This Piña Colada Tiramisu contains layers of pineapple syrup-soaked ladyfingers, lusciously tangy pineapple curd, and fluffy coconut-kissed mascarpone filling!
Now that spring is in full swing and the sun is shining, I’m sure a lot of you are already in vacation mode. Whether you’re day-dreaming about endless sandy beaches or warm crystal clear waters, I’m sure summer can’t get here soon enough.
Luckily, I have the perfect dessert to give you an early taste of summer…
Why You’ll Love This Piña Colada Tiramisu
Perfect Balance of Flavors and Textures: With layers of soft ladyfingers infused with pineapple syrup, tangy homemade pineapple curd, and fluffy coconut mascarpone cream filling, this tiramisu truly is heaven on a plate. And heaven for your palate.
Delicious Make-Ahead Dessert: Tiramisu is one of the few desserts that gets better the longer it sits, making it the perfect make-ahead dessert. As the tiramisu chills in the refrigerator, the ladyfingers soften up as the mascarpone filling thickens. It also gives the ingredients time to blend and deepen in flavor.
Definitely a Crowd Pleaser: This tiramisu is almost guaranteed to be a hit at your next spring or summer shindig. The bright and refreshing flavors along with the light and airy textures make this Piña Colada Tiramisu TO DIE FOR.
Tips For Piña Colada Tiramisu Success
Use REAL 100% Pineapple Juice: When buying pineapple juice at the store, make sure to check the ingredients first. Some generic brands are often labeled as “100% juice”. However, when you check the ingredients, the first ingredient is water. Make sure the only ingredients are pineapple juice and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Also, stay away from pineapple juice that contains bromelain, an ingredient that hinders thickening. This is crucial for the pineapple curd. I recommend Dole’s 100% pineapple juice, which comes in a can.
Reduce the Juice: In order to intensify the flavor of the pineapple without adding too much liquid, I decided to reduce the pineapple juice. All you have to do is pour the pineapple juice into a medium saucepan, heat to boiling, and allow to simmer until it’s reduced by half. This can take anywhere from 15-20 minutes. If you end up reducing too much of the liquid, just add a little more pineapple juice to equal 2 cups.
Add a Splash of Lemon Juice: Even though pineapple has a bright and tangy flavor on its own, I’ve found that adding just a few teaspoons of lemon juice to the pineapple curd really helps to enhance the flavor of the pineapple. It also creates a nice balance by cutting some of the sweetness, providing a more refreshing taste.
Chill Overnight: Even though a minimum of 6 hours is needed to set this dessert, I highly HIGHLY recommend letting the tiramisu chill in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the flavors to meld completely, while also setting each layer.
Why is my filling too soft or runny?
This is likely due to not beating your heavy cream enough (stiff peaks) or over-mixing the filling. All you have to do is re-whip/beat the filling with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. After a few minutes, the filling will be extra fluffy and perfect for piping those nice dollops on top.
Can I use coconut milk instead of cream of coconut?
No, coconut milk is vastly different from cream of coconut. Coconut milk isn’t nearly as thick, nor does it contain the sweetness of cream of coconut. For this dessert, I used Coco Real cream of coconut, but Coconut Lopez is also a great brand. You can usually find this ingredient in the alcohol section next to the mixers.
What can I do with the leftover pineapple syrup?
Well, other than drinking it straight (not a bad idea at all), this syrup is phenomenal drizzled on top of vanilla ice cream (think pineapple float), sliced fruit, yogurt, pancakes, waffles, or French toast. You can also stir it into cocktails, mocktails, smoothies, lemonade, iced tea or simple soda water.
Can I spike this tiramisu with a little something?
Absolutely! If you’d like to incorporate a little of alcohol into this dessert, just add a tablespoon or two (or more!) of white rum or coconut-flavored rum (like Malibu) to the pineapple syrup.
Pina Colada Tiramisu
Ingredients
Pineapple Juice Reduction:
- 4 cups pineapple juice (I used Dole's 100% Pineapple Juice)
Pineapple Syrup:
- 1 ½ cups pineapple juice reduction (from recipe above)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
Pineapple Curd:
- 7 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup pineapple juice reduction (from recipe above)
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into half-inch pieces
Coconut Mascarpone Filling:
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 14 ounces cream of coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Assembly:
- 1 (7 oz) package Savoiardi ladyfingers (about 24)
Instructions
Make the Pineapple Juice Reduction
- In a medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring pineapple juice to a boil. Continue boiling and stirring until reduced to 2 cups, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat; chill in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Pineapple Syrup:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Allow mixture to simmer for 5 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Remove from heat, and pour into a shallow bowl. Place in refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Pineapple Curd
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, and sugar together until just combined. Whisk in the pineapple juice reduction, lemon juice, and salt.
- Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened, about 5-10 minutes.
- Immediately strain the curd through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-size bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
Make the Mascarpone Filling:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer whipped cream to a separate bowl, return bowl to the mixer, and replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment.
- To the mixer, add the mascarpone cheese, cream of coconut, vanilla, and salt. Beat on high until combined. Add about a cup of the whipped cream and continue beating until incorporated. Gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream.
Assemble Tiramisu:
- One at a time, quickly dip the ladyfingers in the pineapple syrup until soaked but not soggy; arrange in an even layer along the bottom of an 8-inch square dish.* (Line the ladyfingers up in two straight rows of six.**) Spread half of the the pineapple curd on top of the ladyfingers, followed by half of the mascarpone filling. Place another layer of pineapple syrup-soaked ladyfingers on top of the filling.
- Spread the rest of the pineapple curd on top of the ladyfingers. Then spread half of the remaining mascarpone filling on top. Transfer remaining filling to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (or a gallon ziplock bag with the corner cut off), and pipe the filling evenly over the tiramisu.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Slice, serve, and enjoy!