Panettone Tiramisu Trifle – Easy Christmas Dessert

This easy Christmas panettone tiramisu trifle is the perfect effortless Christmas dessert – festive, creamy, and full of Italian flair. This no-bake treat transforms panettone into a luxurious layered dessert with mascarpone cream, coffee, and cocoa. It’s rich yet light, easy to prepare, and ideal for your holiday table.

Hey, folks – I hope you all are doing well.

Today, I’m excited to share this Panettone Tiramisu Trifle – a wonderfully simple yet sophisticated way to enjoy classic Italian flavours in a creamy, no-bake dessert form. It’s festive, luscious, and requires minimal effort, making it a show-stopping centerpiece for Christmas gatherings.

So let’s dive into this luscious, easy Christmas dessert?

Why You’ll Love This Easy Christmas Panettone Tiramisu

• A quick, no-bake dessert that’s perfect for the busy holiday season.
• Combines classic Italian flavours of panettone, mascarpone, and coffee.
• Light and creamy with just the right amount of richness.
• Looks beautiful served in a trifle bowl or individual glasses.
• Easily customizable with your favourite liqueur or toppings.

Flavour and Texture Profile

This Christmas panettone tiramisu is soft, creamy, and gently sweet with hints of espresso and orange. The buttery panettone absorbs the coffee and liqueur beautifully, creating tender, cake-like layers. Mascarpone cream adds luscious smoothness, while a dusting of cocoa balances the sweetness. Every spoonful is festive, cozy, and full of Italian charm.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Easy Christmas Panettone Tiramisu

Coffee Caramel:

• Strong brewed coffee: Forms the base of the caramel, adding rich aroma and depth.
• Light brown sugar: Sweetens the sauce and brings warm molasses notes.
• Instant coffee (optional): Intensifies the coffee flavour for a stronger profile.
• Butter: Adds silkiness and body to the caramel.
• Heavy (whipping) cream: Creates a smooth, creamy texture.
• Pinch of salt (optional): Balances the sweetness and enhances flavour.

Orange Sauce:

• Fresh orange juice: Provides bright, citrusy flavour to contrast the creamy layers.
• Pectin: Helps lightly thicken the sauce without turning it into jelly.
• Dehydrated orange rings or orange zest: Adds extra citrus aroma and texture.
• Honey (optional): Adds subtle sweetness and shine.

Mascarpone Cream:

• Mascarpone: The creamy, rich foundation for the trifle.
• Heavy (whipping) cream: Whipped to soft peaks for lightness and volume.
• Powdered sugar: Gently sweetens the cream while keeping it smooth.

Assembling:

• Panettone: The star component – buttery and airy, cut or torn into cubes.
• Coffee caramel: Adds deep, espresso-rich sweetness between layers.
• Orange sauce: Brings bright, tangy contrast to the creamy and sweet elements.
• Grated chocolate (optional): Finishes the dessert with a touch of indulgence.

Panettone Tiramisu Trifle – Easy Christmas Dessert: Possible Variations and Additions

Although this easy Christmas panettone tiramisu trifle is already delicious, you can make it even more exciting by customizing:

• Use chocolate-chip or orange-flavoured panettone for a fun twist.
  Swap coffee for spiced hot chocolate for a caffeine-free option.
• Add layers of caramel, dulce de leche, or berry compote.
• Infuse your coffee with some brandy, rum, or orange liqueur.
• Garnish with toasted almonds, candied orange peel, or crushed biscotti.

More Easy Holiday Desserts

Looking for more easy festive desserts, like this panettone tiramisu trifle? be sure to check more ideas:

• Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle – Easy No-Bake Dessert
• Gingerbread Cranberry Panettone Trifle – Easy Christmas Dessert
• Irish Cream Chocolate Dessert – Easy Holiday Treat

I’d love for you to try this Panettone Tiramisu Trifle – Easy Christmas Dessert. If you give the recipe a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

Print

Panettone Tiramisu Trifle – Easy Christmas Dessert

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Christmas, Chilled and No-Bake Desserts, Festive Christmas DessertsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4-6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Chilling (Preferably)

1-2

hours

Creamy Panettone Tiramisu Trifle with coffee caramel and orange sauce – an easy festive Christmas dessert.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• Coffee Caramel:

• 2/3 cup strong freshly brewed coffee
  

• 1 cup light brown sugar

• 1 to 3 tbsp. instant coffee (optional)

• 100 gr. butter, cut in large chunks

• 1/2 heavy (whipping, ~35%) cream
  

• a pinch of salt (optional)

• Orange Sauce:

• Juice of 4 oranges (~1 and 1/2 cups)

• ~ 1 to 2 tbsp. pectin (check the package) – I used liquid

• 2-4 dehydrated orange rings (finely chopped) or 1 tbsp. orange zest

• 1-2 tbsp. honey (optional)

• Mascarpone Cream:

• ~ 400 gr. mascarpone – cold

• 2/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream – very cold

• 2-3 tbsp. powdered sugar

• Assembling:

• ~ 300-400 gr, panettone, cubed or simply torn

• ~ 1/2 to 2/3 cup coffee caramel

• ~ 1/2 to 2/3 orange sauce

• grated chocolate, optional

Directions

• Coffee Caramel:
• In a pan combine the coffee, instant coffee (if using), and sugar over low-medium heat, whisking until the sugar has been dissolved. When the sugar has been dissolved, and the caramel started to simmer, stop whisking to avoid the crystallization. You can swirl the pan occasionally instead. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, to thicken up.
• Stir in the butter and let it cook for 1 minute and then off heat.
• Stir in the cream. Mixture will bubble up so be careful! If desired, you can also add a dash of spices (nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon) or a splash of alcohol. Cool completely.
• Orange Sauce:
• In a saucepan, add the orange juice along with the chopped orange rings or orange zest and let it simmer 2 minutes. Then add the pectin, according to the suggestions on the package – they could vary significantly. Generally, we do not need a thick consistency, so I added about 1,5 tbsp. per this amount of juice, but it could be more or less. Please note that I didn’t use any sugar; however, you can add a little bit of honey, if desired. Cool until ready to assemble.
• Mascarpone Cream:
• Whip the cold cream with 3 tbsp. of powdered sugar, for about 2-3 minutes, until until medium (soft) peaks form.
• Fold in the mascarpone and continue beating for about 2 minutes, just until well-incorporated and light. Be careful to not overbeat as mascarpone can split. Also, make sure that both cream and mascarpone are cold (Mixing cold cream with room-temperature mascarpone can result in curdling.)
• Assembling:
• You can use a medium-large trifle bowl or individual glasses. Just alter the layers as you wish. Do not bee to hard on the coffee caramel as it’s pretty sweet. If decried, sprinkle with the chocolate. It’s better to chill the assembled dessert for 1-2 hours, but you can serve it at once. Enjoy!

Notes

• Most likely, you would have some leftovers of the coffee caramel or /and orange sauce, as well as panettone. Just serve the toasted panettone with these addition next morning for a sweet breakfast / brunch.