No combination beats coffee, mascarpone, sponge and alcohol in Italian desserts. TasteAtlas list it as number 1 in their top 10 Italian desserts. But what happens if you’re in the enviable position of having leftover tiramisu?
Can You Freeze Tiramisu?
Yes, you can freeze tiramisu for up to 4 months. To freeze tiramisu, portion it out, then wrap each piece in clingfilm before placing the pieces into a bag and storing them in the freezer.
Do Does Tiramisu freeze well? Sometimes
Can you refreeze Tiramisu? No
How to Freeze Tiramisu
If you plan on freezing tiramisu, try to remove any nuts or cocoa before freezing. If the tiramisu is fresh, wait to add these items when they are thawed at a later date.
If you plan to freeze tiramisu in an airtight container, be advised that the product may lose its integrity if it is not wrapped tightly.
It is also worth noting that if you plan to freeze homemade tiramisu or tiramisu that is not already packaged, it should be frozen within a day of refrigeration or the product will go bad before it hits the freezer:
- Portion Tiramisu: If you have a full tiramisu, it must be cut into slices or individual portions before freezing. This helps each piece to retain its texture and flavour. It also makes it easier to grab just the amount you need out of the freezer too.
- Wrap It: Once cut into portions, wrap each piece in cling film tightly. It is recommended to wrap plastic around it several times, keeping any air out. It is sometimes a good idea to wrap it in aluminium foil, although it is not necessary. This adds an extra layer of protection.
- Bag It: Once individually wrapped, pop it into a resealable freezer bag alone or with other pieces. If you’re worried that each piece might get damaged then use foil takeaway trays for each portion to give it a little extra protection.
- Freeze It: Label it with the date it was frozen and the contents, and then freeze.
Yes, tiramisu that has been made traditionally using raw eggs in a zabaglione can be frozen. You will find that it loses its creamy, velvety texture, however.
3 Tips for Freezing Tiramisu
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing tiramisu to have the best results:
Avoid Toppings
Toppings such as cocoa powder, nuts and cocoa shavings should be added once it has thawed.
Freeze in Portions
You cannot refreeze tiramisu so make sure you freeze it cut into ready-to-eat portions to avoid wasting it in future.
Refrigerate First
Wrapping sloppy tiramisu is not easy. Place it into the fridge for an hour or so beforehand to firm it up making it much easier to cut and wrap.
How Long Can You Freeze Tiramisu?
If the tiramisu is already pre-packaged, it can be frozen, unopened for 3-4 months. If the tiramisu is fresh and individually wrapped tightly, it can be frozen for 2 to 3 months.
The best option for freezer time is about 4 weeks without compromising the ladyfingers when thawed.
Tiramisu will keep in a covered dish for around 4 days in the fridge. However, it is at its best within the first 2 days of being made. It can become excessively soft after 2 days.
How Do You Defrost Tiramisu?
Tiramisu is extremely easy to defrost. Just take it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge overnight.
Remember, you want the desert to be cold, not frozen so there is no need to place it at room temperature until 15 minutes before using.
There is no defrosting method other than bringing it from frozen to cold. Once the dish is defrosted and it’s time to serve, you can then add a dusting of cocoa or nuts as a preference.
Can You Refreeze Tiramisu?
Dairy products and alcohol are already a challenge to freeze. Refreezing it would be a disaster. You’ll end up with mushy sponge fingers and grainy cream.
Portioning your tiramisu is one of the easier ways to prevent any need for refreezing.
Does Tiramisu Freeze Well?
If the individual pieces are properly wrapped and frozen within the correct time span and used within 1-3 months, the tiramisu should not be compromised.
This dessert is tricky because the ladyfingers will continue to absorb liquids while frozen. This can make them a little spongy and mushy when thawed.
One thing to note is that cocoa powder sprinkled over the top of your tiramisu will not freeze well. It will merge into the cream.
That’s why you should sprinkle over your cocoa powder when your tiramisu is defrosted – this is a great way to hide the fact that it was frozen.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing tiramisu or tiramisu in general, then these may help:
Often, the packaging of shop-bought desserts will outline whether or not they can be frozen. Unfortunately, a lot of supermarket tiramisu is stated as being unsuitable for home freezing, such as this one from ASDA.
The first simple step is to check the label, which will often confirm whether or not the tiramisu can be frozen. You should be able to, however. With Costco tiramisu, we recommend portioning it out into foil trays or Tupperware containers before freezing, as their tiramisu tends to be on the larger side.
There isn’t a huge difference between a normal tiramisu and a tiramisu cake. The cake version tends to be more set so that it can be cut into wedges or slices. Cut it up, wrap individual portions in cling film, bag up and then freeze.
Hi Ross, I’ve just met your website and am so pleased to see your advice as I am a great advocate of freezing stuff to avoid food waste. Just made tiramisu and have frozen the leftovers to stop me eating them (!) – although it was already dusted with cocoa so I’ll have to cope with that.
I’m also messaging in honour of my cousin who sadly passed away 2 weeks ago, who also threw everything into the freezer…
Least successful was cheese and biscuits – complete pieces of cheese on ginger nairns. Not the best! Thanks for your work on this.