Imagine a pumpkin spice latte and tiramisu had a drinkable baby. Enter stage, pumpkin tiramisu latte! It’s crazy good. Pumpkin and coffee go so well together, and tiramisu is practically a blank canvas for all sorts of cool flavors! I’ve tried tiramisu matcha, tiramisu chai, and now, pumpkin!

It’s easy to make with my step-by-step recipe, and it tastes like it could be on a popular cafe’s seasonal menu. Here’s how to make this pumpkin tiramisu latte at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s a fun twist on tiramisu lattes!
• More pumpkin spice, more fall fun.
• It’s an easy latte to recreate at home for a cafe-quality drink.
• It has an addictive flavor and tastes like a light pumpkin pie!

What is Tiramisu?

Tiramisu is an Italian layered dessert that means “pick me up” in Italian. It’s from northern Italy (around Treviso) and emerged in the 1960s or 70s. This heavenly dessert is made with espresso-soaked ladyfingers (savoiardi) stacked with layers of delicious mascarpone cream, often with a splash of liqueur, then dusted with cocoa powder.

It was my favorite dessert growing up, and I used to be obsessed with the Costco version. It’s such a great combination of creamy, cocoa, coffee, and sponge, and incredibly easy to make at home. You don’t need to bake anything, and it takes less than an hour to make.

It’s still one of my favorite desserts, but nowadays I have it more often in drink form!

What Does a Pumpkin Tiramisu Latte Taste Like?

This pumpkin tiramisu latte tastes like a pumpkin cheesecake with extra whipped cream and a nice coffee flavor. The pumpkin flavor pairs nicely with the cream and adds a slight savory edge. It’s so freaking good because it balances the sweetness well and adds a little more flavor to regular tiramisu.

Since mascarpone cheese is similar to cream cheese, it makes sense that the cream top tastes like pumpkin cheesecake filling before baking.

Does Pumpkin Taste Good in Tiramisu?

Yesss, it’s actually surprising this combination isn’t more popular. Pumpkin cheesecake is wildly popular, and pumpkin tastes great with sweet cheeses. I’m sure there’s a pumpkin spice cream cheese somewhere out there.

Pumpkin itself is nutty, earthy, and slightly savory, but it’s quite mild, so it goes well with many flavors. But it’s easy when the flavors are also widely palatable, like cream and vanilla! The tiramisu cream balances out the pumpkin and gives it a lighter feeling.

Where to Get Mascarpone Cheese

Your local grocery store should carry this sweet cheese. It’s quite popular and in demand for making tiramisu, and you’ll usually find it in a little tub in the cheese or dairy section. Your local cheese shop should also carry it. albeit at a premium price.

Mascarpone Cheese Substitute. If you can’t find mascarpone or don’t like the flavor, you can replace it with a mixture of heavy cream and cream cheese. You could also try ricotta or clotted cream if you have it.

Pumpkin Tiramisu Latte: What You’ll Need

Equipment:

• A handheld frother
• A small sifter

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin Tiramisu Cream
• 1 tbsp pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp mascarpone cheese
• 1 tsp brown sugar or sweetener
• ½ tsp pumpkin spice
• Iced Latte
• 1 cup ice
• 1 cup milk
• 2 shots of espresso
• ⅛ tsp vanilla paste or extract
• A dash of pumpkin spice
• ½ tsp brown sugar or sweetener
• 1-2 tsp of cocoa powder (garnish)
• 1 ladyfinger (garnish)

Pumpkin Tiramisu Latte Recipe

1. Whip Pumpkin Tiramisu Cream. Add pumpkin puree, sugar, pumpkin spice, mascarpone cheese, and heavy cream to a small mug or bowl. Using a handheld frother, whip the cream until it doubles in size. It should be light and fluffy but still pourable.
2. Brew Espresso. Brew 1-2 shots of espresso using an espresso machine. You can also use a Moka pot, coffee concentrate, or instant espresso powder as a replacement.
3. Assemble Drink. Add brown sugar, pumpkin spice, milk, and ice to a separate glass, then add espresso shots. Top with the pumpkin tiramisu cream and garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder covering the entire top.
4. Serve with a ladyfinger on top!
5. Mix and Enjoy! I recommend scooping the cream with the ladyfinger and eating it as a little treat.

Tips for the Best Pumpkin Tiramisu Latte

• Let Mascarpone Come to Room Temperature: Leave the mascarpone cheese out until it comes to room temperature before whipping it into heavy cream. Your frother will have a much easier time, and your cream won’t splatter everywhere.
• Garnish Nicely: I 100% believe that food presentation is super important, so take your time to garnish this latte nicely! I like to coat the entire top of the cream with cocoa powder to mimic that of tiramisu. It’s just so satisfying to look at.
• Use Canned Pumpkin Puree: You don’t need to buy and steam a whole pumpkin to make puree. You can use canned pumpkin for convenience! And you can use the leftovers to make a pumpkin spice shaken espresso or pumpkin pie!
• Use Freshly Ground Spices: I use pre-ground pumpkin spice mix for ease, but if you have all the spices and want a really spiced flavor, then ground your spices fresh and throw them in. That’s the best way to get really aromatic flavors with less of the ingredient!

How to Make This Dairy-Free

If you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, you can easily make this pumpkin tiramisu latte dairy-free. Here are some substitutions for the dairy ingredients:

• Heavy cream: Oat, non-dairy, coconut, or soy heavy cream works. I prefer oat or non-dairy, since coconut and soy impart their individual flavors.
• Milk: Use your favorite plant-based option. I like to match the milk and cream to each other, so if you use oat milk, use oat cream for the cream top and etc.
• Mascarpone cheese: I’ve seen vegan mascarpone online, but never in a store. You might need to go to a specialty store for the vegan version, or you can make your own at home! Common vegna bases include tofu, soy, and cashews!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much caffeine is in this?

There are 2 shots of espresso in this drink, which is the amount in a standard latte, and it has about 120mg of caffeine in it. However, you can either omit it or use decaf espresso for a caffeine-free version.

Does this have alcohol?

Nope! I did not add the liquor used in tiramisu to this latte (not a fan of mixing caffeine and alcohol), but you can add it in for an even closer tiramisu flavor. You could even make a spiked version with rum or brandy!

What is mascarpone?

Mascarpone cheese is a soft, slightly sweet Italian cheese (similar to cream cheese) made by curdling cream with acid to get a spreadable consistency! It’s slightly sweet, milky, and perfect for tiramisu and other cheese-based desserts.

Other Tiramisu Latte Recipes to Try

Now that you’re going to try this pumpkin tiramisu latte, I’m sure you’re curious what else goes with tiramisu! Luckily, I’ve tried them all for you so you can choose the best one. Here are some other dessert-inspired drinks to try next:

• Tiramisu Matcha Latte
• Tiramisu Chai Latte
• Apple Pie Latte
• Carrot Cake Matcha Latte
• Tiramisu Hot Chocolate