This banana bread tiramisu recipe puts a clever twist on the classic dessert by swapping the usual biscuit layer for homemade banana bread. Slices are brushed with a coffee, Kahlúa and brandy soak, then layered with a smooth LANCEWOOD® Mascarpone filling and finished with cocoa. Chill it overnight for a rich, creamy make-ahead dessert that’s ready to serve when it’s time to entertain.
Traditional tiramisu is known for layers of coffee-soaked biscuits and creamy mascarpone. This version gives the much-loved tiramisu dessert a delicious twist by replacing the biscuit layer with homemade banana bread. The soft slices absorb the coffee, Kahlúa and brandy mixture while bringing their own gently sweet banana flavour to every layer.
The banana bread works particularly well with the deeper notes of coffee and cocoa, while LANCEWOOD® Mascarpone creates the smooth, creamy filling that ties everything together. Mascarpone is a favourite in many mascarpone recipes, especially desserts, thanks to its rich texture and mild flavour that pairs easily with coffee, chocolate and fruit.
Once assembled, the Banana Bread Tiramisu is refrigerated overnight. This gives the banana bread time to soak up the coffee mixture while the layers chill and settle, making it a useful make-ahead dessert for dinner parties, celebrations and relaxed weekend entertaining.
It’s also a great choice for anyone drawn to the combination of coffee and cake. While this isn’t a traditional coffee cake recipe, it brings together many of the same comforting flavour notes, with homemade banana bread adding an extra layer of sweetness and texture.
Dust generously with cocoa just before serving and bring it to the table chilled for an indulgent dessert that combines two familiar favourites in one.
Mascarpone is a soft, rich and creamy cheese commonly used in desserts. Its smooth texture and mild flavour make it especially well suited to tiramisu, where it forms the creamy layer between the coffee-soaked components. It also works well in many other sweet mascarpone recipes.
Yes. Banana bread can replace the traditional biscuit or sponge layer in tiramisu. In this recipe, slices of homemade banana bread absorb the coffee, Kahlúa and brandy mixture while adding banana flavour and a soft, cake-like texture to the finished dessert.
Yes. This Banana Bread Tiramisu is specifically designed to be refrigerated overnight before serving. The resting time allows the banana bread to absorb the coffee mixture and gives the mascarpone layers time to chill and settle, making it a useful dessert to prepare ahead for entertaining.
The biggest difference is the cake layer. Traditional tiramisu generally uses coffee-soaked ladyfingers or sponge-style biscuits, while this version uses homemade banana bread. The banana bread adds its own flavour and creates a slightly softer, more cake-like layer alongside the coffee, mascarpone and cocoa.
Banana Bread (makes 1 loaf):
3 ripe bananas, mashed
75 g butter, melted
150 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 large egg
185 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Tiramisu:
3 extra-large eggs
100 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
500g Lancewood Mascarpone
250 ml cream
Coffee Soak:
150 ml strong coffee, cooled
½ cup Kahlúa
¼ cup brandy
2 tbsp cocoa, for dusting
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