Chocolate Tiramisu Pancakes are the ultimate Shrove Tuesday treat. Chocolate, coffee and Mascarpone cream combine with classic Italian cookies to create a simple, yet stylish dessert.
Pancake Day (aka Shrove Tuesday) is fast approaching (February 13th) so I’ve been polishing my pancake flipping skills recently whilst testing out the recipe for these chocolate pancakes inspired by the classic Italian dessert, Tiramisu.
These Tiramisu Pancakes came about after much deliberation. My go-to choice for pancake toppings are either savoury or, if my sweet tooth is nagging at me, simple lemon juice with just a sprinkling of sugar. But…. I had my heart set on presenting a chocolate recipe. I went from pillar to post on what fruit to include, before I decided to abandon any notion of healthy eating altogether and opted for the pure indulgence strategy instead.
Hi there, Chocolate Tiramisu Pancakes!
What lurks beneath these thin, crepe style chocolate pancakes is a luscious & decadent mascarpone filling that has been whipped together with egg yolk and a touch of alcohol. The result is a dreamy, creamy blend that naturally partners with the chocolate crêpes in true Tiramisu style. On the booze front, my preference is for a splash of Amaretto, but Marsala wine or even rum would work fine too. And if you’re not feeling wild, you can replace the alcohol with a splash of orange juice instead.
To add a bit of bite and interest to the texture of these Tiramisu Pancakes, I opted for Amaretti cookies over Savoiardi biscuits since they stand up to a coffee dunking well and have a deep, alluring taste profile. And dunking in coffee is exactly what I had in mind for these little treasures. Coffee laced with a touch more booze, to be precise. Once steeped in the coffee, these cookies nestle innocently inside the crepes, minding their own business, but eagerly waiting to be discovered. They are the star of the show, since they add that juicy, full rounded caffeine hit synonymous with Tiramisu.
Finally, to add one more layer of texture, I opted to sprinkle the fully loaded crepes with a scattering of crushed Amaretti.
And that’s it. These Chocolate Tiramisu Pancakes are sure to make a wonderfully extravagant finale to Shrove Tuesday proceedings.
If you are not in the mood for chocolate, take a look at my Classic English pancakes recipe – it’s loaded with tips and serving suggestions. Cherries jubilee make an ideal accompaniment to them. Or try out my North Staffordshire oatcakes – these are a particularly tasty option if you’re looking to go down a savoury route.
Before you go, I have a nugget of LittleSugarSnaps trivia for you. Did you know that way back in October 2014 I published my first pancake recipe? It was my first ever blog post and, as I think I’ve mentioned before, at the time I pressed that publish button, I hadn’t fully appreciated what publish meant. I thought I was still in the test stages. Heck, I hadn’t actually committed to owning a blog at that point. (Durrrrrr) Um…. three and a bit years later I still seem to be blogging, but I now fully get what publish really means. I suppose thats progress. If you’ve still got room for more pancakes, hop over to my accidental blog post to find my American style Ricotta & Almond Pancakes.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Tiramisu Pancakes
Ingredients
For the Pancake Batter
- 85 g/ ⅔ cup Plain (all purpose) flour
- 25 g/ ¼ cup Cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp Caster Sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 Egg (large, Free Range)
- 250 ml/ 1 cup Whole (Full fat) milk
For the Mascarpone Filling
- 2 Egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon Caster Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Amaretto or Marsala wine
- 250 g/ 1 ⅛ cup Mascarpone cheese
For Coffee Amaretti
- 180 ml/ ¾ cup Coffee – warm, strong & black
- 2 tablespoon Demerara sugar
- 2 tablespoon Kahlua or Rum
- 100 g/ 4oz Amaretti Biscuits
Instructions
For the Pancake Batter
- Sieve the flour and cocoa into a bowl. Stir in the sugar and salt
- Make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Add half the milk and, using a small wooden spoon, whisk the eggs and milk together, then start incorporating the flour, little by little
- Gradually add the rest of the milk. Once mixed, it should have the consistency of single cream
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes
For the Mascarpone Filling
- Put the egg yolks and caster sugar into a medium mixing bowl and whisk hard for 1 minute with a balloon whisk
- Whisk in the alcohol (if using) then fold in the mascarpone with a large metal spoon. Keep mixing until the filling is smooth & lump free. Set Aside
For the Coffee Soaked Amaretti
- Take ¼ of the Amaretti biscuits and crush lightly and set aside
- Pour the alcohol into the sweetened coffee
Cooking & Assembly
- When ready to cook heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat until very hot. Add a knob of butter and swirl around the pan. Pour in ⅙ of the pancake batter (approx. 65ml) and swirl the pan to ensure the batter spreads out
- Let cook for 1-2 minutes (until set underneath) then flip over and allow the other side to cook. When fully cooked transfer to a warmed plate and continue to cook the remaining 5 pancakes
- Dip the whole Amaretti Biscuits into the coffee for 30 seconds
- Take 1 pancake and spread ⅙ of the mascarpone over half of it. Scatter with ⅙ of the soaked Amaretti biscuits and fold in half, then in half again. Transfer to a plate and top with a little crushed Amaretti. Repeat for the other 5 pancakes
- Serve immediately
Sofyana Bellaa
looks good, what is easy to make?
Jane Saunders
Thanks. Yes it’s easy.
Thomas Paul
Your day can never go wrong if it’s starts with a breakfast like this one! I know its a dessert but.. pancakes are so good for breakfast. So why not!
Jane Saunders
Thanks Thomas. I could be tempted to try them out from an indulgent breakfast too.
Healthy World Cuisine
Love the texture and flavors in this dessert. You hit this one out of the park Jane. Wishing you a super weekend. Pinned!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou so much Bobbi.
Amy Nash
Sometimes pure indulgence just really is the only way to go, isn’t it? 🙂 These look like unbelievably wonderful pancakes and I would definitely be happy to eat a plate of them for breakfast! Or dessert, lol!
Jane Saunders
Thanks Amy – hope someone makes them for you.
Amanda Finks
Oh my goodness! That mascarpone cream filling! YUM!
Jane Saunders
Cheers Amanda.
Pam Greer
Oh my goodness, Jane! These are simply out of this world! I love tiramisu and I love how you played with that here!
Jane Saunders
Thanks Pam.