Gluten Free Tiramisu Cookies

These gluten free tiramisu cookies are one of my favorite recipes on this blog. They capture that classic tiramisu flavor – espresso, mascarpone, cocoa – but in a soft, easy to eat cookie form.

And yes, they are completely gluten free. You would never guess it from the taste or texture though.

The dough comes together quickly with simple ingredients. Mascarpone cheese goes into both the cookie and the topping, which gives everything that rich, creamy feel you expect from tiramisu.

Once baked, you top each cookie with a smooth mascarpone frosting and a dusting of cocoa powder. It looks beautiful and tastes even better.

If you love tiramisu but want something a little more casual and fun to make, these cookies are exactly what you need.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

All the Flavor of Tiramisu in Cookie Form – You get that rich espresso kick, creamy mascarpone, and cocoa dust that makes tiramisu so irresistible, but packed into a soft, easy-to-eat cookie you can enjoy anywhere.

Mascarpone in the Dough Makes Them Unbelievably Soft – Most cookie recipes rely on just butter, but the mascarpone cheese mixed right into the dough gives these cookies an incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that you won’t get from a regular cookie.

Perfect for Impressing at Gatherings – The cocoa powder dusted over the creamy frosting gives these cookies a beautiful, elegant look that makes people think you spent way more time and effort than you actually did.

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 2 cups Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Instant Espresso Powder
• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 4 oz Mascarpone Cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Topping

• 1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 4 oz Mascarpone Cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp Whole Milk
• 1 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, for dusting

How to Make

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk together gluten free all-purpose flour blend, baking powder, salt, and instant espresso powder. Set aside.

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat softened butter, 4 oz mascarpone cheese, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.

Step 3

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the dough is firm enough to scoop.

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Step 5

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6

For the topping, beat 4 oz mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, and milk together until smooth and thick, like a spreadable frosting. Spread or pipe a generous dollop onto each cooled cookie.

Step 7

Dust the tops generously with cocoa powder through a fine mesh sieve right before serving. The cocoa powder dusting gives the signature tiramisu look.

My Tips

Chill the Dough Long Enough

The mascarpone cheese in this dough makes it extra soft and sticky compared to regular cookie dough. If you try to scoop and roll it after only 30 minutes, it will stick to your hands and the cookies will spread too much in the oven.

Give it the full hour in the fridge, or even a bit longer. You want the dough to feel firm when you press it – almost like cold Play-Doh. If it still feels tacky, put it back in for another 15-20 minutes.

When you’re ready to roll, lightly dampen your hands. This keeps the dough from sticking without adding extra flour that could change the texture.

Make Sure the Butter and Mascarpone Are Actually Soft

Both the butter and mascarpone need to be truly at room temperature before you start creaming them with the sugar. If either one is still cold in the center, you’ll end up with lumps in your dough and the cookies won’t bake evenly.

Set them out on the counter for about 45 minutes to an hour before you start. The butter should dent easily when you press it with your finger but shouldn’t be greasy or melty.

Cold mascarpone is the sneaky one here – it looks soft but can still have a firm core. Give it a stir with a spoon before adding it to the bowl to check that it’s smooth all the way through.

Pick the Right Gluten Free Flour Blend

Not all gluten free flour blends behave the same way. For this recipe, use one that contains xanthan gum in the ingredient list, like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 or King Arthur Measure for Measure. The xanthan gum acts as a binder and keeps the cookies from crumbling apart.

If your blend doesn’t have xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon to the dry ingredients when you whisk them together. Without it, these cookies can turn out dry and fall apart when you pick them up.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Tiramisu Cups
• Gluten Free Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Gluten Free Cannoli Dip
• Gluten Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Gluten Free Madeleines

FAQ

Can I use regular espresso or brewed coffee instead of instant espresso powder?

Instant espresso powder is the best option here because it dissolves right into the dough without adding extra liquid. If you use brewed coffee or liquid espresso, you’ll throw off the dough’s consistency and the cookies may spread too much or turn out flat.

If you can’t find instant espresso powder, instant coffee granules work as a substitute. Just crush them into a fine powder first so they blend in smoothly. You may need a little extra since instant coffee tends to be milder in flavor than espresso powder.