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Give classic Italian tiramisu a festive Christmas twist! Just brush mini pandoro slices with espresso, layer them with creamy Baileys-flavored mascarpone, and sprinkle with cocoa powder. Stack them up to make adorable tiramisu Christmas trees!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!🎄
Have you all planned your Christmas menu yet? Today, I headed to the grocery store for some last-minute ingredients, and it was absolutely packed! It’s always such a frenzy at this time of year, right? We’ve just finished work and are diving into the Christmas break.
This year has flown by! Just the other day, as I was thinking about Christmas gifts, I thought to myself “how did we get to December already? It feels like 2021 just started!“.
Last Christmas, my husband and I received several pandoros from his family in Italy, so we had to find a way to use them up. Alex introduced me to a popular Italian Christmas recipe that was totally new to me. So all credit for this recipe goes to him! 😊
One of the things I love about being in an international relationship is learning about new dishes from different cuisines—the authentic way.

What is the difference between pandoro tiramisu and classic tiramisu?
The only difference between this recipe and a classic tiramisu is that instead of the traditional ladyfingers or pavesini, we’re using slices of pandoro. For this recipe, we used mini pandoro (about 80g), but you can definitely make it with a large pandoro, especially if you’re serving a big family for Christmas. Just be sure to increase all the ingredient quantities accordingly.
Use plain pandoro, not the flavored varieties like chocolate or lemon (which are my personal favorites to eat on their own!). Since we’re adding cream, Baileys, and cocoa powder, additional flavors wouldn’t mix well here.
Another difference from a classic tiramisu is that we brush the espresso coffee onto the pandoro layers rather than soaking them. However, if you prefer a stronger coffee flavor, feel free to increase the espresso amount and soak the layers instead! 🙂
Why use pandoro in tiramisu?
Pandoro is ideal for tiramisu because it has a soft, airy texture that absorbs coffee while staying light, a subtle sweetness that complements the flavors, and a festive touch as a traditional Italian Christmas cake. It’s also easy to layer for fun holiday presentations and a great way to use up extra pandoro during the holidays.

Preparation
- Prepare the mascarpone cream – Separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with half of the sugar. Add an additional tablespoon of sugar and a drop of vanilla extract, mixing until the mixture is pale and frothy.
- Gradually add the mascarpone cheese, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the Baileys. Set the thick cream aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the mascarpone mixture using a spatula until smooth and well incorporated.
- Assemble the tiramisu trees – Slice each mini pandoro into 4 equal layers. Take the largest pandoro slice and brush it with espresso. Spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on top, then dust with cocoa powder.
- Repeat the process 3 times with each pandoro layer, stacking them to create a layered effect.
- On the top layer, add a final dollop of mascarpone cream and a light dusting of cocoa powder for decoration.

Storage
Cover the leftover pandoro tiramisu with plastic wrap and store it in your refrigerator for up to two days. However, it’s best consumed on the same day.
More Christmas desserts
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Christmas Baileys Tiramisu with Pandoro
Ingredients
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 2 eggs
- 50 g sugar
- 1 tbsp sugar + 1 drop vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp Baileys
- 2 shots of espresso coffee
- 4 mini pandoro
- cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare the mascarpone cream – Separate the egg whites from the yolks. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with half of the sugar. Add an additional tablespoon of sugar and a drop of vanilla extract, mixing until the mixture is pale and frothy.
- Gradually add the mascarpone cheese, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the Baileys. Set the thick cream aside.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until soft peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the mascarpone mixture using a spatula until smooth and well incorporated.
- Assemble the tiramisu trees – Slice each mini pandoro into 4 equal layers. Take the largest pandoro slice and brush it with espresso. Spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on top, then dust with cocoa powder.
- Repeat the process 3 times with each pandoro layer, stacking them to create a layered effect.
- On the top layer, add a final dollop of mascarpone cream and a light dusting of cocoa powder for decoration.
Equipment
Nutrition
The nutritional details provided on That Cute Dish are for informational purposes only and are automatically calculated. Please consider them as estimates rather than precise values, as ingredients and measurements can vary.
