet fruit purée inside the layers. Extra liquid can make the biscuits soggy. Cocoa on top shifts the flavor toward a different tiramisu; keep the green-tea dusting for this version. Cream cheese has a different texture and tang from mascarpone, so it is not a silent exchange.
For a café, record the biscuit brand, glass capacity, matcha and exact portioning before increasing the batch. Remember that matcha contains caffeine even though the recipe has no espresso. The portion size changes how much tea is served in one glass.
Frequently asked questions
Is this an eggless matcha tiramisu?
No raw egg is added to the filling, but standard ladyfingers commonly contain egg. To describe the complete dessert as egg-free, every ingredient would need checking and an appropriate biscuit alternative would need a separate soaking trial.
Why is the bottom watery?
Common causes include a long biscuit soak, warm dipping liquid or pouring the remaining tea into the glass. Chill helps the layers settle, but it cannot reliably undo a large excess of liquid.
Can I make it as a large tray?
A dish changes the layer depth and serving size. Individual glasses are the specified format; if using a tray, choose a suitable size and keep the same brief-dip method rather than adding liquid to fill the space.
