Name: Strawberry Tiramisu
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 270 min
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh strawberries (hulled and sliced); 1/4 cup white sugar; 1 lemon (zested and juiced); 1 cup strawberry pie filling; 8 ounces mascarpone cheese; 1/4 cup powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 1 package lady fingers (about 24 pieces)

By: Jill Mills Updated: Jul 23, 2025

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Layers of light, airy mascarpone cream, fresh strawberries, and ladyfingers make this Strawberry Tiramisu an easy no-bake dessert for summer. Perfect for summer picnics!

Side view of a slice of Strawberry tiramisu on a plate

This strawberry tiramisu recipe was inspired by my popular lemon tiramisu. It’s a fun twist on classic tiramisu, with ladyfingers dipped in strawberry pie filling instead of espresso and fresh strawberries layered throughout. It’s one of my favorite ways to use fresh strawberries in the summer and it’s always a hit at picnics.

Why I Love This Strawberry Tiramisu Recipe

A summery twist. This strawberry tiramisu is a fun summery twist on classic tiramisu, swapping the espresso-flavored filling for fresh strawberries and a light, airy mascarpone filling. It still maintains the primary ingredients, like ladyfingers and creamy mascarpone cheese, just in a lighter, fruity way.
No baking required. One of the things I love about this classic Italian dessert is that there’s never any baking required. The prep is similar to an icebox cake, where the layers are assembled and then refrigerated to soften for several hours.
Make ahead-friendly. Strawberry tiramisu can be made a day in advance, making it perfect for parties or gatherings. In fact, I recommend making it a day in advance so it can chill overnight.

Overhead view of ingredients needed to make strawberry tiramisu

Recipe Ingredients

This strawberry tiramisu recipe keeps many elements of classic tiramisu, like the mascarpone filling and the lady fingers, while adding a strawberry touch. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.

Strawberries – Hull and slice fresh strawberries.
White sugar
Lemon – Both the juice and the zest are needed for the recipe.
Strawberry pie filling – Use my homemade strawberry pie filling or grab a can at the store.
Mascarpone cheese – Mascarpone is similar to cream cheese but richer and sweeter.
Powdered sugar – Sweetens the filling.
Vanilla extract
Heavy whipping cream – Whipped cream helps make the mascarpone layer light and fluffy.
Ladyfingers – Ladyfingers are the cookies traditionally used in tiramisu. They’re like a dried sponge cake. I use Roland’s brand.

How To Make Strawberry Tiramisu

The key to making this recipe is allowing plenty of inactive time – 30 minutes for the strawberries to sit and at least 4 hours for the entire dessert to chill. The printable instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Thinned strawberry pie filling in a bowl

Prep the strawberries. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir and let sit for 20-30 minutes.
Prep the strawberry filling. In another bowl, combine the strawberry pie filling with 2-3 tablespoons for syrup from the macerated strawberries. If needed, add a splash of water or lemon juice to thin it out more.

Make the mascarpone filling. Beat the mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the mascarpone mixture.

A layer of strawberry ladyfingers topped with whipped cream in a baking dish

Sliced strawberries over mascarpone cream

Assemble. Dip the ladyfingers into the strawberry pie filling, coating but not soaking them. Arrange a layer in the bottom of a baking dish. Add a layer of mascarpone cream over the cookies followed by a layer of macerated strawberries. Repeat the layers until the dish is full, finishing with a layer of mascarpone cream.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Serve. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices, lemon zest, or a dusting of powdered sugar before serving. Then serve and enjoy!

Overhead view of a baking dish of strawberry tiramisu

Tips & Variations

Here are a handful of easy ingredient substitutions and variations for this strawberry tiramisu recipe, as well general tips.

Cream cheese works too. Use cream cheese instead of mascarpone if needed, but the flavor will be slightly tangier.
Pie filling alternatives. If you don’t have strawberry pie filling you can use strawberry jam or, blend fresh strawberries with sugar and a splash of water to create a similar consistency.
Thin the pie filling. Thinning the pie filling with the syrup from the fresh strawberries and additional water/lemon juice as needed is important because the ladyfingers are dipped into the mixture. It needs to be thin enough to easily do so.
Ladyfinger alternatives. If you can’t find ladyfingers, use sponge cake or pound cake cut into strips.
Other variations. Try out different flavors like raspberries, blueberries or blackberries!
Make ahead. Strawberry tiramisu needs to chill for at least 4 hours but I always like to make it a day in advance to ensure the ladyfingers soften.

A fork in a slice of strawberry tiramisu

Proper Storage

Cover leftover strawberry tiramisu tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this dessert.

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